Although Yang Kai’s existence concerned Shang Ao a little, he didn’t spend too much thought on him.
The Sea Clan had always been arrogant, believing they were the noblest creatures in this world and that all other races should bow to them, especially the great masses of humans who infested the land.
The Sea Clan also had the qualifications to be arrogant. From birth, every Sea Clan clansman was innately proficient in Water Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skills, unlike humans who the majority of which would never be able to cultivate and would die of old age or sickness before a hundred years had passed, forever remaining mortal.
This was Yang Kai’s first experience with the Sea Clan’s arrogance!
The glamorous woman standing next to Shang Ao looked down and lightly opened her lips, “Island Master Pang, this is not the first time this Mistress has met you, so we can reluctantly be considered acquaintances. Since that is the case, this Mistress will speak frankly. This time, an important person from my Sea God Palace has disappeared near your Sunrise Island and we have reason to suspect that the people of Sea Temple abducted them. As such, we have come here to ask Island Master Pang to return them to us.”
Although the woman tried her best to keep her tone stable, her slightly tense expression revealed her inner anxiety.
Pang Zhen naturally recognized this Sea Clan woman and frowned, “An important person from your Sea Clan? Who exactly?”
He was very curious about the identity of this missing Sea Clan clansman, and faintly felt that the other party’s status in the Sea Clan was definitely not low, likely a member of the royal family! Otherwise, Shang Ao and this woman would not have come here personally and displayed such an aggressive stance.
Regardless, he had to clarify the situation.
The woman, however, shook her head lightly and said in a pleasant tone, “Forgive me, but this Mistress cannot reveal this person’s identity.”
Pang Zhen sneered, “General Qian Mo, are you making a joke? Just based on your guess, Sea God Palace brings so many Origin Returning Realm masters to embarrass my Sunrise Island? Do you think my Sea Temple is so easy to bully?”
The woman named Qian Mo frowned and hesitated for a moment before saying, “It is not just this Mistress’ guess, Milady really did disappear near Sunrise Island, otherwise, we wouldn’t be here. “
Pang Zhen’s eyes narrowed upon hearing this response.
Qian Mo and Shang Ao were both among the eight Generals of Sea God Palace and had extremely high status. In the Sea Clan, there were not many people ranked higher than her, but she actually referred to this missing Sea Clan clansman as ‘Milady’.
Could it really be that a member of Sea God Palace’s royal family had gone missing near here? This was no small matter! Pang Zhen immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. If it was just some little-known Sea Clan clansmen that had disappeared, he could easily shirk responsibility; after all, he really wasn’t involved in this matter, but if the one who was missing was a royal, he had no choice but to handle things delicately.
If this matter was not processed properly, it would definitely trigger a war between the Sea Temple and the Sea God Palace! That was an outcome no one wanted to see.
After a long time of silent contemplation, Pang Zhen said with a solemn expression, “We have not discovered any Sea Clan near Sunrise Island recently, perhaps General Qian Mo is mistaken…”
Qian Mo quickly interrupted him, “If Island Master Pang will permit, this Mistress would like to search Sunrise Island. I wonder if you can accommodate this request!”
“Just a search?” Pang Zhen looked at her cautiously. Compared to the current situation, this request was not excessive. If the circumstances had been anything else, Pang Zhen would definitely not agree, but since this matter likely involved a member of the Sea Clan royal family, if he didn’t agree, it would likely set off the simple-minded Shang Ao and spark a great battle.
As such, Pang Zhen was debating making some concessions to ease the situation.
“Just a search!” Qian Mo assured, “This Mistress is very familiar with Milady, and if she really is on Sunrise Island, this Mistress will definitely sense her regardless of whether someone has tried to conceal her whereabouts!”
As she spoke these last words, Qian Mo’s eyes became cold and sharp.
It was conceivable that if things were as she guessed, Sunrise Island would run red with blood today.
Pang Zhen hesitated. With the other party acting so assured, he could not be certain of his judgment. Although he was the Island Master, with so many Sea Temple disciples living on Sunrise Island, if there really was some blind fool who secretly captured and brought back a Sea Clan…
“Alright, I accept your request!” Pang Zhen quickly decided. If this was a blessing, it was not a curse, and if it was a curse, it could not be avoided, so Pang Zhen could only pin his hopes on the Sea Clan being mistaken.
“Many thanks,” Qian Mo nodded, and in the next moment released her Divine Sense, spreading it out to sweep every piece of Sunrise Island.
Everyone waited quietly while hundreds of masters remained silent on the coast, even suppressing their breaths to the point where one could hear a pin drop.
Shang Ao wore a clear look of anxiety and the long scar on his face twitched noticeably, giving him an even more terrifying appearance. He glanced back and forth between Qian Mo and Pang Zhen repeatedly, his eyes wide open.
Only after a long silence did Qian Mo open her eyes once more.
Pang Zhen stared fixedly at her, waiting for her to speak.
“How is it?” Shang Ao also asked hastily.
Qian Mo showed a disappointed look on her face as she turned to Shang Ao and slowly shook her head, “She’s not here!”
“Impossible!” Shang Ao yelled, “She disappeared near Sunrise Island, how could she not be here! Something must be wrong… That’s right, could she have been transferred away by them? Sunrise Island has a Space Array and can connect to various Sea Temple islands…”
“Shang Ao, if you want to fight, just fight! Stop trying to make up excuses!” Pang Zhen exclaimed, this time, with much more confidence.
Shang Ao was already irritated, so when Pang Zhen’s words came out, they instantly set him off and he began to circulate the strength in his body.
Qian Mo quickly cut in, though, and said, “Island Master Pang, this Mistress and others were mistaken. I apologize for the trouble we have caused. This Mistress will definitely return to apologize in the future.”
Hearing her say so, a smile blossomed on Pang Zhen’s face.
The Sea Clan always looked down on Humans, so Qian Mo being able to make such an admission proved just how anxious she was, not even having the mind to keep up an air of arrogance. It did not really matter whether she came in the future to apologize, this concession alone was enough.
Pang Zhen was a worldly man and naturally knew how to take a win when he got one so he simply nodded and said, “Since that’s the case, this Pang won’t press this matter any further, you can see yourselves out!”
The Sea Clan did not say a word and quickly retreated, with only Shang Ao glaring back at Pang Zhen unwillingly before leaving, seemingly even more interested in fighting now so he could vent his frustrations.
After the Sea Clan retreated a few thousand kilometres, Pang Zhen deeply exhaled.
The other Elders on Sunrise Island also looked at each other and smiled bitterly as sweat dripped down their backs.
Regardless of their firm outward attitudes just now, and their refusal to back down, in truth, they all had their hearts up in their throats. With Sunrise Island’s current strength, it would not have been easy for them to resist two Sea Clan Generals and their subordinates.
Fortunately, this matter had been resolved perfectly, without any battle taking place.
“Island Master, what person did the Sea Clan lose? Why were Shang Ao and Qian Mo so anxious?” Someone asked from the side.
Pang Zhen silently signalled to the man, not immediately answering and instead turning to look at Yang Kai and saying with a smile, “Sect Master Yang, I’ve shown you something embarrassing. This Pang just received word from the temple’s headquarters that a representative will be here in three days. I hope Sect Master Yang will take a few days to enjoy the sights and scenes of Sunrise Island as he waits patiently.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “This Yang appreciates Island Master Pang’s hospitality, but from what I’ve seen, it seems your Sea Temple isn’t very interested in this Yang’s proposal.”
Pang Zhen opened his mouth but did not know how to explain.
Even from his perspective, Sea Temple’s response had been quite sloppy, so he could only let out a bitter laughter.
Fortunately, Yang Kai did not intend to embarrass him, so after saying a few casual words, Yang Kai simply returned to the courtyard Pang Zhen had arranged for him.
Since Sea Temple was not enthusiastic about his proposal, Yang Kai would not care about them and chose to instead focus on the Sea Clan.
Even Pang Zhen had to admit that the Sea Clan had an innate advantage when it came to collecting ocean resources and were able to acquire a larger amount of them than the Sea Temple. If the Sea Clan and High Heaven Sect could reach a cooperative relationship, it would certainly be more beneficial than one he could establish with Sea Temple.
However… it would certainly be difficult to work with the Sea Clan.
Unless he forced them to submit, there was probably no possibility of success.
In the middle of the night, Yang Kai opened his eyes suddenly and showed a thoughtful look as he stared off in a certain direction. Just now, he noticed that some of Sunrise Island’s masters, including Pang Zhen, had quietly left the island.
Immediately, he understood that Pang Zhen had gone to search for that important missing person from the Sea Clan!
If even Shang Ao and Qian Mo valued this individual so highly, their status must be quite extraordinary. If Pang Zhen could find this missing person first, it would undoubtedly become a great merit. At that time, it would be a simple matter to use this person to negotiate some kind of agreement with Sea God Palace, or simply ransomed for a large number of resources.
Yang Kai also knew that the masters from the Sea Clan had not left far from Sunrise Island, only moving about thirty thousand kilometres off.
They seemed to believe that their clansman had disappeared near Sunrise Island so they planned to conduct a thorough search of the area.
Yang Kai watched with interest, secretly wondering what kind of scene would appear if the two groups met one another.
However, this idea was obviously superfluous. Whether it was the cultivators of Sunrise Island or the cultivators from the Sea Clan, they both did their best to avoid one another.
Suddenly, an aura mysteriously disappeared from Yang Kai’s perception.
Before he could figure out what happened, another one disappeared, and then a third, then a fourth…
Within a very short period of time, dozens of auras disappeared strangely.
This was not anything like a cultivator’s aura fading after they died, but rather just completely vanishing in an instant!
Yang Kai was stunned.
He was now the Star Master of Shadowed Star, so it was not an exaggeration to say that as long as he wanted to, he could monitor the movement of any place he wanted to with perfect accuracy.
But now, he could not tell how dozens of powerful masters had disappeared from his view.
There did not seem to be any reason for their disappearance.
In fact, not even these peoples’ companions had noticed yet.
In the beginning, only those from the Sea Clan were disappearing, but then the masters of Sunrise Island also began to vanish one by one. By the time the remaining people discovered something was not right, it was already too late. Only a few of the original two hundred or so masters from both forces remained, and it was not long before these last few also vanished.
Yang Kai jumped to his feet and his figure flickered as he directly moved from Sunrise Island to the area where the strange disappearances had occurred. Floating mid-air, Yang Kai frowned as he spread out his Divine Sense, trying to figure out what exactly had happened.
Such an unusual event occurring in this region puzzled and shocked him greatly as the Star Master of Shadowed Star.
Even after a careful examination though, Yang Kai was unable to discover any clues.
The surrounding world seemed to be filled with a mysterious air.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s expression changed abruptly, and he turned his head in a certain direction.
Over there, an island shrouded in shadows strangely manifested. This island’s outline was hazy, like a reflection in the water, making it difficult to discern. What’s more, no matter how Yang Kai probed with his Divine Sense, he was unable to grasp where this island was, or even if it was real.
It seemed to exist, yet not; seemed to be close, yet far; filled with an inexplicable aura.
A black crack silently appeared behind Yang Kai, and by the time he noticed it, it had already expanded like the giant maw of a beast and swallowed him whole.
In the next instant, Yang Kai disappeared.
A squall blew past, leaving faint ripples on the otherwise calm ocean surface, leaving no trace of any living aura within a ten thousand kilometre radius.
…..
The place where Yang Kai reappeared was a sandy beach filled with the damp smell of an ocean coast. Before he could figure out where he was, battle-cries rang in his ears, the voices behind them familiar to him.
Looking in the direction the voices came from, Yang Kai suddenly discovered that the Human Race and Sea Clan masters who had disappeared from his perception had also largely appeared on this beach.
Pang Zhen, Shang Ao, and Qian Mo were among them.
However, they were in an unbelievably bad situation and were being besieged by a group of unknown cultivators.
Although Sea Temple and Sea God Palace were by no means friendly with one another, even frequently having conflicts among them, they at least knew how to distinguish who their immediate enemies were. Suddenly finding themselves transported to some unfamiliar place, they abandoned their previous animosities and worked together.
There were not many people besieging them, only about thirty or forty.
But it was the masters from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace that were on the defensive! If it were not for these unknown cultivators not intending to kill ruthlessly, Pang Zhen, Shang Ao, and the others would definitely have suffered heavy losses already.
Yang Kai stared at this strange scene for a moment and soon noticed that no one showed any signs of using their Saint Qi, only using their physical strength to confront the enemy.
This was not only the case with the cultivators of unknown origin, but also for Pang Zhen and Shang Ao’s groups.
Shang Ao was both tall and muscular. As a member of the Sea Clan, his physical strength was quite intrepid, so even if he was besieged by four or five enemies, he was barely able to defend himself.
Pang Zhen, on the other hand, was a different story. In terms of overall combat effectiveness, he and Shang Ao were almost evenly matched, but without his Saint Qi, Pang Zhen’s strength plummeted, and he was obviously beset with difficulties right now.
The same went for the other human cultivators. They did not have the same powerful physiques as the Sea Clan, so not only were they inferior to the men like Shang Ao, but even to the women like Qian Mo.
Yang Kai observed thoughtfully for a moment before trying to circulate his Saint Qi only to discover he could not mobilize it at all. This strange place had completely sealed his Saint Qi!
This discovery surprised him greatly.
Next, Yang Kai tried to extend his Divine Sense and quickly found that the furthest away from his body he could get with it was fifty metres.
[What is this place? Why is there such powerful suppression of Saint Qi and Divine Sense here?] Yang Kai was puzzled.
Two nearby fellows, seeing Yang Kai lost in thought, could not help snickering and dashing over.
Yang Kai had yet to figure out the situation here, so he did not want to stand out too much; as such, while dealing with these two attackers, he secretly continued to observe his surroundings.
When it came to physical strength, Yang Kai could be considered a top-level existence. He had refined a lot of the Life Revitalizing Jade Cream he brought out from the Emperor Garden, dramatically increasing the amount of pure Golden Blood in his body. Coupled with the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art he cultivated, Yang Kai could say with confidence that he could take down an ordinary Origin King in a simple contest of strength without breaking a sweat!
He could be sure now that this was not Shadowed Star, it was some kind of separate world.
Even the connection between him and Shadowed Star had been cut off, and he couldn’t make use of his abilities as a Star Master, so Yang Kai was certain this was an independent, sealed space!
The battle was in full swing, with both sides heavily engaged, but cultivators from the Sea Temple Sea God Palace force were constantly being captured, tied up, and tossed to the side. However, Shang Ao and the others continued to resist, even managing to wound several enemies.
A tall, scrawny man who had been standing by and watching saw that his subordinates were unable to resolve this situation in short order and finally decided to step in, snorting loudly as he called out, “Having entered Shadowed Soul Island, you must learn the true difference between Heaven and Earth. Cease your resistance and follow this King to greet Lord Island Master obediently. As long as you are obedient, Lord Island Master Sir will not embarrass you.”
“Shadowed Soul Island?” Pang Zhen, Shang Ao, and Qian Mo exclaimed at the same time, each of their faces becoming extremely pale.
Even Yang Kai was shocked.
This was actually Shadowed Soul Island? He could not believe it.
Yang Kai had heard about Shadowed Soul Island before. Shadowed Star originally had Three Great Forbidden Zones: The Flowing Flame Sand Field, the Emperor Garden, and Shadowed Soul Island.
Needless to say, the Flowing Flame Sand Field was a place that opened once every few hundred years, allowing the younger generation of various great forces to enter and seek opportunities.
The Emperor Garden was also a famous place, the private residence of the Starry Sky Great Emperor. When it was opened last time, the entire Star Field sent its young talents to explore it and many obtained great benefits as a result.
However, Shadowed Soul Island was different from the first two. The first two were places where one could enter to seek opportunities, but Shadowed Soul Island was a death sentence!
Rumours had it that Shadowed Soul Island existed somewhere on the Limitless Ocean, but no one who had encountered it ever returned, all of them disappearing as if they never existed in the first place.
Many Shadowed Star cultivators doubted whether Shadowed Soul Island really existed because no one could provide any evidence it was real.
Shadowed Soul Island only existed in legend.
But now, this scrawny man actually called this place Shadowed Soul Island, so how could Pang Zhen, Shang Ao, and the others not be shocked? They had all lived on the Limitless Ocean their whole lives and were familiar with the rumours and legends about this place, so when they heard the name Shadowed Soul Island, all of them turned pale.
If this was really Shadowed Soul Island, it meant that the legends were true, which meant they would never be able to return to the Limitless Ocean and could only die in this damned place where Saint Qi and Divine Sense were all but useless!
The idea of being forced to obey the orders of some unknown Island Master was also intolerable to the masters here.
“Yes, this is Shadowed Soul Island!” The slender man was very satisfied with everyone’s reaction. He was also greatly troubled when he arrived here, but that was so long ago he had lost track of how many years it was.
Shang Ao and Pang Zhen exchanged a glance before shouting in unison, “Only a fool would believe you!”
“Hmph, stubborn fools!” The slender man coldly snorted, and not wanting to waste any more time, he stepped forward and an eye-catching aura began pulsing from his body.
Waving his hand casually, a few Human and Sea Clan masters who were blocking his path were beaten down, unable to even resist.
He did not use any Saint Qi, only relying on raw physical strength!
Shang Ao’s eyes shrank when he saw this, and a solemn expression appeared on his face. He could tell that this slender man’s body contained an unbelievable strength.
The lanky man only took a few steps to arrive in front of Shang Ao.
Intending to punish one to warn the others, he targeted Shang Ao, after all, Shang Ao was the most powerful person in this group.
There was nothing special about this scrawny man’s movements, even the punch he threw was quite crude, but even so, the air seemed to crack as sent his fist towards Shang Ao.
Shang Ao roared as he stood tall and clenched his fists before crossing his arms in a defensive posture.
*Hong…*
The slender man’s fists hit Shang Ao’s two arms, and the sound of bones breaking rang out. Shang Ao’s burly body was sent flying like a paper kite with a broken thread, landing heavily on the ground several hundred metres away.
When he stood up forcibly, his eyes and nose were leaking blood, which gave him a hideous look as he staggered, eventually falling back to the ground.
The crowd instantly went into an uproar as they showed terrified looks on their faces.
The Sea Temple and Sea God Palace masters who were still resisting stopped their actions all at once.
Since this thin man could knock out Shang Ao with one punch, it would naturally be easy for him to kill them all. Pang Zhen’s expression fluctuated a few times before he commanded the cultivators from Sea Temple to stand down.
In the face of absolute power, resistance became meaningless and would only serve to increase their casualties.
Upon seeing this, the lanky man showed a satisfied expression and laughed loudly, “A wise man will submit to the circumstances, very good! Rest assured, this King has no intention to slaughter ruthlessly, Shadowed Soul Island has not had fresh blood in a very long time, so your arrival here is quite timely. Also, the Island Master does not allow anyone to kill at will as long as they remain obedient. Perhaps in the future, we may even be comrades. Once you have stayed here for a while, you will understand what kind of place Shadowed Soul Island is.”
He grinned happily.
Meanwhile, the faces of the Human and Sea Clan masters turned ugly.
Yang Kai frowned slightly, his expression fluctuating a few times before quickly making up his mind.
He did not intend to leave himself at the mercy of this thin man! Regardless of whether this was Shadowed Soul Island or not, he needed to keep the initiative in his own hands.
Deciding so, Yang Kai dashed out of the encirclement and fled quickly.
This action finally caught the thin man’s attention, and seeing Yang Kai flee, his face sank and he coldly snorted, “A fool who doesn’t know when to give up. Go kill him for me!”
Yang Kai’s actions undoubtedly annoyed him greatly, so he directly ordered two of his subordinates to dispose of Yang Kai.
Having received orders, the two men chased after Yang Kai.
No one from the Sea Clan recognized Yang Kai, and only thought he was some disciple of Sea Temple, so after a quick glance they did not pay any attention to him, but Pang Zhen naturally was shocked as he wondered how Yang Kai had appeared here.
However, Pang Zhen could not even protect himself at this moment, so he did not have the luxury to care about Yang Kai’s affairs, choosing to stand in place with a gloomy look upon his face.
Upon the slender man’s orders, his subordinates immediately rushed forward to tie up the remaining cultivators from the Human Race and Sea Clan. Anyone who resisted was punched black and blue.
These people, regardless of their cultivation level, had much stronger physiques compared to the newcomers without exception, so any resistance from the Sea Temple and Sea God Palace masters was quickly suppressed.
The lanky man smiled and said with a malicious grin said, “Be obedient and there will be benefits for you, but dare to resist… heh heh, Shadowed Soul Island also has many who die every year, you should understand.”
Both Pang Zhen and Qian Mo’s faces sank as they both had bad premonitions in their hearts.
…..
A hundred kilometres away, Yang Kai frowned as he looked down at the two fresh corpses on the ground and sighed slightly.
Having just arrived here, he did not want to kill recklessly.
But these two who had chased after him were relentless in their pursuit, so Yang Kai had no choice but to act ruthlessly.
Without Saint Qi, the number of people in the entire Star Field who could compete with Yang Kai purely through physical strength could probably be counted on one hand, so how could these two lackeys possibly be Yang Kai’s opponents?
After only two or three exchanges, they lay dead at his feet!
Yang Kai quickly took their Space Rings before picking a direction and fleeing.
Half an hour later, another cultivator arrived, and after seeing the two corpses on the ground, his face changed, and he quickly returned to Shadowed Soul Island to report the situation.
By now, Yang Kai was already hundreds of kilometres away.
Inside a natural cave on the coast, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged. This cave was quite damp and unsuitable for living in, but Yang Kai could not be bothered about this right now.
Sitting on the ground, he tried again to circulate the Saint Qi in his body while also attempting to communicate with Shadowed Star; however, both endeavours failed.
This strange place was able to cut off the connection between him and Shadowed Star, eliminating his biggest advantage.
Yang Kai’s face turned a little ugly.
Fortunately, even though Divine Sense was greatly suppressed here, it was still usable, or he would not have even been able to take things out of his Space Ring, let alone use the artifacts stored in his body.
Whether it was using a Space Ring or an artifact, both required a certain amount of Spiritual Energy. Once one could not use their Spiritual Energy at all, these convenient boosts would become inaccessible.
This allowed Yang Kai to relax slightly.
After thinking about it, he took out the Space Rings of the two people he had killed just now and began to investigate their belongings.
With Yang Kai’s current wealth, he wouldn’t put the meagre treasures of these two ordinary cultivators in his eyes. However, he could still use the items they kept as a way to determine the situation here on Shadowed Soul Island, which was why he had bothered taking them.
The original cultivation of these two should not have been high, so it was no trouble for Yang Kai to break the seals on their Space Rings.
Looking carefully, Yang Kai found that these two guys were relatively poor, and besides some food, there were only a few Saint Crystals, some low-grade artifacts, a few Secret Art and Martial Skill manuals, and a few jade bottles.
Saint Crystals were completely useless here. Saint Qi could not be used, so what role could Saint Crystals play here?
Yang Kai also did not spare a glance at the artifacts or manuals.
Picking up the jade bottles, Yang Kai opened their caps and poured out some grey pills from inside.
With just a glance, Yang Kai snorted disdainfully.
With his current identity as an Origin King Grade Alchemist, he could naturally see at a glance that this pill was not even refined completely. Although it could not be considered a complete failure, it did not bring out the full effects of the raw materials used to refine it. On top of that, the refinement method was too rough, with the medicinal efficacies of the raw materials clearly not condensed properly.
This pill was little more than a ball of randomly mixed together ingredients, pressed together at will!
However, thinking that Saint Qi could not be used in this damned place, Yang Kai relaxed slightly.
Without Saint Qi, Alchemist would have no way to condense medicinal liquid and fully utilize herbs. It was probably for this reason that these pills seemed to be half-finished products.
Although Yang Kai did not put this kind of pill into his eyes due to his vision and skill, he was still quite curious about what their intended effects were.
None of the pills he had mastered so far matched the ones in front of him, which came as a bit of a surprise.
After observing for a while, he sniffed the pill again, and after confirming it was not a poison pill, he simply popped one into his mouth.
A moment later, Yang Kai raised his brow and showed a look of astonishment, muttering under his breath, “So that’s how it is. No wonder everyone here has such great physical strength, it’s because of these pills!”
After tasting it, he immediately understood the purpose of this pill.
It was a pill meant for body tempering!
After taking that pill, Yang Kai clearly felt heat flow from his lower abdomen to his limbs, tempering his five viscera, six organs, muscles, and tendons, developing his body in a positive direction.
Of course, this pill had an almost negligible effect on Yang Kai given his already incredible physical strength.
However, for those cultivators who had not specially tempered their bodies, it would no doubt provide great assistance. If one could take such pills for many years, their physiques would definitely grow stronger.
This was probably the fundamental reason why the cultivators living on Shadowed Soul Island were so much stronger than the average human or Sea Clan!
They should all have taken a number of these pills!
Saint Qi could not be used on Shadowed Soul Island, and Divine Sense was heavily suppressed, so the cultivators living here had found another way to strengthen themselves. Everything depended on one’s own efforts, so it was not an unreasonable course of action.
Yang Kai was also quite interested in this pill.
However, he did not know the pill recipe or the raw materials, so he could only set this matter aside for now.
Outside the cave, Yang Kai looked into the distance. He could vaguely see a city at the centre of Shadowed Soul Island, where the residents of Shadowed Soul Island should live. At the centre of the city was a very tall building that stretched up into the clouds, its top hidden from sight.
Yang Kai retracted his gaze and turned it towards the undulating sea. Without hesitation, he leapt into the water and began swimming forward.
Without his Saint Qi, he could only rely on this most primitive way of swimming.
He could now judge that Shadowed Soul Island was definitely an independent and enclosed space. Just like the floating continent he had been trapped on when he first entered the Star Field, this place had its own World Principles, which were separate from Shadowed Star’s.
Since it was a sealed world though, it should have a border, so Yang Kai wanted to see if he could find this edge and break through it to escape.
Even if he couldn’t, he could always just double back and come up with a new plan, such as entering the city and finding the so-called Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island to ask about the situation. Presumably, he would know a lot more than Yang Kai did.
The sea was cold, but Yang Kai’s speed was extremely fast.
Along the way, he encountered many brutal sea beasts, but all of them were killed when they tried to attack Yang Kai.
After several days, Yang Kai found that these sea beasts were different from the ones outside. The physiques of these sea beasts were quite a bit stronger than members of their species in the outside world. It took Yang Kai quite some effort to kill a number of these beasts in the water.
Yang Kai also occasionally noticed some ships travelling across the water, wandering around certain regions of the sea.
These boats were crewed by the residents of Shadowed Soul Island, and from the actions they took, it appeared they were searching for something.
Yang Kai did not want to expose himself just yet, so he avoided them as much as possible.
These ships only sailed around the coastal waters, not daring to travel too far from land; after all, the further out to sea they went, the greater the danger they would encounter. Even though these sea beasts were no match for Yang Kai, that did not mean they were weak.
Several more days passed, but Yang Kai had found nothing of note, and gradually he no longer even saw the figures of other cultivators, but he did not give up and continued his exploration.
One day, atop the vast ocean, Yang Kai suddenly discovered something out of the corner of his eye.
Up ahead, Yang Kai saw a few flickers of colour amidst the thin ocean mist.
Yang Kai immediately became energetic and hurried over to investigate.
For several days, all he had seen was endless ocean waves, which was quite grating on his mind, so Yang Kai welcomed any kind of distraction.
No matter what these colourful lights were, it had to be more interesting than the unchanging sea.
A moment later, Yang Kai arrived.
However, the sight that greeted him surprised Yang Kai.
Atop the sea, there was a floating lotus!
There were several dozen lotus flowers grouped up together, some pink, some cyan, some silver, and some gold, each one of them exuding a potent aura.
“Ocean Lotus?” Yang Kai frowned.
Obviously, these weren’t ordinary Ocean Lotuses, however, but precious Alchemy herbs.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he swam up to one of the cyan Ocean Lotus. Plucking a petal, he put it in his mouth to chew.
Soon, Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, and he couldn’t help letting out a hearty laugh, “Turns out this thing is the main ingredient of that pill!”
He was very interested in that special body tempering pill from before, but unfortunately, he didn’t know what materials were used to refine it. He never thought that this trip out to sea would allow him to discover their main ingredient so easily.
Obviously, the ships he encountered along the way had come out to sea to find these Ocean Lotus.
Unfortunately for those people, they could only move around near Shadowed Soul Island, causing them to miss out on the true riches further out.
Yang Kai happily began picking these Ocean Lotus, preserving them properly, then placing them into his Space Ring.
After some investigation, he found that these Ocean Lotuses had different medicinal efficacies depending on their colour. Pink ones had the lowest potency, followed by cyan, silver, then gold.
The stronger the medicinal efficacy of an Ocean Lotus, the fewer of them there were. There was only one golden Ocean Lotus that floated at the centre of this cluster.
There were not many silver ones either, only six in total, making each one quite precious.
These materials could play a huge role in Yang Kai’s hands. With his current Alchemy skill, he would not have any difficulty deducing the pill recipe for those Body Tempering Pills by himself, after which, he could begin refining his own pills.
As such, he did not intend to let off a single one of these Ocean Lotus.
As Yang Kai was immersed in his joyful discovery, he suddenly heard a slight splashing sound coming from nearby. Turning his head, he fixed his sight on a small dolphin about a metre or so in length. Arriving in front of a cyan Ocean Lotus, this little dolphin opened its mouth and swallowed it down in one gulp.
Although most of its body was hidden beneath the sea, this little dolphin appeared both elegant and cute, even as it chewed happily on the Ocean Lotus.
Sensing Yang Kai looking towards it, the little dolphin turned to look at him as well, blinking a few times but showing no signs of fear, instead just slapping the surface of the water with its tail a few times before slowly wandering over to another pink Ocean Lotus.
Soon, the pink Ocean Lotus was also eaten by it.
The little dolphin seemed to be in a good mood and flicked its tail even faster.
Yang Kai originally wanted to drive it away, but after hesitating for a moment he eventually gave up such thoughts. Since entering this ocean, all the sea beasts he had encountered were vicious and bloodthirsty, all of them immediately attacking him without any exception.
This little dolphin, on the contrary, behaved harmlessly, and Yang Kai did not sense any danger from it, so he simply let it be.
One person and one dolphin acted separately and quickly collected all of the Ocean Lotus in this area.
The six silver lotus and the golden lotus were all picked by Yang Kai while the little dolphin only managed to collect a few of the lower grade lotus from the periphery, seemingly making it a bit upset. Swimming over to Yang Kai’s side boldly, it began circling around him and crying out in protest.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter, and after the little dolphin arched its head towards him once, he relented and took out a cyan lotus from his Space Ring.
He could not bring himself to refuse the longing look of the little dolphin.
The eyes of the little dolphin instantly brightened, and it sent out a few more cries, like a baby begging for good.
Yang Kai brought the cyan lotus to its mouth and the little dolphin swallowed it down in one bite, its eyes narrowing into crescent shapes.
Once the cyan lotus entered its stomach, the little dolphin burped contentedly before swimming around Yang Kai more and more quickly, acting even more intimate than before.
Yang Kai grinned at this sight as he felt his heart warm after spending so many days in the freezing-cold water.
Suddenly, a disturbance on the surface of the ocean appeared nearby and rapidly began approaching the human-dolphin pair. Obviously, there was a sea beast that had sniffed out Yang Kai and the little dolphin and was coming to feed.
The little dolphin’s ability to sense danger was quite sharp and it immediately hid behind Yang Kai, only poking half of its head out to observe, an almost human-like look of panic flashing across its eyes.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and patted its head to comfort it before narrowing his eyes and staring towards the approaching sea beast.
Soon, with a great splash, a terrifying-looking, shark-like sea beast leapt out from the water, opened its giant mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth, and bit towards Yang Kai.
The little dolphin’s tail flicked violently as it let out a series of anxious cries.
Yang Kai remained still, however, waiting until the sea beat was only a few metres away from him before suddenly throwing out his fist, striking its forehead like a bolt of lightning.
With Yang Kai as the centre, the ocean surface suddenly caved in and a series of strong ripples quickly spread out.
*Hong…*
The forehead of the giant sea beast visibly distorted, nearly collapsing altogether as its huge body was sent flying several hundred metres before crashing back into the water.
Soon, red blood spread out from the spot it landed and a huge, overturned sea beast floated up to the surface where it remained motionless.
The little dolphin was visibly stunned, and its two extremely energetic eyes stared towards Yang Kai, then towards the sea beast in the distance, then back towards Yang Kai…
It did not seem to understand how such a small Yang Kai had sent such a big sea beast flying; their two bodies were completely incomparable in size after all.
However, it did not spend much time thinking about this issue and instead just turned a look of admiration towards Yang Kai while making some joyful cries. It then swam around in front of Yang Kai and arched its head towards him.
Yang Kai glanced at it in confusion, not quite understanding what it was trying to say.
The little dolphin continued to arch its head in a beckoning motion…
Only after thinking about it for a while did Yang Kai finally understand and pointed to the little dolphin’s back while asking, “You want me to climb up?”
The little dolphin nodded strongly.
Yang Kai wore a strange expression as he looked over the metre-long dolphin and hesitantly asked, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, aren’t you too small?”
He was worried this little dolphin wouldn’t be able to move if he mounted it.
The little dolphin no longer bothered asking and instead dove under the water. The next moment, Yang Kai felt himself being held up by something and quickly floated up above the water’s surface.
Soon, half of the little dolphin’s body was exposed above the surface of the water, and after letting out some happy cries, it began swimming forward rapidly.
Soaring across the waves, Yang Kai could not help exclaiming, “Seems I underestimated you.”
The speed of the dolphin in the water was more than ten times his own. As it swam forward, it was as if the sea took the initiative to separate to its sides, not resisting it at all.
The little dolphin turned its head triumphantly and glanced back at Yang Kai, as if trying to say, “you can praise me more”.
Yang Kai laughed loudly as he sat atop the little dolphin and relaxed, allowing it to take him wherever it wanted.
Yang Kai did not know what kind of beast this cute little dolphin was, but from its performance just now, he was certain it must have great difficulty surviving in this environment. However, since it could understand his words and even respond to him, it showed that its sentience wasn’t low, at least not inferior to a seven or eight-year-old human child.
With the little dolphin as his own private mount, Yang Kai felt much more at ease, and he no longer needed to soak himself in the sea all day.
As for why it was so intimate with him, even actively asking him to ride it, obviously, it also understood how difficult it would be for it to survive here without his protection.
This could be regarded as a kind of cooperation, a win-win situation.
Yang Kai thought that the little dolphin’s only use was as a means of transportation, but he soon found that he was mistaken.
And greatly mistaken at that!
This little thing seemingly swam through the sea randomly and aimlessly, but it was not long before it brought Yang Kai to a patch of Ocean Lotus.
Yang Kai thought it was luck at first, but two days later, he discovered that this little dolphin seemed to have the ability to sniff out Ocean Lotus from thousands, if not tens of thousands of kilometres away.
Yang Kai reaped a great harvest!
In addition to the several dozen Ocean Lotuses he found at the beginning, he managed to obtain at least another hundred of them over the next few days.
Pink and cyan Ocean Lotus made up the majority of these while the number of silver ones was relatively small, and only three were golden.
These things were a specialty of Shadowed Soul Island and could not be found anywhere else. Using these Ocean Lotuses, Yang Kai could refine special Body Tempering pills in large quantities, not only allowing him to enhance his own strength, but also the strength of his friends and family.
As such, the more Ocean Lotus he obtained the better.
The little dolphin also ate until its stomach was stuffed! The Ocean Lotuses were found by it, so naturally, Yang Kai would not prevent it from eating its fill.
Time flew by, and half a month later, at least five hundred Ocean Lotuses were stored in Yang Kai’s Space Ring. Although he did not know the exact value of these Ocean Lotus on Shadowed Soul Island, just taking into consideration how many he had obtained over the distance he had crossed, he could judge that they were certainly in short supply.
Only if Shadowed Soul Island organized a group of powerful masters to explore further out to sea would they have a chance to reap a bigger harvest, otherwise, they would have to content themselves with a few Ocean Lotus which drifted closer to the island.
On this day, the little dolphin brought Yang Kai to an island.
This island was quite small, only a dozen or so kilometres in diameter, less than one percent the size of Shadowed Soul Island.
However, this was the first time Yang Kai had seen any other island than Shadowed Soul Island. Naturally, he was quite curious and looked around carefully, quickly discovering a small river that led to the interior of the island.
The little dolphin quickly swam up this river and entered the island.
Soon after, an inland lake appeared in front of Yang Kai. This lake was connected with the sea outside and seemed to occupy about a fifth of the area of the island. What was most important though, was that many Ocean Lotuses were blossoming in this lake. A rough estimate put the number of Ocean Lotus here at over a thousand.
Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up.
Even after the rich harvest he had these past few days, Yang Kai could not help grinning widely at this sight.
“Good job!” Yang Kai sat cross-legged on the little dolphin, stretched out his hand, and patted its head while offering his praise.
The little dolphin was also very happy!
After getting along these days, the little dolphin had become more and more dependent on Yang Kai, especially after Yang Kai easily killed so many sea beasts. It currently almost worshipped him.
Those sea beasts were all vicious giants that could swallow it in one bite, but Yang Kai was able to kill them all with just one or two punches.
Soon, one person and one dolphin arrived at the island lake and Yang Kai leapt off and swam between the multi-coloured lotus. Once Ocean Lotus after another was stuffed into his Space Ring. Not to be outdone, the little dolphin ate one Ocean Lotus after another until its belly became nice and round.
It then began swimming around the lake lazily, looking particularly carefree.
After an hour’s work, Yang Kai had picked more than two-thirds of the Ocean Lotus in the lake.
Just as he was turning his attention to the last remaining lotus, an angry roar reached Yang Kai’s ears. This roar was filled with righteous indignation and indescribable grief, like the one who was shouting was seeing the villain who had killed his parents.
“Bastard, you dare steal this old master’s Shadowed Heaven Lotus!”
As soon as these words fell, a figure rushed over from nearby, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Yang Kai fiercely as he leapt into the air.
The earth cracked under the impact of his footfalls.
Mid-air, this man threw a punch towards Yang Kai.
This fist was silent and seemingly without any strength, but Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed when he saw it approach and a solemn expression filled his face. Drawing a deep breath, Yang Kai gave a loud shout as he too leapt out of the water and sent out his own punch to meet the enemy’s attack.
When the two fists struck one another, visible ripples spread out through the air into the surrounding area.
Time seemed to freeze suddenly.
Soon though, a deafening bang erupted and a violent wave of force burst out, distorting the nearby space.
Yang Kai flew back while the unknown cultivator was also unable to stabilize his body, tumbling a few times through the air before landing back on the shore he had leapt from.
Yang Kai landed on a lotus leaf lightly, raised his head, and stared forward.
Only now did he have a chance to take a good look at his attacker.
Unexpectedly, it was an elderly man with a short stature. Even if he stood up straight, Yang Kai estimated that the man’s head would only come up to his shoulders. This old man’s complexion was dark, like the bottom of a pot, similar to Old Black Face Yan Pei of Treasure Trove Pavilion. However, perhaps because Yang Kai had picked most of his precious Ocean Lotuses, this old man’s face was even blacker than normal.
The old man was wearing a simple shirt made from some unknown sea beast’s skin and was quite worn and tattered. Noteworthy, though, were the rippling muscles Yang Kai could see through the holes in his robes that seemed full of explosive power covering this old man’s frame.
Other than being a bit short in stature, this old man had a very well-proportioned body, a physical manifestation of the quality of his physique.
The old man obviously did not expect that Yang Kai could take his punch head-on, and after landing, he frowned slightly before charging over at even greater speed while roaring, “Boy, today, you must either die, or this old master must perish!”
Yang Kai had picked two-thirds of his Shadowed Heaven Lotuses, which was worse than killing him directly, so how could he let Yang Kai off?
If possible, Yang Kai did not want to fight with this muddled old man, but seeing his manner and tone, Yang Kai knew that this matter could not be settled peacefully. As such, having encountered a rare opponent who could match him in terms of physical strength, Yang Kai set aside all other thoughts and let out a great laugh as he immersed himself in combat.
Mid-air, the two figures clashed once more, raising a thunderous boom as they collided.
In this second exchange, neither side took the advantage, but they rushed towards each other again without any time to breathe.
The little dolphin hid most of his figure in the island lake as its eyes filled with worry.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Explosions sounded continuously across the entire island as Yang Kai and the old man gradually shifted their battlefield away from the lake so as not to affect the Ocean Lotuses down below.
Both of them had the same scruples, not wanting to destroy these precious Alchemy materials.
After a cup of tea’s worth of time, the battlefield had migrated to above the open ocean.
Not needing to hold back anymore, Yang Kai’s eyes flashed brilliantly as he exerted his physical strength to the limit, exchanging one fist after another with this unknown old man.
This savage fighting style stimulated an unprecedented vigour in Yang Kai as he laughed wildly, ignoring his injuries and fighting all out with the old man.
Neither side showed any signs of weakness!
The old man’s expression had long ago grown solemn as he was inwardly shocked.
It had been several hundred years since he arrived on Shadowed Soul Island and immersed himself in the unique cultivation method of this place. He thought he had high attainments in terms of physical strength, enough to allow him to rank amongst the top masters in terms of pure Body Tempering in the Star Field, but now, this unknown young man who had appeared out of nowhere was actually able to compete with him on even terms.
The strength of this young man’s physique was not inferior to his own!
The sound of broken bones rang out constantly and there was no shortage of blood splashing about.
The old man was surprised to find that the young man’s blood was not red, however, but golden.
This golden blood also clearly contained an astonishing vitality, comparable to the most precious of divine materials!
“Boy, your good luck ends today!” The old man’s eyes narrowed as he turned his wrist and suddenly summoned a hammer-like artifact into his hand. While blocking one of Yang Kai’s punches, the old man swung this hammer down towards Yang Kai’s head fiercely.
Although Saint Qi could not be used here, and he could not exert the full power of this artifact, with this old man’s great strength, this hammer strike was enough to shatter space.
If he was really hit by it, Yang Kai’s head would definitely burst apart.
Yang Kai didn’t expect this old man to be so cunning, and seeing the hammer close in, his pupils shrank slightly, and he swiftly swung his head to the side. At the same time, a five coloured radiance burst from his body.
The five coloured halo swirled and gradually took on a brown tone that covered all of Yang Kai’s body.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, Earth Sword Qi!
The Earth Sword Qi cultivated by Yang Kai used Divine Nullification Sand as its source, a rare Origin King Grade material with extremely high resilience.
Under the control of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, the Earth Sword Qi quickly condensed into a shield shape blocking the advancing hammer.
*Honglong…*
The brown Sword Qi shield was blasted away, and the hammer struck Yang Kai’s shoulder, causing his body to sink slightly, but after a brief adjustment, Yang Kai grinned fiercely and sent his fist straight towards the old man’s chin.
Having his defences shattered, the old man cried out and hurriedly leaned his head back, but he wasn’t in time to escape this Earth-shattering counterattack.
Struck on the chin by Yang Kai’s fist, the old man’s head flicked back violently, and if it were not for his incredibly strong body, this single blow would have been enough to reap his life.
Even so, the old man’s vision filled with stars and he nearly passed out.
The old man staggered back several dozen metres before finally managing to stabilize his stance. Shooting a fear-filled glance towards Yang Kai, the old man swiftly decided to escape!
Yang Kai frowned as he stood in place without giving chase. It was not until the old man’s figure disappeared from his vision that he rotated the shoulder which had been hit by the hammer just now.
With a few clicking sounds, the misaligned bones were set back in place.
“That old guy…” Yang Kai muttered to himself. From beginning to end, he had not been able to ask who this old man was or why he was living on this tiny island so far away from Shadowed Soul Island.
The little dolphin’s cries rang out from the inland lake at that moment, and Yang Kai quickly turned his head to find it watching him nervously, as if worried about whether he was hurt.
Yang Kai cast it a look of reassurance before casually walking back over to the lake.
Yang Kai did not plan on letting off the last third of the Ocean Lotus in the lake.
The old man had called these Ocean Lotus Shadowed Heaven Lotus just now, but Yang Kai was certain he had never heard of such a herb before, reaffirming his previous speculations that these were unique to Shadowed Soul Island and never appeared in the outside world.
After a while, Yang Kai collected all the Shadowed Heaven Lotus.
Sensing hostility, Yang Kai looked up and found the old man standing on a hill a few kilometres away, glaring at him with grief, indignation, and helplessness.
It was as if Yang Kai had easily snatched the woman he had been wooing and caring for over many years.
Yang Kai simply grinned back at him.
The old man’s blood boiled as he swiftly turned around and stomped off!
He could not beat Yang Kai, so instead of standing by and being humiliated, he would rather just leave. What the eyes do not see, the heart does not grieve.
Yang Kai found a simple wooden house nearby, obviously built by the old man’s.
Striding inside, Yang Kai occupied the house without any hesitation.
Three days later, Yang Kai was studying the Shadowed Heaven Lotus and the medicinal efficacies of the Body Tempering Pill, hoping to improve upon it, when he heard light footsteps outside the wooden house.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, put down what he was working on, and waited quietly.
Soon, the wooden house’s door was opened, and the old man stood about a dozen metres away from Yang Kai. Staring at this young thief with a very complicated look, the old man asked after a long silence, “Are you not one of Ming Yue’s people?”
Yang Kai frowned and asked, “Who is Ming Yue?”
A stunned look appeared on the old man’s face and he took a hard look at Yang Kai’s face, seemingly wanting to determine if he was lying.
Yang Kai’s eyes were limpid as he stared back inquiringly.
The old man nodded slightly and his attitude eased a little, no longer looking like he was facing his father’s killer or the man who stole his wife. Pausing for a moment, he followed up, “Since you don’t know who Ming Yue is, does that mean you only recently came to Shadowed Soul Island?”
“Old Sir is wise!” Yang Kai casually praised, “Indeed, I have only been here for about a month.”
“No wonder…” The old man squeezed out an ugly smile on his face, “Since you aren’t one of Ming Yue’s people, we can talk.”
“I was hoping for just that,” Yang Kai smiled lightly. If he had not wanted to hold a conversation with this old man, he would have already left the island.
Yang Kai was ignorant of the situation on Shadowed Soul Island, and he could not simply go there and ask about it, so now that he had finally met another person, and one who had clearly been living here for many years, Yang Kai was naturally going to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Can this old master come in to speak?” The old man asked in a depressed tone.
“Of course, this is Old Sir’s residence after all!” Yang Kai invited freely.
The old man’s brow twitched but still strolled in unhesitantly. Although he felt he was not Yang Kai’s opponent, if he had to, he was confident he could at least escape.
He also believed that Yang Kai was not foolish enough to try to fight him for no reason.
After the old man sat in front of him, Yang Kai asked, “Who is this Ming Yue that old sir just mentioned?”
The old man coldly snorted, “An evildoer!”
Yang Kai was stunned, thinking that this old man and Ming Yue seemed to have a deep hatred. Otherwise, this old man would not have ground his teeth at the mere mention of the other party.
“He is the current Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island!” The old man added.
“Ming Yue is the Island Master?” Yang Kai raised his brow. When he first came to Shadowed Soul Island, he heard the scrawny man mention an Island Master, but he did not know the name of this leader until the old man mentioned it.
“Yes!”
Yang Kai brow rose as he asked with a smile, “Old Sir said Ming Yue is the current Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island, so could there have been a previous Island Master?”
The old man glanced at Yang Kai in surprise, secretly admiring this young man’s sharp wit before proudly saying, “The previous Island Master was this old master!”
Yang Kai froze for a moment before cupping his fists and saying, “Seems like I’ve been disrespectful!”
“Hmph, I’m but a stray dog now!” The old man ridiculed himself unpretentiously and said, “Now, this old master can only hide here and live on dishonourably, so there’s no need to show me any respect. What’s more, this old master was defeated by you!”
“It was just luck!” Yang Kai said modestly.
The old man no longer dwelled on this issue and instead stared deeply at Yang Kai before asking, “Do you cultivate some kind of extremely profound Body Tempering Secret Art?”
When he was fighting with Yang Kai a few days ago, Yang Kai had suddenly used his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, so this old man was able to see some clues.
On Shadowed Soul Island, Saint Qi couldn’t be used at all, so the only explanation for the five-coloured glow was that it came from some kind of Body Tempering Secret Art. The force gained by cultivating a Body Tempering Secret Art was not related to Saint Qi, so it would not be restricted here on Shadowed Soul Island.
“Yes!” Yang Kai did not try to conceal the truth.
A fiery look flashed across the old man’s face.
Body Tempering Secret Arts, even considering the entire Star Field, were relatively rare, and profound Body Tempering Secret Arts were even rarer.
However, just because they were scarce did not mean Body Tempering Secret Arts were actually that precious.
Firstly, it was far more difficult to cultivate Body Tempering Secret Arts than ordinary Secret Arts. Even if it were just an ordinary Body Tempering Secret Art, it would be very difficult to cultivate to a high level. Secondly, all cultivators had a limited amount of time and energy, and for the most part, trying to cultivate a Body Tempering Secret Art was a waste of both.
The vast majority of cultivators relied on the strength of their Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy to survive, so even if many people knew the benefits of a strong physique, few pursued one.
However, everything was different on Shadowed Soul Island.
In this damned place where Saint Qi could not be used and Spiritual Energy was highly suppressed, Body Tempering was the best and only way for a cultivator to increase their strength!
For countless years, there had been cultivators trapped on Shadowed Soul Island, so a few Body Tempering Secret Arts had come to exist here as well. In fact, this old man cultivated one such Secret Art, but it was quite a basic one, completely incomparable to Yang Kai’s Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art.
The reason why the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art was so powerful, however, was not because of the Secret Art itself, but rather because of the materials required to cultivate it.
The old man still thought that if he could get hold of Yang Kai’s Body Tempering Secret Art, his own strength would definitely increase.
So, when he heard that Yang Kai had a profound Body Tempering Secret Art, his eyes naturally became fiery.
However, as an experienced master, and knowing that one could not ask for another’s Secret Art casually, the old man forcefully suppressed his greed.
“Allow me to introduce myself, this old master’s name is Sha Hu!” When he said these words, he had a sense of self-satisfaction, as if Yang Kai should have heard of this name.
Unfortunately, the results disappointed him, with Yang Kai just cupping his fists lightly and saying, “So it is Old Man Sha, this Junior’s name is Yang Kai!”
Sha Hu frowned and asked tentatively, “Have you never heard of this old master’s name?”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Old Man Sha was born on the Limitless Ocean, right?”
Sha Hu nodded and quickly understood, “Are you from the inland?”
“It is as you guessed!”
Sha Hu knew that on Shadowed Star, the ocean and inland cultivators belonged to two separate systems, and although everyone had some degree of interaction between them, it was quite rare to get involved in the other party’s affairs or territory, so it was not surprising that people from the inland didn’t know the names of masters from the Limitless Ocean.
Knowing this, Sha Hu’s expression relaxed and he chuckled, “This old master has been trapped here for more than three hundred years, but before then, he was Sea Temple’s Second Temple Master. How is Sea Temple now?”
“Old Sir is the Second Temple Master of Sea Temple?” Yang Kai was stunned and proceeded to explain, “In truth, this Junior came here from Sea Temple’s Sunrise Island. Sea Temple is now very powerful on the Limitless Ocean, well deserving of the title ‘strongest Human Race Sect’ and on par with Sea God Palace.”
Sha Hu listened quietly before nodding with satisfaction, “That group of boys aren’t bad, at least they haven’t disappointed our ancestors! Does little brother have some kind of friendship with Sea Temple? Why were you on Sunrise Island?”
“I just passed by accidentally, there’s no real friendship between myself and Sea Temple,” Yang Kai laughed.
Perhaps because he was able to learn how Sea Temple was currently, Sha Hu’s expression brightened significantly, and seeing that Yang Kai did not have the same overbearing aggressive streak that most young men possessed, he felt quite satisfied with him.
Both of them put aside the embarrassment of the previous battle and even began chatting in a friendly manner.
Yang Kai needed to know the situation of Shadowed Soul Island, and Sha Hu wanted to inquire about the current situation of Sea Temple, so as they took turns asking questions, the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.
After a long time, both got the intelligence and information they wanted.
Yang Kai frowned slightly after learning that this Shadowed Soul Island was an independent and enclosed space that no one knew how to leave. Even Sha Hu, as the Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island back then, could not leave this place.
As for Ming Yue, he was originally the Deputy Island Master under Sha Hu, and his strength was not inferior, but one day, Ming Yue’s strength suddenly rose somehow, and defeated Sha Hu after a fierce battle, forcing the latter to flee from Shadowed Soul Island and hide on this small island.
By rough count, that event happened almost a hundred years ago.
For a hundred years, Sha Hu had endured this humiliation in hopes of one day returning to Shadowed Soul Island to seek revenge.
Unfortunately, his strength seemed to have reached a bottleneck and he was unable to continue improving, forcing him to remain hidden here.
Fortunately, this little island was quite far from Shadowed Soul Island and most people could not reach it, allowing Sha Hu to live freely without disturbance. In fact, Yang Kai was the only one who had made it here in the past hundred years.
As for how big this independent space where Shadowed Soul Island sat was, even Sha Hu did not know. He once left this small island to explore, but the deeper he went, the stronger the sea beasts became, to the point where even he could no longer defeat them, so with no other choice, he returned here.
“Is there truly no way to leave Shadowed Soul Island?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Perhaps there is, but this old master has not found one,” Sha Hu shook his head. “As least, one cannot be found here.”
“What Old Sir means is…”
Sha Hu frowned and pondered for a moment, “This is just this old master’s guess. Whether it is correct or not, this old master cannot say for certain.”
“Senior, please speak.”
“If there is a way out of here, there should be a clue on Shadowed Soul Island. There is a mysterious place on that island, one this old master wanted to investigate, but couldn’t enter,” Sha Hu said without hesitation.
Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly.
Sha Hu laughed and said, “If the two of us join forces, we may be able to capture Shadowed Soul Island, but all of this is still just a possibility. Ming Yue was stronger than me back then, and now a hundred years have passed, so I don’t know how strong he is currently. Perhaps we would simply be walking into a trap.”
Yang Kai showed neither approval nor disapproval.
He did not care about this Ming Yue at all as he had not used his full strength when fighting Sha Hu. What’s more, he still had his Stone Puppet, Xiao Xiao!
In a simple contest of physical strength, who in this world could defeat Xiao Xiao?
As long as Xiao Xiao took action, on one on Shadowed Soul Island would be able to resist!
What Yang Kai was considering was the authenticity of Sha Hu’s words. Although this old man seemed straightforward and honest, who knew whether this was just a front? If, when the time came, it turned out Sha Hu was just using him, the gains Yang Kai made would not be worth the effort.
Yang Kai would rather be overly suspicious and pessimistic than regret it after the fact.
Seeing Yang Kai remain silent, Sha Hu smartly changed the subject, “Were you just studying the Shadowed Heaven Lotus and Shadowed Heaven Pill?”
Yang Kai took back his wandering thoughts and nodded, “Yeah, this thing is a specialty of Shadowed Soul Island, right?”
“En, Shadowed Heaven Lotus cannot be found in the outside world, only Shadowed Soul Island’s unique environment can produce it. All the cultivators who wind up here use Shadowed Heaven Pills to enhance their physical strength. Unfortunately, this old master does not know anything about Alchemy, and taking Shadowed Heaven Lotus raw cannot help me, otherwise, how could this old master have left so many Shadowed Heaven Lotuses in that lake?”
Saying so, Sha Hu showed a pained expression on his face.
That was a thousand Shadowed Heaven Lotuses! The thousands of cultivators on the entire Shadowed Soul Island running around for a few years may not be able to find so many, but they had all entered Yang Kai’s Space Ring.
Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Does Old Man Sha have the Shadowed Heaven Pill pill recipe?”
“Of course,” Sha Hu chuckled and said proudly. “Regardless of how he has ended up, this old master was still once the Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island, so he naturally has such a pill recipe…”
Saying so, Sha Hu’s eyes lit up and he pointed at Yang Kai tremblingly, “Are you an Alchemist?”
If Yang Kai wasn’t an Alchemist, there would be no need to ask about pill recipes.
Staring at Yang Kai, Sha Hu’s eyes burned extremely hot, as if he was staring at an amazing treasure.
Yang Kai chuckled, “I am!”
“Are you really an Alchemist?” Sha Hu immediately stood up.
Yang Kai nodded again.
Sha Hu was taken aback, then laughed loudly, “The Heavens have not forsaken me! Ah! This is simply too good to be true!”
The reason why his strength had stagnated over the years was that he did not have access to Shadowed Heaven Pills, and directly swallowing Shadowed Heaven Lotus had no effect on him. Only by refining Shadowed Heaven Lotus into pills could he strengthen himself.
So, when he learned that Yang Kai was an Alchemist, Sha Hu was so excited he couldn’t help losing some self-control.
But soon, he frowned, glanced at Yang Kai, and sighed deeply.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai was puzzled. Just a moment ago, Sha Hu was laughing happily, but in the next instant he became depressed, the contrast was simply too great.
“Even if you are an Alchemist, you can’t perform Alchemy without Earth Fire!” Sha Hu’s face turned gloomy as he sat down again. “Alchemists are extremely rare on Shadowed Soul Island. Out of around ten thousand people, there are perhaps only four or five Alchemists, and the levels of these Alchemists are quite varied; however, they all need to rely on Shadowed Soul Island’s Earth Fire to perform Alchemy. We simply don’t have any Earth Fire here.”
“I don’t need Earth Fire!” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Nonsense!” Sha Hu snorted, “How can an Alchemist perform Alchemy without Earth Fire? That may be true outside, but in the place, where one can’t use Saint Qi, Earth Fire is the only… uh…”
Sha Hu was suddenly struck speechless.
Because he clearly felt a scorching power spread out from Yang Kai’s body, but it was not Saint Qi but instead Spiritual Energy!
“Conflagrated Spiritual Energy?” Sha Hu’s face changed drastically.
Yang Kai just smiled back at him lightly.
Even in the outside world, he did not need to use Saint Qi to refine pills, because he would always use his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea instead.
What’s more, he still had Liu Yan with him. Since fusing together with the Heavenly Thunder Fire of Brilliant Flame Sect, Liu Yan had fully integrated with her natal Artifact Refining Furnace and gained complete sentience as well as a human form.
She was the highest quality Earth Fire there was!
Even if all else failed, Yang Kai could simply enter the Sealed World Bead and perform Alchemy. The Sealed World Bead had its own separate World Principles, so his Saint Qi would not be restricted there.
With all these methods at his disposal, Yang Kai didn’t need to worry about being able to perform about Alchemy. Nevertheless, he did not plan on revealing any more secrets to Sha Hu than necessary.
After learning that Yang Kai was not only an Alchemist, but also had a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, meaning he did not need to use Saint Qi or Earth Fire to perform Alchemy, Sha Hu was ecstatic.
This meant that as long as he forged a good relationship with Yang Kai, he wouldn’t have to worry about having Shadowed Heaven Pills to take in the future, and he wouldn’t have to worry about his strength being unable to grow! After languishing for a hundred years, he finally saw hope of revenge!
He unreservedly handed over the Shadowed Heaven Pill’s recipe for Yang Kai to study.
“When you’ve finished studying the pill recipe and start to refine Shadowed Heaven Pills, this old master has a request to make!” Sha Hu said with a smile, intending to get closer to Yang Kai, the wrinkles on his face became even more wrinkled, doing his best to appear kind and friendly.
Yang Kai naturally accepted and after seeing Sha Hu out, he immersed himself in studying the Shadowed Heaven Pill’s recipe.
He had some Shadowed Heaven Pills on hand and could infer the approximate configuration of this pill recipe, but now that he had a complete pill recipe, it made the process much easier.
What’s more, his Alchemy level was amongst the best in the entire Star Field, so with his insight and experience, not only could he understand this Shadowed Heaven Pill recipe, he could also improve it.
This wasn’t a surprise though, after all, the Shadowed Heaven Pill was something created by the Alchemists who became trapped on Shadowed Soul Island, and the level of these Alchemists wasn’t very high, so how could they have created a profound recipe in the first place?
At most, Yang Kai would only use this recipe as a reference.
Five days later, Yang Kai had formulated a completely new pill recipe, one that was undoubtedly countless times better than the one Sha Hu had given him, replacing many of the materials used to reduce conflicts and increase efficacy.
With the pill recipe complete, Yang Kai naturally wanted to begin Alchemy.
However, he still lacked a few auxiliary herbs.
The Shadowed Heaven Lotus’ medicinal efficacies were quite potent, and if one took it directly, while it may improve that cultivator’s physique in the short run, if it were not paired with appropriate herbs to neutralize and balance some of the effects, one would need to wait a long period before swallowing another lotus. If a cultivator tried to forcefully consume a second lotus in short order, they would damage their body rather than strengthen it.
Yang Kai quickly called Sha Hu over.
Sha Hu has been waiting outside the wooden house for the past few days, and hearing Yang Kai’s call, he ran into the room and stared at Yang Kai eagerly.
“Old Man Sha, I still need some Fish Seaweed…”
Sha Hu grinned knowingly and with a wave of his hand dumped a large amount of Fish Seaweed onto the floor, causing the entire house to fill with a pungent odour.
These pieces of purple seaweed, which were only about as big as one’s palm, were not unique to Shadowed Soul Island, in fact, they could be collected almost anywhere in the Limitless Ocean, making its value quite low. Most great forces like Sea Temple and Sea God Palace disdained to even collect them and simply let them grow wild like weeds.
However, this Fish Seaweed’s medicinal efficacies were perfectly suited to balance out the domineering efficacies of the Shadowed Heaven Lotus, allowing a cultivator to refine Shadowed Heaven Pills far more easily.
Seeing the big pile of Fish Seaweed in front of him, Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before turning to Sha Hu with a meaningful glint in his eye, “It seems Old Man Sha has come prepared!”
Sha Hu rubbed his hands and said, “Yang Kai, help this old master refine some Shadowed Heaven Pills. As long as he has enough Shadowed Heaven Pills, this old master can once again improve his strength and we will then have a better chance to return to Shadowed Soul Island and look for the way out!”
Yang Kai smiled slightly. Although he knew Sha Hu’s words were meant to tempt him into acting, he was not bothered by this little scheme and simply said, “I have no problem refining some pills for you, but do you have any Shadowed Heaven Lotus for me to use?”
The thousand Shadowed Heaven Lotus in the inland lake had already entered Yang Kai’s Space Ring, so he naturally would not use them to refine pills for Sha Hu.
“You look down too much on this old master,” Sha Hu smiled like a wily old fox and flipped his wrist, taking out seventeen Shadowed Heaven Lotus, all of which were silver grade.
Yang Kai was stunned.
Sha Hu chuckled, “How could this old master keep all his eggs in one basket? For the past hundred years, this old master has not just idled his time away on this island, he has often gone out to explore and made some gains in the process. There are more than just these few. This old master has also collected a lot of auxiliary herbs for refining Shadowed Heaven Pills, see if there’s anything here you need.”
Saying so, Sha Hu took out another pile of herbs.
Yang Kai nodded and did not refuse, picking out the useful herbs while leaving the useless ones behind before finally mentioning, “There is no problem refining some pills for you, but I can’t just do so for free…”
“Fifty-fifty!” Before Yang Kai finished speaking, Sha Hu directly made his offer, “What auxiliary herbs you need, just tell this old master and he will go help you collect them. As for the Shadowed Heaven Pills, this old master only wants half!”
“Deal!” Yang Kai no longer quibbled and nodded happily. With Sha Hu acting so straightforward, if Yang Kai were to refuse any further, he would seem too petty. The more Yang Kai got along with Sha Hu, the more reasonable and friendly he found him to be, their first meeting aside of course.
Seeing Yang Kai agree, Sha Hu smiled happily.
Immediately, Sha Hu went out to sea to search for various auxiliary herbs. Although Yang Kai had some materials on him, it was not enough to support a large number of refinements, so Sha Hu naturally went to procure what was missing.
After Sha Hu left the island, Yang Kai waved his hand.
A bright red flame shot out from his palm and transformed mid-air. The next moment, a glamorous woman with a fiery figure, revealing clothes, and an indifferent expression appeared in front of Yang Kai, her red hair flying behind her like burning flames.
She was wearing a fiery red armour that only wrapped around her most sensitive parts, exposing both her thighs to the lower abdomen.
A seductive neckline, flat stomach, and delicate belly button were all exposed to the air while two beautiful, snow-white legs and a pair of delicate jade feet were also on full display.
Like a dancing flame, she had a strange sense of beauty.
This was none other than the Artifact Spirit, Liu Yan!
Now, she could no longer be simply called Firebird, she had her own sentience and could assume human form. After having been given a name by Yang Kai, Liu Yan was now a kind of special existence that transcended what she once was.
“What are Master’s orders?” Liu Yan asked in a deep tone as soon as she appeared.
“I need to borrow your power to perform Alchemy. Coordinate with me.” Yang Kai answered lightly.
Liu Yan nodded, said nothing, and transformed herself into an Alchemy furnace. The shape of this Alchemy furnace was the same as her natal artifact, except that it was completely composed of flames, making it even higher quality than her original Origin King Grade furnace incarnation.
Yang Kai focused himself and after taking a deep breath began arranging the required materials one by one while using his Divine Sense to communicate with Liu Yan to control the fire.
The process of refining Shadowed Heaven Pills was not complicated, so it was naturally not a problem for Yang Kai to succeed with his current skill.
Within half a day, a pill fragrance filled the wooden house. Having arrived at the last stage of refinement, Yang Kai suddenly had a thought and poured his Divine Sense into the pill furnace to attempt the Pill Condensing Technique recorded in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
A short time later, three bursts of flame shot out from the Alchemy furnace’s lid.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and caught the three streams of light, after which he stored them into a jade bottle he had prepared in advance.
When the clinking sound from the jade bottle settled down, Yang Kai cast a glance inside and flashed a satisfied smile.
The Pill Condensing Technique recorded in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture was incredibly deep and profound. If one used it well, they would condense more than one pill at a time, when normally only one pill could be condensed from one set of materials.
Over the recent years, whenever Yang Kai performed Alchemy, he had always tried to use this Pill Condensing Technique, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing, but each time gaining experience.
Now, condensing three pills at once was a minor breakthrough for him.
Taking out a single Shadowed Heaven Pill, Yang Kai popped it into his mouth and tasted it, slowly examining the medicinal efficacies contained within. After a while, he nodded with satisfaction and continued to devote himself to his Alchemy.
Half a day later, another furnace of Shadowed Heaven Pills was successfully refined, and this time, Yang Kai managed to condense four, one better than his first attempt.
As time went by and he became more and more proficient with the technique, the number of pills Yang Kai condensed increased. Additionally, the time it took him to refine a furnace of Shadowed Heaven Pills was getting shorter and shorter, from the original half a day to just an hour, a remarkable improvement.
As Yang Kai continually performed Alchemy, his mastery of the Pill Condensing Technique also improved.
This rare Alchemy experience allowed him to make another substantial breakthrough in the Alchemic Dao, an unexpected benefit which brought Yang Kai much joy.
Suddenly, a rustling sound rang out behind him, causing Yang Kai to turn around and suddenly discover that the little dolphin had at some point entered the wooden house. Flapping its tail, it swam freely through the air just like it was water.
Yang Kai was taken aback!
Saint Qi could not be used on Shadowed Soul Island, so even someone as powerful as him was unable to fly, and could only jump long distances using pure physical strength. However, this little dolphin did not follow this common sense and was able to swim through the air, in essence fly, even if it did not fly very high.
This little fellow was obviously attracted by the pills’ fragrance and immediately swam up beside Yang Kai, its nose inhaling deeply as it stared at the Alchemy furnace in front of it.
Yang Kai even saw that at the corner of the little dolphin’s mouth there were a few drops of saliva flowing down onto the floor.
Yang Kai immediately began examining it from top to bottom, trying to figure out just how it was flying.
The little dolphin then began letting out pitiful cries that were extremely hard to refuse while continuously nudging up against Yang Kai’s body, completely disrupting his Alchemy.
Yang Kai rubbed his temples and could only pass it a jade bottle full of Shadowed Heaven Pills.
The little dolphin took the bottle excitedly, circled Yang Kai a few times, cried out twice, then swam off with the jade bottle in its mouth.
Yang Kai continued his Alchemy in peace.
Three days later, Sha Hu returned to the island, bringing with him a lot of auxiliary herbs that Yang Kai needed, and waited quietly outside the wooden house.
Smelling the pill fragrance that permeated the wooden house, Sha Hu felt a hundred years younger.
“So many? Are these all for me?” Sha Hu stared at the jade bottles in front of him and asked in surprise.
“En,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
“Didn’t we agree to split them fifty-fifty? This…”
“This is fifty-fifty!”
Sha Hu was thoroughly astonished.
He had provided Yang Kai with a hundred silver lotus, which was almost all he had stored up.
He thought it would be great if he were able to get two hundred Shadowed Heaven Pills, but the jade bottles in front of him now told a far different story.
There were sixty-five jade bottles here, each one filled with ten pills, meaning Yang Kai had given him six hundred and fifty Shadowed Heaven Pills!
How had he managed to refine so many Shadowed Heaven Pills though? As the previous Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island, Sha Hu had often witnessed those inferior Alchemists refining Shadowed Heaven Pills, but a single Shadowed Heaven Lotus could at most produce one or two pills in the hands of those Alchemists, so how had Yang Kai managed to produce this many?
The only explanation was that Yang Kai’s Alchemy skills were countless times better than those Alchemists!
“Yang Boy, this old master can make a pledge to you!” Sha Hu turned to Yang Kai and said seriously, “If we can leave this place one day, this old master promises that the doors of Sea Temple will always be open to you.”
Sha Hu was moved by Yang Kai’s honesty in upholding their agreement, and he was extremely impressed with Yang Kai’s strength; such a person was worthy of making friends with.
Yang Kai chuckled, and said, “Since Old Man Sha has said so, it would be impolite for me to refuse.”
Being able to win over such an ally on Shadowed Soul Island was naturally something Yang Kai wanted to see. In any case, it was much better than wandering around alone; not to mention, Sha Hu was the previous Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island, so he would know much more useful information. Being allies had only benefits. No detriments.
Sha Hu laughed loudly, “Unfortunately, there is no good wine here, otherwise, this old master would share a drink with you! Forget it, this old master should first see if these Shadowed Heaven Pills are useful!”
He had not taken a Shadowed Heaven Pill for nearly a hundred years, causing his strength to stagnate for that long, a very distressing situation. Now that he had so many Shadowed Heaven Pills available, he could not wait to see what kind of effects they would bring him.
Picking up a jade bottle, Sha Hu poured out a pill and without hesitation shoved it into his mouth.
The next moment, however, Sha Hu shook visible as a look of utter amazement filled his face, “An Origin Grade pill? Yang Kai, you’re actually an Origin Grade Alchemist?”
This time he was thoroughly shocked.
When Yang Kai told him he was an Alchemist earlier, and would be able to refine Shadowed Heaven Pill, Sha Hu hadn’t had very high expectations, thinking Yang Kai only had some small accomplishments in the Alchemic Dao, but as soon as he swallowed this Shadowed Heaven Pill, Sha Hu realized he was greatly mistaken.
This Shadowed Heaven Pill refined by Yang Kai was completely different from the ones he had taken before, with the biggest difference being the grade of the pill!
Sha Hu was instantly able to judge that this Shadowed Heaven Pill was Origin Grade, and at least Origin Grade Mid-Rank at that, quite possibly High-Rank!
This proved that Yang Kai was at least an Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist!
He did not dare to imagine that Yang Kai was an Origin King Grade Alchemist because that was just a legend on Shadowed Star.
The pill melted in his mouth and turned into a stream of heat that rapidly flowed towards Sha Hu’s lower abdomen, then spread out from his dantian towards his extremities.
Sha Hu’s old face instantly turned red; an obvious sign his vitality was being enhanced. His muscles bulged and the veins under his skin pulsed.
He had no time to talk to Yang Kai anymore and hastily sat down to absorb the efficacies of the pill.
Yang Kai smiled slightly and did not bother him anymore, instead just leaving the wooden house, finding a quiet place on the island, and taking Shadowed Heaven Pills as well.
The Shadowed Heaven Pills refined by Yang Kai were completely different from the ones he had looted from the two dead men earlier.
The Shadowed Heaven Pills Yang Kai obtained before were not refined properly, so the medicinal efficacies weren’t able to display their full effects, making it a defective product. However, on Shadowed Soul Island, such a situation was unavoidable. The level of the Alchemists here was low, and without being able to use their Saint Qi, they had to use low-quality Earth Fire. This resulted in the Alchemists of Shadowed Soul Island only being able to refine shoddy Shadowed Heaven Pills, wasting most of the Shadowed Heaven Lotus’ medicinal efficacies.
Yang Kai had fixed all the issues with the pill recipe and had no trouble refining them, so it would be stranger if the pills he refined were not far superior.
After these days of experimentation, he also concluded that the Shadowed Heaven Pills refined from silver lotus would be of Origin Grade, while the azure lotus could be used to refine Saint King Grade pills. As for the pink lotus, they could at most be used to refine Saint Grade pills.
Yang Kai had not used a golden lotus yet because the number he possessed was too small, only about ten in total.
However, he was fairly certain that refining a golden lotus would result in an Origin King Grade Shadowed Heaven Pill.
The medicinal properties surged through Yang Kai’s meridians and physique, transforming his body, enhancing his physical strength slowly but steadily.
The benefits he received were simply unimaginable.
Additionally, because Yang Kai had taken a lot of Life Revitalizing Jade Cream before, his body was already highly refined, allowing him to absorb the efficacies of the Shadowed Heaven Pills faster and more efficiently.
After just half an hour, the medicinal efficacies of an Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pill were completely absorbed by Yang Kai.
Without delay, he took out another pill, threw it into his mouth, and continued to absorb its effects!
Because they were unable to cultivate Saint Qi or Spiritual Energy here, taking Shadowed Heaven Pills to cultivate their bodies was the only method for Shadowed Soul Island cultivators to enhance their strength.
Three days later, a burst of laughter suddenly came from the direction of the wooden house. The little dolphin, which had been swimming in an inland lake, raised its head and glanced over before lazily swimming behind a lotus leaf and no longer paying any attention to the situation.
A figure soared into the sky from the direction of the wooden house and quickly ran over towards Yang Kai’s direction.
Soon, Sha Hu stood in front of Yang Kai, his eyes flashing with powerful light as his aura pulsed vigorously.
Yang Kai opened his eyes, took a look at Sha Hu, smiled and said, “Old Man Sha seems to have had a breakthrough.”
Sha Hu looked at Yang Kai gratefully and nodded, “En, after a hundred years of stagnation, this old master had finally advanced a level, and he feels there is still room for improvement! Yang Boy, this old master won’t forget this kindness.”
“Old Man Sha is too polite,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Yang Kai, how about exchanging fists with this old master?” Sha Hu asked with a smile. He did not have anyone to compare notes with in this damned place, so he could only ask Yang Kai.
“Sure,” To his surprise, Yang Kai readily agreed.
Sha Hu did not hesitate, letting out a loud cry, kicking off the ground with both feet, and shooting out like an arrow as he threw his clenched fist forward.
Yang Kai remained sitting cross-legged in place, however, completely motionless, simply staring back at Sha Hu with a light smile, seemingly completely ignorant of the approaching earth-shattering blow.
Sha Hu was stunned and shouted angrily, “Yang Boy, are you underestimating this old master?”
“Old Man Sha doesn’t need to mind, just put your best into it!” Yang Kai responded lightly.
Sha Hu’s old face turned a bit unsightly. Although he was very grateful to Yang Kai, being looked down upon so blatantly was obviously uncomfortable. Hearing what Yang Kai said though, Sha Hu set grit his teeth and used his full strength.
The sound of air blasting out echoed as Sha Hu’s fist fell like a meteor, carrying with it, Heaven destroying might.
With this punch, even a thousand-metre high mountain would be smashed to dust.
But Yang Kai just stretched out his palm to block this punch, his face calm and serene.
In the next moment, one fist met one palm.
Yang Kai’s body shook slightly, but he remained seated in place, not moving back at all.
Sha Hu on the other hand was sent flying by the massive rebound and a red flush filled his face before slowly returning to normal.
Sha Hu’s expression changed dramatically, and the look of resentment completely disappeared from his face. Instead, he now stared at Yang Kai as if he was some kind of freak, falling silent for a very long time.
When he fought Yang Kai the other day, although he had been at a slight disadvantage, even after his strength had grown significantly, his full-powered blow was only able to shake Yang Kai’s body slightly.
The only explanation was that while his strength had grown, Yang Kai’s had as well, and at a much faster pace than his own! Otherwise, there was no way such a situation would have happened.
“How many Shadowed Heaven Pills did you take?” Sha Hu composed himself and asked hesitantly.
“A hundred or so,” Yang Kai thought for a while before casually replying.
Sha Hu sucked in a sharp breath as his eyes bulged, asking in amazement, “Your body withstood all of that?”
Over the past three days, Sha Hu had only consumed ten Shadowed Heaven Pills. The Shadowed Heaven Pills refined by Yang Kai were incomparable to those produced on Shadowed Soul Island, genuine Origin Grade Pills. Swallowing too many of these pills would put too much strain on one’s body, and the excess medicinal energies would damage the physique and meridians rather than strengthen them. In the most serious of cases, one’s body might even explode.
Ten pills in three days was already Sha Hu’s limit, but Yang Kai was able to take ten times that much!
“Why would I not be able to?” Yang Kai asked strangely.
Yang Kai did not even mention that many of the Shadowed Heaven Pills he took had formed Pill Veins, making them twice as potent as ordinary pills.
Sha Hu just stood up on the spot, shaking his head constantly as he muttered under his breath, “Monster, you are an absolute monster!”
He was certain he was no longer Yang Kai’s opponent now, and while he had confidence that he could escape from Yang Kai a few days ago, he wasn’t so assured anymore.
It was completely conceivable that the gap in strength between him and Yang Kai would only grow wider and wider as time passed.
[A good Body Tempering Secret Art is really enviable!] Sha Hu sighed to himself.
He did not know that the main reason Yang Kai was able to absorb the power of one hundred Shadowed Heaven Pills in such a short period of time was because of the solid foundation Yang Kai had formed by taking so much Life Revitalizing Jade Cream.
This was a feat Sha Hu could never replicate.
An Origin Grade Alchemist, a monstrous genius, and a great benefactor, if Sha Hu did not try to make friends with such a person, he would really be too stupid.
Sha Hu secretly made up his mind that regardless of whether he could escape from Shadowed Soul Island in the future or not, he would be Yang Kai’s most loyal ally!
In the waters about three thousand kilometres away from Shadowed Soul Island, a small ship sailed forth slowly, shuttling back and forth across a certain range while looking for precious Shadowed Heaven Lotuses.
There were few cultivators on the ship, only about two dozen, with a few of them standing at the edges of the deck looking out across the sea.
Most of the people onboard had gloomy looks on their faces as they mostly kept their heads down.
These people would sometimes make eye contact with one another, all of them showing looks of unwillingness and humiliation.
Pang Zhen from Sunrise Island and Qian Mo from Sea God Palace were among these people. Both of them were cultivators at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, top masters on Shadowed Star, but after arriving on Shadowed Soul Island, they were amongst the weakest.
Of course, this was only in terms of physical strength. On Shadowed Soul Island, where the only indicator of strength was the quality of one’s physique, Pang Zhen and Qian Mo’s Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation was useless.
It had been some time since they had arrived on Shadowed Soul Island, and after so long, Pang Zhen and Qian Mo had gained a fair understanding of the situation.
An ugly-looking man with buck-teeth and monkey-ears suddenly walked up to Qian Mo, crossed his arms and stroked his chin as he swept his eyes over her beautiful body with a scrutinising gaze, not even trying to hide the obscene light in his eyes or the lewd grin on his face.
Qian Mo raised her head to meet eyes with this man and her pretty face immediately sank.
“Miss Qian Mo, have you considered carefully yet? If you obey me, I can ensure your safety from now on. Not only will you be allowed to join Shadowed Soul Island formally and not need to do this kind of dangerous work again, but you will also have a chance to obtain some Shadowed Heaven Pills. This is a great opportunity that will only be available for a limited amount of time. You should know that others aren’t as reasonable as me,” The buck-toothed man asked in a suggestive tone, his eyes fixing on Qian Mo’s rich chest as he secretly gulped in anticipation.
Shadowed Soul Island very rarely had newcomers, so its population had always been quite small, only about ten thousand in total.
There were even fewer women, especially beautiful women! Any beauty was a precious existence and could be regarded as rare goods that were worth a large amount of Shadowed Heaven Pills.
Qian Mo was undoubtedly such a beauty.
The buck-toothed man had taken a fancy to Qian Mo and was taking advantage of his position, using both coercion and temptation to try to force her to submit to him. Once he managed to obtain her, whether he used her for his own enjoyment or to exchange for Shadowed Heaven Pills, would be a great deal.
What frustrated him, however, was that no matter how he tried to persuade her, Qian Mo simply ignored him.
No matter what, as one of the leaders of Sea God Palace, even if she had fallen into this damned place, Qian Mo did not put this buck-toothed man in her eyes. If she had met such a man outside, she would be able to slap him to death with a casual wave of her hand.
As such, in the face of this man’s repeated efforts, Qian Mo only had a single word of response, “Scram!”
“You…” The buck-toothed man was furious and pointed at Qian Mo, raising his other hand as if preparing to slap her to relieve his anger.
*Hualala…*
Nearly half of the people on the boat stood up suddenly and glared at the buck-toothed man with indifferent glares, fierceness flashing across eyes.
These people were naturally the cultivators of Sea Temple and Sea God Palace who had arrived on Shadowed Soul Island recently! After being stranded here, they had abandoned their previous grudges and united, so when they saw Qian Mo about to be disgraced, they all stood at the ready, seemingly just waiting for the buck-toothed man to act before they swarmed him and tore him to pieces.
The buck-toothed man did not follow through on his slap in the end. Although the cultivators from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace weren’t enough to frighten him, and he was certain he would win if a fight broke out, Island Master Ming Yue had clearly ordered that no one on Shadowed Soul Island could kill another, and any violators would be punished with death.
This was not because Island Master Ming Yue was a benevolent leader who loved his people, nor was it out of generosity or kindness, but rather because of the limited number of people on Shadowed Soul Island.
The population on the island was small, and if people died because of casual disagreements, then it would not be long before he became an Island Master with no subjects to rule over, a rather unpalatable situation.
On Shadowed Soul Island, the only people who could kill at will were the Island Master himself and his closest confidants. As for the others, no matter who they were, or what positions they held, no one was qualified to decide the life or death of another person.
When Pang Zhen, Qian Mo and the others first arrived on Shadowed Soul Island, they hadn’t yet been officially recognised as residents, so they hadn’t been protected by these rules, allowing the lanky lead man an opportunity to kill a few people to serve as a deterrent as well as to relieve some of his personal stress.
Now the situation was different. Although most of the cultivators from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace had not officially joined Shadowed Soul Island, their names had at least been recorded in the island’s registrar, so this buck-toothed man did not dare kill them and offend the Island Master.
“Good, good, good!” The buck-toothed man sneered, “So be it! Since you dare offend Father here, Father will make you regret it for the rest of your life! Bitch, you surely look down on Father here, don’t you? Well when Father has you one day, Father hopes you can maintain that stubbornness right up until the end! Forcing a slut who can’t fight back is the finest of tastes, heh heh!”
At that moment, a Shadowed Soul Island cultivator suddenly shouted, “Sir, we’ve spotted an otter-type beast three kilometres out heading towards us.”
“Really?” The buck-toothed man’s eyes lit up and he turned his gaze towards the sea. Sure enough, an extremely ferocious looking sea beast with a body length of over a dozen metres was kicking up a splash as it rapidly approached.
A smug smile appeared on this man’s face as he glanced over at the cultivators who had just stood up to oppose him and said, “The biggest dangers when searching for and collecting Shadowed Heaven Lotuses come from sea beasts. En, this is the first time many of you have done this kind of work, so this will be a good experience for you. All of you besides Qian Mo are to get down and meet the enemy! Don’t disappoint me now!”
As soon as this statement came out, the faces of the dozen or so cultivators from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace changed drastically.
Outside, none of them would put this otter-type beast in their eyes as they could casually kill it without any effort, but on Shadowed Soul Island, they were not necessarily this beast’s opponent even if they all worked together.
This was their first time out at sea to search for Shadowed Heaven Lotuses and none of them had taken any Shadowed Heaven Pills to temper their bodies, so it was basically impossible for them to fight this otter.
The buck-toothed man was obviously using this opportunity to retaliate as no matter how blatant his actions were, they would not violate the Island Master’s orders.
“What’s wrong? Are you all deaf? Can you not understand Father’s words?” The buck-toothed man looked at Pang Zhen and the others triumphantly, his heart was filled with infinite pleasure before his expression turned gloomy and he shouted, “Fine. Throw all of them down! Without experiencing a few battles with sea beasts, they won’t understand how precious Shadowed Heaven Lotuses are.”
The subordinates of the buck-toothed man nodded, grabbed the various newcomers, and began tossing them into the sea.
Pang Zhen and the others fought back, but how could they be these peoples’ opponents?
Although the residents of Shadowed Soul Island had lower cultivations than Pang Zhen and the other masters, they had taken some Shadowed Heaven Pills over the years so their physiques were actually superior.
After only three breaths, Pang Zhen and the others were beaten black and blue.
The otter rushing over clearly smelled blood and became even more excited, increasing its speed as it targeted Pang Zhen and the others who fell into the sea, completely regarding them as nothing more than an easy meal.
“Slut!” The buck-toothed man stood on the boat as he admired the struggling posture of Pang Zhen and others while speaking to Qian Mo with a sneer, “If they die today, it will be all your fault. Hahaha, if you had accepted my offer earlier, this would not be happening now, however… it is not too late. I’ll save them, but only if you kneel down and beg me to take you. A trivial otter is no match for father here!”
Qian Mo’s face filled with grief and indignation as she clenched her teeth hard and glared at the buck-toothed man fiercely.
Pang Zhen did not have much friendship with her, and although the cultivators from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace had abandoned their previous grievances and decided to work together to overcome these troubling times, Qian Mo was not so noble that she would lower her head to save Pang Zhen’s life.
However, among those who were thrown into the water, there were also people from her Sea God Palace, including members from her own clan, so she could not just sit back and watch.
“Despicable!” Qian Mo scolded angrily.
The buck-toothed man showed not the slightest shame as he laughed happily, “So what if I am despicable? Do you think this is your Sea God Palace? Do you still think you are still a Sea God Palace General? Tsk tsk… All those years ago, when Father was living on the outside, he deeply feared your Sea God Palace. Anytime this Father here met someone from Sea God Palace, he would have to walk a wide circle around them so as not to provoke them, but now, a Sea God Palace General actually needs to kneel down and beg father here for his help, hahaha!”
Qian Mo’s tender body trembled as she clenched her fists so tightly her nails drew blood, too angry to even notice.
“You don’t have much time, if you hesitate, they’ll all die!” The buck-toothed man reached out and pointed forward.
Qian Mo turned her head to look and saw that the huge sea beast was only a few hundred metres away now, and although Pang Zhen and the others were doing their best to flee, how could they escape from the otter in its native territory? If the buck-toothed man did not intervene to save them, they would all be swallowed by the otter one by one.
A look of despair came over Qian Mo’s face.
“Kneel down!” The buck-toothed man shouted as he pressured Qian Mo again. He also noticed that Qian Mo was a little shaken so applying pressure at this moment was undoubtedly the best choice as it was a good opportunity to crush her spirit.
The other residents of Shadowed Soul Island all stood by and watched the good show while envious light flashed across their eyes.
Just how noble of an existence was a Sea God Palace General? Before, they could only look up to such a master, but now, they could torture and humiliate her as they pleased, giving them an incredible sense of satisfaction.
This was made all the more exciting when Qian Mo was a beautiful woman with such a hot figure. Just thinking about her kneeling down on the ground and begging them made this group of people feel that even if they died here and now it would be worth it.
Qian Mo’s figure trembled and her knees seemed to bend slightly, but soon she straightened up again, grit her teeth, and screamed, “In your dreams!”
The smug grin on the buck-toothed man’s face instantly went stiff as his anticipation turned into disappointment, and then into anger.
Qian Mo ignored his indignation and simply smiled back coldly, “With my status, cultivation, and beauty, if I offer myself to that Island Master Ming Yue, what are the chances he would accept? Once that happens, I’ll be able to use all the Shadowed Heaven Pills I want and you will have to listen to my orders. How do you think I’ll torture you then?”
The buck-toothed man instantly turned pale and began sweating profusely.
He could easily imagine such a scene, and he could also imagine that his end would be worse than death.
Qian Mo was dispatched to collect Shadowed Heaven Lotus because she refused to submit to Shadowed Soul Island’s control, but she was right. With her identity and beauty, if she offered herself, no man would refuse, not even Island Master Ming Yue.
At that time, Qian Mo’s status here would leap from labourer to Lady Island Master in a single bound!
That was a scenario the buck-toothed man could never allow. After offending the future Lady Island Master, how miserable would his fate be?
The buck-toothed man’s expression darkened as a flash of coldness and cruelty lit up his eyes, gritting his teeth as he cursed, “Cheap Slut, you’ve forced my hand.”
Saying so, he walked towards Qian Mo’s, a vicious expression filling his face.
He was obviously not willing to let such a situation occur, and the only way to ensure that it did not, was to have Qian Mo fall here! As long as Qian Mo died, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore, so even though he felt it was a pity to lose such a woman, compared with his own life, what did she matter?
Qian Mo seemed to have expected this result from the beginning and did not appear the slightest bit flustered, instead just sneering, “There’s no need for you to act!”
As soon as she said so, Qian Mo jumped off the boat, preparing to share life and death with Pang Zhen and the others.
She would rather die than submit, and the only reason she said she would offer herself up to Ming Yue was in the hopes it would deter the buck-toothed man, but since her plan failed, she could only take the initiative to jump into the sea.
Falling into the cold water, Qian Mo and Pang Zhen looked at each other, nodded lightly, then prepared to flee in separate directions.
There was nothing else to do in this situation, only by escaping was there a chance to survive. Even if the chances of them being able to flee from the buck-toothed man and the otter-type sea beast were slim, they had to try.
Moving through the sea, the Sea Clan undoubtedly occupied a massive advantage, after all, they were a race born in the water.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A muffled noise suddenly spread from afar, almost as if someone was slamming the water’s surface vigorously, causing a set of rhythmic explosions that echoed from a great distance.
At the same time, a series of regular ripples propagated across the water’s surface.
The booming sound was clearly getting closer as well, and the ripples also became more noticeable, almost covering the natural ocean waves.
Everyone was stunned for a moment and turned their heads in the direction of the sound, not knowing what had happened. Even the vicious otter beast seemed to perceive danger, stopped its charge, and waited with most of its body submerged beneath the sea.
A row of water columns soared up into the sky at an extremely fast speed, and in front of the water columns, there was a figure, with his hands crossed behind his back, stepping across the sea.
The booming sounds were a result of this figure’s feet impacting the sea.
Every time his feet fell, an incredible power was transmitted to the ocean’s surface, causing a great column of water to rise up into the sky like a dragon moments after he moved on.
This man was not young, appearing at least fifty or sixty years old, but his true age was definitely higher than that.
Both the buck-toothed man and the Shadowed Soul Island cultivators were dumbfounded as their hearts clenched in shock.
They knew just how difficult it was to walk across the sea’s surface like this with only pure physical strength. Although all of them could accomplish this, they would not be able to display such power or keep it up for long.
This old man, however, looked like he was out for a leisurely stroll through his courtyard, and apart from the noise he was making, it did not seem like he was the slightest bit fatigued or exhausted.
It seemed that as long as he wanted to, he could go on like this forever.
Just how powerful would one’s body need to be to move like this indefinitely?
Even taking all of Shadowed Soul Island into consideration, the number of people who could accomplish this could be counted on one hand.
Beside this old man, there was a young man. This young man was sitting cross-legged above the sea, seemingly even more relaxed than the old man. He didn’t seem to be doing anything yet was able to follow beside the old man without falling behind.
When this pair got closer, however, the buck-toothed man discovered that there was a sea beast carrying this young man.
“This…” The buck-toothed man was stunned. The cultivators of Shadowed Soul Island had tried to tame the sea beasts in this place before, but even after the Island Master acted personally, there had never been a successful precedent. The sea beasts living in the waters near Shadowed Soul Island, regardless of their strength, seemed to rather fight to the death than submit, causing Shadowed Soul Island to eventually give up on this idea.
Now, there was actually someone sitting on the back of a sea beast, which shocked the buck-toothed man even more than the old man walking across the sea.
The noise made by the old and the young pair naturally alarmed Pang Zhen, Qian Mo, and the others in the water as well.
“Ah, he is…” Pang Zhen carefully stared for a while before his eyes lit up upon recognizing Yang Kai’s figure.
On the other hand, Qian Mo was staring fixedly just below Yang Kai, a look of disbelief flashing across her beautiful eyes, but soon, she showed an ecstatic look, leapt up from the sea, and hurriedly ran across its surface towards him.
She was unable to leisurely stroll across the water like the old man and could not keep this kind of movement up for very long, so Qian Mo was only able to proceed a few steps before her strength was exhausted and she fell back into the water.
However, that did not stop her from excitedly approaching Yang Kai, her pretty face filled with a brilliant smile at this long-awaited reunion.
“Old Sha, do you know this woman?” Yang Kai, who was sitting on the little dolphin’s back, turned to look at Sha Hu and asked in confusion.
Sha Hu just laughed, “This old master hasn’t met with anyone for over a hundred years, how could he possibly know her? Isn’t this woman coming over for you?”
“For me?” Yang Kai smiled, “Of course not, she is a General of Sea God Palace. I’ve never even spoken with her before… oh, it really looks like she’s coming for me?”
As the distance narrowed, Yang Kai also found that something was wrong.
This woman named Qian Mo was really rushed towards him, constantly waving her hands, acting as if they were very familiar.
Yang Kai scratched his head in confusion and could not figure out how to respond, simply deciding to see how things played out.
The little dolphin he was riding on, however, suddenly uttered a happy and aggrieved cry then rapidly accelerated over to greet Qian Mo.
A moment later, Qian Mo arrived in front of Yang Kai, completely ignored him, and instead called out to the little dolphin in a trembling but relieved voice, “Princess!”
“Princess?” Yang Kai was stunned as he stared at this scene.
The little dolphin kept crying out excitedly while circling Qian Mo before soon diving into her arms, like a lost child who had finally found its mother.
Yang Kai had a full view of Qian Mo’s plump chest deforming beneath the little dolphin’s head, revealing a deep gully along with plenty of pure white skin.
Sha Hu stood quietly to the side, his hands folded behind his back as he looked back and forth between Qian Mo and the Little Dolphin before soon nodding, “So that’s how it is, she’s from the Dolphin Flood Dragon Clan, no wonder this old master felt like something was different about her.”
Yang Kai also suddenly came to an understanding.
Qian Mo had called the little dolphin Princess, and Sha Hu said the little dolphin belonged to the Dolphin Flood Dragon Clan, so Yang Kai immediately realized that this little dolphin he had accidentally encountered actually had a huge background. She was obviously a member of the Sea Clan’s royal family, the princess that Qian Mo and Shang Ao had been looking for and the reason two Sea God Palace Generals had stirred up such a fuss on Sunrise Island.
It seemed that Qian Mo and Shang Ao had not lied. The Sea Clan’s princess really did disappear near Sunrise Island, but she had not been taken captive by the people of Sea Temple. Rather, she had been drawn into Shadowed Soul Island.
Afterwards, Yang Kai accidentally found her…
Qian Mo was finally able to relax after finding her princess, no longer even caring about her own safety, allowing the little dolphin to play with her for quite some time before she finally raised her head and glared viciously at Yang Kai, “Despicable Human, what have you done to my race’s princess? How dare you ride on top of her! You deserve ten thousand deaths for this offence!”
Yang Kai looked down at her and chuckled softly, “What have I done to her?”
He did not get angry because of Qian Mo’s attitude. The little dolphin’s status is the Sea Clan was supreme, so it was only natural that Qian Mo would be so angry.
“Why haven’t you gotten down yet!?” Qian Mo scolded again.
Yang Kai curled his lips, “If she doesn’t want to carry me, I’ll get off. Well, what do you say, do you want me to come down?”
Yang Kai clearly spoke his last words to the little dolphin, and under Qian Mo’s man-eating glare he reached down and patted the little dolphin’s head.
Qian Mo’s eyes spat fire and she felt like her blood was boiling. Although the princess was still young and could not even assume human form yet, she was still a sacred and inviolable existence in the Sea Clan. Any Sea Clan who saw her would need to treat her with the utmost respect, but now a despicable human was actually riding atop her and even shamelessly patting her head!
What irritated Qian Mo the most, however, was how her princess had a look of extreme enjoyment when her head was patted, spitting out a few bubbles from her mouth and even flipping her tail happily.
“See…” Yang Kai spread his hands, “I haven’t forced her to do anything!”
Qian Mo took a deep breath, her plump chest heaving up and down as she felt the urge to punch Yang Kai to death.
The little dolphin suddenly cried out in a strange tone at that moment, causing Qian Mo to listen intently. After a long time, Qian Mo’s complexion improved slightly, though she still glared at Yang Kai with enmity and hatred as she declared, “I don’t know what kind of tricks or schemes you’ve used to make the princess so dependent on you, but mark my words: This isn’t over, I’ll remember this!”
Yang Kai just shrugged, ignoring her vicious words.
Pang Zhen also swam over to Yang Kai at this time, cupped his fists and greeted, “Sect Master Yang!”
“Island Master Pang, the world is really too small, we keep running into each other like this!” Yang Kai responded with a smile.
Pang Zhen lowered his head awkwardly.
Fortunately, Yang Kai quickly changed the subject and asked, “So why are you all in such a distressed state? Are the people on that boat not from your Sea Temple or Sea God Palace?”
Above the sea, Yang Kai listened to Pang Zhen’s story about what had happened after they entered Shadowed Soul Island.
On that day, roughly two hundred people from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace were unfortunate enough to be stranded in this place, and aside from a few who were killed by the lanky man as examples, everyone else was captured and brought back to the city.
The total population of Shadowed Soul Island had always been small, so with such a large number of people suddenly arriving, the rulers of Shadowed Soul Island wanted to force Pang Zhen and the others to submit.
People under the eaves must bow their heads, so even if it was insincere, Pang Zhen and Qian Mo could only compromise.
However, Shang Ao and the other Sea God Palace General had always been belligerent, so coupled with his honoured status and the respect it normally gave him, how could he willingly submit to others? His rebelliousness seemed to annoy the rulers of Shadowed Soul Island, so he was taken away alone and was probably being tortured even now.
In recent days, neither Qian Mo nor Pang Zhen had seen Shang Ao, and no one knew if he was still alive.
Besides Shang Ao, everyone else was divided into more than a dozen teams, led by different Shadowed Soul Island cultivators, and then taken out to perform various tasks.
Qian Mo, Pang Zhen, and the others here were tasked with searching for Shadowed Heaven Lotus out at sea. Some teams had been sent to mine ores while others performed chores on Shadowed Soul Island.
The Origin Returning Realm masters who had found themselves trapped here on Shadowed Soul Island had lived quite miserable lives since the day they arrived. Many people had died due to various accidents, especially amongst those who went out to search for Shadowed Heaven Lotus as this was a particularly dangerous task. Whenever these search teams encountered a sea beast that they could not fight, the final result was often complete annihilation.
No one cared about such losses though, as any cultivator who was new to Shadowed Soul Island had to experience fear of leaving the eaves, so they thoroughly recognized Ming Yue’s dominance over Shadowed Soul Island in their hearts. Only those who truly accepted this reality could officially join Shadowed Soul Island become qualified to obtain Shadowed Heaven Pills to enhance their strength.
Ming Yue being able to dominate Shadowed Soul Island was not only because of his great personal strength but primarily because he controlled the supply of Shadowed Heaven Pills!
“Sect Master Yang, every person in this damned place has incredible physical strength. It seems that all of them have taken these so-called Shadowed Heaven Pills to temper their bodies!” Pang Zhen saw Yang Kai’s leisurely expression and could not help reminding him about this as he glanced over towards the ship warily.
However, when Pang Zhen turned his head, the scene he saw shocked him.
He suddenly discovered that the old man who had just been casually strolling across the sea had at some point, boarded the boat and was now standing at its bow silently.
More importantly though, the domineering buck-toothed man and all his subordinates, who seemed invincible earlier, were all staring at this old man with pale faces and undisguised horror. Not only did they not drive the old man off the boat, but they didn’t even dare to breathe loudly in his presence.
What were the origins of this old man? Was there such a person in Sea Temple or Sea God Palace? Was he a friend Yang Kai met recently on Shadowed Soul Island? Pang Zhen was thoroughly puzzled.
“Old Sha, my friends here seemed to have been bullied by them just now,” Yang Kai called out to Sha Hu.
In truth, Yang Kai did not have any friendship with Pang Zhen, and he had only just now spoken to Qian Mo, regardless, since they were all cultivators from Shadowed Star, separate from the cultivators from Shadowed Soul Island, they were technically people under his care.
What’s more, Yang Kai still had plans for Sea Temple and Sea God Palace, so he couldn’t just let these people die here.
Sha Hu heard this and grinned, “They were being bullied? An easy matter to fix!”
As soon as he spoke these words, Sha Hu turned his head and threw a punch towards the spot where the buck-toothed man and his subordinates had huddled together.
This fist was sent from more than a dozen metres away from the buck-toothed man, but the pressure wave which came from it still instantly impacted them.
*Peng peng peng…*
With a series of muffled booms, the buck-toothed man and his subordinates exploded into clouds of blood, their hashed meat spilling out into the sea, none of them even having a chance to utter a word before they died miserably.
Pang Zhen, Qian Mo, and all the others were stunned.
The Shadowed Soul Island cultivators that they were unable to resist were all wiped out by this old man with a single punch. Just how strong was this old man? None of them could even fathom it.
Since becoming trapped on Shadowed Soul Island, Pang Zhen and Qian Mo’s perception of strength had completely changed. Here, there was a different standard compared to the rest of the Star Field, one that prioritized the power of one’s physique above all else.
The scene before them could only have a single explanation, this old man’s physical strength had reached an astonishing level.
“Sect Master Yang… this Senior… what is his background?” Pang Zhen asked weakly while Qian Mo also cast a concerned look towards him.
“Old Sha’s full name is Sha Hu, does that sound familiar to you?” Yang Kai looked at Pang Zhen with a smile.
“Sha Hu?” Pang Zhen frowned, a thoughtful look appearing on his face, as if trying to dredge up a long-forgotten memory, his eyes turning in the direction of Sha Hu and staring for quite some time before they lit up and he cried out, “My Sea Temple’s previous Second Temple Master?”
“Are you from Sea Temple?” Sha Hu looked at Pang Zhen.
Pang Zhen put everything else out of his mind and quickly rushed over, leapt out of the sea, and fell to his knees on the boat as he spoke haltingly, “Sunrise Island’s Island Master Pang Zhen, greets Martial Uncle Sha!”
“So you’re Sunrise Island’s Island Master!” Sha Hu had heard Yang Kai mention Pang Zhen before, but he did not know who he was until Pang Zhen announced his name now. Smiling lightly, Sha Hu motioned, “Get up, there’s no need for excessive courtesy here!”
“Many thanks, Martial Uncle!” Pang Zhen was so excited his face flushed. Rubbing his hand together, he continued, “Disciple has long admired Martial Uncle Sha’s resounding reputation but has not had a chance to greet him formally. It was said that Martial Uncle disappeared for no reason three hundred years ago, a truly tragic event, but seeing Martial Uncle here on this Shadowed Soul Island now is this disciple’s great fortune!”
Sha Hu laughed loudly and said bluntly, “Your flattery skills are quite good!”
Pang Zhen’s face blushed, but he did not seem too embarrassed, simply grinning happily as he pointed towards some of the remaining cultivators and said, “Martial Uncle, these are my Sea Temple’s disciples!”
Sha Hu glanced over the cultivators one by one and nodded lightly, “Good, good! After three hundred years, this old master has finally seen his Sect family again. You may all rest assured, as long as this old master is here, no one will hurt a single hair on any of your heads!”
The several Sea Temple disciples all wore excited looks as they had just found a powerful backer.
A moment ago, they were all worried about whether they would be able to survive and their futures were all bleak, but suddenly, their former Second Temple Master, who had been missing for three hundred years, appeared in front of them and killed the Shadowed Soul Island cultivators with a single powerful punch, saving them from their tragic fate and offering them shelter. How could they not be happy?
On the other hand, Qian Mo and Sea Clan wore complicated expressions, disappointed.
Fortunately, Pang Zhen did not forget about them. During this time, the Sea Temple and Sea God Palace members had formed a coalition, supporting one another, so now that Sea Temple had such a strong backer and did not need to worry about being bullied again, Pang Zhen naturally wanted to offer some aid to Qian Mo as well.
Quickly pointing to Qian Mo, Pang Zhen said, “Martial Uncle Sha, this is General Qian Mo of Sea God Palace. She and her clansmen arrived on Shadowed Soul Island together with Martial Nephew and we have received much care from them these past few days.”
Pang Zhen’s words of praise for Qian Mo and the other Sea Clan were not exaggerations by any stretch. The Sea Clan was born with stronger bodies than humans, which was why initially Shang Ao was able to beat several Shadowed Soul Island cultivators without losing. From this alone, it was obvious that the Sea Clan were better in terms of Body Tempering than humans.
“En,” Sha Hu nodded flatly. He was willing to shelter Pang Zhen and the others because they were from the same Sect, but he did not have a good impression of the Sea Clan. When Sha Hu was the Second Temple Master of Sea Temple back then, he had often had dealings with this arrogant race and his hands were stained with much of their blood.
He didn’t intend to care about the life or death of these Sea Clan, but after glancing towards the little dolphin swimming about below Yang Kai, he suddenly smiled and said, “Since that’s the case, we’ll all travel together. The grudges between the Sea Temple and Sea God Palace will be put down temporarily. If there is a chance to leave Shadowed Soul Island in the future, we can discuss things then.”
“Many thanks, Martial Uncle Sha!” Pang Zhen could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Sha Hu would expel Qian Mo and the others, or worse. If that really happened, Pang Zhen would not be able to escape the charge of treachery, which would likely become a heart demon for him. Fortunately, Sha Hu was reasonable, so this concern became unnecessary.
Qian Mo’s expression became even more complicated, but she still quickly offered her thanks.
The Sea Clan and human cultivators all got onto the boat one after another, and under Qian Mo’s pointed glares, Yang Kai also followed suit, allowing the little dolphin to swim alone while following the boat.
Yang Kai suspected that if he continued to sit on the Sea Clan’s princess, Qian Mo would definitely attack him.
It was still a bit unbelievable to him that this little dolphin that only seemed to want to frolic, play, and eat Shadowed Heaven Lotuses was actually a princess of the Sea Clan. The contrast was simply too dramatic.
As if seeing his doubts, Qian Mo took the initiative to explain, “Princess is only five years old. According to your human standards, her mental development is similar to that of a five-year-old child. She cannot even assume human form yet and only thinks about playing all day long. She recently snuck out of Sea God Palace, but I never expected her to be drawn into Shadowed Soul Island.”
Yang Kai nodded.
“Regardless of anything else, this General offers her sincere thanks for bringing Princess back to my Sea Clan,” Qian Mo said suddenly.
Yang Kai gave her a surprised look.
Qian Mo, however, quickly followed up in a cold tone, “As for you insulting the princess’ dignity, this General will certainly not forget and will one day make you pay the price.”
“Do as you like!” Yang Kai was noncommittal.
On the other side, Pang Zhen was also asking about Sha Hu’s plans. Now that they had freed themselves from Shadowed Soul Island’s control, naturally, they didn’t want to return there only to face enslavement again.
But when he learned from Sha Hu that their destination was actually Shadowed Soul Island, Pang Zhen was at a loss for words.
“Scared?” Sha Hu turned to look at Pang Zhen and chuckled lightly.
Pang Zhen shook his head solemnly, “Disciple is not afraid, but with disciple’s current strength, he cannot provide much assistance to Martial Uncle either. However, since Martial Uncle has made such a decision, then disciple will put in his best effort. Even if disciple dies, he will still gnaw off a piece of those Shadowed Soul Island bastards before he falls!”
Sha Hu laughed and waved his hand, “There’s no need for you all to act. None of you have Shadowed Heaven Pills to temper your bodies so you trying to help will only be courting death. This time, just Yang Kai and I will go. The rest of you… you can just hide and watch the show from a distance.”
“Sect Master Yang?” Pang Zhen raised his brow in suspicion and asked quietly, “Sect Master Yang is indeed a dragon among men. Disciple has exchanged blows with him once and was truly not his opponent, but… he also just arrived on Shadowed Soul Island, so how will he be able to help Martial Uncle?”
Pang Zhen was well aware of Yang Kai’s strength, but this was Shadowed Soul Island, not the Limitless Ocean. From his and Qian Mo’s experiences, it was obvious that even if a cultivator was powerful in the outside world, they may not be strong here.
As long as they were faced with a cultivator who had lived for some years on Shadowed Soul Island, anyone from the outside would easily be suppressed.
So, when Sha Hu said that he would only take Yang Kai with him, Pang Zhen was a little worried.
Sha Hu only flashed a wry smile and said, “What do you know? Even this old master is not his opponent here, so how could he not be of help?”
“Huh?” Pang Zhen’s jaw dropped, and his face filled with shock, almost suspecting that he had heard wrong.
Glancing back at Yang Kai, who was standing at the stern of the boat, Pang Zhen found the former just smiling harmlessly back at him, completely relaxed and carefree.
“There’s no need to doubt, that boy is indeed stronger than this old master. I exchanged blows with him one month ago and was repelled by a single palm, now…” Sha Hu did not continue, but Pang Zhen understood his meaning.
Since Sha Hu had been beaten back by Yang Kai a month ago with a single palm, it was obvious that the gap between them was even wider now.
Pang Zhen only became more shocked.
All of them had been sucked into Shadowed Soul Island together, but after two or three months, Pang Zhen and the others with him had not seen any noticeable increase in their strength, instead, they were pushed around like menial workers by the cultivators of Shadowed Soul Island. On the other hand, Yang Kai could defeat Pang Zhen’s Martial Uncle Sha who had lived here for three hundred years.
[Was this boy a monster?]
The boat was not big, but it sailed quite smoothly across the sea. The little dolphin also swam up to and around it a few times, not moving any slower at all.
Five days later, Shadowed Soul Island came into view in the distance.
“All of you wait here. When this old master is finished with his business, he will come pick you up,” Sha Hu gave Pang Zhen’s orders before tossing him a bottle of Shadowed Heaven Pills and saying, “One pill per person, refine them carefully.”
Pang Zhen accepted gleefully.
Since coming to Shadowed Soul Island, he had been coveting these Shadowed Heaven Pills. He knew that the cultivators here had more intrepid physiques because of these pills, but unfortunately, he had no way to acquire any.
They had to first officially join Shadowed Soul Island before they were eligible to receive some Shadowed Heaven Pills from the Island Master after performing certain tasks. This entire process was quite long and dangerous, with perhaps up to eighty percent of people dying for some reason along the way. Even if they did receive some pills, the quantity would be small and the quality would be very low.
But now, Sha Hu had tossed him a bottle filled with such pills.
Pang Zhen thanked him respectfully and without delay opened the cap and distributed the pills to the disciples of Sea Temple.
Qian Mo’s eyes flashed when she saw this scene as a complicated mix of jealousy and helplessness filled her. Suddenly though, out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed something flying towards her, stretched out her hand, and caught it.
Looking over, she saw Yang Kai smile at her and say, “There’s one inside for each of you as well.”
Qian Mo blinked once before snorting coldly, “This General will repay this favour in the future.”
“We can talk about it later,” Yang Kai grinned before following Sha Hu towards Shadowed Soul Island.
The little dolphin let out a long cry from the rear, seemingly telling Yang Kai to be careful.
Giving Qian Mo a bottle of Shadowed Heaven Pills was not just a whim for Yang Kai, but rather because he knew he would have to regardless. The little dolphin would obviously ask him for such a favour considering how close her relationship with Qian Mo was.
On top of that, the Shadowed Heaven Lotus in Yang Kai’s possession were almost all found thanks to the little dolphin’s help, so it was not an exaggeration to say that at least half of the Shadowed Heaven Lotus and in turn, half of the Shadowed Heaven Pills belonged to her. A bottle of Shadowed Heaven Pills for Yang Kai was nothing.
Sha Hu had slowed his pace, obviously waiting for Yang Kai to catch up.
After Yang Kai arrived at his side, Sha Hu’s face became solemn as he said, “Yang Kai, the purpose of this old master’s trip today is only to kill that bastard Ming Yue. On Shadowed Soul Island, Ming Yue is the strongest, but there are a few others who are not weak as well. When the time comes, I hope you can deal with them so they don’t interfere in this old master’s battle.”
“No problem,” Yang Kai readily agreed before asking. “How certain is Old Sha that he can defeat that Ming Yue?”
Sha Hu’s expression turned serious and he thought about it for a while before declaring, “At least sixty percent! Although this old master has not seen Ming Yue for a hundred years, his strength has certainly increased, but with those inferior Shadowed Heaven Pills, no matter how much his strength has grown, it can’t have been by much. This old master is confident he can emerge victorious in the end.”
“Then I wish Old Sha a swift and decisive victory,” Yang Kai smiled.
Sha Hu was in high spirits. Since taking the Shadowed Heaven Pills refined by Yang Kai, his strength that had stagnated for nearly a hundred years had been steadily increasing, and although not as exaggerated as Yang Kai’s, this rate of growth was already extremely tyrannical compared to others.
Compared with the Shadowed Heaven Pills refined by Yang Kai, Sha Hu completely felt the Shadowed Heaven Pills he used before were simply garbage! Not only was their quality extremely low, making them difficult to refine, the benefits to one’s physique were meagre. What’s more, taking those inferior pills came with many hidden dangers, and while these could be ignored in the short term, after taking such Shadowed Heaven Pills for an extended time, it would definitely cause problems for one’s body.
Since Ming Yue no longer had an advantage when it came to Shadowed Heaven Pills, Sha Hu no longer put him in his eyes.
The speed of the pair was extremely fast, and it was not long before they landed on Shadowed Soul Island. Looking up at the city in the centre of the island, Sha Hu sneered and accelerated, leaving behind only an afterimage where he once stood.
Yang Kai followed unhurriedly, not falling behind Sha Hu by far.
Specter City was the only city on Shadowed Soul Island. There were about ten thousand cultivators in the city. It was not known when this city had been founded, but its walls were covered with ancient carvings, showing the weathering of time. Almost every cultivator who had the misfortune of coming to Shadowed Soul Island would eventually live in this city.
In Specter City, the one with the highest status was undoubtedly Shadowed Soul Island’s Island Master Ming Yue, followed by his henchmen, who oversaw Shadowed Soul Island’s day to day operations as well as the flow of Shadowed Heaven Pill.
The cultivators who lived on Shadowed Soul Island had to submit to Ming Yue’s rule if they wanted to obtain Shadowed Heaven Pills.
At the gate of the city, five cultivators wearing armour were monitoring the people who were entering and leaving. Any cultivator returning from the sea would have to hand over half of their spoils before they were allowed to pass.
As for the most precious Shadowed Heaven Lotus, all of them had to be handed over. Any cultivator who dared try to keep Shadowed Heaven Lotus for themselves would receive extremely harsh punishment.
A line of exhausted cultivators who had just returned from the ocean lined up outside the gates, preparing to enter Specter City.
Many of these cultivators had injuries, and some were even lacking arms or legs, looking quite dishevelled. Obviously, these people were attacked by sea beasts when they went out and had suffered no small losses.
Just as the armoured cultivators were checking the harvest of these cultivators waiting to enter the city, they suddenly heard a loud ruckus coming from the crowd. The lead guard frowned and was about to scold the people, but seemingly sensing something as well, he turned his head to look into the distance.
From afar, two human figures were approaching Specter City as fast as lightning. Both figures left behind a long trail of afterimages and only after moving a thousand meters did these afterimages gradually disappear.
The lead guard was shocked and quickly signalled to the rest of his companions to prepare themselves. Taking out their artifacts one after another, these guards quickly blocked the entrance to the city gate.
When the two figures were only a few hundred meters away, the lead guard shouted, “Who goes there? Stop at once!”
“Scram!” An angry shout came in response as the two figures rushed through the city gate and into Specter City.
The cultivators who were waiting in line to enter the city instantly went into an uproar, all showing looks of surprise.
Order was strictly enforced on Shadowed Soul Island and there had not been a forced entry like this in many years, but today, they had witnessed such a scene with their own eyes. Many people could not help but pay silent tribute to the two who had forcibly entered the city.
Everyone felt that these two were as good as dead, and since they had provoked Ming Yue’s authority in Specter City, their deaths would surely be miserable.
However, before they finished their thoughts, the crowd heard a thunderous explosion and quickly turned their heads just in time to witness the lead guard explode into a cloud of blood mist, what remained of his armour and flesh scattering over a wide area.
The onlookers felt a chill from head to toe and all fell silent. None of them even noticed when the lead guard had been attacked.
At the same time, a roar that seemed to reach the Heavens suddenly echoed from the city, “Ming Yue, get out here and face this old master!”
This roar was earth-shattering and deafening, and many people could not help turning pale when they heard it.
However, there were also many whose only fear was that the world was not chaotic enough, and after a moment, their expressions became excited as they moved closer to the source of the sound. These people wanted to find out just who this reckless fellow was that dared to call Ming Yue directly by his name in Specter City.
The whole of Specter City boiled up as many cultivators rushed towards Sha Hu’s location, attracted by his booming challenge.
Quickly, more than two thousand people had gathered around, and the number was still increasing.
Sha Hu stood quietly on the main street of Specter City, his hands folded behind his back, his expression indifferent.
Yang Kai stood one step behind him, wearing an aloof expression as he scanned the surrounding environment.
Specter City looked fairly tidy, and although it was a little shabby, it was still a great achievement to be able to build a stronghold in this forsaken place.
There were even some shops lining the street buying and selling daily necessities.
However, at this moment, the people in the nearby shops had long ago closed up and left as none of them dared to remain nearby after Sha Hu let out his astonishing roar.
There were many whispering voices among the crowd as they pointed towards Yang Kai and Sha Hu, some taking pleasure in their misfortune, some looking forward to the show, others glaring coldly while still others looked on indifferently, a myriad of emotions entangling in this small square.
“Old fool, you dare offend the majesty of Sir Island Master? Surrender your life!” From a distance, an angry shout rang out and a figure radiating a threatening aura rushed out from the end of the street, obviously looking to take credit for dealing with this matter.
The management of Shadowed Soul Island was extremely strict, and there was seldom any kind of trouble, so the cultivators who followed Ming Yue rarely had an opportunity to express their loyalty. Today was undoubtedly a good opportunity for these people to earn some favour by putting Sha Hu down.
If they could please Ming Yue, a bottle of good Shadowed Heaven Pills was not impossible to obtain.
So, after hearing Sha Hu’s roar, this man rushed over immediately.
As this man raced up the street, a large sabre artifact appeared in his hand and accompanied by his fierce aura and burly body, he gave off the appearance of a man who would kill without mercy.
Sha Hu simply stood quietly on the spot, looking towards the tallest building in the centre of the island.
There seemed to be a shadowy gaze coming from that direction, paying attention from a distance, meeting Sha Hu’s glare head-on, causing invisible sparks to fly and making the nearby crowd shiver slightly, as if the temperature on Shadowed Soul Island had suddenly dropped.
The burly man with his sabre did not seem to realize the change in atmosphere though and rushed over to a spot just ten metres from Sha Hu before jumping high and slashing out with his artifact, a sneer forming on his lips as he shouted, “Old Dog, I’ll be accepting your head!”
Sha Hu turned his head slowly as he finally glanced at the man who was approaching.
Facing this gaze, the brawny man could not help sucking in a cold breath as a look of incomparable horror appeared on his face. His fierce aura melted away like snowflakes under the scorching sun and the words he was about to shout caught in his throat.
Freezing in place, the brawny man forced himself back down to the ground as he stared at Sha Hu with a pair of disbelieving eyes, his voice trembling as he hesitantly asked, “Sha… Island Master Sha?”
This brawny man obviously recognized Sha Hu.
Sha Hu sneered coldly, “Zhou An! I’ve not seen you in a hundred years, but it seems you haven’t made much progress.”
The brawny man named Zhou An glared at Sha Hu and immediately retorted, “Whether this Zhou has made progress or not is none of your business. How come you are still alive, former Island Master Sha?”
“Did Ming Yue tell you I died?” Sha Hu sneered slightly as he stared at Zhou An as if he were an idiot, “You believed that nonsense? Not only is this old master not dead, but he’s also been living quite well. Today I’ve come to take Ming Yue’s head to relieve the hatred in my heart!”
Zhou An’s expression fluctuated, and although he was clearly frightened, he still stood his ground, “Sha Hu, you’d best stop dreaming. Island Master Ming Yue’s strength has grown greatly over the past hundred years. You were not his opponent back then, so you certainly aren’t his opponent today! Obediently surrender without a fight and follow this Zhou to see the Island Master and perhaps you can survive a catastrophe, otherwise…”
“Otherwise?”
“Since Island Master could defeat you a hundred years ago, he can do so again today!” Zhou An declared loudly.
Sha Hu burst into laughter, “Idiot. Didn’t Ming Yue tell you that the reason he was able to defeat this old master back then was because he used poison? Since this old master has returned today, that traitor will definitely not have another chance to pull such a wicked stunt.”
Sha Hu no longer paid any attention to Zhou An and instead turned his eyes back to the tall central building and shouted, “Ming Yue, if you don’t have the guts to come down and fight this old master, then this old master will come to you!”
Saying so, Sha Hu bent his knees and then launched himself several hundred metres up into the air, soaring towards the centre of the island like a great Peng spreading its wings.
“Wishful thinking!” Loud shouts rang out from all around as at least a dozen cultivators releasing blood-red auras sprang from the crowd to intercept Sha Hu.
The bright red light pulsing from their bodies were signs of their astonishing vitality. The stronger the light, the stronger their bodies.
The Shadowed Soul Island cultivators that Yang Kai had encountered before were too weak to release such light so he had never seen such a display before; however, after learning the true identity of Sha Hu, a dozen or so Shadowed Soul Island masters could no longer hide and shot out with their full strength.
Sha Hu, however, ignored these approaching cultivators and continued to stare coldly towards the front, without sorrow or joy, without fear or panic, simply releasing a thick, undisguised killing intent.
The dozen or so people looked overjoyed as all of them desperately pushed the power in their bodies to use their best moves to attack.
But before any of them could execute their strikes, a young man appeared strangely behind Sha Hu, floating quietly in the air as if he was flying.
Facing the fierce attack of a dozen people, the young man still smiled calmly and relaxedly, only casually sending out his fists the instant before the incoming attacks reached him.
Fist shadows poured out like raindrops in a great storm, blasting out in all directions.
All of the figures suddenly had the red light pulsing from their bodies explode and were sent flying as they cried out in pain. Several of them even exploded mid-air into clouds of blood fog.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The survivors all smashed into the nearby buildings, leaving giant impact craters that their blood flooded out into. Their bodies mangled, each of these attacks now had faint auras which seemed to teeter on the brink of being extinguished.
The thousands of onlookers all went into an uproar as they stared at the young man who was still suspended in mid-air in horror, their eyes flashing with shock and terror.
The dozen or so people who attacked Sha Hu just now were all masters with famous names on Shadowed Soul Island. No one knew how strong these people were in the outside world, but on Shadowed Soul Island, every one of them would rank amongst the top one hundred masters!
These people were all loyal subordinates of Ming Yue!
However, after just one round of attacks by this young man, these dozen or so people were either dead or disabled, none of them able to get up. It was nothing less than an utter route!
Who was this young man? Why had they never seen or heard of him before?
Compared with this young man, Sha Hu’s name was already known to many people. On Shadowed Soul Island, it was not just Zhou An who recognized Sha Hu. Among the onlookers, many recalled Island Master Sha from a hundred years ago.
One told ten, ten told a hundred, and soon, every cultivator on Shadowed Soul Island knew what this situation was all about. It turned out that the former Island Master had come to seek revenge against the current Island Master! This was a once-in-a-lifetime drama that no one wanted to miss.
However, after the young man in front of them displayed his overwhelming might, none dared to chase after Sha Hu to spectate the excitement. Those cultivators who took orders from Ming Yue did not dare to move in the slightest. Still hearing the miserable cries from their comrades, as long as these people didn’t have a death wish, they knew better than to annoy Yang Kai.
Yang Kai glanced around and said with a smile, “Old Sha is going to challenge Ming Yue now. You may all spectate from a distance, but if anyone dares try to interfere, don’t blame this Yang for being merciless.”
In normal times, an unknown young man speaking such words would be ignored by all, but after seeing him repel the combined force of a dozen masters so easily, Yang Kai’s words held absolute authority.
No one dared to challenge him, and all the cultivators who had come to watch the show contented themselves to watching from afar, all of them wondering who was stronger, the former Island Master or the current Island Master.
At the centre of the island, a great battle had clearly erupted, and Sha Hu’s ferocity was clearly being transmitted to everyone present. Even a dozen kilometres apart, the force behind each collision could be felt as thunderous booms echoed across the sky, thrilling, and terrifying the crowd.
Yang Kai stood in place for a moment, then suddenly drew a line in the dirt, clearly marking the point which no one was to pass, then turned around and walked towards the battlefield without looking back.
Even after he left no one dared to cross this mark and could only spectate this earth-shattering battle from a distance. Although all of them were feeling quite anxious, they could only endure patiently.
Yang Kai crossed a dozen kilometres in just a few breaths to arrive at the battlefield.
At the base of the tallest building in the centre of the island, a few bloody corpses were strewn about, apparently killed by Sha Hu.
Some cultivators stood not far away, glancing back and forth between the battlefield and Yang Kai.
None of them dared to intervene at will. When Sha Hu first arrived here, he instantly killed a few people to set up his prestige. After witnessing such a display, these people did not dare challenge Sha Hu.
Today, only Ming Yue could fight Sha Hu.
Yang Kai did not pay attention to the masters who were spectating the battle and instead cast his eyes towards Ming Yue.
What Yang Kai saw was a neatly dressed middle-aged man with a scholarly aura, similar to Great Elder Mo Yu of Clear Sky Sect.
However, his physical strength was countless times stronger than Mo Yu.
The red light pulsing from Ming Yue’s body was extremely thick, showing how tyrannical his body was. Every time he threw a punch or sent out a kick, the wind would roar as if the world was being split apart.
Sha Hu’s strength was not inferior though, and by the time Yang Kai arrived, the two men had already exchanged hundreds of blows, leaving behind huge pits in the ground and smashing many of the surrounding buildings. Even the majestic central tower had a wall missing and was currently leaning unstably.
Yang Kai observed for a moment and could not help raising his brow.
Sha Hu regarded Ming Yue as his greatest enemy, and every time he mentioned Ming Yue in the past, his hatred and rage were clear, which was not unreasonable.
Yang Kai was also certain that three months ago, Sha Hu was definitely not Ming Yue’s opponent. Judging from the strength Sha Hu displayed when he first met him at the time, he could not have lasted more than a hundred breaths against the current Ming Yue.
However, Sha Hu had taken a lot of the Shadowed Heaven Pills that Yang Kai had refined over the past three months and achieved great progress in his physical strength, allowing him to now compete with Ming Yue on even terms.
The fight between these two was savage, almost to the point of trading wounds with each other.
This style of fighting was most suitable for cultivators with strong physiques, because with their rich vitality, injuries suffered in this kind of battle would be easy to restore.
Yang Kai had used this style of combat to kill powerful enemies more than once.
However, when the physical strength of two enemies was equal, this brutal style of fighting instead became a contest of endurance.
Only the one who could last longer and inflict greater damage would win out in the end!
At this point, Sha Hu seemed to occupy the advantage.
“Ming Yue, you didn’t expect that this day would come, did you? The enmity of these past hundred years, this old master has never forgotten, but that all ends today! Today, this will be your burial place!” Sha Hu shouted vigorously as he fought with Ming Yue, his fists leaving behind shadows as they wound past Ming Yue’s defences from impossible angles, striking his chest hard.
The red light which pulsed from Ming Yue’s body abruptly shook from this impact, but it soon stabilized and recovered.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ming Yue slashed a knife down fiercely. This knife hand was akin to a peerless blade, slashing onto Sha Hu’s shoulder, causing the latter to grimace in pain for a moment.
“To be honest, you being able to live up until this day is a true surprise to this Island Master,” Ming Yue spoke in a casual tone, a stark contrast to Sha Hu’s violent anger. “But what surprises this Island Master even more is that your strength has actually grown to this level. It seems that you’ve had many opportunities in the past hundred years.”
Sha Hu laughed loudly, “I haven’t had any opportunities at all, I only had the good fortune to meet an honoured friend!”
Ming Yue frowned slightly hearing this, and even while heavily engaged, he glanced over towards Yang Kai.
He was able to judge from Sha Hu’s words almost instantly that Yang Kai, a stranger he had never seen before, was this so-called ‘honoured friend’.
“Ming Yue, you are no longer this old master’s opponent! This old master will surely rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces!” Sha Hu continued to roar as his emotions ran wild with excitement. However, while outwardly he shouted with absolute confidence, Sha Hu knew better than anyone else that acting on impulse and instinct would not be enough to defeat Ming Yue. The vicious words he spoke were all an attempt to disturb Ming Yue’s focus.
“This Island Master will wait and see then!” Ming Yue’s tone was still indifferent, as if he did not put Sha Hu in his eyes at all.
The battle raged on, with fists meeting flesh and blood constantly splashing out. Even the sound of bones breaking could be heard from time to time.
This was a simple, brutal, fierce, and thrilling battle which made all the onlookers’ hearts clench. Even Ming Yue’s subordinates who were watching from nearby had never seen him use his full strength, so, at this moment, they were all shown that Ming Yue being able to become the Island Master was not some fluke, his true combat effectiveness was far greater than any of theirs.
Even Yang Kai watched with great interest.
Although he was confident his physical strength was higher than Ming Yue’s and Sha Hu’s, this was a good opportunity to sharpen his own combat instincts. Both Ming Yue and Sha Hu were powerful cultivators who had great achievements in body tempering.
There weren’t many opportunities for cultivators to observe and emulate such a battle up close.
Yang Kai studied the battle while inserting himself into it in his mind, allowing him to reap some gains.
The battle between Sha Hu and Ming Yue continued with staggering intensity and speed, seemingly still evenly divided with no one person achieving a decisive edge.
During the battle, the two combatants would occasionally stuff some Shadowed Heaven Pills into their mouths to make up for their expended vitality and physical strength, maintaining the red surge outside their bodies at its peak.
Ming Yue’s group of subordinates were secretly nervous, not knowing what would happen to them if Ming Yue was defeated. They wanted to help but did not have the guts, so their only option was to deal with Yang Kai instead.
However, Yang Kai instantly crushed two of their companions, wiping away all thoughts of attacking him from the other’s minds.
Between members of their own group, their strength was basically equal, so even if some were stronger than others, the difference was not that big.
After Yang Kai crushed two of their allies like ants, they would have to be blind to not be able to realize the gap between them.
The battle between Yang Kai and Ming Yue’s subordinates ended as quickly as it began, not having any effect on the battle between Ming Yue and Sha Hu, but after sensing the strength of Yang Kai, Ming Yue had to pay more attention to him.
Sha Hu seized this opportunity to launch a fierce assault, bombarding Ming Yue with his fists indiscriminately.
The situation that had been locked in a stalemate began to slowly lean towards Sha Hu’s side.
Sha Hu’s momentum increased further, having taken the advantage, and the red light radiating from his figure became even stronger, allowing him to slowly suppress Ming Yue.
Ming Yue’s situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.
The faces of the cultivators who have been standing nearby watching the battle also turned pale, as even they could see that things were looking unfavourable for Ming Yue. Although this change was subtle at first, if this trend continued, Ming Yue’s disadvantage would only become worse until ultimately, he lost.
Was Sha Hu really that powerful? They could hardly believe their eyes.
Yang Kai also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, the strength of Ming Yue and Sha Hu was equal, and at the beginning of the battle, even he could not judge who would emerge victoriously, but now, because of a small accident, Sha Hu’s victory was almost assured with Ming Yue’s chances becoming increasingly slim.
The situation played out exactly as Yang Kai expected, and as time passed, Ming Yue’s position became worse and worse, with Sha Hu becoming more dominant. In ten exchanges, eight of them were Sha Hu’s attacks while only two were retaliations from Ming Yue. Being on the defensive constantly, it was only a matter of time until Ming Yue’s strength was consumed and he was defeated.
Finally, after one of Ming Yue’s attacks failed to connect, revealing an opening, Sha Hu took the opportunity to close in and let out a loud roar, “Ming Yue!”
This shout seemed to contain all the anger he had pent up over the last hundred years. Sha Hu’s momentum surged madly as he dodged Ming Yue’s blow and thrust his fist towards his opponent’s heart.
Victory was within his grasp!
A grim smile appeared on Sha Hu’s face.
Ming Yue, whose life was hanging by a thread, was still not panicked, however, and as he glanced at Sha Hu indifferently from up close, a sardonic smile flashed across his face and he uttered coldly, “Sha Hu, it seems you still don’t understand how powerful this Island Master is!”
Sha Hu heart clenched as his instincts began screaming. Just as he was about to withdraw his fist, a burst of Saint Qi emerged from Ming Yue’s body, causing his already tyrannical momentum to soar. In the next instant, a Saint Qi barrier blocked Sha Hu’s blow, rendering it harmless.
Shi burst out as a follow-up.
Sha Hu’s movements instantly became sluggish as Ming Yue’s Shi enveloped and suppressed him.
Ming Yue’s palm shot out and struck the centre of Sha Hu’s chest.
*Wa…*
Sha Hu flew back through the air as he coughed up blood.
After staggering to his feet, the red light outside his body became extremely dim and his complexion was extremely pale.
Staring at Ming Yue who was simply standing in place aloofly, Sha Hu’s eyes shook as he called out hoarsely, “How can you…”
“Use Saint Qi?” Ming Yue smiled faintly, “Shadowed Soul Island has its own World Principles, and any cultivator that enters here is suppressed by those World Principles, making it impossible to use Saint Qi, but… This Island Master has overcome the World Principles here, which is why I am the Island Master, and you are not!”
“Impossible!” Sha Hu roared; his face filled with unwillingness.
“Nothing is impossible for this Island Master,” Ming Yue sneered towards Sha Hu, who was covered in blood, and as if to prove his words, he continued recklessly releasing power from his body.
Naturally, this power was in the form of Saint Qi!
The Saint Qi fluctuation of a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master filled the air.
Sha Hu was dumbfounded and stood stunned on the spot.
In terms of raw physical strength, he was comparable to Ming Yue. He was almost able to kill Ming Yue just now thanks to his hundred years of tolerance and perseverance, but if Ming Yue could use Saint Qi, then it was basically impossible for Sha Hu to be Ming Yue’s opponent.
Sha Hu opened his mouth but realized there was nothing he could say.
The continuous high-intensity battle had almost turned him into a dried-up oil lamp, and after sensing Ming Yue’s intense aura fluctuations, the momentum Sha Hu had built up collapsed and a feeling of exhaustion overwhelmed him.
At that moment, a palm was placed lightly on his shoulder. When Sha Hu turned his head dully, he found Yang Kai had at some point arrived by his side.
“Yang Kai…” Sha Hu’s voice was dry, “Sorry, this old master has brought trouble to you.”
He misjudged the situation badly. He had come here for revenge, but now not only would he die, he would likely also drag Yang Kai along to the grave with him.
Being able to use Saint Qi on Shadowed Soul Island meant Ming Yue was essentially invincible here; no one could resist him.
“Old Sha is too serious, just take a break and let me finish things up here,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, without any of the panic Sha Hu imagined he would have.
Sha Hu raised his brow suspiciously, not knowing what Yang Kai had to rely on in this situation or how he planned to face an opponent who could use Saint Qi and Shi in this place, but seeing him so calm and relaxed, Sha Hu’s spirits lifted somewhat. Nodding, Sha Hu took the initiative to withdraw a few steps.
Ming Yue didn’t try to stop him and instead focused his attention on Yang Kai with great interest. Seeing this young man stare back at him without any fear, Ming Yue smiled slightly, “Why not submit to me? I can let you be the Vice Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island, under one, above ten thousand.”
Several of Ming Yue’s subordinates immediately looked at Yang Kai with clear envy and even some eagerness, as if they were only waiting for Yang Kai to agree before leaping forward to flatter him.
Vice Island Master was an honoured position. On Shadowed Soul Island, although Ming Yue had been the Island Master for a hundred years, no one had ever been able to become the Vice Island Master. Ming Yue did not seem to have any intention of promoting one of his subordinates to such a position, with many of them even subtly probing about whether such a position would even become available, but never receiving a positive response.
These subordinates did not dare raise a fuss though, so after a few attempts, they let the matter drop.
But today, Ming Yue took the initiative to offer this position to Yang Kai, so how could they not feel envious?
“Not interested!”
To their surprise, however, Yang Kai did not even think about it before shaking his head and refusing.
How could Yang Kai put the trivial position of Vice Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island into his eyes? He was the Star Master of Shadowed Star! If Shadowed Soul Island weren’t an isolated space with its own World Principles, it would definitely be a part of Shadowed Star and be under Yang Kai’s complete dominion. Under these circumstances, was not becoming Vice Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island too much of a drop in status?
Ming Yue raised his brow and said lightly, “That is a little disappointing to this Island Master.”
Yang Kai laughed and snickered, “You’re about to be even more disappointed.”
“Are you going to oppose this Island Master?” Ming Yue looked at Yang Kai with clear ill intent.
“There’s nothing to discuss, we simply walk different paths.”
Ming Yue frowned and sighed, “In this case, this Island Master will grant you death!”
Yang Kai burst into laughter hearing this and sneered, “You don’t have the skill! Old Sha was right about one thing.”
“What?” Ming Yue and Sha Hu asked at the same time.
“It’s absolutely impossible that someone like you overcame the World Principles here,” Yang Kai sneered.
World Principles were extremely profound, and even as the Star Master of Shadowed Star, Yang Kai, was unable to break the barrier its World Principles had created, so how could a mere Ming Yue accomplish such a feat?
Therefore, Yang Kai concluded that Ming Yue was definitely using some special methods to access his Saint Qi.
Yang Kai was quite curious about this method.
Ming Yue’s face twitched slightly, but he did not panic and soon frowned, “You are not the Island Master here, so how are you so certain this Island Master cannot overcome the World Principles here?”
“I just know,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, a look of complete confidence filling his face.
Ming Yue’s expression became gloomy after knowing of Yang Kai’s attitude. No longer taking an easy-going manner, Ming Yue coldly snorted and declared, “Whether this Island Master can overcome this place’s World Principles or not, this Island Master being able to use Saint Qi is a fact. Boy, today you die!”
“Only those without skill boast of their abilities,” Yang Kai snickered before shouting, “Come out!”
As soon as these words fell, a clear, crisp bird cry resounded across the sky and a massive bird composed entirely of beautiful red flames shot out from Yang Kai’s body.
As soon as this firebird spread its wings, it seemed like half of the sky was covered and an intense heat filled the atmosphere.
Everyone stared up at the huge Firebird in shock as they felt the rich burning aura coming from it. Ming Yue’s complexion instantly turned pale as his expression became dignified; he was shocked to discover that this firebird had no form and was instead composed of pure Fire Attribute energy mixed with a violent Thunder Attribute power.
Across its fiery red body, there were dazzling purple streaks of lightning that danced back and forth like snakes.
[Both thunder and flame comprising a living entity?] Ming Yue considered himself experienced and knowledgeable, but even he could not identify the origins of this firebird.
Things hadn’t ended yet though. After Liu Yan appeared, Yang Kai also summoned a small, simple-looking stone man in front of him. This stone man had a naïve look on its face and carried a long pitch-black stick on its shoulder.
This overly long stick appeared in stark contrast with the stone man’s small body, making it appear rather funny.
However, the moment after this small stone man appeared, it let out a low roar and its figure began to rapidly enlarge, going from less than a metre in height to several dozen metres tall in the blink, becoming a true stone giant!
Even the pitch-black stick that rested on its shoulder became thicker and longer proportionally.
Everyone looked up at this newly appeared pair with fear as they felt an indescribable sense of oppression coming from them, making it hard to even breath.
Ming Yue’s face filled with horror as he stared towards Yang Kai in shock.
“Kill him!” Yang Kai gave a light command.
Another piercing cry sounded across all of Shadowed Soul Island as Liu Yan flapped her wings and swooped down towards Ming Yue’s head, opening her mouth and spitting out a fireball covered in purple lightning.
Ming Yue cried out in shock and didn’t dare take this thunder fire meteor head-on, immediately using his Movement Skill to dodge.
With a bang, dust was thrown up into the air as a giant crater appeared where Ming Yue was originally standing.
Before Ming Yue could compose himself though, a rush of heavy footsteps approached.
*Dong dong dong…*
Xiao Xiao strode forward, his two big feet sounding like heavy war-drums, violently pounding the ground. Still twenty metres away from Ming Yue, Xiao Xiao swung the Heaven Shaking Pillar forward violently.
The incredibly heavy Heaven Shaking Pillar was like a toy in Xiao Xiao’s hands, but the violent wind which rolled off of it nearly lifted up and swept Ming Yue away.
Ming Yue’s face turned pale as he hurriedly stretched out his hand and in a brilliant flash summoned a black hexagonal shield in front of him. This hexagonal shield spun rapidly and exuded an Origin Grade Mid-Rank aura. At a glance it was obvious it was a powerful defensive artifact that an ordinary Origin Realm master would have trouble breaking through.
However, Ming Yue did not relax at all and his expression only grew more solemn, kicking off the ground with both feet to retreat backwards.
*Hong…*
The Heaven Shaking Pillar smashed onto the hexagonal shield, which failed to block its momentum in the slightest and directly exploded into countless fragments before the Heaven Shaking Pillar continued to smash towards Ming Yue with irresistible power.
Fortunately for Ming Yue, he had anticipated this outcome somewhat and was able to avoid a direct hit. However, merely being brushed with the shockwave from the Heaven Shaking Pillar was enough to leave Ming Yue in an extremely embarrassing state, his clothes ripped apart as the strong winds cut open his flesh, drawing blood from all over his body.
A terrible cry rang out above Ming Yue’s head at that moment, causing all his blood to run cold!
Swivelling his head up, he found Liu Yan floating above his head once again, sending down a rain of fire and lightning that covered a hundred-metre-wide radius with him at its centre.
There was no way to avoid this blow!
Lightning flashed and flames blazed, instantly transforming the region around Ming Yue into a burning purgatory and shaking all of Shadowed Soul Island with its might.
All of Ming Yue’s subordinates had long ago lost their ability to think as they watched Ming Yue’s figure being swallowed by the intense fire and lightning, all of them shivering as if they had been thrown into the middle of an icy blizzard.
Even Sha Hu, who prided himself on his physical strength, couldn’t help trembling in shock.
He didn’t realize that Yang Kai had not exerted his full strength when they fought back then. If at that time, Yang Kai had summoned this strange firebird and stone giant, how could he still have his life?
Whether it was the stone giant or the firebird, either was enough to absolutely crush him. The powerful physique he had cultivated over several hundred years wasn’t worth a fart in front of these two strange creatures.
Fortunately, the relationship between them was not horrendous to the degree they were irreconcilable, allowing them to go from enemies to friends.
When thinking back on those initial days, Sha Hu could not help feeling some fear as well as gratitude that he had made such a wise decision.
However… what exactly were Yang Kai’s origins? With such strength, couldn’t he dominate over all of Shadowed Star? It seemed that Sha Hu would have to ask Pang Zhen about Yang Kai’s background after this incident was over.
Sha Hu secretly made up his mind before focusing his attention back on the battlefield.
With just a glance though, he couldn’t help feeling stunned.
He found that Ming Yue, who was at the centre of the hellish flames, had actually not been killed immediately, instead, his vitality was simply severely weakened. Sha Hu didn’t know how Ming Yue managed to pull this off; after all, if they traded places, that single blow would have been enough to kill him ten times over.
Yang Kai obviously discovered this too, but instead of being surprised, he instead wore a look of interest.
A moment later, the raging flames and thunder dissipated and the sea of destruction ebbed. At the centre of the scorched earth stood Ming Yue, panting heavily and looking very embarrassed.
There were no longer any signs of his previously elegant demeanour, with his clothes completely ruined, his hair in a mess, and his skin filled with burns as his vitality fluctuated weakly.
If it weren’t for his intrepid physique, he would likely have already been killed.
Ming Yue being able to stand was thanks in large part to all the Shadowed Heaven Pills he had taken to temper his body over the years, highly enriching his vitality.
But standing was all Ming Yue could do at this point, he looked at Yang Kai blankly, his face filled with unwillingness as he clenched something in his hand.
Yang Kai’s gaze shifted and quickly discerned what Ming Yue was grasping.
It was actually a token, and one that Yang Kai was quite familiar with. From this token, there was a faint, but obviously Emperor Pressure.
[A Star Emperor Token!] Yang Kai frowned.
He had never expected that Ming Yue would possess a Star Emperor Token!
From what Yang Kai could sense, it was this Star Emperor Token that allowed Ming Yue to communicate with the World Principles of Shadowed Soul Island and allowed him to use his Saint Qi and Shi. It was also thanks to this that he was able to survive Liu Yan’s fierce attack just now.
[Could this damned place actually be related to Yang Yan?] This idea flashed through Yang Kai’s mind quickly.
Not delaying any longer, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and he arrived in front of Ming Yue, sending out a palm strike towards his chest.
Ming Yue was already an arrow at the end of its flight and couldn’t resist at all. This palm was the last straw, and even though Ming Yue saw it coming, he had no strength to resist.
With a muffled thud, Ming Yue fell onto his back while Yang Kai quickly snatched the Star Emperor Token and Space Ring from his hand.
With his back to Sha Hu and the others, Yang Kai carefully handled the token and quickly confirmed it to be a genuine Star Emperor Token because it was identical to the ones he already possessed!
Sending his Divine Sense into the Star Emperor Token, Yang Kai noticed that it seemed to have a subtle connection to a certain location on Shadowed Soul Island.
Yang Kai raised his head and looked in that direction.
“Old Sha, I’ll let you handle things from here, I’m going to investigate something,” Yang Kai said before immediately disappearing.
Sha Hu was taken aback, but didn’t pay the matter too much mind, instead turning towards Ming Yue’s subordinates and flashing a ferocious grin.
Those people only came back to their senses at this moment and began calling out in panic, “Island Master Sha, mercy! What happened a hundred years ago was all because Ming Yue forced me to act, not because I was willing!”
“Heh heh, whether it was voluntary or involuntary doesn’t matter to this old master. Misdeeds have costs. A hundred years ago, all of you joined forces with Ming Yue in his plot against this old master, and if it weren’t for this old master’s good fortune, he would never have been able to have his revenge today. Talk is useless, surrender your lives!”
Sha Hu released a brilliant red light from his body and rushed towards the shaking cultivators like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. After ten breaths, all of Ming Yue’s subordinates had been killed.
Having obtained his revenge, Sha Hu stood on the spot, looked up at the sky, and released a thunderous roar.
The thousands of cultivators on Shadowed Soul Island all looked towards the source of this howl with a myriad of different expressions.
They knew that a great change had come to Shadowed Soul Island.
In the meantime, Yang Kai arrived at the central point of Shadowed Soul Island.
After arriving here, the Star Emperor Token that belonged to Ming Yue in his hand began to vibrate, as if it was trying to escape Yang Kai’s grasp.
This place was quite picturesque, with several small huts being built here that seemed to have been abandoned long ago.
Yang Kai swept his eyes around with a suspicious expression on his face.
Although he felt that this place was somewhat strange, he was unable to determine what made it so through observation alone.
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai let go of the Star Emperor Token.
The Star Emperor Token flew out immediately, drawing a beautiful arc in the air, before quickly arriving at a certain spot and hovering there, a series of black spots appearing around it in the next moment.
A chaotic nothingness pulsed from these holes, along with a powerful Space Force fluctuation.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became solemn.
These black holes were quite similar to Void Cracks and seemed to have always existed here, but had gone completely unnoticed. Only when a Star Emperor Token was brought close would they reveal themselves.
The shape of these holes was also the same as a Star Emperor Token.
Hovering mid-air, there were a total of nine holes, each of which seemed to be subtly connected with the others. These nine token-shaped holes seemed to be connected, forming an array pattern that was beyond Yang Kai’s comprehension!
Nine was a significant number, as Yang Yan had once told Yang Kai that she had produced a total of nine Star Emperor Tokens.
Yang Yan had refused to elaborate on what kind of mystery there was behind this number.
However, it obviously had something to do with this scene!
Yang Kai’s expression became thoughtful as he gradually connected everything he had seen and heard in the past regarding this matter and began formulating a guess as to what Yang Yan had meant.
Shadowed Soul Island was definitely related to Yang Yan, this truth was beyond a shadow of a doubt, otherwise, there wouldn’t be nine tiny Void Cracks here in the shape of Star Emperor Tokens.
Just as Yang Kai was lost in thought, the Star Emperor Token that he had recently acquired flew into a specific hole and covered it tightly, not leaving the slightest gap, as if the Void Crack had been filled or sealed by it.
After a moment of contemplation, Yang Kai flipped his wrist and summoned four more Star Emperor Tokens into his palm.
These four Star Emperor Tokens were obtained by Yang Kai through various chances over the past several dozen years since he entered the Star Field.
One of them was a parting gift from Gui Zu and had originally still contained one of the Great Emperor’s Divine Abilities. However, during the battle with Luo Hai on Scarlet Wave Star, Yang Kai had unsealed this Divine Ability and used it to kill his opponent.
Although the power within it had been used up, the Star Emperor Token remained, and Yang Kai had not discarded it.
The second token was obtained by Yang Kai during his first foray into the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
The third originally belonged to Ye Xi Yun, but was later transferred to Yang Kai.
The fourth had been preserved in the main hall of Star Emperor Mountain.
Counting the Star Emperor Token he obtained today, Yang Kai already had five in his possession.
Of the remaining four pieces, Yang Kai only knew that one belonged to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce while the whereabouts of the other three were a mystery.
After the four Star Emperor Tokens were taken out, they began vibrating, trying to escape from Yang Kai’s control. Remaining calm, Yang Kai allowed them to leave his hand.
Unsurprisingly, these four Star Emperor Tokens were also drawn towards the Void Cracks up in the sky and quickly filled in four of the nine slots.
In the next moment, the five Star Emperor Tokens released a burst of light and a mysterious force began spreading out from them, swiftly covering Yang Kai.
The Saint Qi which had been stagnant in his meridians seemed to receive a strong impetus and began rapidly circulating through Yang Kai’s body.
Feeling this nostalgic sensation, Yang Kai could not help taking a deep breath, feeling refreshed.
At this moment, Yang Kai also confirmed how the Star Emperor Token Ming Yue had in his possession allowed him to use Saint Qi, allowing him to catch Sha Hu off guard.
He must have undergone a similar process here.
What Yang Kai could not determine was whether Ming Yue originally possessed a Star Emperor Token, or if he had accidentally discovered it here.
Ming Yue was dead now though, so there was no way to know.
Yang Kai stood straight like a spear on the spot, staring towards the floating formation fixedly.
Sending his senses towards this formation, Yang Kai sensed his consciousness being drawn far away.
He faintly noticed that a wider world was behind this thin veil! The vitality and excitement of this world far surpassed that of the Star Field where he now stood, and there were no doubt far more powerful cultivators and more terrifying heights there as well.
Yang Kai’s thoughts were immersed in this sensation, and it was some time before he was able to collect himself again.
He wanted to see what that world was like, but no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to get a clear picture and could only probe it with his Divine Sense. It was as if his Soul had entered a long channel, one that continued to advance forward without end.
Outside the central region, Sha Hu stood with crossed arms as he quietly gazed inwards.
He did not know why Yang Kai entered this place, but an entire month had passed since he had. Shadowed Soul Island was now under his complete control and all the cultivators who had betrayed him in the past had been swept away. Those that remained had all pledged loyalty to him.
Sha Hu became the Island Master of Shadowed Soul Island again!
On this day, Pang Zhen, Qian Mo, and Shang Ao came together to see Sha Hu.
Shang Ao had not died but was instead imprisoned by Ming Yue and had suffered torture. Even without taking Shadowed Heaven Pills, Shang Ao was able to display excellent combat strength, so one could only imagine how great his strength would grow after taking Shadowed Heaven Pills.
With such a powerful potential subordinate, Ming Yue was naturally reluctant to kill ruthlessly. The original plan was to imprison Shang Ao for some time to dampen his resistance and then find a way to force him to submit, but these plans were obviously all for nought.
After Ming Yue died, Shang Ao was rescued by Qian Mo.
The moment the three of them approached, at the perimeter of the central region, Xiao Xiao, who was still shouldering the Heaven Shaking Pillar, and the Artifact Spirit Liu Yan, who had assumed her enchanting human form, stared towards them vigilantly.
Being locked onto by Xiao Xiao’s and Liu Yan’s Divine Senses, the trio instantly went stiff and did not dare to move.
“They have no malicious intent, there’s no need to be wary of them,” Sha Hu’s mouth twitched as he quickly cupped his fists.
Xiao Xiao’s eyes rolled slightly but remained in place, still assuming a ready stance, prepared to launch an attack at any time. As for Liu Yan, whose sentience was slightly higher, she simply shot Sha Hu a cold glance before retracting her hostility.
Sha Hu could not help feeling somewhat ashamed.
He was also one of the greatest masters on the Limitless Ocean, and after three hundred years of struggle on Shadow Soul Island, despite being unable to use Saint Qi, having consumed so many Shadowed Heaven Pills, Sha Hu firmly believed he was now even stronger than before he came here. However, despite all that, he couldn’t even compare to these two subordinates of Yang Kai.
Needless to say, the stone giant clearly had astonishing power. Without his Saint Qi, Sha Hu knew that even if there were ten of him, he wouldn’t be able to defeat it.
The gorgeous woman’s strength was even more exaggerated. The violent Fire and Thunder Attribute energy which flowed through her body gave Sha Hu even more pressure than the stone giant.
Facing this woman, Sha Hu felt as if he was facing an Origin King, though he did not really know how strong an Origin King was.
After comforting Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan, Sha Hu turned his head to look at Pang Zhen and the others and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Shang Ao and General Qian Mo wanted to express their gratitude to Sect Master Yang,” Pang Zhen replied respectfully.
“I understand,” Sha Hu nodded before turning to Qian Mo and Shang Ao and flashing a bitter smile, “But I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. As you can see, no one can enter this place now, you’ll have to wait for Yang Kai to come out on his own.”
“Then, we’ll wait,” Shang Ao coldly snorted.
After learning that he was able to regain his freedom this time thanks in large part to Yang Kai, Shang Ao wanted to thank him in person. As for Sha Hu, Shang Ao did not take him seriously.
There were deep-rooted grudges between Sea Temple and Sea God Palace and they would not be easily resolved overnight.
Sha Hu obviously understood this and didn’t care about Shang Ao’s indifference, instead asking with interest, “By the way, this old master has been busy cleaning up Shadowed Soul Island these days and has not had time to ask carefully. Pang Zhen, who exactly is Yang Kai, what are his origins?”
Hearing this question, Shang Ao and Qian Mo also could not help showing some interest.
Respect for the strong was universal amongst masters. Qian Mo and Shang Ao were both Generals of Sea God Palace and had both strength and status, but when compared to Yang Kai, they both found themselves lacking.
Living most of their lives in the deep sea, they knew very little about inland matters, even less than Pang Zhen, so they too were curious about Yang Kai’s background.
“Sect Master Yang… is the Sect Master of High Heaven Sect!” Pang Zhen thought for a while and replied solemnly.
“High Heaven Sect?” Sha Hu frowned slightly, “Why hasn’t this old master heard of such a Sect?”
Pang Zhen smiled bitterly, “Martial Uncle disappeared three hundred years ago, so naturally he has not heard of High Heaven Sect as it was only established about fifteen years ago.”
“Fifteen years… en, its heritage must not be deep then,” Sha Hu chuckled softly, “But with a Sect Master like Yang Kai, as long as it is given enough time, it will definitely rise to the level of Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect.”
“Martial Uncle…” Pang Zhen looked like he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union have already faded into history.”
“They have been destroyed?” Sha Hu’s expression filled with shock as he called out in alarm.
“En, they were both destroyed by Sect Master Yang’s High Heaven Sect!”
Sha Hu gasped and both Qian Mo and Shang Ao exchanged a shocked glance.
Although Qian Mo and Shang Ao did not know much about the current inland situation, they had at least heard of Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union as these were behemoths that dominated Shadowed Star’s inland for thousands of years!
“Star Emperor Mountain was also destroyed by him!” Pang Zhen quickly threw out another shocking piece of information.
“What?” Sha Hu was completely astonished now, “Even Star Emperor Mountain was destroyed by him?”
“Yes and no, most of the masters from Star Emperor Mountain joined High Heaven Sect, so the current High Heaven Sect is considered the strongest Sect on Shadowed Star!”
“How does my Sea Temple compare?” Sha Hu asked urgently.
“Inferior in every way,” Pang Zhen spoke the truth, “But because we and High Heaven Sect are from the Limitless Ocean and inland respectively, there isn’t much intersection between us. Moreover, the headquarters of High Heaven Sect is located inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, making it absolutely impregnable to outside attack.”
Sha Hu’s jaw dropped as his thoughts ground to a halt!
He naturally knew about the Flowing Flame Sand Field; after all, it was one of Shadowed Star’s Three Great Forbidden Zones. Normally, no one was able to enter it, yet now he heard High Heaven Sect had actually set up its headquarters inside of it. How was that possible?
Not only Sha Hu was dumbfounded, Qian Mo and Shang Ao were also in a state of stunned disbelief.
Pang Zhen paused here as he too could understand the shock in the hearts of Sha Hu and the two Sea Clan Generals.
Which master on Shadowed Star would not be shocked when they first learned such news? When this information reached the Limitless Ocean, Sea Temple’s leadership were also completely shocked, and the Temple Masters all had trouble sleeping and eating for quite some time, lest Yang Kai’s ambitions stretch out towards the Limitless Ocean.
However, time showed that Yang Kai had no such plans, and after several years of peace and quiet, the Temple Masters of Sea Temple gradually relaxed.
A few days ago, Yang Kai proposed setting up trade with Sea Temple on Sunrise Island, but the Temple Masters had not made any response yet, probably because they were uncertain about Yang Kai’s intentions.
After a long silence, Sha Hu seemed to gradually digest the information, then asked about Yang Kai’s background more carefully.
Pang Zhen reported everything he knew.
Sha Hu’s expression became more and more solemn as time passed, while Qian Mo and Shang Ao’s expressions also changed constantly, their eyes meeting frequently, as if secretly communicating with one another.
Suddenly, a change happened in the central region of the island and a figure strolled out.
Naturally, it was Yang Kai!
Shang Ao, Qian Mo, and Pang Zhen were all stunned for a moment but quickly cupped their fists with Sha Hu smiling slightly and asking, “Did you have any gains?”
Yang Kai greeted everyone before recalling Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan then nodding, “En, a few.”
“So you can also use your Saint Qi now?” Sha Hu asked in surprise.
In the battle against Ming Yue that day, his opponent had suddenly used both his Saint Qi and Shi, which truly frightened Sha Hu. After thinking hard about it though, Sha Hu could only attribute the cause of this to some secret hidden in the central region.
The depths of the central region’s mountains was the spot he had described to Yang Kai before, where he had sensed something unusual but was unable to discern what it was.
There was clearly some kind of secret hidden there and perhaps it was related to the reason why Ming Yue was able to use his Saint Qi, but Sha Hu was unable to figure it out. Now seeing Yang Kai like this though, and hearing he had some gains, Sha Hu was immediately able to make an educated guess.
“Using Saint Qi isn’t an issue,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, not as happy as Sha Hu imagined he would have been, but quickly adding, “I also found a way to leave this place.”
“What!?” Sha Hu exclaimed.
Nearby, Pang Zhen and the others also were shocked for a moment before they all wore overjoyed expressions and urgently asked, “Is that true?”
“Naturally,” Yang Kai nodded, “I came out to tell you this news actually. If any of you want to go out with me, you should begin preparing now, as I will be leaving in a few days.”
“Sect Master Yang…” Pang Zhen looked at Yang Kai eagerly, “Dare I ask Sect Master Yang, how many people can you take out?”
To the side, Shang Ao heard Pang Zhen’s question and immediately realized the importance of this issue.
“Taking everyone out won’t be an issue,” Yang Kai replied, “But…”
“But what?” Pang Zhen immediately became nervous.
“I can take the people from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace out free of charge, but as for the others… en, please spread the word that if anyone wants to leave this place, they need to help me harvest some Shadowed Heaven Lotus.”
Pang Zhen was taken aback for a moment but quickly understood and said with a wry smile, “Sect Master Yang’s plans are quite deep!”
He could imagine that once this news was spread, the cultivators who had been trapped on Shadowed Soul Island would flood into the sea to look for Shadowed Heaven Lotus, all of which would wind up in Yang Kai’s pockets.
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “I’m just charging a small fee.”
“When do you plan on leaving this place then, Yang Kai?” Sha Hu asked from the side.
“One month from now.”
“Alright!” Sha Hu nodded, “This old master will help you spread the word. As for my Sea Temple’s disciples, I will not let you work in vain. After we leave here, Sea Temple will offer you an appropriate thanks.”
“If Old Sha insists, then it would be impolite to refuse,” Yang Kai laughed.
“My Sea God Palace will also compensate Sect Master Yang fairly,” Shang Ao hurriedly expressed his opinion as well.
Yang Kai glanced at him and nodded lightly, not raising any objections.
The news that there was a way to leave Shadowed Soul Island spread like the wind, and soon it swept across the entire island.
After hearing this news, nine out of ten cultivators dismissed it as nonsense, thinking that it was just someone spreading a bad joke; after all, if there was a way to Shadowed Soul Island, none of them would have been trapped here for so many years. Countless cultivators had been trapped on Shadowed Soul Island over the years, many of them with astonishing skills and methods, so there should have been someone over the millennia who had found an exit.
But time had proven that Shadowed Soul Island was an inescapable cage, and anyone caught here would die here!
Such news suddenly popping up now was incredibly difficult to believe.
It was not until Sha Hu came forward to guarantee this information that the Shadowed Soul Island cultivators began to believe in it.
It was not long before almost every cultivator on Shadowed Soul Island set out in droves to search the nearby waters for Shadowed Heaven Lotus, hoping to earn their passage out of this forsaken place.
Shadowed Soul Island became a truly empty island.
In the waters tens of thousands of kilometres away from Shadowed Soul Island, Yang Kai rode atop the little dolphin’s back as she swam forward.
While the Shadowed Soul Island cultivators were scattered about looking for Shadowed Heaven Lotus, Yang Kai did not remain idle. Shadowed Heaven Lotus were such treasures that naturally the more he had the better. As such, the same day Sha Hu began spreading the news that a way out had been found, Yang Kai found the little dolphin and left Shadowed Soul Island to search the distant waters, relying on her instincts to find precious Shadowed Heaven Lotus.
Yang Kai’s gains were significant.
The far waters had always been difficult for Shadowed Soul Island cultivators to reach, so there were more Shadowed Heaven Lotus out there.
After swallowing hundreds of Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills, Yang Kai’s physique had grown several times stronger than when he first entered Shadowed Soul Island, so the sea beasts that had previously given him some trouble were now powerless before him.
Yang Kai and the little dolphin went further and further out, their harvest becoming more and more abundant as time passed.
As the deadline he had set approached, Yang Kai had the little dolphin turn back and return to the island.
When Yang Kai returned to Shadowed Soul Island again, thousands of cultivators were already waiting for him.
Unfortunately, one month was not enough time for all the cultivators to harvest enough Shadowed Heaven Lotus to buy their way out. Some people were unlucky and never found any Shadowed Heaven Lotus, so they wore uneasy looks on their faces while they stood waiting, worried Yang Kai would not bring them out with him.
After meeting with Sha Hu and the others and understanding the situation, Yang Kai asked the cultivators of Sea Temple and Sea God Palace to help him collect the Shadowed Heaven Lotus.
The cultivators with Shadowed Heaven Lotus in their hands happily turned them over before walking towards the admitted side with peace of mind, eager to depart.
It only took a day to process this matter.
The residents of the island were now divided into two parts, one that had turned over Shadowed Heaven Lotus and another that had not.
The number of cultivators who failed to harvest any Shadowed Heaven Lotus was not large, only seven or eight hundred.
Yang Kai stood in front of these leftover cultivators and saw the anxiety and embarrassment on their faces. Smiling though, he called out loudly, “Don’t fear, this Yang will give you a chance. Since you do not have any Shadowed Heaven Lotus, you can redeem your freedom in other methods.”
“Little brother, dare I ask what methods are you proposing?” A cultivator who looked quite elderly asked.
Everyone also watched Yang Kai hesitantly, worried he would impose some kind of harsh demands on them.
“Some of you probably come from strong backgrounds or have good status back on Shadowed Star, as such, after leaving here, you can simply have your families or Sects pay some compensation for your freedom. If even this is not an option for you, you can serve this Yang as a labourer for ten years to earn your freedom.”
As soon as these words were said, the audience went into an uproar. Some cultivators were worried, but most looked quite happy.
Yang Kai was correct: Most of these leftover cultivators had powerful families or belonged to strong Sects on Shadowed Star, so as long as they were able to leave here, raising some funds would not be a problem.
A few materials in exchange for their freedom was a bargain.
If they could not raise enough funds though, serving as a labourer also didn’t seem to be a big problem. Yang Kai did not seem to be a wicked person, otherwise, he wouldn’t have even offered such an option. All he had to do was abandon them here on Shadowed Soul Island and be done with them.
Ten years of work and they could regain their freedom.
“If you are willing, please go to Island Master Sha and leave your Soul Brand. After you fulfil your end of this agreement, this Yang will return your Soul Brand to you!” Yang Kai shouted again.
The next moment, more than half of the eight hundred or so people remaining rushed towards Sha Hu’s direction while the rest hesitated for a moment before accepting their fate and following their companions.
To the side, Sha Hu, who had been informed by Yang Kai in advance, had already ordered the Sea Temple disciples to prepare. After these cultivators flooded up, the Sea Temple disciples began taking out pieces of white spirit jade and having the cultivators engrave their Soul Brands inside.
With these Soul Brands, anyone could easily control the life or death of these cultivators, so none of them would dare try to ignore today’s agreement.
Sha Hu squeezed out of the crowd and came to Yang Kai’s side before glancing back over it and saying with a wry smile, “Is Sect Master Yang’s High Heaven Sect lacking materials?”
Yang Kai simply chuckled, “Mosquito meat is also meat.”
Sha Hu glanced at him thoughtfully, before grinning knowingly and nodding.
He saw through Yang Kai’s intentions!
Yang Kai clearly wanted to bring all the cultivators of Shadowed Soul Island out of this place, otherwise, he would not have made such accommodations.
Yang Kai did this for two purposes. On the one hand, he was using these cultivators to help him search for Shadowed Heaven Lotus, and on the other hand, he wanted to deal with things in a way that avoided future criticism!
The only explanation for this was that he had a way to return to Shadowed Soul Island again after leaving and already considered this place his private property, thus wanting to clear out everyone else from it!
Considering all this, Sha Hu’s breathing quickened.
Without even mentioning the large amount of Shadowed Heaven Lotus that Yang Kai had harvested on Shadowed Soul Island these days, in the future, as long as he wanted to, he would be able to come back here and collect as many as he wanted.
It was conceivable that, in time, High Heaven Sect would become a terrifying behemoth!
Sha Hu thoughts were unreadable to Yang Kai, but he believed that Sha Hu could vaguely guess his intentions.
Of course, Yang Kai did not bother confirming anything as he had the right to dictate terms since he was the only one with the ability to come and go from this place.
Yang Kai only cared about securing this place as his own private Restricted Area!
After settling the last remaining eight hundred or so people, all Shadowed Soul Island’s cultivators were prepared to leave.
Everyone’s eyes now turned to Yang Kai, wondering what method he would use to take them out from this place, a mix of expectation and anxiety appearing on all their faces.
Even Sha Hu was no exception.
Although Yang Kai had spoken with complete confidence, and they did not doubt him, nobody could help becoming a bit nervous in the final moment.
As everyone looked on, Yang Kai remained motionless, simply standing in place silently with his eyes closed.
However, a pure and rich Spiritual Energy overflowed from his body.
The strength of this Spiritual Energy caused everyone present to pale in shock.
Potent streams of Spiritual Energy penetrated The Void and seemed to extend outwards towards some unknown location.
Yang Kai had cultivated the Dao of Space for many years, and tearing space was always the best method to escape from a trapped space, but this method had not been suitable to use to leave Shadowed Soul Island, as this was an independent isolated world with its own World Principle barrier. Unable to locate Shadowed Star, even if Yang Kai could tear space, he could only move about inside Shadowed Soul Island, not leave it.
However, now that he had touched upon Shadowed Soul Island’s World Principles and could use his Saint Qi, along with his connection to Shadowed Star as its Star Master, it was not too difficult for Yang Kai to determine the location of Shadowed Star.
Sending his Divine Sense across The Void, it did not take long for Yang Kai to find the barrier which separated Shadowed Soul Island and Shadowed Star.
Suddenly opening his eyes, Yang Kai’s Space Force poured out madly as he stretched out his hands as grasped the space in front of him.
Like dragons going out to sea, Yang Kai’s hands sank directly into The Void under everyone’s rapt attention.
Exclamations resounded as thousands of cultivators widened their eyes and stared at this incredible scene. Seeing Yang Kai’s two arms suddenly disappear was a phenomenon beyond their level of understanding.
The next moment, Yang Kai suddenly let out a deep shout.
Spreading his arms apart rapidly, the space in front of him was ripped open like a piece of cloth, revealing a pitch-black crack.
This crack grew bigger and bigger, and from it, came a terrifying, chaotic aura, like the maw of an ancient beast that was trying to swallow this world whole!
Yang Kai took a deep breath and released his grip after the crack expanded to about thirty metres in length.
However, rich Space Force was still pouring out of Yang Kai’s body like a sharp spear, thrusting into the Void Crack and slowly forming a stable Void Corridor connecting Shadowed Soul Island and Shadowed Star.
Sha Hu was dumbfounded.
A month ago, Yang Kai said that he had found a way to leave this place, and although Sha Hu did not doubt him, he was still unclear how Yang Kai was planning to achieve this.
Only now did he understand what Yang Kai was relying on.
He had actually cultivated the extremely rare and esoteric Dao of Space, and was so proficient in it that not only could he tear space with his own strength, he could even construct a safe Void Corridor!
Even considering the entire Star Field, there was likely no one else who was capable of this. Sha Hu believed that even those legendary Origin King Realm masters could not do what Yang Kai had just done.
“How long are you planning on staying here? Weren’t you all eager to leave?”
Just as Sha Hu was lost in a daze, Yang Kai’s voice suddenly entered his ears, and after regaining his composure, he swiftly waved his hand and shouted, “Follow this old master!”
Saying so, he dove into the Void Corridor constructed by Yang Kai and was swallowed by darkness.
The disciples of Sea Temple followed closely behind, disappearing one by one.
Everyone from the Sea Clan hurriedly followed, with Qian Mo nodding slightly to Yang Kai as she passed by. The little dolphin flipped her tail and made a series of cries as she went through, seemingly telling him to quickly follow.
After the cultivators of Sea Temple and Sea God Palace disappeared, the other cultivators rushed forward.
The Void Crack torn by Yang Kai was thirty metres long, wide enough to accommodate many people walking side by side, so even if there were thousands of cultivators waiting, the exodus proceeded extremely quickly. In less than half a cup of tea’s time, Yang Kai was the only one left on Shadowed Soul Island.
Turning his head and looking around, after confirming that there were no more people living here, Yang Kai entered the Void Corridor.
This Void Corridor was constructed by him, so Yang Kai knew how to traverse it better than anyone, allowing him to swim through The Void in but a moment before a flash of light appeared before his eyes and he appeared somewhere above the sea.
As the unique smell of sea breeze blew across Yang Kai’s face, he heard countless cultivators crying out and shouting, all of them clearly excited to have finally left Shadowed Soul Island.
From the moment they fell onto Shadowed Soul Island, they thought they would never be able to come out and would be forced to spend their whole life under the grip of Ming Yue, but now, they had actually returned home to Shadowed Star.
So, after Yang Kai emerged, many cultivators turned looks of gratitude towards him.
Regardless of whether Yang Kai charged them a certain amount of compensation, it was a fact that they had escaped from Shadowed Soul Island. Everyone was thrilled for having been delivered from imprisonment.
“Yang Kai!” Sha Hu quickly flew over and was relieved to see that Yang Kai was safe.
Yang Kai nodded lightly before he turned his head and stretched out his hand towards the Void Crack behind him, causing it to close and soon disappear.
Without this Void Crack, no one but Yang Kai would be able to return to Shadowed Soul Island.
“Where is this place? Are we somewhere on the Limitless Ocean?” Yang Kai asked.
“Pang Zhen and the Sea Clan’s people have already gone to investigate, they should be back soon,” Sha Hu replied.
Yang Kai nodded and waited quietly.
After about an hour, Pang Zhen and Qian Mo returned with joyful looks upon their faces.
“Martial Uncle, this is indeed the Limitless Ocean! We’re ten thousand kilometres east of my Sea Temple’s headquarters, Black Reef Island!” Pang Zhen reported excitedly.
“That’s good news!” Sha Hu also showed a smile on his face, “It’s been three hundred years since this old master last saw home. Yang Kai, this old master offers his sincerest thanks.”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “Old Sha is too polite. If you really want to thank me, you might as well promise me one thing.”
“Name it! As long as it doesn’t violate the principles of this old master’s ancestors, this old master can promise you anything,” Sha Hu declared boldly.
Yang Kai nodded slightly and said, “It’s nothing so serious, I just want to establish an exchange of materials between my High Heaven Sect and your Sea Temple; after all, the products produced inland and out at sea are vastly different. Last time I spoke to Island Master Pang about this, Sea Temple didn’t seem to be keen on my proposal and failed to respond to me.”
Pang Zhen’s expression became a little embarrassed.
“Then there’s nothing to think about, this old master can agree to this matter immediately; after all, an exchange of goods will benefit both of us. My Sea Temple will not refuse! When this old master returns to the headquarters, he will see to it!”
“Many thanks, Old Sha.” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Sha Hu was the former Second Temple Master of Sea Temple, and although he had disappeared for nearly three hundred years, his status and seniority remained unchanged. Since he had agreed, there would obviously be no problems with this matter.
“Sect Master Yang, I wonder if my Sea God Palace can participate in this matter as well?” Qian Mo suddenly asked with a smile from the side.
“Do you want to participate too?” Yang Kai looked at Qian Mo in amazement.
“Naturally. My Sea God Palace’s ability to collect deep-sea materials is even better than Sea Temple’s. Since Sect Master Yang is willing to form a trade relationship with Sea Temple, surely there is no reason for him to reject me Sea God Palace, right?”
“Of course I won’t refuse, my High Heaven Sect will gladly do business with General Qian Mo’s Sea God Palace,” Yang Kai laughed.
“Then it’s settled, it’s just that the inland and the Limitless Ocean are quite far apart, so the transportation of large quantities of materials may be troublesome…”
Sha Hu also nodded lightly, agreeing with Qian Mo’s statement. The reason why the deep sea and inland materials could not be exchanged on a large scale was primarily because of the distance between the two regions, a problem no cultivator on Shadowed Star had been able to solve up until now.
“There’s no need to worry about that, I will arrange a Space Array to connect High Heaven Sect with your two forces, then the distance between us won’t be a problem,” Yang Kai explained the solution he had come up with long ago.
Both Qian Mo and Sha Hu were stunned for a moment, but when they recalled the scene just now of Yang Kai tearing space, they believed he was capable of such a feat.
“In that case, this General will eagerly await Sect Master Yang’s arrival!” Qian Mo smiled.
“This old master will also be waiting to hear the good news!” Sha Hu added.
As they talked, many cultivators had already left this place. The people of Sea Temple and Sea God Palace had a brief discussion as well before bidding their farewells to Yang Kai and returning to their respective headquarters.
The little dolphin was reluctant to leave Yang Kai, however, and was unwilling to leave.
In the end, Yang Kai had to gift her a few bottles of Shadowed Heaven Pills to placate her.
After an hour, only the eight hundred or so cultivators who had yet to offer compensation to Yang Kai remained, all of them looking towards him, waiting for his orders.
“You can all travel to High Heaven Sect by yourselves. After you arrive there, someone will welcome and assign you some work. Those who need to contact your relatives or Sects can do so at will. As long as you deliver enough materials, this Sect Master will return your Soul Brands,” Yang Kai said.
“Many thanks, Sect Master Yang!” The hundreds of people cupped their fists one after another.
Yang Kai nodded but did not say anything more, his figure simply flickering as he disappeared.
Upon returning to Shadowed Star, he could once again mobilize the forces of the star as its Star Master. Every time he moved, Yang Kai could cross several tens of thousands of kilometres or even hundreds of thousands.
In less than half an hour, Yang Kai had already arrived outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Looking at the familiar scene, Yang Kai smiled slightly. No matter how wondrous the outside world was, when the body and mind were exhausted, it was always best to return home!
Disappearing once more, Yang Kai re-appeared inside High Heaven Sect.
Without disturbing too many people, Yang Kai first visited his parents before he met with the Elders of High Heaven Sect to ask about the situation on Shadowed Star these past few months he had been missing.
Corpse Spirit Religion had basically been completely uprooted while all the surviving great forces of Shadowed Star’s inland were in a perpetual state of business. High Heaven Sect had become a true leader of Shadowed Star after this battle and was undoubtedly one of the most powerful Sects in existence, holding supreme prestige.
In fact, if Qian Tong of Shadow Moon Hall had not become an Origin King Realm master, this ‘one of’ could be removed.
Shadow Moon Hall, where an Origin King Realm assumed command, was indeed worthy of being on par with High Heaven Sect.
In addition, there were already many great forces and families on Shadowed Star who intended to ally with High Heaven Sect in hopes of following its lead. Ye Xi Yun had taken the liberty to agree to these requests entirely.
It could be said that the current High Heaven Sect had already surpassed the original Star Emperor Mountain, both in terms of strength and prestige.
Ye Xi Yun presided over High Heaven Sect’s general affairs, so there was no need for Yang Kai to put much effort into it. Even if Yang Kai was not there, everything would be handled properly.
After finishing his discussion with the Elders, Yang Kai went to see his Little Senior Sister again.
This trip to Shadowed Soul Island, Yang Kai’s biggest gain was naturally the ten thousand or so Shadowed Heaven Lotus of different colours. With so many Shadowed Heaven Lotuses, even if Yang Kai personally took action to refine them, it would take a lot of time and effort.
But for Xia Ning Chang, this was not an issue.
To her, Alchemy was cultivating.
Shadowed Heaven Lotus and Shadowed Heaven Pills could not be found in the outside world, so, Xia Ning Chang was very interested in them. After obtaining all the herbs and the pill recipe, she immediately entered retreat to focus on Alchemy.
Yang Kai was certain that High Heaven Sect would have a large number of Shadowed Heaven Pills in the near future, and with these special Body Tempering pills, the overall strength of High Heaven Sect would undoubtedly rise to a new level.
Yang Kai also had his own arrangements for these Shadowed Heaven Pills that would soon be released. Although ten thousand Shadowed Heaven Lotuses seemed like a huge number, if they were all refined into pills, they would produce only about seventy or eighty thousand pills at most.
Currently, there were over ten thousand High Heaven Sect disciples, so these seventy thousand pills could naturally not be freely distributed to everyone.
Besides the Origin Returning Realm masters who would be eligible to receive a certain amount of Shadowed Heaven Pills for body tempering, Yang Kai intended to have Shadowed Heaven Pills be distributed as rewards to the common disciples that made contributions to High Heaven Sect.
Of course, this was just some initials plans Yang Kai had thought up. If he wanted to implement them, he would need to first wait some time to see how the situation developed. Also, he didn’t plan to handle this matter personally and was intending to simply hand it over to Ye Xi Yun to manage.
After leaving Pill King Peak where Xia Ning Chang was, Yang Kai went straight to the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field where Yang Yan was sleeping.
Upon arriving on the second level of the simple loft, Yang Yan noticed him and immediately pulled his Soul Avatar into her Knowledge Sea.
Just like the situation when they met last time, the pair’s Soul Avatars sat cross-legged opposite one another while a sea of extremely hot flames burned down below.
“I heard Ye Xi Yun say you went out to hunt down the Insect Emperor. How did it go?” Yang Yan asked.
“Now that I am the Star Master of Shadowed Star, how do think it ended?” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
“En, seems like he’s dead,” Yang Yan gently nodded, letting out a slight sigh in the next moment, “The Insect Emperor was a high-level master as well, but now, he fell in your hands. If his enemies were to learn about this, they likely wouldn’t be able to believe it.”
Yang Kai thought otherwise. Even if the Insect Emperor was an extremely powerful cultivator at one point, that was over ten thousand years ago. After his cultivation fell sharply, not even reaching the Origin King Realm, fighting the current Yang Kai on Shadowed Star was nothing short of suicide.
Of course, the biggest reason Yang Kai was able to kill the Insect Emperor was that Yang Yan had given him Shadowed Star’s Source. If not for this, with Yang Kai’s current ability, there was no way he could have killed the Insect Emperor.
His escape ability was simply too profound, to the point where even an ordinary Origin King would be helpless to hunt him down.
“Your harvest wasn’t small either, was it?” Yang Yan grinned lightly, “There must have been many good things on the Insect Emperor.”
“I didn’t actually find many good things, only the Soul Splitting Saber as well as a bracelet-like artifact.”
The Soul Splitting Saber and the bracelet-like artifact were both undoubtedly Emperor Artifacts, similar to the Annihilation Thunder Bead, Sealed World Bead, and Three Blazing Flame Rings. As for the role of the Soul Splitting Saber, Yang Kai knew that it was a powerful Soul-type artifact. Unfortunately, since it was an Emperor Artifact, it was currently too difficult for Yang Kai to effectively use. So, he could only slowly refine it and look forward to the day when he could wield it.
However, Yang Kai was completely confused about the bracelet artifact, not even knowing what its purpose held.
“The Insect Enslavement Bracelet?” Yang Yan raised her brow as she recalled the artifact’s name.
“It’s called the Insect Enslavement Bracelet?” Yang Kai parroted back.
“En, the artifacts the Insect Emperor used were all famous, and needless to say the Soul Splitting Saber and Insect Enslavement Bracelet were the most famous among them!”
“Oh? What use does this thing have then?” Yang Kai suddenly became interested.
“The Insect Enslavement Bracelet has many uses,” Yang Yan lightly smiled, “Not only is this artifact inherently capable of restraining all types of Exotic Insects, even having some suppressive effects on smaller Monster Beasts, but if the insects are raised inside of it, they will all become terrifying. If those insects were to be released, they would have no problem destroying the entire Star Field.”
Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he asked in amazement, “There are Exotic Insects inside this Insect Enslavement Bracelet?”
Yang Yan giggled, “Where do you think the Insect Emperor kept those little things? Do you think he kept them all inside his body or something? The Insect Enslavement Bracelet is where he keeps all his Exotic Insects. He has several dozen, if not a hundred or so different species of Exotic Ancient Insects, many of which were thought to be extinct. Each of them is ruthless and serve a different purpose. In the past, I suffered greatly thanks to that Insect Enslavement Bracelet.”
The more Yang Kai listened, the brighter his eyes became, as if he had discovered a Heaven defying secret.
“Interested?” Yang Yan teased.
“To be honest, a little,” Yang Kai gradually calmed himself, “But I still think that cultivation should focus on one’s self first. This kind of control and enslavement method can only serve as an auxiliary. If one really spends all their effort on this kind of thing, I’m afraid they’re only sacrificing substance for style.”
Yang Yan shook her head slowly, “The Dao is split into three thousand paths, and insect enslavement one of them. If it were not a legitimate path to tread, the Insect Emperor would never have reached such heights in his day. It can only be said that your way and the Insect Emperor’s are different.”
“Our ways are different…” Yang Kai thoughtfully.
Yang Yan chuckled, “It’s still too early for you to think about such things, you should first break through to the Origin King Realm. After reaching the Origin King Realm, you’ll be able to see more and farther.”
“Above the Origin King Realm, is there an even higher realm?” Yang Kai asked suddenly.
“Naturally there is.”
“What about you?” Yang Kai looked at Yang Yan with scorching eyes.
“I exist above that realm!” Yang Yan replied lightly.
Yang Kai fell silent. From the information revealed by Yang Yan just now, it was not difficult for him to infer that there was indeed a higher realm above the Origin King Realm, and another above that as well; Yang Yan apparently belonged to that higher realm.
Before learning this, Yang Kai had not felt anything in particular, but after knowing about it, he felt that he was standing at the bottom of a mountain, looking up at its majestic heights, its peak still shrouded in clouds and mist, making him unable to see the complete scenery in front of him.
The road ahead was endless, the Martial Dao had no peak.
Yang Yan did not speak any more, choosing instead to observe Yang Kai’s reaction. She noticed that he had not become daunted or discouraged, but instead, after a short silence, his expression became relaxed while a burning flame lit in his eyes, showing a deep desire that filled his heart.
Yang Yan pursed her lips and smiled while applauding, “Your mentality is praiseworthy.”
Yang Kai replied bluntly, “I’ve cultivated for several dozen years now, crossing each boundary one step at a time, but even now I have only achieved some small successes. Even if the road ahead is thorny and difficult, I can only use all my might to traverse it so that sooner or later, I can stand at that same height as you and see the world as you see it!”
Yang Yan covered her red lips with her delicate small hand and smiled, “Should I call you a promising young man?”
“It’s up to you!” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders and teased, “As long as you aren’t afraid of calling yourself old.”
Yang Yan immediately glared at him.
“By the way, can I use this Insect Enslavement Bracelet now?” Yang Kai asked.
“You better not,” Yang Yan’s expression became solemn, “The Exotic Insects inside the Insect Enslavement Bracelet are extremely fierce. With your current cultivation, even if you released them, you would not be able to command or control them, only resulting in severe backlash. Did you even see the Insect Emperor use that Insect Enslavement Bracelet against you?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “He only used the Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect from beginning to end to control his subordinates or to perform Soul seizing.”
“That’s right, even the Insect Emperor didn’t dare to use it, let alone you. Wait until you reach the Origin King Realm first.”
“I understand!” Yang Kai nodded lightly. In any case, he now had so many methods at his disposal that he did not have much use for the Insect Enslavement Bracelet.
Next, Yang Kai told Yang Yan about Shadowed Soul Island and his speculations about it. Regarding this matter, Yang Yan did not deny anything and told him it was indeed sealed off by her.
However, Yang Yan did not explain why she sealed it or what was hidden inside.
“I can only tell you that inside Shadowed Soul Island is a door! If you really want to open it, you must first gather all the Star Emperor Tokens. Once you do, you’ll naturally understand.”
After leaving Yang Yan’s place, Yang Kai went to Snow and Ice Peak again.
Snow and Ice Peak was one of the eighty-one peaks of High Heaven Sect; one of the seventy-two auxiliary peaks with rich World Energy and beautiful scenery.
What was different though was that below it, was an Ice Attribute Earth Vein, so within a few dozen kilometres of Snow and Ice Peak, the climate was extremely cold regardless of what time of year it was. The temperature here was extremely low and occasionally there was heavy snow falling, blanketing the peak in a silvery-white colour.
This situation became even more obvious after Su Yan moved to Snow and Ice Peak.
Since Su Yan became the owner of Snow and Ice Peak, the cold aura here almost became so strong that it could not be melted. A cultivator with a slightly lower strength could not even get close to Snow and Ice Peak while the stronger ones would need to circulate their Saint Qi to resist the ambient cold.
However, this kind of environment was extremely comfortable for Su Yan.
Few others lived on Snow and Ice Peak, only the original Elders of Ice Sect: Qing Ya, Qian Yue, and Qian Hao.
Yang Kai went straight to the southwest corner of Snow and Ice Peak.
On the ground, there was a thick layer of ice that reflected the shining sun.
In the southwest corner, under a giant tree covered in silvery-white snow, Su Yan sat cross-legged beside the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal with a pair of white Saint Qi wings spread out from her pack, a dignified and sacred look covering her beautiful face. At this moment, Su Yan was forming a series of strange seals with her hands while a metre in front of her, Profound Frost, the sword she obtained from Ice Heart Valley, was suspended mid-air. As Su Yan gently breathed, the Ice Attribute Energy in the atmosphere flowed towards her and poured into her body, causing her white wings to lightly flap.
With Su Yan as the centre, within a thousand-metre radius, there was a peculiar aura permeating the air which seemed able to freeze everything in existence.
It was her Shi. It was close to the grand accomplishment stage!
Just as Yang Kai merged his Space Force with his Shi, Su Yan was merging her comprehension of the Ice Attribute into her Shi. Obviously, she had grasped the initial concept and was integrating her understanding into her Shi.
Waiting quietly for a while, Yang Kai found that Su Yan did not show any intention to end her cultivation.
Yang Kai did not interfere with her, instead just sitting down cross-legged while stretching out his hand and drawing some lines in the air.
These lines were drawn using Yang Kai’s Saint Qi and were arranged into a certain formation that gradually formed a profound and mysterious circular pattern.
After working for a while, Yang Kai frowned slightly, stretched out his hand, brushed away the drawing, and began again from scratch.
The array was something he had learned from Yang Yan just now, and it was the basis for constructing a Space Array. This Spirit Array, coupled with some special materials, a Space Array could be constructed.
However, Yang Kai had never even dabbled in Spirit Arrays before.
Thankfully, he possessed an advantage no one else did, he was proficient in the Dao of Space, so now, his biggest problem was becoming proficient in depicting the Space Array itself. Fortunately, he had received careful guidance from Yang Yan, a Grandmaster in this particular field.
Time passed slowly, and Yang Kai completely forgot everything else around him, his expression becoming more and more focused.
Yang Kai lost track of how many arrays he portrayed, but eventually, he created one that he was satisfied with and began pouring his Space Force into it with a thought.
With a light hum, the circular array released a brilliant light and began to slowly revolve.
An obvious trace of Space Force fluctuations began the pulse from the array as well!
Yang Kai grinned happily seeing this.
Sure enough, after mastering the Dao of Space, studying this kind of Spirit Array yielded twice the results with half the effort. If it had been some other kind of Spirit Array, even if Yang Kai studied diligently, he may not have been able to properly portray it in such a short time.
After mastering this foundation, what was left was to use the appropriate materials to build a physical platform into which he would engrave this Spirit Array in two separate locations, and he would have successfully created two Space Arrays that were connected to each other.
Yang Kai exhaled lightly in satisfaction.
“Is this a Space Array?” Su Yan’s voice suddenly came from the side.
Yang Kai looked up and found that she had at some point finished her cultivation and was now standing quietly beside him, staring at the shining, rotating circle in front of them as she asked softly.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, stretched out his hand to pull Su Yan into his arms, and asked softly, “How is your cultivation?”
“Fortunately, I was able to cultivate my Shi to the grand accomplishment stage,” Su Yan leaned on Yang Kai with a satisfied look on her face, breathing lightly as she spoke, “It was all thanks to the Domain Stones Junior Brother gave me. Without them, it would have been impossible for me to make such rapid progress.”
“I have lots of Domain Stones left, so you don’t need to conserve them when you use them,” Yang Kai smiled softly, feeling relaxed both physically and mentally.
“En, coming to visit me so suddenly, is there something wrong?”
“No, it’s just been a long time since we’ve been together, so I came to see you,” Yang Kai smiled happily.
Su Yan nodded slightly before turning her gaze towards the clouds in the sky, her eyes narrowing slightly as she adjusted her soft body in Yang Kai’s arms to assume a more comfortable posture.
Yang Kai embraced her and did not speak again, simply staring up towards the Heavens together with her.
Under the giant silver tree, the snow gently fell as everything went quiet, the scene appearing quite poetic and picturesque.
In the distance, Qing Ya seemed to come to see Su Yan, but before she got close, she noticed the warm scene up ahead, smiled lightly, quietly turned around, and left.
…..
Half a month later, the Limitless Ocean, Sea Temple’s headquarters, Black Reef Island.
Black Reef Island was one of the three largest islands on the Limitless Ocean, and it possessed a rich World Energy aura, which was why Sea Temple had chosen to establish its headquarters here.
As the headquarters of a powerful Sect, it was naturally heavily guarded. Around the island, patrols of cultivators flew about while at its edges there were Sea Temple disciples constantly keeping watching.
Yang Kai flew over leisurely and landed on the outskirts of Black Reef Island.
Immediately, a group of Sea Temple disciples surrounded him, with their leader staring at him with an unkind look as he shouted, “Who goes there!? Report your name!”
Having just arrived here as a prospective guest, Yang Kai didn’t want to cause trouble, so he cupped his fists and said, “High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master Yang Kai. I’ve come to see Senior Sha about an agreement we previously made. Please inform Senior Sha of my arrival.”
“High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master?”
“Come to see Martial Ancestor Sha?”
The cultivators of this team immediately began whispering amongst themselves, with their leader giving Yang Kai a careful once over, as if trying to see if he was lying, even releasing his Divine Sense to try to probe him.
However, no matter how he tried, he was unable to grasp Yang Kai’s depths, this man was unable to detect anything and immediately understood that Yang Kai was a master far beyond him. Involuntarily putting on a serious look, after a moment of pondering, he replied, “Since you know that Martial Uncle Sha is here, it seems you are indeed familiar with him, but it has not been long since Martial Uncle Sha has returned to Sea Temple and he is quite busy, so whether you can see him or not will be up to him to decide.”
“That’s fine, I’ll wait here,” Yang Kai replied lightly.
The lead cultivator nodded before instructing the other cultivators on his patrol team to entertain Yang Kai while he took out a communication artifact and poured his Divine Sense into it.
A moment later, the communication artifact in the leader’s hand pulsed and after quickly checking it, the lead cultivator turned a strange expression to Yang Kai and said, “Please wait here for a moment, someone will come to see you.”
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly but still calmly nodded, “Good!”
He subconsciously felt that this trip might not go smoothly, and that the one coming to see him might not be Sha Hu!
After all, based on his friendship with Sha Hu, if the latter knew he had come, how could he make him wait here? Sha Hu would certainly have already ordered these people to welcome him warmly.
Inside Sea Temple, there seemed to be some turbulent undercurrents! Yang Kai thought to himself, but this had nothing to do with him. He was only here to complete the agreement he made with Sha Hu so he could begin trading inland materials for ocean materials. This was all for the future development of High Heaven Sect and was of great importance.
Things really proceeded as Yang Kai expected, and after waiting for less than a quarter of an hour, he noticed that a group of Origin Returning Realm masters flying over, but none of them was Sha Hu.
Soon, this group of people appeared in Yang Kai’s eyes.
The leader of this newly arrived group was a powerful cultivator at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm. It was an old man with a dark tanned complexion. After lightly landing a dozen or so metres in front of Yang Kai, this old man swept his eyes over Yang Kai a few times before casually cupping his fists and saying, “Dare I ask, is Your Excellency really High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master?”
“Yes, I am. You are…” Yang Kai cupped his fists in return.
“This old master is Sea Temple’s Third Temple Master, Qi Yun Hai!” The old man said lightly.
“So it is Temple Master Qi!” Yang Kai raised his brows. Although he did not have many dealings with Sea Temple, he still knew that it had three Temple Masters. This Qi Yun Hai was obviously one of them.
“I heard that Sect Master Yang is here to see my Sea Temple’s Martial Uncle Sha?”
“Exactly, this Yang made an agreement with Senior Sha, is Senior Sha…”
“Martial Uncle has been missing for more than three hundred years and has only just returned to Sea Temple, so he is exhausted both physically and mentally and is currently recuperating. I am afraid he cannot see Sect Master Yang at this time,” Qi Yun Hai cut in and stated calmly. “Sect Master Yang is a guest from afar, so if you don’t mind, why not stay here and rest for a while? Although this old master lives here on the Limitless Ocean, he has still heard Sect Master Yang’s and High Heaven Sect’s resounding names but has unfortunately never had the chance to meet him. I hope Sect Master Yang can spare some time here at my Sea Temple.”
Although he spoke with enthusiasm, Qi Yun Hai’s tone was neither warm nor cold, so obviously he was just being perfunctory and not really inviting Yang Kai in to sit down.
Yang Kai looked back at Qi Yun Hai and said with a smile that was not quite a smile, “This is strange, when I separated from Old Sha half a month ago, he was hale and hearty, but now, he is suddenly exhausted both physically and mentally? I also had an agreement with him to meet at this time, so this Sect Master came to fulfil the said agreement. Dare I ask Temple Master Qi, is Old Sha not being able to meet with me his own intention?”
Qi Yun Hai’s cloudy eyes flashed and did not answer directly, instead asking in a threatening tone, “What is Sect Master Yang trying to imply?”
“Nothing,” Yang Kai snickered. “The agreement between me and Old Sha is not only of great benefit to my High Heaven Sect, but also of great benefit to your Sea Temple, but it seems that even with such benefits in front of you, your Sect wants to refuse. Since that is the case, this Sect Master has no need to accompany you any longer. On the Limitless Ocean, you are not the only great force!”
“You dare to collude with the Sea Clan?” Qi Yun Hai thought for a moment before his face changed drastically.
“Collude?” Yang Kai sneered, “Don’t try to tarnish this Sect Master’s reputation with your baseless rhetoric. Farewell!”
Yang Kai had a stomach full of grievances. Last time, on Sunrise Island, Pang Zhen had sent a message back to Sea Temple’s headquarters quickly, but Yang Kai had been forced to wait for many days without any kind of response. That was one thing, but now that he had come personally, Sea Temple still chose to shut him out, even sending the Third Temple Master forward to show Sea Temple’s intentions.
Since Sea Temple was unwilling to do business with High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai did not plan to beg them.
“You dare collude with the Sea Clan and still want to leave? Boy, if you don’t explain yourself clearly, don’t even dream of leaving Black Reef Island today!” A forceful voice boomed from nearby and a middle-aged man with an imposing appearance flew over and landed next to Qi Yun Ha while glaring at Yang Kai coldly.
Before Yang Kai could even say anything though, another voice boomed from inside Black Reef Island, “Bold! Yang Kai is this old master’s guest, who dares treat him impolitely?”
Hearing this voice, Yang Kai grinned and the unhappiness in his heart dissipated greatly; after all, he had not misread Sha Hu who had immediately come forward to defend him after noticing his arrival.
However, the situation right now was a bit more complicated than Yang Kai had anticipated.
Yang Kai had no intention to insert himself into other people’s affairs and simply stood waiting quietly, wanting to hear what Sha Hu had to say.
Soon, Sha Hu arrived and landed next to Yang Kai, a clear look of anger filling his face as he glared viciously at Qi Yun Hai and a middle-aged man.
Qi Yun Hai seemed to not dare meet eyes with Sha Hu and looked away, but the sturdy middle-aged man showed no fear and glared back at Sha Hu without flinching.
Sha Hu and the imposing middle-aged man’s gazes collided, and sparks seemed to fly, causing all the people from Sea Temple to not dare breath loudly, all of them standing aside in fear.
After a long time, Sha Hu sighed and the aggression in his eyes faded as he spoke to this middle-aged man despondently, “Huai An, Yang Kai is this old master’s guest, so he will entertain him himself, you and everyone else can withdraw!”
Hearing how Sha Hu addressed this middle-aged man, Yang Kai immediately understood who the latter was.
Sea Temple’s First Temple Master, Jiang Huai An!
Yang Kai had also heard Jiang Huai An’s name before. When he participated in Heavenly Fate City’s auction for the first time, this Jiang Huai An had used an incredible sum of money to buy one of the Origin Grade Low-Rank Origin Condensing Pills he had sold.
Yang Kai heard from Wei Gu Chang later that Jiang Huai An had bought this Origin Condensing Pill for his son.
However, this was Yang Kai’s first time meeting him.
Yang Kai casually examined this Sea Temple’s First Temple Master and found that Jiang Huai An had reached the peak of the Origin Returning Realm and his aura was a bit denser than Qian Tong when the latter was still at the same level. It seemed this man was qualified to be named Sea Temple’s First Temple Master.
Moreover… this man’s courage obviously was not small. Yang Kai did not know what kind of conflict there was between Jiang Huai An and Sha Hu, but it was obvious their relationship wasn’t very harmonious.
Jiang Huai An smiled and said, “Martial Uncle Sha’s words are somewhat improper. Although this Sect Master Yang may be your guest, he seems to want to collude with the Sea Clan, so Martial Uncle will have to forgive Martial Nephew for not being able to stand idly by. Martial Uncle should also understand the deep grievances between the Sea Clan and my Sea Temple. Every year, many of my Sea Temple’s disciples die tragic deaths at the hands of the Sea Clan, especially those from Sea God Palace. Saying Sea God Palace is my Sea Temple’s greatest enemy would not be an exaggeration. Martial Uncle, since you know this person, it would be best if you removed yourself from this situation and allowed Martial Nephew to process it properly. Once Martial Nephew is finished, he will give you a satisfactory explanation.”
Yang Kai raised his brow as he faintly realized that he seemed to be caught up in some kind of internal power struggle between Jiang Huai An and Sha Hu.
[It looks like every family has its own share of troubles] Yang Kai sighed secretly.
“Huai An, do you really insist on acting this way?” Sha Hu’s face became gloomy, not showing any intention of backing down.
“Martial Nephew is acting in Sea Temple’s best interest!” Jiang Huai An replied bluntly, showing neither evasiveness nor guilt, “Please forgive me, Martial Uncle!”
Sha Hu stared at Jiang Huai An unkindly, and there were even faint signs of him condensing his Saint Qi, as if preparing to attack. Perceiving this, Jiang Huai An actually showed no fear. Rather, an eager light flashed across his eyes, as if hoping Sha Hu would indeed act.
“Old Sha, what’s going on here?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
Sha Hu turned his head and glanced at him before sighing and saying, “This old master is ashamed. Because he showed too much compassion, he has involved you in this mess.”
“Old Sha is too serious,” Yang Kai chuckled. “It’s just that all of this has left me a little baffled.”
“Just wait a moment while this old master settles this matter. I will speak to you after!” Sha Hu said.
“Sure!” Yang Kai nodded, putting on a posture of a bystander as he smiled lightly.
Sha Hu turned his gaze to Jiang Huai An and said with a heavy tone, “Huai An, many years ago, you were one of greatest geniuses of my Sea Temple, but you were too narrow-minded at the time. This old master had thought that after so many years had passed and you inherited the position of First Temple Master, standing higher and seeing further, your attitude would change, but you’ve greatly disappointed this old master. It seems that no matter how high you climb, or how deep the cultivation becomes, Jiang Huai An will always be the same Jiang Huai An from back then, nothing will change!”
After being defamed so blatantly by Sha Hu in front of so many of Sea Temple’s masters, Jiang Huai An obviously became somewhat annoyed and snapped, “Martial Uncle need not concern himself with how Martial Nephew handles his duties.”
Sha Hu slowly shook his head, “A man’s position may change, but his nature does not! This old master has been missing for three hundred years and was only able to return to Sea Temple thanks to Sect Master Yang’s assistance. After returning home, this old master brought with him an opportunity for Sea Temple to develop and grow, thinking he could contribute something to make up for all the years he failed to attend to the Sect, but now it seems that you, the first of Sea Temple’s three Temple Masters, believes this old master wants to use this as an opening to seize the position of First Temple Master. Nonsense! To be perfectly blunt, this old master could not care less about being a Temple Master of Sea Temple!”
Jiang Huai An’s brow twitched slightly as he stared at Sha Hu, as if trying to see whether he was telling the truth or lies.
Yang Kai, standing at the side, however, showed a look of understanding, finally comprehending what this situation was all about.
Obviously, Jiang Huai An was being overly suspicious and pessimistic, thinking that Sha Hu’s return was a threat to his status, so he was making things difficult here in an attempt to suppress Sha Hu.
As for colluding with the Sea Clan, it was just a convenient excuse. Even without this excuse, Sea Temple would have found some other reason to refuse Yang Kai’s proposal. It could only be said that Yang Kai had inadvertently stepped into a power struggle and was now being regarded as a type of bargaining chip.
Sha Hu obviously did not want to fight for power with Jiang Huai An. After living three hundred years on Shadowed Soul Island, Sha Hu had clearly moved beyond caring about status and fortune and was now solely focused on pursuing greater heights in the Martial Dao.
However, Jiang Huai An was now Sea Temple’s First Temple Master, so no matter how unhappy Sha Hu was with his attitude, he could not bring himself to take decisive action against him.
This was why Sha Hu had said this was all a result of too much compassion on his part.
Now that Jiang Huai An had come forward to threaten Yang Kai though, Sha Hu could no longer endure patiently and was forced to come forward.
All kinds of thoughts flashed through Yang Kai’s mind like sparks, allowing him to grasp the situation before him in short order.
“This old master will give you one last chance! Apologize to Sect Master Yang and I will act as if this never happened. From now on, you will remain the First Temple Master of Sea Temple while this old master can leave and never return!” Sha Hu looked at Jiang Huai An coldly and stated bluntly.
The latter’s brow furrowed as anger clearly flashed across his eyes.
Sha Hu relying on his age and status to talk down to him in such a commanding tone naturally made Jiang Huai An very unhappy. If he did as Sha Hu said and apologized to Yang Kai here, Jiang Huai An would lose all face as the First Temple Master; everyone would simply assume from now on that he was a puppet that Sha Hu arranged to show the public while he ruled from behind.
This was intolerable to Jiang Huai An.
“Martial Uncle, you are the most senior master in Sea Temple and Martial Nephew has always respected you, but today you have disappointed Martial Nephew greatly. As one of my Sea Temple’s Grand Elders, not only do you ignore Sea Temple’s position, you even demand this Temple Master apologize to an outsider. Martial Uncle, this Temple Master will also give you one last chance to leave and not participate in this matter. Do so, and Martial Nephew promises to continue respecting you as his Senior in the future, otherwise, don’t blame Martial Nephew for not showing due courtesy.”
“It looks like there’s nothing more to say,” Sha Hu sighed sadly.
He also did not expect that he would encounter such a farcical situation so soon after his long-awaited return to Sea Temple. If he had known this before, he would have simply chosen to remain on Shadowed Soul Island until he calmly died of old age.
“Martial Uncle, are you determined to fight against this Temple Master and against Sea Temple?” Jiang Huai An narrowed his eyes at Sha Hu while levelling some outlandish slander.
Sha Hu remained silent; his expression simply sorrowful.
“Since that’s the case, Martial Nephew won’t act polite!” Jiang Huai An suddenly yelled, “Start the array!”
As soon as these words fell, all Black Reef Island suddenly buzzed and trembled, and in the next moment, a bright light curtain shrouded the entire island and the sea within a hundred kilometres of the shore began to tumble and surge.
An incredibly rich Water Attribute aura gathered towards Black Reef Island rapidly as numerous strange beasts and weapons composed entirely of Water Attribute Energy quickly began to form densely.
A ruinous pressure erupted at the same time!
Sha Hu’s face changed drastically as he exclaimed, “The Blue Roaring Tidal Array! So, you were planning all along to embarrass this old master with this array?”
Jiang Huai An smiled and said, “Martial Uncle must be joking, this Spirit Array is not aimed at Martial Uncle; after all, you are still a member of my Sea Temple.”
Having said so, Jiang Huai An turned to look at Yang Kai.
“Rather than coping with Old Sha, you intend to use this to deal with me?” Yang Kai pointed to his own nose nonchalantly.
Jiang Huai An smiled coldly, “I’ve heard that Sect Master Yang is so powerful that even the leaders of Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, and Star Emperor Mountain cannot compare, so this Temple Master naturally must take some precautions!”
“Temple Master Jiang is too polite, it’s all just a little undue praise which was spread out by others.”
“Hmph! Sect Master Yang is the Sect Master of High Heaven Sect and should have kept his nose out of my Sea Temple’s affairs, but since you dare collude with the Sea Clan, that makes you an enemy of my Sea Temple! Sect Master Yang, surrender without a fight!” Jiang Huai An looked at Yang Kai proudly, as if he was completely confident that Yang Kai could not resist in the face of this Blue Roaring Tidal Array.
“Yang Kai, leave now!” Sha Hu suddenly shouted, “The Blue Roaring Tidal Array is my Sea Temple’s Sect Defending Array and can draw power from the surrounding rich Water Attribute aura. Once activated, it’s might is infinite and none below the Origin King Realm can break it! However, with your ability, it should not be difficult for you to leave. You go first, this old master will buy you some time!”
“As expected of Martial Uncle, your understanding of my Sea Temple’s Sect Defending Array is quite profound, but should Martial Uncle really be explaining these secrets to an outsider?” Jiang Huai An sneered at Sha Hu.
“Dissolute! This old master has already said that he has no intention of competing with you, why must you act so short-sighted? If you continue acting this way, sooner or later, Sea Temple will decline in your hands. For the sake of the ancestors, this old master does not want to fight with you.”
“Old Sha, stay calm!” Yang Kai gently patted Sha Hu’s shoulder, looking completely calm and relaxed.
“You… you!” Sha Hu stomped his feet in annoyance, “Once this Spirit Array is activated, the longer you wait, the more power it accumulates and the stronger its power becomes, if you continue to hesitate, even you won’t be able to escape.”
“Why should I escape?” Yang Kai chuckled, “It’s just a mere Spirit Array.”
“A wha…?” Sha Hu’s jaw went slack hearing Yang Kai’s nonchalant evaluation of the Blue Roaring Tidal Array. However, seeing Yang Kai’s extremely indifferent expression, Sha Hu’s furrowed brow relaxed, and he thoughtfully said, “Since you have such confidence, this old master won’t waste his breath, just be careful.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded before his expression turned a little sullen, “Suddenly being treated as a bargaining chip makes this Sect Master very unhappy. Old Sha, does it matter if I kill this Jiang Huai An?”
Sha Hu heard this and sighed, “Keep him alive, this old master will deal with it himself!”
“As you wish!”
“You want to kill me? Let’s see if you have the ability!” Jiang Huai An glared angrily at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s calmness made him extremely annoyed and also gave him an unsettling feeling. He didn’t know whether Yang Kai really had something to rely on that allowed him to not fear the Blue Roaring Tidal Array; after all, there were too many rumours about Yang Kai and how he was a master that greatly surpassed the pinnacle of the Origin Returning Realm.
[However, no matter how tyrannical his personal strength is, this man could not be stronger than our grand Spirit Array, right?] Thinking so, Jiang Huai An’s anxiety calmed greatly and he stared at Yang Kai coldly, his expression filled with disdain.
As time passed, the power of the Blue Roaring Tidal Array became stronger and stronger, feeding on the abundant Water Attribute Energy in the surroundings, condensing more and more beasts and weapons within its range.
The pressure coming from this array made even Sha Hu pale slightly.
Yang Kai still did not show any intention of moving though, simply standing in place and seemingly appreciating the power of this Blue Roaring Tidal Array.
After a half cup of tea’s time, the power of the Blue Roaring Tidal Array has been raised to its peak.
The sounds of crashing waves grew ever louder, making everyone present feel somewhat uneasy as they looked up into the sky which was filled with countless beasts and weapons that seemed to be just waiting to pounce and rip Yang Kai into ten thousand pieces.
Jiang Huai An’s face now showed a completely relaxed expression as he knew that now, even if Yang Kai had astonishing ability, he couldn’t escape from the Blue Roaring Tidal Array.
This massive Sect Defending Array had been arranged and enhanced by countless masters over Sea Temple’s history and had never failed to shelter the Sect from danger in the past.
“Sect Master Yang, considering you are a guest of Martial Uncle Sha, surrender without a fight and this Temple Master can consider showing mercy, what do you say?” Jiang Huai An looked at Yang Kai lightly and snorted.
“I refuse!” Yang Kai shook his head, looking at Jiang Huai An with a smile, “I came here with sincerity, but never expected to be treated like this. Honestly, your Sea Temple annoys this Sect Master and if it were not for Old Sha here, this Sect Master would wipe away your Sea Temple from Shadowed Star, but since Sea Temple is Old Sha’s Sect, I will spare you from that fate.”
“You think you alone can remove my Sea Temple from Shadowed Star? Who gave you the gall?” Jiang Huai An roared, “You think you have such ability?”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully and simply stared towards Jiang Huai An lightly before casually speaking a single word.
“Break!”
As soon as this word was spoken, the Blue Roaring Tidal Array which had already reached the apex of its strength, with countless strange beasts and floating weapons surrounding Yang Kai, suddenly released a popping noise and burst apart.
Even the bright light curtain covering Black Reef Island suddenly cracked and shattered.
The Sect Defending Array of Sea Temple was instantly broken!
It was as if Yang Kai’s words carried some supreme power that commanded even the world itself to obey him.
Sha Hu was dumbfounded, completely shocked to his core as he stared towards Yang Kai in utter disbelief, as if he did not know the man in front of him now.
Jiang Huai An also stood dumbfounded on the spot, staring at Yang Kai, then sweeping his eyes around his surroundings, unable to believe that the Blue Roaring Tidal Array had really been broken by a single word.
Third Temple Master Qi Yun Hai was even more stunned, his body trembling slightly.
The remaining Sea Temple masters also cried out in disbelief.
“What happened?” After a while, Jiang Huai An finally reacted and yelled at Qi Yun Hai, “What happened to the disciples managing the array? Why did they stop it?”
He obviously thought that the failure of the Blue Roaring Tidal Array was because the disciples had stopped operating it, not because of something Yang Kai had done.
Qi Yun Hai quickly took out a communication artifact, poured his Divine Sense into it, and contacted the disciples in charge of managing the Blue Roaring Tidal Array. A moment later, he hurriedly said, “First Temple Master, the disciples have not stopped the Spirit Array, but for some reason, it has simply ceased functioning.”
“How can this be?” Jiang Huai An’s eyes trembled as he stared at Yang Kai in horror.
Yang Kai grinned, “Don’t waste your time, the World Energy within a hundred thousand kilometres of this place is now under my control. Without my consent, your prided Spirit Array is nothing but a fancy decoration.”
“Nonsense!” Jiang Huai An screamed, “Even if you are an Origin King, it would be impossible to control the World Energy across such a wide area. Do you think this Temple Master is a fool?”
Yang Kai simply chuckled before lifting his hand up slowly.
Although his movements were not fast, quite slow in fact, as Yang Kai lifted his hand, the sea around Black Reef Island began to boil fiercely with massive bubbles continuously rising to its surface.
Massive vortices began forming around Black Reef Island one after another.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Thick water columns then burst forth from these vortices, each one several dozen metres thick, soaring straight up into the sky, even bursting through the clouds above.
The entire world seemed to tremble, causing everyone’s footing to become unstable.
The sea level around Black Reef Island seemed to drop slightly as this happened.
The water columns which rushed up into the sky abruptly transformed into a series of azure water dragons, each one with vivid and realistic features, even their bodies forming thick blue dragon scales.
In the blink of an eye, around Black Reef Island, hundreds of water dragons formed purely from the convergence of seawater had appeared. In the next instant, all these water dragons rushed towards Black Reef Island, only pausing when they came to within a few dozen metres of its shores, their eyes all gazing down at the people before them imposingly.
Black Reef Island was instantly surrounded by hundreds of water dragons, each thousands of metres long, dozens of metres thick, and radiating an astonishing destructive pressure.
It was not difficult to imagine that Black Reef Island would quickly be destroyed if these hundreds of water dragons rushed forward.
Yang Kai, who was the culprit behind all of this, had only just lifted his arm slightly, not showing any signs of using his Saint Qi or any other kind of strength at all.
On Black Reef Island, panicked cries rang out constantly. Suddenly being surrounded by so many water dragons, the disciples of Sea Temple were naturally terrified. They did not know what was happening, but under the terrifying pressure, many fell to the ground or scrambled to escape chaotically.
Jiang Huai An could no longer restrain the panic in his heart as he trembled violently, looking at Yang Kai as if he was some kind of monster, unable to understand how he had managed to accomplish this.
No one dared doubt whether Yang Kai had the ability to remove Sea Temple from Shadowed Star anymore, as proof was now on display before them.
“Impossible! This Temple Master will never believe this, it must be some kind of illusion!” Jiang Huai An still seemed unwilling to give up and quickly came up with a rationalization for this situation, turning to Yang Kai and shouting, “It turns out that Sect Master Yang has cultivated a profound Illusion Technique, this Temple Master was almost fooled by you.”
“Stubborn fool!” Yang Kai coldly snorted before with a single thought he sent one of the water dragons towards Jiang Huai An.
Midair, the huge water dragon distorted and transformed into a water spear only ten metres long as it stabbed towards Jiang Huai An.
Jiang Huai An roared as he pushed his Saint Qi madly, stretching out his hands and executing some kind of Secret Technique that formed a kind of shield in front of him.
His efforts were in vain, however, and the water spear instantly pierced through the shield without stagnating in the slightest.
Jiang Huai An was shocked as he was forced to realize that everything in front of him was not an illusion, but real.
By the time he came to this understanding, it was too late for him to dodge.
The water arrow pierced through Jiang Huai An’s body, causing a great splash of blood as it shot out his back.
Jiang Huai An’s eyes widened as he collapsed backwards.
However, because of Sha Hu’s previous plea, Yang Kai did not kill him. Even so, this blow had taken most of Jiang Huai An’s remaining life, and if he weren’t given immediate treatment, his cultivation would definitely drop significantly.
“With a single word, the world obeys, with a single thought, mountains are flattened and seas are boiled… Yang Kai, have you refined Shadowed Star’s Source?” Sha Hu asked with a trembling voice, an amazed light flashing across his eyes.
“What?” Qi Yun Hai’s face changed drastically as he stared at Yang Kai in utter shock.
Refining the Star Source was something that only existed in legends. Once a cultivator refined a Star Source, they would become the Star Master of that Cultivation Star and become capable of controlling everything on it at will.
Qi Yun Hai was subconsciously unwilling to believe something so unthinkable was real, because it was said that if one wanted to refine a Star Source, it was necessary to be a Third-Order Origin King first!
There were, of course, rumours that Second-Order Origin Kings with great luck were able to refine Star Sources and became Star Masters.
However, even that was too distant a concept, especially for the cultivators of Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai was a trivial Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, so how could he have possibly refined the Star Source?
But if this were not the case, how else could the scene here be explained?
Even an ordinary Origin King may not be able to display such might, right? Only a Star Master who commanded the forces of nature themselves on a Cultivation Star and could dominate its World Energy as he pleased could condense the oceans themselves into water dragons!
“Old Sha’s eyes are quite sharp, I was indeed fortunate enough to have such an opportunity,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, not attempting to deny it.
Qi Yun Hai could not help groaning in his heart.
He suddenly discovered that he had done something with Jiang Huai An that he would regret for the rest of his life.
Was there anything more foolish than trying to plot against Shadowed Star’s Star Master on Shadowed Star?
“As I thought!” Old Sha sighed softly and shook his head ruefully, “Such foolishness!”
He was obviously blaming Jiang Huai An for his short-sightedness. Originally, his friendship with Yang Kai was quite good, but after this incident, Yang Kai’s impression of Sea Temple would definitely be poor, and this would have a dramatically negative influence on the future development of Sea Temple.
Somewhere on Black Reef Island.
Yang Kai was sitting cross-legged, his eyes closed, maintaining a state of mental tranquillity.
The light sound of footsteps rang out nearby, causing Yang Kai to open his eyes and see Sea Temple’s Third Temple Master Qi Yun Hai along with a small group of others.
Facing Yang Kai’s gaze, Qi Yun Hai quickly lowered his head, putting on a respectful look.
After learning that Yang Kai was the Star Master of Shadowed Star, Qi Yun Hai had not dared act presumptuous anymore. Although his cultivation was the same as Yang Kai’s, the latter was a genuine Star Master. Even if there were a thousand Qi Yun Hai’s, they would not be Yang Kai’s opponent.
Immediately, Qi Yun Hai professed wrongs and swore he had been enlightened, apologizing profusely for his mistakes.
Jiang Huai An had been crippled by Yang Kai, and the position of First Temple Master was vacant, so although Sha Hu was dissatisfied with Qi Yun Hai coveting life while fearing death, he had to compromise for Sea Temple’s sake and did not try to embarrass him further, even going so far as to ask Yang Kai to spare Qi Yun Hai’s life.
“Sect Master Yang, I’ve brought the people and materials you requested,” Qi Yun Hai stopped five metres away from Yang Kai and stood still while reporting respectfully.
Yang Kai raised his eyes and looked at the six people behind Qi Yun Hai, nodding lightly before stretching out his hand and saying, “Give them to me.”
“Yes!” Qi Yun Hai stepped forward and handed a Space Ring to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai swept the contents of this ring with his Divine Sense and upon confirming that everything he had requested was inside, he nodded, “Good, you may leave. Tell Old Sha that the Space Array here will take about seven or eight days to complete and that he need not worry about it. He can focus on settling the internal affairs of Sea Temple first.”
With Jiang Huai An being crippled, there were inevitably some turbulences in Sea Temple, so although Sha Hu had no intention of getting involved with such mundane matters, only he could assume command at this moment and was therefore quite busy.
“Many thanks for your consideration, Sect Master Yang, I will definitely bring Martial Uncle Sha your message.”
“En.”
Qi Yun Hai quickly left, seemingly not daring to remain near Yang Kai for a long time.
After he left though, Yang Kai looked at the remaining six cultivators. Among these six, there were males and females, old and young. What was unusual was that those who were old seemed to be very old, while those who were young were very young, possibly below twenty years old. These six also weren’t strong, the fiercest among them only a First-Order Origin Realm cultivator while the weakest was only a Third-Order Saint.
While Yang Kai observed these six, these six were also observing Yang Kai, their eyes filled with curiosity.
After all, this young man in front of them rumoured to be the Star Master of Shadowed Star! In other words, he was the lord of the Cultivation Star they lived on.
Before bringing them here, Qi Yun Hai had also specifically warned them to absolutely obey Yang Kai and to follow any instructions he gave them. If they were to offend Yang Kai in any way, they would suffer severe punishment under the Sect’s Laws.
“You are the best Array Masters in Sea Temple?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Among the six, an old man stepped forward, cupped his fists, and replied, “Reporting to Sect Master Yang, we six are indeed the most talented Array Masters in Sea Temple.”
“Good,” Yang Kai gently nodded, “Before Qi Yun Hai brought you here, he should have told you the reason, yes?”
“Third Temple Master said that we would be assisting Sect Master Yang in refining a Space Array to connect my Sea Temple and High Heaven Sect in order to facilitate an exchange of cultivation materials between our two forces,” The old man replied again.
“En. Since you understand, I won’t bother with any nonsense. In terms of materials, your Sea Temple has provided everything necessary and all that’s left is to refine them into an Array Base and then engrave the appropriate Spirit Array. I believe this shouldn’t be a difficult task for you.”
The old man seemed to realize that Yang Kai was not the domineering and wicked person he had imagined, and instead actually possessed a friendly attitude, allowing him to relax significantly. Proudly nodding his head, the old man replied, “As long as we are provided with the appropriate refining method, we six will definitely not disappoint Sect Master Yang. “
“Great!” Yang Kai smiled lightly as he beckoned the six people over and began explaining to them what kind of materials should be smelted together as well as the general shape the finished products needed to be refined into.
These six people had extremely high accomplishments in arranging Spirit Arrays, far better than Yang Kai’s at least, so after only a brief explanation, they had comprehended what they needed to do.
Next, Yang Kai took out the materials prepared by Sea Temple one by one, divided them into categories, and gave them to his six assistants to begin the refinement process.
The layout of a Space Array was extremely complicated, but before coming here, Yang Kai had already arranged one outside High Heaven Sect, so he had some familiarity with the process now.
Yang Kai did most of the primary work himself and had only asked Qi Yun Hai to bring these six people over in order to save him some time on the more menial tasks.
Yang Kai was not worried about what these six learned during this period, as the most fundamental Spirit Array of this Space Array was still exclusively held onto by him. As long as this array wasn’t leaked out, even if these six tried to arrange a Space Array of their own, it wouldn’t work.
In this remote clearing on Black Reef Island, seven people worked quietly.
Five days later, a Space Array with a ten-metre radius had been fully arranged.
Just looking at it, one could tell that this Space Array was not the same as the ones which were seen in major cities. It appeared much plainer and was essentially just a large circular platform.
The biggest difference, appearance-wise, was its significantly larger size.
This Space Array was designed to span a distance of several million kilometres and could accommodate up to fifty people at once.
This was incomparable to the Space Arrays currently on Shadowed Star.
With the basic structure now set up, Yang Kai now needed to engrave the actual Spirit Array himself. The six Array Masters of Sea Temple did not leave, however, and instead stood quietly to the side, paying close attention to Yang Kai’s movements.
Unfortunately, no matter how they looked, they were unable to glean any useful information.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense shuttled back and forth inside the array base, rapidly portraying a series of mysterious and complicated patterns and runes which gradually formed the Space Array’s Spirit Array.
With his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, it was easy for Yang Kai to leave precise markings on the already refined materials.
The entire process went incredibly smoothly, and Yang Kai was finished after only half an hour.
After checking it carefully, Yang Kai smiled upon confirming that there were no errors in the Spirit Array. Pouring his Space Force into the Space Array, Yang Kai activated it and established a connection with the Space Array he had arranged outside High Heaven Sect.
“Is it completed?” The old man asked hesitantly.
“Basically, as long as you insert enough Saint Crystals to power it, it should function properly,” Yang Kai nodded and replied.
The six people all gasped as they stared at Yang Kai in admiration.
A new Space Array! It had only taken five days to arrange such a massive Space Array! If they were to tell their peers about this matter, none would believe them.
On Shadowed Star, the method to arrange Space Arrays had long been lost while all the existing Space Arrays were relics from ancient times. The most the current cultivators could do was make some simple repairs, but they couldn’t arrange a new one.
Moreover, even in ancient times, when that layout method was still known, spending such a short time to arrange such a Space Array was certainly unheard of.
The ancient records of great Sects said that the arrangement of a Space Array was a laborious task that cost a massive amount of time and resources to complete.
It would already be a great accomplishment to complete a functional Space Array within a few years.
But now, they had arranged one in just five days!
The six Array Masters exchanged looks of disbelief amongst themselves as each of them felt a sense of excitement and glory in their hearts; after all, they had contributed to the arrangement of this Space Array.
“Sect Master Yang, is it possible for this old master to try it?” The old man rubbed his hands excitedly and asked.
Although being the first person to use this new Space Array did not have any substantial benefits to it, to him, it was a matter of honour.
“Wait a moment,” Yang Kai chuckled before taking out some strange materials from his Space Ring and quickly smelting them together.
Under his intense Saint Qi, the impurities in these materials were rapidly removed and the useful metals were gradually amalgamated and shaped.
The six people did not know what Yang Kai was doing but they all waited patiently in anticipation.
Soon, a small token appeared in Yang Kai’s hand. This token was unremarkable and dull in colour, not even giving off any energy fluctuations. The only distinctive feature was the ‘High’ character engraved on it.
This character had a certain charm to it, that evoked images of soaring dragons and phoenixes.
Yang Kai refined six such tokens in total and tossed one to each of the six waiting Array Masters.
Each of the six people caught their respective token and examined it carefully.
The old man seemed to think of something and wore a look of excitement on his face as he hastily asked, “Sect Master Yang, dare I ask, is this…”
He was misunderstanding something, however, thinking that Yang Kai had given them something precious.
“These are Transmission Tokens. Without a Transmission Token, the only result of activating this Space Array will be exile to The Void, never to return!” Yang Kai explained lightly.
The expressions of the six people changed greatly, only now understanding the purpose of these six tokens especially refined by Yang Kai.
The old man quickly composed himself as he realized the importance of these tokens and cupped his fists, “Sect Master Yang is quite meticulous, this old master is impressed. With these tokens, the risk of a large number of cultivators suddenly being able to invade either of our two forces using this Space Array can be mostly eliminated.”
When the other five people heard him say this, they finally understood the reason Yang Kai had refined these tokens.
Although Space Arrays were convenient in that they connected two distant places, if an enemy ever managed to take control of it, it would then become a risk as it would offer a means to invade directly into the heart of one’s force. However, with the Transmission Token refined by Yang Kai, this risk was mitigated.
Without a Transmission Token, it was impossible to use this Space Array.
Yang Kai just smiled and did not say anything. With a wave of his hand, he used his Saint Qi to envelope the six people and stood atop the Space Array, “Let’s test whether this array can be used then.”
Before the six Array Masters of Sea Temple had time to speak, Yang Kai had already inserted the necessary Saint Crystals to activate the array.
The Space Array immediately started up and after a burst of white light, the six Array Masters only felt a slight weightless sensation overcome them. By the time they reacted, the scenery in front of them had changed drastically.
Looking around, the earth was a charred, reddish-black colour and the surrounding air was filled with a rich Fire Attribute energy, making it a bit stifling.
This was completely different from the Limitless Ocean where Sea Temple was located.
Below their feet was a large round Space Array identical to the one they had just finished arranging. Around them, there were several cultivators busy erecting a large palace that was clearly a work in progress.
The busy cultivators nearby were all wearing uniform robes with a small ‘High’ character embroidered over their chests!
[High Heaven Sect disciples!] The six Sea Temple people immediately realized they had arrived at High Heaven Sect as the environment around them was very similar to the legendary Flowing Flame Sand Field.
The activation of the Space Array alarmed the nearby High Heaven Sect disciples, and a few quickly came to investigate, but upon discovering that the newcomer was Yang Kai, the disciples quickly cupped their fists in salute.
Yang Kai simply waved his hand, “I’m just testing whether this Space Array works properly, carry on with what you were doing.”
“Yes!” The disciples received their orders and dispersed.
This Space Array was placed outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field by Yang Kai in order to avoid the drawbacks of there being a direct entryway into High Heaven Sect’s headquarters.
This Space Array was of great significance, as it was the bridge which connected High Heaven Sect to the larger world.
Yang Kai intended to set up special Space Arrays in all major cities across Shadowed Star so that High Heaven Sect could reach anywhere at any time in an instant.
This would be of key importance to the future development of High Heaven Sect.
“Sect Master!” One High Heaven Sect disciple didn’t leave immediately but stood there respectfully cupping his fists.
“Is there something else?”
“Great Elder told me a few days ago that if Sect Master appears, I am to inform him that half a month ago, Shadow Moon Hall’s Sect Master Qian sent a request for Sect Master to visit Shadow Moon Hall to discuss a certain matter!”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
The disciple then retreated.
Yang Kai did not know what Qian Tong was looking for him for, but it should not be an urgent matter, otherwise, he would have come in person rather than simply requesting Yang Kai come see him. Additionally, the current Qian Tong was an Origin King, so few things in this world could threaten him.
Yang Kai did not consider this matter urgent and decided to prioritize finishing his current task before going to Shadow Moon Hall to meet with Qian Tong.
After experimenting with the Space Array, Yang Kai returned to Black Reef Island along with the six Sea Temple Array Masters.
The six cultivators seemed to still be a bit unsatiated.
The old man looked towards Yang Kai with extreme admiration and said, “Sect Master Yang, this old master has used many Space Arrays over his life, but every time, the farther the transmission distance, the more backlash he received; however, this Space Array causes no discomfort or dizziness at all, a truly brilliant achievement! This old master is in awe of Sect Master Yang’s great talent!”
The other five people also nodded in agreement.
Space Arrays were truly convenient tools to use, but teleporting over long distances caused great strain on a cultivator. This strain was not only related to one’s physical body, but also one’s Soul.
The further the distance one teleported, the greater the load.
Therefore, weaker cultivators did not dare use Space Arrays to teleport too far. Under the most extreme of circumstances, teleporting a greater distance than one was capable of withstanding would destroy one’s Knowledge Sea, leaving them brain dead. Even short-distance teleportations couldn’t be conducted too frequently.
Among these six Array Masters, all of them had used Space Arrays multiple times, so all of them were well aware of the drawbacks.
However, the ultra-long distance teleportation they just conducted, one on the order of several million kilometres, actually didn’t produce any kind of discomfort. Using this Space Array felt no more difficult than visiting a neighbour’s house.
In other words, the Space Array arranged by Yang Kai had far surpassed the ability of those ancient relics in terms of stability and usability.
This caused the six Array Masters to respect and admire Yang Kai even more than before.
Yang Kai just smiled lightly, “It’s nothing much. En, please transfer the Transmission Tokens in your hands to Old Sha and inform him that when everything in Sea Temple has been settled, he can send someone to High Heaven Sect to meet with Great Elder Ye to discuss the material exchange.”
“Is Sect Master Yang planning on leaving now? Do you not want to stop and rest for a few days and meet with Martial Uncle Sha?” The old man attempted to retain Yang Kai.
“No, I need to head for Sea God Palace,” Yang Kai waved his hand and his figure flickered, disappearing from where he stood.
A look of regret appeared on the faces of the six, but after a brief discussion, they hurried to the centre of Black Reef Island. The six Transmission Tokens were of great importance and they did not dare treat them carelessly.
Sea God Palace was the other great force on the Limitless Ocean together with Sea Temple and was composed of almost all the sentient ocean races.
In fact, Sea God Palace was stronger than Sea Temple both in terms of the number of masters it possessed and the strength it wielded.
Although there was some friction from time to time between these two giants though, neither side desired to go to war on a large scale, so they were able to coexist.
Sea God Palace’s headquarters was located somewhere deep underwater and composed of a sprawling number of beautiful undersea palaces protected by powerful Spirit Arrays. There was even breathable air in some places, the ocean held back by strong barriers.
To others, looking for the headquarters of Sea God Palace on the huge Limitless Ocean floor was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Even Sea Temple was unable to figure out where Sea God Palace was located.
But to Yang Kai, this was a simple matter.
After leaving Black Reef Island, it only took him a day to locate Sea God Palace and easily arrive at its entrance.
Here, he did not encounter any difficulties. Although the Sea Clan looked down on the Human Race, it also respected powerful masters.
Yang Kai undoubtedly was qualified to receive a courteous reception here.
What’s more, the little dolphin, the Sea Clan’s princess, was extremely close to Yang Kai.
Qian Mo and Shang Ao, two of the eight Generals, also owed Yang Kai a life-saving gratitude.
As such, forming a cooperative relationship with the Sea Clan was easier than forming one with Sea Temple.
Yang Kai immediately met with the Sea Clan’s king, the father of the little dolphin and patriarch of the Dolphin Flood Dragon Clan, Lie Kong. After engaging in a small exchange of pointers, Lie Kong realized how deep and unfathomable Yang Kai’s strength was and quickly agreed to his proposed trade arrangement.
Just like in Sea Temple, Yang Kai requested Sea God Palace provide him with some materials, and a third Space Array, as well as several Transmission Tokens, were produced inside Sea God Palace a few days later.
With Space Arrays in Sea Temple and Sea God Palace, High Heaven Sect was now able to obtain massive amounts of deep-sea resources anytime it wanted.
Now, whether these resources were used or sold, High Heaven Sect would never lose money. In fact, using this trade route, it would be possible for High Heaven Sect to rapidly expand its available materials, making it so that its disciples never had to worry about having enough cultivation resources to use.
This was an advantage that no other Sect on Shadowed Star possessed!
Yang Kai did not intend to stay in Sea God Palace for long, so after he finished arranging the Space Array, he bid farewell to Lie Kong and prepared to depart.
However, before leaving, something unexpected happened.
The little dolphin came swimming up to Yang Kai’s side with a bead in her mouth and handed it to him.
This bead was the size of a fist and was azure blue, just like the deep sea. Although this bead was not very large, after it was pushed into his hand, Yang Kai discovered that it was actually extremely heavy. What’s more, he could hear the sound of crashing waves coming from it and could sense an extremely rich Water Attribute energy inside of it.
After seeing this bead, Lie Kong, Qian Mo, and Shang Ao, who were all present to see Yang Kai off, wore solemn expressions.
Many others who were present also showed nervous expressions.
“This… I can’t accept it,” Yang Kai smiled slightly as he gently rubbed the little dolphin’s head.
Although he did not know what the story behind this bead was, he could tell from the looks on everyone’s faces that its value was definitely not trivial. He had just managed to establish a cooperative relationship with Sea God Palace so rashly accepting such a heavy gift would likely only make the Sea Clan unhappy.
The main reason Yang Kai refused though was because this gift was given to him by the little dolphin. The little dolphin only had the mental age of a young child and acted entirely based on its personal preferences. In short, she could not represent the wishes of the entire Sea Clan.
If this bead had been given to him by Lie Kong personally, Yang Kai would have gladly accepted it.
Seeing Yang Kai tactfully refuse, the leaders of the Sea Clan all showed relieved expressions.
The little dolphin, however, refused to give up, making a series of rapid cries as if to say it would not rest until Yang Kai accepted her gift.
Yang Kai tried hard to persuade her, but the little dolphin absolutely would not take the bead back, soon even shedding tears of unhappiness, putting Yang Kai in an incredibly awkward position, and forcing him to turn to Lie Kong for help.
Lie Kong anxiously looked at the little dolphin for a while before eventually his expression softened and he spoke, “Since Sect Master Yang has such a close relationship with my daughter, please accept her gift. It is clear that if Sect Master Yang does not accept it, she will be very sad; after all, Sect Master Yang is her lifesaver. Sect Master Yang need not refuse.”
Yang Kai frowned for a moment before asking, “May I ask what this thing is and what its function is?”
“This is one of the treasures of my Sea God Palace, the Sea God Bead, and while it may not be of much use to Sect Master Yang personally, anyone who cultivates Water Attribute Secret Arts or Secret Techniques will benefit greatly from it. This is a piece of the source of the sea, so the Water Attribute energy it contains is not only extremely pure, but also almost inexhaustible. The Sea God Bead was a birthday gift this King gave his daughter two years ago, so it is her personal property and she has every right to gift it to Sect Master Yang,” Lie Kong explained.
“The source of the sea…” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed, “This thing truly is of great use to me, so this Yang will not refuse.”
Lie Kong smiled and nodded.
The other leaders of the Sea Clean, seeing how matters had already gotten this far, had no objections in the end.
“However, this Sea God Bead is still a bit too precious for this Yang Kai to simply accept, so this Yang will exchange it for five hundred Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills. What does Palace Master Lie Kong think?”
“Five hundred Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills?” Lie Kong’s eyes lit up this time.
The expressions of many of the Sea Clan leaders also suddenly became excited.
The masters of the Sea Clan had already learned from Qian Mo and Shang Ao what Shadowed Heaven Pills were. Although they understood that Shadowed Heaven Pills were Heaven-defying treasures, the primary ingredient required to refine them only existed on Shadowed Soul Island, so even if they wanted them, they could not obtain them.
The little dolphin had some, but not many, all of which were given to her by Yang Kai before and were considered her personal items.
Who would feel right taking the Sea Clan Princess’ pills? Even Lie Kong only took a Shadowed Heaven Pill from her to study for a while before giving it back to his daughter.
Yet now, Yang Kai had offered them five hundred Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills just like that. For the Sea Clan, this was a massive windfall. With these five hundred Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills, several of Sea God Palace’s peak level masters could substantially increase their physical strength.
When he heard Yang Kai was willing to give Sea God Palace five hundred Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills in exchange for this Sea God Bead, Lie Kong was momentarily unable to restrain his joy.
“Yup!” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
Five hundred Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills, although a huge fortune, was nothing to the current High Heaven Sect. The Shadowed Heaven Lotus Yang Kai brought back last time had all been given to Xia Ning Chang, and she should have refined a massive amount of pills after so many days.
Lie Kong coughed as he wet his dry lips, “How could we accept such generosity….”
“If Palace Master Lie Kong disagrees, then this Yang won’t feel comfortable accepting this Sea God Bead.”
Lie Kong paused for a moment before nodding, “Since Sect Master Yang is willing to go so far, this Lie Kong won’t be polite. This King agrees! May friendship between Sea God Palace and High Heaven Sect last forever!”
“Great, I will have someone send the five hundred Shadowed Heaven Pills to Sea God Palace within a few days,” Yang Kai cupped his fists to the Sea Clan masters, “This Yang will take his leave!”
Saying so, Yang Kai stepped directly into the Space Array and teleported to the outskirts of High Heaven Sect.
The Sea God Bead he obtained by accident this time was incredibly useful to Yang Kai. Although he did not cultivate any Water Attribute Secret Arts or Secret Techniques, the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art required supreme treasures of each of the five elements.
Among the five elements, Yang Kai did not need to worry about the Fire Attribute supreme treasure. The energy contained within the Sun’s True Essence was so immense that it had barely even diminished even after he had cultivated with it for so long.
However, the supreme treasures Yang Kai used for the other four elements had more or less been used up.
Whether it was the Thunder Wood, Profound Yin Sunflower Water, Profound Gold, or Divine Nullification Sand, none of them would last much longer.
The Sea God Bead Yang Kai obtained this time could be used to replace the Profound Yin Sunflower Water when he cultivated the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art in the future.
The Sea God Bead was formed from the source of the sea and had rich, pure Water Attribute energy. Compared with the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, the Sea God Bead was no doubt higher in both grade and quality, so there was no issue with it meeting Yang Kai’s requirements. Additionally, the energy stored within it was much greater than what was contained in the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
It seemed Yang Kai would not need to worry about finding a new Water Attribute supreme treasure for a long time.
However, as it was right now, Yang Kai really did not have any difficulties finding supreme treasures of the other three elements either. All he needed to do was issue a command and supreme treasures would be delivered to him. Whether he could find a treasure comparable to the Sea God Bead was questionable, though.
After returning to High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai went straight to Ye Xi Yun and told her about the deal between him and Sea God Palace and asked her to send someone to collect five hundred Origin Grade Shadowed Heaven Pills from Xia Ning Chang.
Ye Xi Yun naturally did not refuse.
Over the next two months, Yang Kai travelled to various famous cities and Sects on Shadowed Star, constantly arranging Space Arrays.
Two months later, the Space Array outside of High Heaven Sect had been connected to almost all corners of Shadowed Star. Now, if a disciple needed to, they could rush to any major city they wanted to in an instant.
Such a massive project was something which had never appeared on Shadowed Star before. This way, High Heaven Sect could not only grasp and manage the situation across all of Shadowed Star at all times, but it could also purchase any kind of materials or products it wanted from anywhere it wanted.
Yang Kai’s final stop was Heavenly Fate City.
He needed to meet with Qian Tong as well, so Yang Kai figured he could finish up arranging a Space Array then have enough free time to handle whatever matter Qian Tong needed to consult him about.
On this day, Yang Kai arrived above Heavenly Fate City, and looking down at the post-war scene from the sky, Yang Kai could not help feeling a little nostalgic.
When he first came to Shadowed Star, he was nothing more than a Second-Order Saint, but after all these years he had managed to cultivate to the peak of Shadowed Star’s Martial Dao. In retrospect, it was here, on Dragon Cave Mountain outside Heavenly Fate City, that he started his rise, ultimately leading to today’s High Heaven Sect.
Bit by bit, Yang Kai recalled these past events as if they had only happened yesterday.
Yang Kai smiled slightly before flying straight towards the City Lord’s Mansion.
After being looted by Corpse Spirit Religion, Heavenly Fate City suffered heavy devastation, but after such a long period of rebuilding, today’s Heavenly Fate City was booming again.
Fei Zhi Tu was still Heavenly Fate City’s City Lord!
When Yang Kai met with him today, Fei Zhi Tu had already restored his cultivation to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm.
It seemed that this was partly thanks to him enduring the torture of the Fang Feng Qi from Corpse Spirit Religion last time.
Yang Kai naturally felt happy for him, and Fei Zhi Tu was even more excited after seeing Yang Kai. Learning what Yang Kai came for, he immediately permitted him to do as he pleased.
Yang Kai did not stand on ceremony and immediately got to work arranging the new Space Array in Heavenly Fate City, connecting it to High Heaven Sect.
Just two days later, the Space Array had been completed.
As he arranged more and more Space Arrays, Yang Kai had become familiar with the process and was now much faster at it than when he started.
With a flash of white light, Fei Zhi Tu disappeared from atop the Space Array, and soon after, reappeared. Laughing heartily, he said, “Sure enough, I was teleported straight to High Heaven Sect. Our two Sects can now communicate at any time without delay.”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded before suddenly asking, “By the way, Senior, is Old Qian coming?”
When Yang Kai asked about Qian Tong, Fei Zhi Tu’s expression immediately became serious as he nodded, “He’s already here, but when he saw you busy setting up this Space Array, he decided not to bother you. You should go and meet him quickly; Old Ghost Qian seems to be having some kind of problem he cannot resolve.”
“A problem even Old Qian can’t resolve?” Yang Kai was stunned, not understanding what the matter was that rendered even a master like Qian Tong helpless.
While he was arranging the Space Array here, Yang Kai already had Fei Zhi Tu send a message to Shadow Moon Hall. Two days was more than enough time for Qian Tong to arrive.
Not delaying any further, Yang Kai quickly went to meet Qian Tong together with Fei Zhi Tu.
Inside a large hall in the City Lord’s Mansion, Yang Kai found three people waiting for him.
All three of these people were Yang Kai’s old acquaintances. Other than Qian Tong, Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were also present.
Seeing Yang Kai, Qian Tong’s eyes lit up and he smiled bitterly, “Little brat, seems like you haven’t forgotten about me after all.”
“Sorry Old Qian, I thought whatever it was wasn’t a big deal, so I didn’t rush over. I’ve been running around Shadowed Star for the past few months,” Yang Kai smiled awkwardly. If he knew that Qian Tong was so anxious, he would have come to Heavenly Fate City first.
Qian Tong grinned wryly, “It’s nothing so urgent, otherwise, this old master would have gone to High Heaven Sect personally to find you.”
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er both got up quickly to greet Yang Kai.
Yang Kai replied in kind, and after scanning them with his Divine Sense, he noticed both of Saint Qis were flowing quite vigorously while their auras pulsed slightly, an obvious sign that they were on the verge of a breakthrough.
The two were worthy of the most elite disciples of Shadow Moon Hall! Less than ten years after breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm, these two were about to make a breakthrough again. Logically speaking, even with the aptitude of Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, their cultivation should not have progressed so rapidly, but Yang Kai figured their astonishing growth had something to do with the recent Corpse Spirit Religion upheaval.
Cultivators could often force out all their potential when facing desperate situations.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er had experienced numerous life or death battles during the war, which was of great benefit to their future cultivation.
When young people met, the scene inevitably became lively.
While Yang Kai talked with Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu did not interrupt, just sitting to the side and watching with smiles.
Only after a good long chat did Yang Kai turn to Qian Tong and ask, “By the way, what is this matter you wanted to consult with me about, Old Qian? I heard Senior Fei mention that even you were unable to resolve it.”
Qian Tong’s expression gradually became serious and he nodded, “Yeah, this old master really is helpless in this situation, which is why I came to you for help.”
“What’s the matter?”
“You should be able to tell if you take a closer look,” Qian Tong didn’t answer directly and instead began releasing a powerful and mysterious force from his figure.
Domain!
Domain was a power exclusive to Origin Kings and was the ultimate evolution of Shi.
Qian Tong had broken through to the Origin King Realm only a few years ago, so his Domain was not too powerful, but even so, when he released it, the entire world seemed to tremble.
Fortunately, he did not aim his Domain at anyone present, instead restraining it so that even if Wei Gu Chang and the others felt slugging and their Saint Qi circulation became slow, they did not suffer any harm.
Yang Kai paid close attention to Qian Tong as requested and soon frowned deeply, releasing his Divine Sense to probe the latter.
Seeing the look on Yang Kai’s face, Qian Tong immediately knew that he had already noticed something and continued to maintain his Domain, allowing Yang Kai to examine the situation more clearly.
After a brief silence, Yang Kai withdrew his Divine Sense, but his frown remained.
“Since you are the Lord of Shadowed Star, you should be able to tell, yes?” Qian Tong asked after withdrawing his Domain.
Fei Zhi Tu, Wei Gu Chang, and Dong Xuan’er were all confused as none of them noticed anything wrong with Qian Tong. From their perspective, Qian Tong seemed perfectly fine and his Domain, once released, was as powerful as ever.
“The World Principles here… are rejecting you?” Yang Kai asked suspiciously with a look of shock in his eyes.
“You really can tell,” Qian Tong sighed.
“What?” Fei Zhi Tu was shocked, “Old Ghost Qian is being rejected by Shadowed Star’s World Principles? How is that even possible?”
“Nothing is impossible,” Qian Tong smiled bitterly and shook his head, “If it weren’t for my being rejected by the World Principles here, do you think this old master would be struck by lightning for no apparent reason?”
“You were struck by lightning, Old Qian?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
“En,” Qian Tong nodded, “Although I did not suffer much harm, the power of Heavenly Lightning is still not to be underestimated.”
Fei Zhi Tu’s jaw dropped as he called out in alarm, “I thought you were cultivating some kind of profound Secret Technique that triggered that lightning strike! So it was actually because of this?”
“What nonsense Secret Technique!?” Qian Tong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “You know all of the Secret Techniques our Shadow Moon Hall possesses. Which one can possible cause Heavenly Lightning? This old master has no time to cultivate any Secret Techniques now anyways, all my focus is on consolidating my realm.”
“What about the Earth-Fire last time?” Dong Xuan’er asked from the side.
“What Earth-Fire?” Fei Zhi Tu asked in astonishment.
Dong Xuan’er blinked her big eyes and explained, “Two months ago, a terrifying Earth-Fire suddenly appeared in Honoured Master’s retreat and burned it to the ground.”
“Such a thing happened?” Fei Zhi Tu was surprised.
“That was also a result of this old master being rejected by Shadowed Star’s World Principles!” Qian Tong grumbled in annoyance, “Since this old master returned to Shadowed Star, he has encountered this kind of thing more than once. Although they have all been resolved by this old master, never causing any real damage, I also have no way to concentrate on cultivating. Not only that, when this old master flies, powerful Astral Winds sometimes emerge from The Void and hammer my Knowledge Sea, draining my Spiritual Energy. This old master no longer dares to fly too high or for too long for fear of the consequences!”
“Heavenly Lightning, Earth-Fire, Astral Wind…” Yang Kai muttered aloud, “Old Qian, it seems that life has been hard for you!”
Hearing Yang Kai’s teasing, Qian Tong felt both aggrieved and helpless.
Living constantly on edge was extremely uncomfortable. Fortunately, Qian Tong had not entered secluded retreat these days. If he was disturbed while in deep meditation, it would very likely lead to a dissonance in his cultivation. Once that happened, it would be difficult for him to emerge unscathed despite already reaching the Origin King Realm.
“How could this be possible!” Fei Zhi Tu had an incredulous expression on his face as his eyes flashed with surprise, “This City Lord has lived for hundreds of years but this is the first time I have ever heard of anything like this.”
“It is a first for this old master as well,” Qian Tong sighed heavily before he directed an expectant look towards Yang Kai, “Yang Kai, you are now Star Master of Shadowed Star, can you figure out a way to remedy this old master’s situation?”
Qian Tong was truly quite troubled not knowing when something like Heavenly Lightning or Earth-Fire would befall him, making it impossible to enter retreat. Now all he could hope for was that Yang Kai had a solution.
But to his great disappointment, Yang Kai could only slowly shake his head, “While I can communicate with the World Principles of Shadowed Star somewhat, it is still impossible for me to alter them in any way.”
Hearing this, Qian Tong released another sigh.
The hall went silent for a while as the expressions of everyone present became heavy.
Shadow Moon Hall now possessed the only Origin King on Shadowed Star, which was no doubt a glorious achievement, but with Qian Tong now being rejected by the World Principles, it was terrible news.
After a while, Qian Tong suddenly said, “It seems that the only way now is for this old master to leave.”
“Old Ghost Qian, are you planning to leave Shadowed Star?” Fei Zhi Tu was shocked.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er also looked at Qian Tong with dismay, seemingly wanting to say something to dissuade him, but uncertain where to start from.
“If this old master doesn’t leave, he will face troubles for the rest of his life and will be unable to cultivate again,” Qian Tong smiled lightly, “This old master finally managed to reach the Origin King Realm, so he does not want to remain stuck here forever. This old master still wants to reach greater heights and see broader horizons!”
“At your age, you still haven’t outgrown such ambitions?” Fei Zhi Tu smiled wryly.
“Old Fei, are you willing to remain in the Origin Returning Realm for the rest of your life?” Qian Tong asked back.
“Impossible!” Fei Zhi Tu snorted, “If not for this City Lord’s realm falling last time, he would have left Shadowed Star together with you. Whether this City Lord can touch the mysteries of the Origin King Realm or not, he must at least try.”
“En, people seek greater heights just as water flows to lower places!”
“Since you’ve already decided, there’s nothing more to say. You need not worry about Shadow Moon Hall, I will take care of it,” Fei Zhi Tu said sternly.
“Yang Kai, if this old master wants to leave this place, he must rely on your strength!” Qian Tong looked at Yang Kai.
“Naturally, that’s not a problem,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Actually, I was just about to implement a plan that aligns quite well with Old Qian’s intentions.”
“Oh, what plan?” Qian Tong heard this and his eyes suddenly brightened.
“I am going to construct a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array!”
“You mean an Ultra-Long Distance Space Array that can connect one Cultivation Star to another?” Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu exclaimed together, looking at Yang Kai with extreme shock.
Yang Kai nodded, “Shadowed Star has been closed off from the Star Field for long enough. It’s time we were re-connected with the broader world. If this can be achieved, after a Shadowed Star cultivator reaches the peak of the Origin Realm, they can freely leave to explore the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.”
Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu remained silent for a long time, but their eyes were wide with shock.
After a long while, Qian Tong asked nervously, “Can this really be achieved?”
“We’ll have to try to find out,” Yang Kai chuckled, “At the very least, I don’t think there will be a problem arranging an appropriate Space Array.”
“What if masters from other Cultivation Stars try to invade Shadowed Star via the Space Arrays you arrange? Wouldn’t that pose a serious problem?” Qian Tong showed a trace of worry.
“Haha, you don’t have to concern yourself about that,” Fei Zhi Tu laughed, taking out a few tokens with the character “High” on them from his Space Ring and explaining. “Without one of these, it is impossible to use the Space Arrays arranged by Yang Kai.”
“What is this?” Qian Tong was puzzled.
“A Transmission Token!” Fei Zhi Tu immediately explained, and after Qian Tong understood the purpose of these Transmission Tokens, he could not help nodding thoughtfully, “Yang Kai, it seems like you’ve been planning this for some time now.”
“Of course! Arranging Space Arrays across Shadowed Star was simply a way of practising for this,” Yang Kai smiled.
His ultimate goal was to connect Shadowed Star with the Star Field! This was not just a whim, but something Yang Kai had been thinking about for some time now.
Currently, it took far too long to reach the populated regions of the Star Field from Shadowed Star, but if a Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array were available, this problem would cease to exist.
In the current High Heaven Sect, there was more than one peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, and as Sect Master, Yang Kai had to make plans for the future. Even he himself was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator and urgently needed to leave Shadowed Star to prepare to break through to the Origin King Realm.
What’s more, arranging Space Arrays allowed Yang Kai to cultivate his Space Force.
These days, he found that his comprehension of the Dao of Space had become more profound.
Naturally, Yang Kai was not about to abandon such a beneficial project.
“Great! This old master can rest assured knowing you’ve thought this matter out so thoroughly. You becoming Star Master is a true blessing to Shadowed Star!” Qian Tong laughed.
“Then do you want to leave with me now or wait until I finish setting up the Space Array before departing?” Yang Kai asked.
Qian Tong thought about it for a while before saying, “This old master will remain on Shadowed Star for a while and leave after you’ve finished setting up the Space Array. There are still some things to deal with in Shadow Moon Hall after all.”
“En, look forward to good news soon,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Finished with his business, Yang Kai did not remain in Heavenly Fate City for a long time and instead returned directly to High Heaven Sect.
After summoning Elders of the Sect, Yang Kai informed them about his next plan, causing Ye Xi Yun, Yang Xiu Zhu, and all the others to excitedly agree.
Needless to say, Ye Xi Yun was the one who most hoped to break through to the Origin King Realm on Shadowed Star. Last time, she had chosen to remain in High Heaven Sect to take care of Yang Yan, causing her to miss such an opportunity.
If Yang Kai could really set up Space Arrays on other Cultivation Stars though, she would be able to free herself from the shackles of Shadowed Star any time she wanted.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others also held similar mindsets. Last time, they had failed to break through after surviving the Blood Prison Trial, but that did not mean they did not still have a chance. All of them intended to strive for a breakthrough, and even if they failed, they would not regret trying.
“Since everyone agrees, this Sect Master will implement his plan,” Yang Kai grinned and looked around, “But before I begin, I need you to help me gather some supplies!”
“What supplies?” Ye Xi Yun asked.
“Space Spirit Crystals!” Yang Kai’s expression became solemn, “The most critical material for arranging Space Arrays is Space Spirit Crystal! Depending on the transmission distance between two Space Arrays, the number of Space Spirit Crystals required also varies, and for Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays, the more Space Spirit Crystals, the better!”
“Understood. I’ll handle it!” Ye Xi Yun nodded.
Now that High Heaven Sect influence had spread across all of Shadowed Star, it was not an issue for it to collect materials. The only question now was how many Space Spirit Crystals High Heaven Sect could purchase.
After all, Space Spirit Crystals were rare, and even if some were found occasionally, it would almost always quickly be used to refine Space Rings.
Yang Kai had a large amount of Space Spirit Crystal before which he collected from the lode under Dragon Cave Mountain, but after cultivating his Space Force with it for so long, he had used all his reserves up.
During these past few months, the Space Spirit Crystals Yang Kai had used to arrange Space Arrays on Shadowed Star had been sourced from the major Sects and cities he had visited.
“Three months, in three months I will leave Shadowed Star! I hope you can help me raise enough Space Spirit Crystal by then!”
“Yes!” The Elders nodded before quickly scattering, intending to contact the various forces on Shadowed Star to begin this mass purchase.
Yang Kai believed that after three months, a big harvest should be waiting for him.
While the Elders of High Heaven Sect bustled about, Yang Kai now found himself with some idle time. After spending a few days accompanying his parents and brothers, he then took Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang out to wander around Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai didn’t know when he would next have free time, so he naturally hoped to accompany his two Senior Sisters for the next three months and enjoy their company.
To Yang Kai, this was a simple but treasured luxury.
“Is this Grand Crystal Mountain Range where Coloured Glass Sect is located?” Su Yan asked as she looked around at the rolling hills below.
“En,” Yang Kai standing next to her nodded, releasing his Divine Sense and, with the assistance of his powers as Star Master swept the mountain range’s several tens of thousands of kilometres. Smiling, he continued, “It looks like Coloured Glass Sect’s headquarters didn’t suffer too much damage during the Corpse Spirit Religion chaos. It still looks quite similar to when I last came here.”
Xia Ning Chang looked into the distance and said softly, “The World Energy on the Shadowed Star is really not comparable to Tong Xuan Realm. Every place we’ve travelled these days, whether in terms of aura or scenery, is far better than Tong Xuan Realm.”
Saying so, she looked a little sad.
Yang Kai was Shadowed Star’s Star Master while she was the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm. For every Star Master, the Cultivation Star that they refined the Star Source of was like the closest of partners, like their own child.
Tong Xuan Realm’s withered aura made Xia Ning Chang somewhat depressed.
“Star Master and Cultivation Star are closely related. Little Senior Sister, you only need to work hard to improve your cultivation and Tong Xuan Realm will be rejuvenated one day,” Yang Kai comforted.
“En,” Xia Ning Chang nodded.
“Let’s go. Sect Master Gong should have received word of our arrival already,” Yang Kai held the two women’s hands as he led them forward.
It had been almost three months since they started wandering Shadowed Star.
Over the past three months, Yang Kai’s trio had visited almost all the famous spots on Shadowed Star and experienced all kinds of local customs and traditions. The waves on the Limitless Ocean were magnificent while the silence of the vast desserts was breathtaking. Many famous mountains and rivers now bore the footprints of these three.
This three-month-long journey would surely become one of the most beautiful memories in the hearts of the trio.
Coloured Glass Sect was the last stop set by Yang Kai!
Yang Kai’s reason for coming here wasn’t actually to sight-see though, but rather to ask Gong Ao Fu for something.
Although Gong Ao Fu had led Coloured Glass Sect’s survivors to join High Heaven Sect during the Corpse Spirit Religion war, and she herself became one of the Elders of High Heaven Sect, after Corpse Spirit Religion was destroyed, Yang Kai had allowed Gong Ao Fu to return to Grand Crystal Mountain Range.
He knew better than anyone just how meaningful one’s ancestral heritage was to a cultivator.
Just like how he built a Sect on Shadowed Star called High Heaven Sect, even if Gong Ao Fu stayed in High Heaven Sect, where there were better conditions for her own growth, she would never be able to forget Coloured Glass Sect. Eventually, it would no doubt disturb her heart.
What’s more, when Gong Ao Fu joined High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had promised that he would allow her to rebuild Coloured Glass Sect in the future.
Allowing her to return was simply fulfilling his original promise.
Gong Ao Fu was naturally extremely grateful, and although she led the cultivators of Coloured Glass Sect back to Grand Crystal Mountain Range, she had sworn an oath that Coloured Glass Sect would belong to High Heaven Sect as a subordinate Sect from now on!
This was the first attached force High Heaven Sect possessed! And it was a very powerful one at that.
When Yang Kai arrived here with Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, Gong Ao Fu was immediately notified.
When the trio reached the main peak of Coloured Glass Sect, a dense group of people were assembled already, headed by a beautiful woman with a rich, mature style. Naturally, it was Gong Ao Fu.
Dai Yuan still wore her pockmarked and pitted appearance, appearing extremely ugly, making Gong Ao Fu look all the more beautiful.
Behind these two were the only remaining Elders and elite disciples of Coloured Glass Sect, Yin Su Die among them.
Seeing Yang Kai land in front of them, the assembled group all solemnly saluted.
“Subordinate Gong Ao Fu greets Sect Master, greets Madame Sect Masters!” Gong Ao Fu said quickly.
“There are no outsiders here, Sect Master Gong need not be so polite!” Yang Kai waved his hand while Su Yan smiled at Gong Ao Fu, accepting the title of Madame Sect Master with confidence. Xia Ning Chang, on the other hand, even with her veil, had obviously gone bright red, her delicate earlobes looking like they were on fire.
After so many years, Little Senior Sister was still just as shy and innocent as ever.
“Sister Dai Yuan, it’s been a long time,” Yang Kai turned to Dai Yuan next and a knowing light flashed across his eyes. Others did not know what kind of face was hidden beneath her disfigured disguise, but Yang Kai did.
Dai Yuan’s figure was indeed exquisite, but her face was quite unappetizing, making it extremely difficult for people to have a good first impression of her.
Yang Kai and Dai Yuan could not have lived in more different worlds; one was a dragon that soared through the sky while the other was an ant crawling on the ground.
As such, no one knew why Yang Kai cared so much about Dai Yuan.
Facing Yang Kai’s greetings, Dai Yuan just nodded slightly, not showing any particular enthusiasm.
Gong Ao Fu smiled next to her and quickly said, “I received word from Great Elder Ye that Sect Master has been wandering Shadowed Star for the past few months. Has Sect Master had any significant gains?”
“We were simply touring the scenery, how could there be any gains?” Yang Kai chuckled and shook his head.
“Sect Master and the two madams are perfectly matched; it seems walking hand in hand together was the biggest gain of the past three months.”
Yang Kai met eyes with both Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, all three of them smiling at each other lightly.
Although they knew that Gong Ao Fu was simply offering some light flattery, none of them were turned off by such words.
“However, I wonder why Sect Master has decided to visit my Coloured Glass Sect? If it is just to sight-see, then subordinate will quickly make proper arrangements. There are many picturesque sceneries in Grand Crystal Mountain Range.”
“Unfortunately, that is not why I’ve come here today,” Yang Kai shook his head. “I came here to make a request.”
“Please name it, Sect Master!” Gong Ao Fu smiled, “If not for Sect Master’s care, my Coloured Glass Sect would have ceased to exist long ago, whatever Sect Master needs from my Coloured Glass Sect, we will be honoured to prepare, why act so politely?”
Seeing her comply so easily, Yang Kai nodded, “Then I will be succinct. I came here to obtain some Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. Your Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain was not destroyed by Corpse Spirit Religion, right?”
“Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass?” Gong Ao Fu raised her brow, “Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain is one of Shadowed Star’s greatest treasures. The Corpse Spirit Religion was unable to destroy it, but if Sect Master wants Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, things might be a bit difficult. We have accumulated some Coloured Glass Sect over the years, but only two or three fists worth. I don’t know if this is enough for Sect Master?”
“Certainly not!” Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter.
“Then… shall I have Dai Yuan use her Secret Technique to collect some?” Gong Ao Fu asked hesitantly.
In Coloured Glass Sect, only Dai Yuan who had cultivated the special Secret Technique was able to extract and refine Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass.
So even though Coloured Glass Sect possessed a great treasure like Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, it was unable to actually use it fully, a rather depressing situation.
“Disciple cannot mine much, but I believe Yang Kai has his own methods!” Dai Yuan looked at Yang Kai elegantly.
“Impudence!” Gong Ao Fu shouted as she turned her beautiful eyes towards Dai Yuan and declared majestically, “How dare you call Sect Master by his given name!”
Although her tone was filled with the meaning of blame, Gong Ao Fu’s attention was completely focused on Yang Kai. Noticing that Yang Kai did not seem to be angry, she immediately calmed down.
“It’s fine, I’ve known Sister Dai Yuan for a long time, so it’s not a big deal for her to address me by name,” Yang Kai laughed lightly.
Dai Yuan, on the other hand, ground her teeth as she glared at Yang Kai angrily.
Before Corpse Spirit Religion ravaged Shadowed Star, she and Yang Kai had been friends on equal footing, always addressing one another informally, but now, this sly fellow had leapt to become someone who could order her Honoured Master around.
Dai Yuan naturally felt very awkward.
“Many thanks for Sect Master’s understanding. Subordinate has been neglectful in teaching Dai Yuan,” Gong Ao Fu bowed her head before quickly changing the topic, “Does Sect Master have a way to mine Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
“In that case, there’s nothing more that needs to be discussed. Please feel free to take as much as what Sect Master wants. Even if we mine it ourselves, we don’t actually have many uses for Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain at the moment. Sect Master, please come with me.”
Gong Ao Fu agreed immediately and led the way.
Yang Kai, Su Yan, and Xia Ning Chang quickly followed.
The cultivators of Coloured Glass Sect were also very curious about what method Yang Kai had to mine the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, so naturally, they followed along, eager to see what happened.
“You fool!” Yin Su Die watched the crowd fly away before getting close to Dai Yuan and muttering in frustration, “When Sect Master took the initiative to bring you to greet him, why did you just brush him off?”
“Then what should I have done? Gone up and pushed myself onto him?” Dai Yuan cast her a dismissive glance.
Yin Su Die choked on her words for a moment before thinking about it and suddenly giggling, “If it was me, I would do just that. He is the strongest man on Shadowed Star, so there’s no shame in actively trying to approach him.”
“It may be as you say, but do you think you can compare to the two women beside him?” Dai Yuan shot Yin Su Die a contemptuous look.
Yin Su Die gawked as she recalled the demeanour and appearance of Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, a sense of inferiority instantly welling up inside her.
Su Yan was wrapped in a cold aura that, while invisible, was extremely strong, giving her great pressure. With Su Yan standing there, Yin Su Die could not work up the courage to talk to Yang Kai.
As for the other delicate, veiled woman, she had a holy and inviolable aura that made any woman who saw her feel inferior!
“Who cares, I still have a chance as long as Sect Master is happy!” Yin Su Die coldly snorted.
“I have no time to waste with you!” Dai Yuan gave her a blank look before shaking her head and following after the crowd.
“Stupid Senior Sister! Ugly woman!” Yin Su Die cursed as she pointed at Dai Yuan indignantly.
Dai Yuan simply pretended not to hear anything.
Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain was actually a single giant Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass ore. It was extremely heavy and had a rather plain appearance, but it was a fact that this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass was innately able to produce Coloured Glass Divine Light.
Coloured Glass Divine Light had a profound suppressive effect on all five elements, as well as the Soul.
The Coloured Glass Bead Dai Yuan gave Yang Kai many years ago was something she had formed after ingesting small bits of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass over many years. It was similar to a Monster Beast’s Monster Core. This Coloured Glass Bead had been refined by Yang Kai and integrated into his Demon Eye of Annihilation, greatly enhancing its power.
In addition, Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass had a mysterious ability to transform into a myriad of different forms.
Rumour had it that if one used Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass to refine an artifact, that artifact could change into a variety of different forms when confronting an enemy, making it extremely difficult to defend against.
The Origin King Grade Starship of High Heaven Sect was refined with a large amount of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, which not only greatly improved its defensive capabilities but also allowed it to disguise itself as a meteorite with the assistance of many profound Spirit Arrays.
Only Yang Yan could possibly refine such a masterpiece, however, as no other Artifact Refiner in the Star Field was capable of refining so much Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass into the hull of a Starship.
In front of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, with everyone watching, Yang Kai simply released Xiao Xiao and allowed him to mine at will.
The Stone Puppet had an innate Divine Ability to devour all kinds of rare ores and refine them into the purest of essences. Since the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass was technically a type of ore, naturally the Stone Puppet had no difficulty with it.
Even Domain Stone Mountain in the Blood Prison was hollowed out by Xiao Xiao, so how could a mere Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain resist his jaws!?
Under the astonished gazes of Gong Ao Fu and the others, Xiao Xiao quickly tottered up to Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, opened his mouth, and began biting into it.
*Ka Ka Ka Ka…*
Crunching sounds rang out as the Stone Puppet gnawed a hole into Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within moments, the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, which had baffled Coloured Glass Sect for thousands of years, was missing a big piece.
The cultivators of Coloured Glass Sect were dumbfounded.
Soon, Xiao Xiao’s whole body had penetrated into Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, and although no one could see how he was moving now, the continued crunching sounds clearly indicated that he was still swallowing a large amount of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass.
“Sect Master, does this living puppet really have such a magical ability?” Gong Ao Fu exclaimed.
She knew about the existence of Xiao Xiao; after all, during the Battle of Dragon Cave Mountain back then, she had witnessed him from a distance. However, at that time, the Stone Puppet was in his stone giant form and was waving around the Heaven Shaking Pillar.
Gong Ao Fu never knew that in addition to its astonishing strength, the Stone Puppet could even easily eat Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass.
“Hehe, he’s a very special existence and has helped me a lot over the years,” Yang Kai answered casually, not bothering to explain and instead turned thoughtful as he said, “I need a lot of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass…”
“Please help yourself, Sect Master, it doesn’t matter even if you dig out all of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain!” Gong Ao Fu took the initiative to express her stance before he finished speaking.
“It’s nothing so exaggerated,” Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter, “This Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain is not small, I only need about one percent of it.”
“Even so, at the current rate, that should take two or three days. If Sect Master doesn’t mind, why not spend some time on the main peak to rest first? After two days we can come back here to check on your Stone Puppet’s progress.”
“Sure,” Yang Kai nodded.
Gong Ao Fu personally led Yang Kai, Su Yan, and Xia Ning Chang to the main peak where she immediately had the best palace prepared for them.
She did not arrange a banquet for Yang Kai because she knew he did not care for such things, simply instructing a few disciples to serve his trio diligently but not disturb him unless absolutely necessary.
Three days later, everything was in order. Xiao Xiao had swallowed Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass for the past three days straight, causing his belly to swell noticeably.
Yang Kai had him spit out the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass immediately, and after storing it into a Space Ring, he bid farewell to Gong Ao Fu.
Before leaving, he left some Origin Grade artifacts for Coloured Glass Sect, as well as some Origin Grade pills used for cultivation.
This was a kind of compensation for him taking away so much Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. Whether it was Origin Grade artifacts or Origin Grade pills, both were extremely rare and valuable on Shadowed Star, so Gong Ao Fu happily accepted them and brought all the Elders and elite disciples to see Yang Kai off.
Ten days later, inside High Heaven Sect.
In the main square outside the meeting hall, a brand new Space Array had been arranged by Yang Kai.
This Space Array was somewhat different from the ones Yang Kai had arranged on Shadowed Star previously. The main difference was that it was much smaller while also possessing a more profound aura.
This was a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array!
This was the Space Array Yang Kai would use to locate High Heaven Sect!
Just like how he had done before, with this Space Array in place, all Yang Kai needed to do now was arrange another Space Array on a nearby star and he would be able to create a two-way link between them.
With this, High Heaven Sect now had two main Space Arrays.
One was arranged outside High Heaven Sect to connect it with the rest of Shadowed Star, while the other was arranged inside the Sect in preparation to connect with the rest of the Star Field.
During the past three months, High Heaven Sect had devoted all its efforts and resources to collecting Space Spirit Crystals for Yang Kai, but had still only managed to gather two thousand pieces.
These Space Spirit Crystals represented almost all of what was currently available on Shadowed Star, and unless some new Space Spirit Crystal mineral lodes were discovered, there would likely be a shortage of them in the near future. However, according to Yang Kai’s calculations, these Space Spirit Crystals would be enough to arrange three or four Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays.
After taking care of some last issues and bidding farewell to his family and friends, Yang Kai once again visited the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field and chatted with Yang Yan for a while before summoning his Star Shuttle and flying off into the Starry Sky.
In High Heaven Sect, ten thousand people looked up into the sky to watch the departing light until it disappeared from sight.
“Be safe!” Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang stood atop different peaks as they shared the same silent wish in their hearts.
…..
Millions of kilometres from Shadowed Star, an invisible Astral Wind blew about recklessly, creating numerous big and small Starry Sky Storms which crashed together, were worn down, and then gathered together over and over and over again.
A vast and chaotically drifting Asteroid Sea which could rip apart any cultivator or Starship who tried to break through it haphazardly also swirled about.
This was the great barrier which isolated Shadowed Star.
The cultivators of Shadowed Star called it the Dead Zone!
Several million kilometres wide, this Dead Zone wrapped Shadowed Star in an all but impenetrable barrier that prevented anyone from leaving or arriving on Shadowed Star.
If it was just these dangers though, it would not be enough to stop Origin King Realm masters from arriving here, and even if Shadowed Star was quite remote, there would always be an Origin King who was curious and visited over a ten thousand year period.
However, the Dead Zone was also flooded with a certain power that even Origin King Realm masters dreaded.
Emperor Pressure!
Only Emperor Pressure could deter Origin Kings from approaching.
When Yang Kai left Shadowed Star with Qian Tong and the others last time, he had relied on the powerful defences of the Origin King Grade Starship to pass this region, but this time, he had come out alone and naturally left the Origin King Grade Starship behind in case some kind of accident occurred.
As such, Yang Kai was only able to rely on himself.
He did not know how this Dead Zone was formed before, but after hearing about so many ancient secrets from Yang Yan, he clearly realized that this Dead Zone was the remains of the battlefield between Yang Yan and the Insect Emperor.
That was why this place was still filled with Emperor Pressure and why it was so extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, although the Emperor Pressure here was indeed terrifying, it was not the first time that Yang Kai had experienced it. When the Emperor Garden had truly opened, Yang Kai had even used the Emperor Pressure it released to integrate his Space Force into his Shi.
In regards to withstanding Emperor Pressure, Yang Kai was more confident than anyone.
Rushing straight into the Dead Zone, Yang Kai began dodging the flowing asteroids which came at him from all directions.
The invisible Star Field Astral Winds sliced past him like sharp blades, cutting into his flesh, causing a harsh metallic sound to ring out constantly.
Five coloured light blossomed from Yang Kai’s figure suddenly as he began using his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art to protect his body!
With the constant use of Shadowed Heaven Pills, Yang Kai’s physical strength had already grown to an unimaginable state.
The invisible Astral Winds which could even force back an Origin King now could not even harm Yang Kai, and the occasional asteroid which managed to hit him would break upon impact.
Yang Kai charged into fierce Star Field Storms without fear and was instantly swallowed up by it.
Before long, Yang Kai rushed out from the other side of the storm safe and sound.
Cutting a path through all these obstacles, Yang Kai’s momentum was unstoppable!
Yang Kai was even able to leisurely feel the mysteries of the ambient Emperor Pressure that flooded this place.
This was even more helpful to his growth than absorbing the energy inside Domain Stones.
Yang Kai’s Shi had already reached the grand accomplishment stage, and his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy had all reached the pinnacle of what an Origin Returning Realm master could possess.
If not for him being suppressed by Shadowed Star’s World Principles, Yang Kai could have already attempted to break through to the Origin King Realm.
As time passed slowly, his gains grew bigger and bigger.
However, Yang Kai soon discovered a problem. While it was indeed a rare opportunity to experience to comprehend the Emperor Pressure inside the Dead Zone, he clearly felt that it was too profound for him to grasp, unlike the energy inside Domain Stones.
After thinking about it for a while, Yang Kai understood.
He was currently at the peak of the Origin Returning Realm, with the next realm being the Origin King Realm. After the Origin King Realm though, there was a higher realm, and above that was the realm where Yang Yan stood, the true owner of this Emperor Pressure.
It was indeed a bit too ambitious to try to comprehend Emperor Pressure right now.
Yang Kai was like a child who had not yet learned to crawl trying to stand up and run, he was obviously somewhat incapable.
It seemed that the best time to experience the mysteries of the Dead Zone would be after he reached the Origin King Realm!
Realizing this, Yang Kai no longer wasted his time and rushed forward as fast as he could.
With the Star Chart in his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai did not have to worry about getting lost in the vast Star Field. By using his Star Chart, Yang Kai was also able to estimate the distances between different stars and Shadowed Star, allowing him to choose ideal places to arrange Space Arrays.
Many days later, Yang Kai landed on an icy Dead Star.
There were countless Dead Stars in the Star Field, ones without World Energy or even World Principles. Perhaps after billions of years, some of the Dead Stars could evolve and give rise to life again, but such matters were too remote for mere cultivators to consider. However, most Dead Stars would remain barren and desolate from birth to destruction.
After landing, Yang Kai didn’t immediately rest but instead began surveying the surrounding three-hundred-thousand-kilometre region.
After confirming that there were no living creatures here, he found a mountain valley-like area and began preparing to arrange the first Space Array!
This Space Array would be a transfer point for Shadowed Star to contact the outside world, and was an indispensable strategic location.
Xiao Xiao was released by Yang Kai and allowed to roam around freely.
Over the past year or so, Yang Kai would occasionally land on some Dead Stars, and each time he would let Xiao Xiao out to explore and see if he could reap any gains.
Xiao Xiao did not let him down either. With his extraordinary innate talent, Xiao Xiao was often able to find some rare ores, but the number was not too great, nothing Yang Kai took to heart, so he simply allowed Xiao Xiao to refine and absorb them himself.
By absorbing the essence of these ores, Xiao Xiao was able to grow stronger.
Xiao Xiao quickly disappeared from Yang Kai’s field of vision, after which, Yang Kai took out various things from his Space Ring and began to arrange the Space Array.
The mountain valley he chose was not small, and if one looked down from high up above, it would seem more like a giant trench dug into the Dead Star.
Yang Kai found a well-concealed spot near one of the rock walls and began to melt the various ores he had brought out, moulding them into various parts of different sizes that he piled up nearby.
These parts would comprise the base of the Space Array, and as long as they were completely refined and assembled appropriately, all Yang Kai would need to do was use his Space Force to carve the Spirit Array into it and the Space Array would be complete.
This was not Yang Kai’s first time performing this work. Before leaving Shadowed Star, he had personally arranged a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, so this wasn’t a difficult task for him.
All it took was some time.
There were no other people here to help him, so Yang Kai had to handle everything on his own, which naturally meant it took a little longer.
Fifteen days later, Yang Kai had finished arranging the Space Array. With its small size and position beneath a rocky overhead, if one did not search for it carefully, it would not be discovered.
However, if it were just this, the safety of this Space Array could not be guaranteed.
As Yang Kai poured his Saint Qi into the Space Array in front of him, it began to change colour and soon blended in with the surrounding land.
At first glance, this Space Array would only seem like another rock. One would need to closely examine it to notice anything out of the ordinary.
Before leaving Shadowed Star, Yang Kai had gone to Coloured Glass Sect and collected a large amount of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass for exactly this purpose. All along, he intended to use the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass as one of the primary materials in the Space Array’s base so he could conceal it like this.
Although this was a Dead Star, who could guarantee that no cultivator would not come here? If this large, flat circle were spotted by a passerby, it would become troublesome.
But it was a different story with the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass could assume a myriad of different forms, so by refining it into the array base and adding a concealment Spirit Array, Yang Kai was able to camouflage the Space Array almost perfectly.
Furthermore, by adding Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass into the array base, the Space Array itself became much sturdier, so even if it were struck by a meteor or hit by a storm, it would not be damaged.
After checking over his work and confirming everything was in order, Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction.
Done with the preparations, Yang Kai then began to engrave the Spirit Array into the base before finally pouring his Space Force into it.
The circular array quickly began to hum.
Yang Kai smiled, his expression was filled with joy. This slight movement meant that this Space Array had successfully connected with the one he arranged in High Heaven Sect, but whether it could teleport him there or not still needed to be tested and verified.
Naturally, he was the only one who could perform these verification tests. As Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, he did not need to worry about something going wrong in the transmission process as he could simply disrupt it or tear space to escape from The Void.
Summoning Xiao Xiao back with a thought, Yang Kai stood there and waited quietly.
It took a full day for Xiao Xiao to arrive, quite a long time all things considered.
If it was not for the special Soul connection between Yang Kai and Xiao Xiao, allowing the former to know the latter was safe, Yang Kai might have thought an accident had befallen Xiao Xiao.
Yang Kai glared at Xiao Xiao and was about to reprimand him when suddenly his gaze froze on the latter’s belly.
Xiao Xiao’s belly was actually completely round, and at a glance, it was obvious this little fellow had swallowed a massive amount of ore over the past half a month. If this weren’t the case, considering Xiao Xiao’s almost bottomless stomach, this would have been impossible.
Yang Kai was naturally quite surprised.
During his one year journey, Yang Kai had landed on many Dead Stars, all of which had been extremely barren. Some of these Dead Stars did not even have a single thing of value on them.
However, Seeing Xiao Xiao gain so many ores from this Dead Star, it was obvious that despite lacking any kind of World Energy, this place was definitely rich in ore.
Additionally, the grade of the ore the current Xiao Xiao would take interest in was not low.
“Spit it out and let me see,” Yang Kai said to Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao scratched his head slightly, then opened his mouth and began spitting out a stream of ore without hesitation. These ores were different in size, shape, and colour, and continued to pile higher and higher until it gradually formed a small hill.
After spitting out its haul, Xiao Xiao patted his now flat belly with an innocent expression on his face.
“This is…” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he stared at the mountain of ore in front of him. Picking up a washbasin size piece of silver ore, Yang Kai examined it with his Divine Sense and quickly muttered, “Heaven Seeking Silver?”
Yang Kai was no longer a naïve backwater boy. After so many years of experience wandering the Star Field, his vision had become quite sharp and his knowledge was now quite deep. He did not dare claim he would recognize all the materials in the Star Field at a glance, but at the very least he could identify most of them.
This washbasin sized silver ore was obviously the Origin Grade High-Rank Heaven Seeking Silver! If a small amount of this was added to an artifact while it was being refined, it could greatly improve the elasticity of that artifact, making it much more difficult to damage during battle.
Heaven Seeking Silver was an extraordinary auxiliary material that could be added to almost any kind of artifact, a universally useful material. If a cultivator possessed an artifact which was extremely valuable to them, they would often try to find materials that could enhance their quality, often leading to fierce competitions.
Heaven Seeking Silver was such a material, and its value wasn’t low!
An egg-sized piece of Heaven Seeking Silver would sell for at least one hundred thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals.
In other words, this washbasin sized Heaven Seeking Silver lump was worth at least several million Saint Crystals!
Yang Kai had not even recovered from his surprise when his eyes were next attracted to a big piece of ore which was emitting a golden glow.
“Profound Star Essence!”
“Five Coloured Sand!”
“Blue Phoenix Tear Iron!”
…..
“So many Saint Crystals?”
Yang Kai checked through the hill of ore and was repeatedly stunned by the great harvest Xiao Xiao had reaped this past half month.
Quickly estimating the value of this pile of ore in front of him, Yang Kai was shocked to discover that Xiao Xiao’s half-month of work was almost equivalent to the value of an entire medium-sized Sect on Shadowed Star.
The ores in front of him were all excellent materials for refining artifacts and some were even Origin King Grade. What Yang Kai was most confused by though was the massive quantity of Saint Crystals Xiao Xiao had brought back.
It was at least somewhat understandable that this Dead Star had a great deal of precious ore, but without World Energy, how could Saint Crystals possibly be produced here?
Saint Crystals were generally only formed on Cultivation Stars where there was rich World Energy and should never appear on Dead Stars.
Yang Kai’s eyes flickered as two completely different guesses came to his mind. Without hesitation, he pointed at the pile of ores in front of him and asked Xiao Xiao, “Where did you find these? Lead me there!”
Xiao Xiao immediately used his hands and feet to scamper across the ground in a certain direction.
Ten thousand kilometres away from the mountain valley where Yang Kai arranged the Space Array there was a giant pit which Xiao Xiao jumped down into.
Yang Kai followed closely.
Before setting up the Space Array, Yang Kai had surveyed the surrounding three hundred thousand kilometre region, and though he had noticed this giant pit, he hadn’t cared about it at the time.
Xiao Xiao had obviously found something good inside of it though!
This pit was very deep, and as he descended it, Yang Kai was assaulted by loud gusts of wind. Of course, this was not a problem for Yang Kai and he ignored it while releasing his Divine Sense to probe the situation down below, getting a good picture despite it being pitch black.
After descending roughly three thousand metres, Yang Kai’s landed at the bottom of the cave.
Standing firm, Yang Kai began expanding his Divine Sense outwards.
After a brief investigation, he was immediately shocked.
This underground space was not a small, empty cavern like he had expected, but actually a massive subterranean space that even his Divine Sense couldn’t completely cover!
The air here was a bit dry, but it was not difficult to breathe, and under Yang Kai’s Divine Sense investigation, he surprisingly discovered a large number of broken and collapsed buildings nearby that seemed to extend outwards for a great distance.
It turned out to be a giant ruin!
And judging from the style of these buildings, it was obvious that they were relics from a very distant era, at least several tens of thousands of years ago.
From the layout of these ruins, it was also clear that it was once the headquarters of a great Sect!
“I see…” Although Yang Kai’s expression displayed shock, his heart remained quite calm.
All of this was like what he had guessed.
After discovering that Xiao Xiao had brought back a lot of Saint Crystals, Yang Kai came up with two possible explanations.
One possibility was that this Dead Star was remarkably close to forming its own World Principles. If that was the case, then while there would be no signs on the outside of the Dead Star, Saint Crystals could still be produced below ground.
These Saint Crystals would exude aura for countless years to come, filling the Dead Star with World Energy and eventually allowing life to evolve.
This was the process by which a Dead Star evolved into a Cultivation Star. Such a Dead Star could be regarded as a newborn among the stars.
However, Yang Kai had not discovered a single induction that World Principles were forming here.
As such, this possibility was quite remote.
Yang Kai’s second guess, and the one he thought most likely, was that this Dead Star was not dead a very long time ago, but a real Cultivation Star. However, due to some kind of change, the World Principles had collapsed, and its aura had dispersed, turning it into what it was now.
Tong Xuan Realm may have gone down this path to becoming a Dead Star after several tens of thousands of years if there was no outside intervention.
All things were born, grew old, and then died; stars were no exception.
Although Yang Kai did not know what caused this star to become a Dead Star, he could tell from the materials brought back by Xiao Xiao that this place was obviously rich in resources and had a beautiful scenery long ago! The ruins in front of him were also clearly a great Sect’s headquarters.
A beckoning sound from nearby interrupted Yang Kai’s train of thought and turning to look, he saw Xiao Xiao motioning him to follow.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and with a flicker chased after him.
Along the way, Yang Kai was mindful of his surroundings, but soon discovered that his caution was unnecessary. Because there was no World Energy aura here, even if there were intact Spirit Arrays in these ruins, they could not activate.
In other words, this ruin was perfectly safe.
Soon after, Xiao Xiao brought Yang Kai to a large storehouse where a massive amount of ore was piled up along with many jade bottles and some other miscellaneous items.
The contents of the jade bottles were obviously pills.
Yang Kai picked up a few jade bottles to investigate but found that all the pills here had lost all their efficacy and crumbled into ashes, so he no longer bothered with them. There were also traces of withered herbs that had also lost their medicinal properties many years ago and become little more than garbage.
There was a large amount of Saint Crystals here as well, but these Saint Crystals had basically lost all their internal energy due to improper preservation. The Saint Crystals devoured by Xiao Xiao were probably the only useful ones left.
Inside this storehouse, the only thing of value that remained was the ore!
Ores were durable, and even if they were not preserved in a special way, their properties would not degrade.
Inside the storehouse, there was still several times more ore than had been consumed by Xiao Xiao, all of which was rare and valuable.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and collected all the ore into his Space Ring with a wave before bringing Xiao Xiao to continue exploring the area.
A day later, Yang Kai had made a sweep of the entire ruin.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai did not have any more gains, as everything of value was probably stored in that storehouse. Even Space Rings, which he found on some remains, had collapsed due to the lack of World Energy support, destroying everything inside of them.
However, Yang Kai did discover that, in this massive underground space, this ancient ruin was only the tip of the iceberg.
This underground region was like an entire expansive world, its area was extraordinarily vast!
Yang Kai decided to do some exploration.
After leaving the ruins, Yang Kai flew forward for only half a day before he came to a desolate mountain range that was pocketed with countless tunnels that appeared to be mine-shafts.
After arriving here, Xiao Xiao, who had been following Yang Kai the whole time, showed an expression of eagerness, as if he was very interested in the interior of this mountain range.
“Are there more ores in here?” Yang Kai turned his head and asked.
Stone Puppets were particularly sensitive to ore, and the more valuable the ore, the more it stimulated their appetite. Just like how wolves were sensitive to the smell of meat, Stone Puppets had a unique sense for ore!
Hearing Yang Kai questioning, Xiao Xiao nodded quickly.
“Then we should go take a look!” Yang Kai laughed before stretching out his hand, wrapping Xiao Xiao up in his Saint Qi, and rushing into the mountain range.
Soon, Yang Kai’s voice rang out from one of the mines, “An Annihilation Crystal lode!”
Sure enough, there was a mineral lode here, and of the extremely rare Annihilation Crystal!
Annihilation Crystal could not be used to refine artifacts because it naturally repelled World Energy, like fire and water. If it were used to refine artifacts, no one would be able to use them.
However, this ore was still extremely precious.
Because it naturally repelled World Energy, it could be used to arrange certain types of Spirit Arrays! A Spirit Array arranged with Annihilation Crystal could suppress a cultivator’s Saint Qi, meaning that if one were trapped inside, they could only rely on their physical strength to survive, just like on Shadowed Soul Island!
The famous Annihilation Isolation Array required Annihilation Crystal for its Array Core.
Without being able to use Saint Qi or artifact’s, could a cultivator really still be called a cultivator? The residents of Shadowed Soul Island used Shadowed Heaven Pills to temper their bodies so they could survive in that place, but not every cultivator had access to things like Shadowed Heaven Pills, and not every cultivator would focus on Body Tempering.
The Annihilation Isolation Array was a deadly trap for almost all cultivators, even Origin Kings who fell into it would find themselves in great difficulty.
Although this Spirit Array was indeed quite powerful, Annihilation Crystal was extremely rare and difficult to find!
However, there was actually an Annihilation Crystal lode here, and judging from the exposed crystals dotting the mine walls, it was a rich mineral lode!
Mineral lodes could be roughly divided into third categories, rich, ordinary, and poor! Each category had its own standard.
Generally speaking, a mineral lode that had reached the rich grade could be mined at will, making it a resource of extraordinary value as well as one that was extremely rare.
Yang Kai did not expect that he would actually find a rich Annihilation Crystal lode here.
Xiao Xiao had already rushed forward and was swallowing down pieces of ore rapidly, taking a large amount of Annihilation Crystal into his belly.
Yang Kai also did not hesitate, rushing forward and joining in the mining efforts.
Although this place was affected by the Annihilation Crystal ore, making it difficult for Yang Kai to use his Saint Qi, with his intrepid physical strength, his mining speed was only a little slower than Xiao Xiao’s.
In less than a day, Yang Kai had mined at least five hundred pieces of Annihilation Crystal. As for how much had been swallowed by Xiao Xiao, that was impossible to calculate.
Five hundred Annihilation Crystals were enough to set up a Spirit Array covering an entire small Sect. Of course, no Sect would be stupid enough to do this, because if they did, no one would be able to cultivate inside its perimeter anymore.
Without being able to sense World Energy, how was one supposed to cultivate?
Annihilation Crystal was most suited for arranging Spirit Arrays in some special locations, such as Restricted Areas or traps!
Despite Xiao Xiao and Yang Kai’s wanton mining though, this mineral lode did not seem to have decreased in supply at all. Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai could not help but sigh. Him wanting to mine this place fully by himself was simply unrealistic.
He would have to delay his efforts here for several years in order to finish such a project.
After grumbling for a moment, Yang Kai ceased his efforts and recalled Xiao Xiao before diving further into the mountain range to explore.
Another day later, under the guidance of Xiao Xiao’s sharp senses, Yang Kai came to another mountain range and after examining the situation inside of it, Yang Kai could not help calling out in surprise, “Heaven Grasping Jade!”
This place turned out to contain a Heaven Grasping Jade lode, an ore that could nourish one’s Soul!
Heaven Grasping Jade was a very special type of jade that had a deep green colour. Once stimulated with enough Saint Qi or World Energy, this jade released a soft energy that could nourish one’s Soul and strengthen their spiritual energy.
This was a natural process somewhat similar to the effects of Yang Kai’s Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, but it was far less effective.
The Soul Warming Lotus could exist inside a cultivator’s Knowledge Sea and constantly nourished their Soul. The reason Yang Kai’s Soul was so much stronger than average was because it had received the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus for so many years.
However, the Soul Warming Lotus was an incredibly rare supreme treasure, so how could it possibly be obtained easily? This was a treasure that even Origin Kings would covet.
Heaven Grasping Jade was different. Even though it was far less effective than the Soul Warming Lotus, that did not make it any less valuable as it was the best material for gently enhancing one’s Soul. Heaven Grasping Jade would appear on the market occasionally, but each time it did there would be a mad scramble to obtain it.
Heaven Grasping Jade was an incredibly valuable cultivation material!
But here, there was a mineral lode of Heaven Grasping Jade.
Judging from the scattered green light, this Heaven Grasping Jade lode wasn’t too rich, but it was also not barren, firmly placing it into the normal mineral lode category.
While Yang Kai was stunned, Xiao Xiao had already begun to devour the nearby Heaven Grasping Jade.
Yang Kai also quickly collected a hundred or so pieces of Heaven Grasping Jade before stopping and bringing Xiao Xiao to continue his exploration.
He faintly felt that this Dead Star he had accidentally landed on was a massive, untapped source of wealth!
Three days later, Yang Kai found a Blue Phoenix Tear Iron lode.
One month later, Yang Kai had discovered a total of eight mineral lodes, with one of them being a Saint Crystal lode!
He did not continue to explore at this point, as after a month he had vaguely understood that this Dead Star was actually once an Ore Star.
Each Cultivation Star had its own World Principles, and these World Principles were all roughly the same, but there were still some subtle differences.
These differences would lead to vastly different materials being produced on that Cultivation Star.
Some stars were better suited to growing herbs, resulting in them being classified as Medicine Stars.
On a Medicine Star, a herb which normally took a hundred years to reach maturity may only take fifty, thirty, or even just ten years to mature.
Other stars naturally formed ores at a higher frequency than average; these stars were known as Ore Stars.
On an Ore Star, there would be a dazzling variety of rare and precious ores in rich quantities.
In the Star Field, the most powerful forces all controlled a certain number of Ore Stars and Medicine Stars. For example, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce that Xue Yue belonged to had more than one Ore Star and Medicine Star. It was precisely because of this kind of heritage that Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was able to do business throughout the entire Star Field and become so famous and powerful.
This Dead Star that Yang Kai stumbled upon was undoubtedly an Ore Star, and judging from the quantity and quality of the mineral lodes he had discovered so far, even amongst Ore Stars, this star was considered superior.
Right now, what needed to be done was to develop this place!
If High Heaven Sect could control this Ore Star, how could it not grow strong in the future?
Yang Kai’s heart pounded slightly faster as he became excited at such prospects.
Without any hesitation, Yang Kai immediately began to set up a Space Array just outside the location of the Saint Crystal lode he was at to connect with the one he had arranged in the mountain valley on the surface.
Because this was not a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, Yang Kai only needed about a day to complete it and after standing on it, he inserted enough Saint Crystals to activate it and teleported back to the mountain valley on the surface.
Without delay, Yang Kai took out another batch of Saint Crystals and inserted them into the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array at his feet, locked onto the light in the distance of The Void that represented Shadowed Star, and activated the array.
When Yang Kai returned to Hundred Flowers Peak, Ye Xi Yun, who was instructing the little Lin Yun’er, was stunned for a moment. Before he could say anything, she asked suspiciously, “Sect Master, why have you returned so soon? Did you encounter some kind of danger?”
Her surprise was understandable; after all, the last time Yang Kai left Shadowed Star, he had been gone for eight years. From Yang Xiu Zhu and the others, Ye Xi Yun had learned just how remote Shadowed Star was and understood that simply travelling to a nearby Cultivation Star took well over a year.
But now, only a year later, Yang Kai had returned to Shadowed Star.
Why would he return so quickly this time?
“I found an Ore Star,” Yang Kai said concisely, and while answering Ye Xi Yun’s words, he swept Lin Yun’er with his Divine Sense.
Yang Kai was shocked to discover that this little girl, who possessed the Tyrant Strength Body and was only about fifteen years old, had physical vitality rivalling an ordinary Origin Returning Realm master who had lived for hundreds of years!
Although her petite body still looked delicate and weak, the strength contained within it was impossible to ignore.
Compared with the last time Yang Kai saw her outside Clear Sky Sect’s Black Sea City, Lin Yun’er had grown slightly taller, and her body had begun to acquire some slight curves while her legs had become longer and slenderer. Her hair was tied up in a bun behind her head, giving her a heroic look.
Seeing Yang Kai staring at her, Lin Yun’er smartly greeted him as Uncle Sect Master.
Yang Kai nodded gently in response.
“An Ore Star?” Ye Xi Yun’s eyes lit up.
Although she had lived her whole life on Shadowed Star and had never seen the wonders of the Star Field for herself, that did not mean Ye Xi Yun was unaware of what discovering an Ore Star meant.
An Ore Star represented wealth, power, and bright future prospects!
Especially for a Sect.
“A rich Ore Star?” Ye Xi Yun asked with interest.
“Very rich, rich beyond your imagination!” Yang Kai replied seriously, “I only explored it for a month and already found eight mineral lodes ranging from rich to poor, including an Annihilation Crystal lode, a Blue Phoenix Tear Iron lode, a Heaven Grasping Jade lode, a Mountain Piercing Ice Copper lode, a Water Cloud Steel lode, and a Saint Crystal lode!”
“So many?” Ye Xi Yun, who was normally extremely calm and composed, could not help feeling shocked by this piece of news Yang Kai had brought back, her beautiful brow rising slightly as her long eyelashes fluttered.
“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!” Yang Kai emphasized.
“Are there any dangers?”
“None. It’s a Dead Star without any World Energy!” Yang Kai laughed, “If there was any discernible danger, I wouldn’t have made a special trip back. I searched it for a month and I didn’t even see a single living thing, let alone anything dangerous.”
“Then Sect Master intends to…” Ye Xi Yun looked at Yang Kai with bright eyes.
“Naturally, we need to deploy a large amount of manpower to begin mining it!” Yang Kai grinned, “However, even for High Heaven Sect, that Ore Star is too big to monopolize. Invite some of the Sects that had good relationships with us and are reliable to share this news with, to join us.”
“Since it is Sect Master’s orders, this Queen will naturally not object, but… Although there are a few Sects we can cooperate with on this project, we cannot just give them benefits in vain. We should allow them to mine the ore there, but have them pay thirty or forty percent to High Heaven Sect as tax. Also, this will have to wait until after we establish a foothold there.”
“Yeah, Great Elder’s thoroughness is reassuring,” Yang Kai nodded. “But Shadow Moon Hall…”
“Shadow Moon Hall is naturally an exception!” Ye Xi Yun smiled. She also knew that the friendship between Yang Kai and Qian Tong has transcended mere profits and benefits.
“Great, I’ll leave processing this matter in your hands. I’ll refine some special Transmission Tokens as well to assist in the project,” Yang Kai finished speaking and left immediately.
Because there was a need to bring many people to the Ore Star to mine it this time, special Transmission Tokens needed to be specially refined.
It took some time for Yang Kai to finish refining fifty special Transmission Tokens.
This type of Transmission Token was different from the previous ones and could ensure that fifty people could pass through the Space Array arranged by Yang Kai at once. Moreover, when Yang Kai refined these Transmission Tokens, he also set up a Spirit Array inside that would only respond to his or Ye Xi Yun’s Saint Qi. This way, if one wanted to use this Transmission Token, they would first need Ye Xi Yun to pour her Saint Qi into it.
Although this method was a bit cumbersome, it could ensure safety and guarantee that if this Transmission Token ever fell into enemy hands, they would be unable to use it.
Anyone who needed to use this Transmission Token must obtain Ye Xi Yun’s approval!
These special Transmission Tokens were much more cumbersome to refine, so it took Yang Kai ten days to complete all fifty.
Once he was finished, Yang Kai went to see Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang again, but surprisingly, both were in retreat.
With no other alternative, Yang Kai could only give up. In any case, after he completed the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array network, he could return to High Heaven Sect at any time, so he was not in a rush to disturb them.
By now, Qian Tong had led a group of Shadow Moon Hall’s elites to High Heaven Sect.
He was obviously quite interested in the news from Ye Xi Yun, so this time, he brought a thousand disciples with him. For Shadow Moon Hall, which was still in the process of rebuilding, these thousand people were actually quite a large number.
After arriving at High Heaven Sect and listening to Yang Kai explain the situation regarding the Dead Star, Qian Tong immediately said, “What are we waiting for then? We should rush over immediately! If we can mine all those rare ores, how could we not get rich?”
“Old Qian seems anxious to leave Shadowed Star,” Yang Kai looked at him with a smile.
Qian Tong was stunned for a moment before he let out a hearty laugh, “Indeed, this old master has been struck by lightning a few times these past few days. As time passes, the World Principles here are repelling this old master more and more. This old master was originally worried about what he would do if you did not return for a dozen years. Now that there is such an opportunity, this old master is very eager to take it. Yang Kai, you can rest assured, with this old master overseeing that Ore Star temporarily, if any blind fools come along and try to cause trouble, this old master will take care of them.”
“Since Old Qian has said so, I really can rest assured,” Yang Kai nodded, stood up, and waved, “No point in delaying any longer, let us set out.”
Before the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array inside High Heaven Sect, more than two thousand cultivators had gathered.
Among these two thousand people, half belonged to Shadow Moon Hall while the rest belonged to High Heaven Sect.
The cultivations of these people were varied, with most being Saint Kings while a few were Origin Realm masters. While mining could be performed by Saints and Saint Kings without a problem, there would always be a need for some masters for security.
Teams of fifty people were quickly organized, with each team leader holding a Transmission Token given to them by Ye Xi Yun. These groups took turns boarding the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, with Qian Tong being in the first batch to explore the way and ensure there was no danger on the other side.
White light flashed brilliantly as the Space Array continued to operate almost without pause.
A stick of incense worth of time later, all two thousand people had disappeared.
On the cold and deserted Dead Star, two thousand people appeared inside a deep mountain valley. Turning their heads and looking around, almost everyone felt a little nervous.
For these two thousand people, it was their first time experiencing the vastness and horror of the Star Field. This Dead Star, without World Energy or living creatures, was quite a dark and foreboding environment for them.
Seeing Yang Kai appear with the last batch of people, Qian Tong rushed over and asked, “Is this the Ore Star you spoke of?”
“En.”
“It doesn’t appear very bountiful,” Qian Tong knit his brow.
Yang Kai laughed and said, “A Dead Star is naturally filled with a desolate aura, so of course it doesn’t appear bountiful. The real mysteries are hidden here!”
Saying so, Yang Kai lightly tapped his foot.
“Underground?”
“En, come with me!” Yang Kai beckoned before leading the way.
The team of two thousand cultivators followed after Yang Kai, remaining vigilant of their surroundings as they set out.
However, after discovering that there was really nothing here to be wary of, everyone slowly relaxed.
Without World Energy, it was incredibly difficult for anything that could pose a threat to appear here.
It took the team of two thousand about an hour before they arrived at a giant pit which Yang Kai promptly dove down into.
The two thousand cultivators orderly followed him down.
Soon, everyone stood in front of an ancient ruin.
Listening to Yang Kai’s various speculations about these ruins, Qian Tong and Ye Xi Yun could not help sighing slightly.
Birth, ageing, sickness, and eventually death, such is the Heavenly Way that even stars could not escape. But if that was so, could cultivators defy that natural order? Perhaps they too would become just a handful of scattered ash after many years. Perhaps the now powerful High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall would one day fall into ruin and be forgotten by history.
The expressions on these two leaders became somewhat complicated and forlorn when thinking about such a future.
“My idea is this: We use this place to set up a camp, as there is already a site ready to be used here. All it needs is a bit of repair and tidying up. With this place as the centre, everyone can spread out and explore, mine ore, then return here to rest and recuperate, what do you two think?” Yang Kai asked as he pointed to the ruins before them.
“Very good! I don’t have a problem with it,” Qian Tong nodded.
“Great Elder?” Yang Kai turned to Ye Xi Yun.
“Naturally, I have no objections.”
“But the building materials…” Qian Tong frowned.
Ye Xi Yun laughed lightly and said with a smile, “We’ve brought enough. Since Sect Master has had this idea for some time now, how could we not make appropriate preparations? Before we came, we had the disciples gather any necessary supplies.”
“In that case, this old master will be profiting from your preparedness,” Qian Tong laughed before turning around and shouting, “Shadow Moon Hall disciples, assist your brothers and sisters from High Heaven Sect in building some houses here. This will be our temporary home.”
The thousand Shadow Moon Hall disciples voiced their understanding and got to work.
The ruins, which had been abandoned for countless years, suddenly became lively again, with two thousand people wandering about, setting up houses with the various materials they had brought.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai began arranging a Space Array here!
Since this would be their main camp, there was naturally a need for a Space Array here to contact the outside. Whether it was the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array in the mountain valley on the surface or the Space Array Yang Kai had left outside the Saint Crystal lode before, there was a need for this place to be connected to them.
By doing this, it would be far more convenient for the disciples to make roundtrips while mining ore, saving much time and effort.
Ten days later, inside the original ruins, there was now a cluster of newly built houses. Because this would be a long-term camp, the disciples of the two great forces had spared no effort in their construction.
These houses were not exquisite in design, but they were extremely practical. Living in them would be just like living in their respective Sects, except for the lacking of World Energy.
However, this was not a big problem. If one really wanted to cultivate, they simply needed to rely on Saint Crystals.
Along the roads of the former ruin, light stones were hung at regular intervals to provide a soft illumination, brightening up the originally dark and dreary space.
Yang Kai had informed Qian Tong and Ye Xi Yun about the locations of the eight mineral lodes he had already found; as for how they were mined, Yang Kai did not need to concern himself. Qian Tong and Ye Xi Yun would take charge of everything.
If they needed more manpower, they could always bring people over from Shadowed Star at any time; Yang Kai had arranged everything for them.
Not only that, once everything in the camp was in order and the disciples began mining operations, Yang Kai went out alone, and within a ten-million-kilometre radius, he arranged several Space Arrays!
Over the next several dozen years, these Space Arrays arranged by Yang Kai would allow the cultivators from Shadowed Star to move about easily within this range.
One month later, Yang Kai was ready to leave.
After all, his original intention was to open up a connection between Shadowed Star and the outside world; finding this Ore Star was just an inadvertent harvest.
Now that things were settled on this Ore Star, there was not any reason for Yang Kai to delay his trip further.
Standing amidst the ruins, Yang Kai summoned Xiao Xiao back!
Since arriving on this Ore Star, Yang Kai had never taken Xiao Xiao back, because this place was a paradise for him. By devouring all kinds of rare ores, Xiao Xiao could strengthen himself, and if there was enough of a particular type of ore, Xiao Xiao might even be able to acquire new abilities related to their properties.
His lava armour was a perfect example!
This was an ability Xiao Xiao gained after refining some of the Sun’s True Fire.
As soon he donned his lava armour, no one could approach to within ten metres of Xiao Xiao, as the heat he gave off was enough to force even Origin Realm masters back.
In any case, the resources on this Ore Star were extremely abundant, so no matter how much Xiao Xiao swallowed, the overall amount would not decrease. As such, Yang Kai had left Xiao Xiao to his own devices.
However, when he tried summoning Xiao Xiao, Yang Kai discovered that Xiao Xiao had dug extremely deep into the star, apparently having found something good.
Perceiving Yang Kai’s call, Xiao Xiao began tunnelling his way back up from below.
An hour later, Xiao Xiao appeared in front of Yang Kai.
But with just a glance, Yang Kai could not help becoming worried.
Because Xiao Xiao’s current state seemed somewhat improper.
Xiao Xiao had always appeared a bit gruff and silly because his sentience simply was not very high, a trait that was reflected by his somewhat dull outward appearance. However, at this moment, he appeared even dimmer than before, with the intelligent glint in his eyes now severely diminished.
When he walked about, Xiao Xiao staggered and swayed, as if he was drunk.
Yang Kai was taken aback and instinctually thought that Xiao Xiao had swallowed something he should not have, causing some kind of accident. But after performing a thorough check, Yang Kai was surprised to find that nothing was wrong with Xiao Xiao. In fact, his physical condition had never been better.
Additionally… Yang Kai sensed a strange, mysterious power coming from Xiao Xiao’s body.
This kind of power was familiar to Yang Kai as it was like the World Principles he felt as he refined the Star Source of Shadowed Star to become its Star Master.
“World Principles?” Yang Kai’s complexion changed drastically as he quickly began investigating more carefully.
After a long, silent probe, Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense and knitted his brow.
He did not feel anything was wrong with Xiao Xiao, but it was also undeniable that he now gave off a trace of World Principles from his body. This fluctuation was quite faint, though, countless times weaker when compared to Shadowed Star’s.
However, World Principles were still World Principles, a concept that even Origin Kings were unable to touch!
The question was now, how could Xiao Xiao suddenly begin giving off traces of Heavenly Law?
After recalling all his previous experiences in search of an answer, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as a bold guess emerged in his heart, “Did you swallow and refine the Star Source of this Dead Star? Did this Dead Star actually have a Star Source to begin with?”
Xiao Xiao raised his dim eyes and looked at Yang Kai with a blank expression for a while before raising his foot and began stumbling about before tripping over himself and falling to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he realized that Xiao Xiao wasn’t in any danger, but was simply unable to completely digest the power of the Dead Star’s Source, causing his control over his own strength to become unstable. Realizing this, Yang Kai simply took Xiao Xiao back into the Sealed World Bead.
However, this entire situation was quite a surprise to Yang Kai.
That this Dead Star still had its own Star Source was a shocking discovery.
It should be impossible for a Dead Star to possess a Star Source because, without World Energy, there simply could not be World Principles, naturally meaning there was no way for a Star Source to be born. This was the same concept as a person dying and their body rotting, their essence disappearing leaving behind only withered bones.
However, there were always exceptions to the rules.
According to Yang Kai’s own previous speculations, this Dead Star was originally an extremely vibrant Cultivation Star that had for some reason died throughout thousands, if not millions of years. As such, some of its original Source could have remained.
Xiao Xiao had obviously dug deep underground and found the remains of this Star Source and swallowed it.
This was a great blessing. If it was the Star Source of a true Cultivation Star, Xiao Xiao would never have been able to refine it.
This kind of refining was completely different from the refining Yang Kai performed to become a Star Master. Star Master and Cultivation Star were closely linked, sharing honour and disgrace. After Yang Kai became a Star Master though, Shadowed Star’s Star Source still existed, there was now just a mysterious connection between them that allowed Yang Kai to use many conveniences on Shadowed Star that others could not.
Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, had directly swallowed and absorbed this place’s Star Source, meaning it was gone forever and would not be completely converted into Xiao Xiao’s strength.
Various thoughts flashed through Yang Kai’s head, making him more and more certain his guess was correct.
Since Xiao Xiao was fine though, Yang Kai was no longer as worried about this. After talking to Qian Tong and Ye Xi Yun, he departed from the Ore Star and continued his journey.
Traversing the Star Field was desolate and lonely, especially in this region where there were no Cultivation Stars at all.
Through his Star Chart, Yang Kai confirmed that the nearest Cultivation Star was at least a year away.
Not becoming irritable or impatient, Yang Kai would sometimes travel under his own strength, while at other times he would land on an asteroid and cultivate while allowing it to carry him forward.
Sometimes, he would land on Dead Stars he came across to search for gains.
However, Dead Stars were Dead Stars in the end, and despite searching a number of them, Yang Kai didn’t have much of a harvest. It could be said that his discovery of that Ore Star was simply a stroke of luck.
Such an accident was not going to happen a second time.
That being said, Yang Kai arranged another Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array on a certain Dead Star he passed by, connecting it with the previous one.
During this period, Xiao Xiao had been asleep inside the Sealed World Bead, not moving at all. However, Yang Kai was aware that Xiao Xiao was now slowly releasing a thick, impurity-like casing from his body, forming a kind of stone cocoon around himself.
This was quite similar to his original state as a stone embryo.
[Could Stone Puppets evolve?] While Yang Kai was suspicious, he was also looking forward to it, wondering what kind of changes Xiao Xiao would experience after he emerged from the cocoon.
After many days of cultivating, Yang Kai also faintly noticed a kind of barrier blocking his path forward.
This was the barrier which separated him from the Origin King Realm! Only by breaking through these shackles could Yang Kai reach the Origin King Realm.
At this time, if he could find a Cultivation Star and enter retreat for a year, or even half a year, Yang Kai was confident he could make a breakthrough attempt.
One day, Yang Kai was performing a check on Xiao Xiao’s condition.
Because Xiao Xiao had not moved at all for the past year or so, Yang Kai would check in on him occasionally. This time, however, some faint fluctuations were coming from the cocoon, a clear sign Xiao Xiao was about to emerge from it.
Joyful, Yang Kai immediately looked for a place to stay for a while to wait for Xiao Xiao to complete his evolution.
After scanning his surroundings, Yang Kai rushed straight towards a nearby Asteroid Sea.
This Asteroid Sea was quietly suspended in the void, with no signs of movement at all within or around it, the perfect place to enter retreat for a while.
However, when Yang Kai approached the Asteroid Sea, he suddenly frowned.
He noticed that several auras were trying to conceal themselves in this Asteroid Sea. Although these people were doing their best to remain hidden, it was obvious each one was a powerful Origin Realm master.
It was only because Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was much more powerful than average that he could notice this group.
These people sneakily hiding here were obviously plotting something nefarious.
Yang Kai felt his luck was quite bad, as he did not want to be caught up in this kind of turbid water, so he quickly turned around and left.
However, his figure had only moved slightly when a brilliant glimmer flashed in the distance, transforming into a beam of light which shot out from behind one of the asteroids.
A terrifying power radiated from this streak of light as it rapidly closed the several-dozen-kilometre distance between Yang Kai and the asteroid, causing him to feel a slight tightness on his skin.
“An Origin King!” Yang Kai’s face sank when he realized there was an Origin King Realm master hidden in this Asteroid Sea! Even he had not noticed the presence of such a powerful master until just now.
Although with his current strength, Yang Kai was already invincible under the Origin King Realm, facing an Origin King still put a great deal of pressure onto him.
Origin Kings and Origin Realm masters were completely different existences, and there was a vast gap between them, which was why so many remained stuck at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm their entire life, never able to spy on the mysteries of the Origin King realm.
This hidden master suddenly making a move obviously indicated they intended to kill Yang Kai with a single blow.
However, the master who took action greatly underestimated Yang Kai’s strength. Faced with such a terrifying blow, Yang Kai let out a long roar, stretched out his hand, and weaved together hundreds of his Golden Blood Threads to condense a great golden shield to protect himself!
*Hong…*
With a loud bang and a flash of golden light, Yang Kai was sent flying as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The sturdy shield he condensed from hundreds of Golden Blood Threads had failed to completely block this blow, which shocked him greatly.
However, at the moment of impact, Yang Kai was able to see clearly what he had been attacked by.
It was a long spear over three metres in length and the thickness of a small child’s arm, its whole form radiating a dazzling light and an extraordinary energy fluctuation.
An Origin King Grade artifact!
Although the spear’s main thrust was blocked by the blood shield Yang Kai condensed, the sharp aura it gave off was not completely dissipated and managed to pierce his body, making him feel as if he had been stabbed by countless tiny needles and causing his meridians and physique to ache while his face to distorted.
With the cultivation of the person who launched this sneak attack and the terrifying power of this spear, an ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator would have been killed instantly, but thanks to his strong foundation and form, Yang Kai was only slightly injured.
From when he left Shadowed Star until now, this was the first encounter Yang Kai had with foreign cultivators, but he never expected that he would actually be attacked by an Origin King with an Origin King Grade artifact.
Yang Kai’s heart filled with anger as he turned his head and glared towards the distant Asteroid Sea like a fierce beast before turning around and flying off into the distance, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
After delivering its blow, the long spear which hit Yang Kai flew back the same way it came and landed in the hands of a middle-aged man standing on a huge asteroid.
The middle-aged man had a sinister look about him and wore dark blue robes on his body. A gloomy aura pulsed from his figure, making none dare to approach within ten metres of him.
Holding his artifact, the middle-aged man showed a look of surprise on his face, as if he was shocked he could not kill Yang Kai.
“Interesting. Not only was he able to sense our presence, he even managed to survive after taking this King’s attack,” The middle-aged man smiled fiercely before glancing over in the direction Yang Kai escaped and asking. “Do any of you know who that was?”
Around this man there stood at least twenty Origin Returning Realm masters, all of them above the Second-Order. Hearing this question, these masters exchanged glances before all shaking their heads, indicating that none of them knew who Yang Kai was.
“Since none of you know him, he must really be a passerby,” The middle-aged man pondered for a moment before declaring. “But this matter is very important and there is no room for mistakes, so even if he was just passing by, we cannot let him go.”
“Sir, after taking your blow, will he survive?” Someone asked.
Just now, they all saw the attack this middle-aged man launched and none of them were confident they could take it without dying! Although the other party’s origins were unknown, he was still just an Origin Realm cultivator in the end, so it should be impossible for him to live.
“It never hurts to be cautious. Zhang Fu and Liu Dong, go bring his corpse back to this King!” The middle-aged commanded, clearly thinking that Yang Kai surviving was simply a stroke of luck and he escaped on the verge of death.
“Yes!” Two Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators who were named immediately summoned their Star Shuttles and chased after the escaping Yang Kai.
Thirty thousand kilometres away from where Yang Kai had been attacked, atop a drifting asteroid, Yang Kai sat cross-legged, watching the direction he had come from, waiting quietly.
Although he did not know why that Origin King had just attacked him, judging from how they were stealthily trying to conceal themselves, it was fairly obvious they were lying in ambush for someone, and even if Yang Kai had only passed by on accident, he might have disturbed their plans.
In other words, the other party had attacked him in an attempt to silence the witness to the crime.
That being the case, even if he tried to escape now, the other party would definitely not let him go! Yang Kai was certain someone would come to pursue him soon.
It was precisely because of this judgment that Yang Kai had deliberately stopped and did not leave in a hurry.
After inexplicably suffering such a big loss, how could Yang Kai simply walk away? Although the opponent’s attack was terrifying, Yang Kai also noticed that the one who delivered it was just a First-Order Origin King.
He had even killed Luo Hai, so why would he need to fear a mere First-Order Origin King? Although there was no Star Emperor Token for Yang Kai to use anymore, even if he could not defeat this Origin King, he would have no problem escaping.
Luo Hai had chased Yang Kai for several months through the Star Field back then, causing him extreme distress but never capturing him. Could this unknown First-Order Origin King be faster or more powerful than Luo Hai?
Yang Kai’s guess was correct, and after waiting just half a cup of tea’s time on this asteroid, two rays of light suddenly appeared in the distance. Judging from the brightness and speed of these streaks, the pursuers who had arrived were two Third-Order Origin Realm cultivators.
A sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of Yang Kai’s lips but as his pursuers got closer, he quickly put that expression away and instead wore one of panic, hurriedly leapt up from the asteroid, summoned his Star Shuttle, and continued to fly forward.
However, making the most of this act, Yang Kai deliberately moved at much less than his peak speed, pretending his injuries were not light and giving the appearance of an arrow at the end of its flight.
When the two cultivators named Zhang Fu and Liu Dong saw this, they exchanged a knowing glance before following behind Yang Kai at a leisurely pace, intending to play a game of cat and mouse and enjoy this little distraction before killing him.
Flying forward, Yang Kai would occasionally look back, as if he was afraid that he would be overtaken.
This sight made Zhang Fu and Liu Dong even more unscrupulous, not only intentionally tailing behind Yang Kai instead of immediately attacking, but also repeatedly taunting and threatening him.
After an hour, estimating that he had travelled far enough now, Yang Kai suddenly came to a stop, turned around, and stood his ground.
With a flash of light, Zhang Fu and Liu Dong appeared in front of Yang Kai and stood at a distance of about three hundred metres, looking at him mockingly.
The taller Zhang Fu swept his eyes over Yang Kai and snickered, “Boy, you’re pretty good. Even after suffering a blow from Senior Li’s Soul Breaker Spear, you didn’t immediately die. This Zhang is impressed!”
“Senior Li?” Yang Kai frowned, his face pale and gloomy to the extreme, coughing frequently as he asked, “I have no grievances with you, why would your Senior Li attack me? “
Zhang Fu smiled coldly as he casually played with a ring-shaped artifact he was holding as he spoke lightly, “We truly have no grievances or grudges between us, you can only blame your bad luck for passing through here. Heh heh, Senior Li hates it when his plans are interrupted the most.”
“What plans?” Yang Kai asked.
Liu Dong, standing next to Zhang Fu, cut in impatiently, “Brat, you’re about to die, why bother asking so many questions?”
“It is precisely because I’m about to die that I’m asking, so at least I don’t die ignorant!” Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
“You want to understand why you’re about to die?” Zhang Fu looked at Yang Kai and sneered.
“Yes!”
“It’s not that I can’t tell you. You-” Zhang Fu said in a joking tone, but Liu Dong interrupted him before he finished.
“Enough nonsense, just hurry up and kill him, it’s important we bring his corpse back to Senior Li as quickly as possible!”
“Fair enough!” Zhang Fu nodded in agreement before he glanced towards the Space Ring on Yang Kai’s hand, “This brat was able to take Senior Li’s strike without dying, so he can’t be an average guy. There must be many good things on him. How about we split whatever is in his ring fifty-fifty?”
“Agreed!” Liu Dong nodded.
The two of them began deciding how to divide up Yang Kai’s belongings before even finishing him off. In any case, Senior Li only said they needed to bring his corpse back, he never said anything about the treasures on him. Naturally, these items would line their pockets as they believed that with his status and strength, Senior Li would disdain to snatch them from them.
“You want my things?” Yang Kai grinned slightly as he suddenly spoke in a cold tone, “I’m afraid they’ll cost you your lives!”
“Insane brat!” Liu Dong snorted coldly, but in the next moment, his complexion changed drastically, and his eyes bulged as he stared towards Yang Kai’s original location, because no one was there.
At some point, Yang Kai had mysteriously vanished.
Suddenly Liu Dong felt a faint chill run across his neck, and he heard Zhang Fu’s horrified shout ring in his ears, “Brother Liu, dodge!”
Liu Dong was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, so the moment he noticed Yang Kai had disappeared, he realized something was not right. Hearing Zhang Fu’s warning, he pushed his Saint Qi to its limits and tried to flee without any hesitation.
But to his horror, the Saint Qi in his body was instantly suppressed by an astonishing Shi, causing not just him, but the space around him to completely freeze.
Could such a powerful Shi really exist? Liu Dong felt his blood run cold as he desperately tried to push his own Shi to resist.
This was a standard part of battle between Origin Realm masters, where the difference in strength between their respective Shis ultimately determined who emerged victoriously.
However, the reality in front of Liu Dong only made him more desperate. The Shi he released from his body was like a snowflake under the scorching sun, melting away in an instant, unable to even take shape.
At that moment, he felt a chill come from his neck and as he gazed down, he saw a headless corpse standing in the void, red blood spraying from its neck like a beautiful fountain.
This person’s clothes, figure, and even the ring on his hand looked so similar to his own.
[I’m already dead?]
Cold sweat leaked from Liu Dong’s forehead as he faintly realized his situation, but soon darkness overtook him, swallowing his consciousness and vitality.
“Can you explain now?” When Yang Kai reappeared, he was already standing just ten metres in front of Zhang Fu, his complexion ruddy with no sign that he was injured at all.
Staring at Zhang Fu coldly, Yang Kai played with a single Golden Blood Thread at his fingertips that waved around like a living snake, looking for an opportunity to strike.
Zhang Fu shuddered as he felt a cold chill from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, his spirit almost collapsing entirely!
Liu Dong, whose strength equalled his own, was decapitated by this young man in a single instant.
When it happened, Zhang Fu only saw a golden light flashing across Liu Dong’s neck, he did not even see how Yang Kai moved.
Did such a powerful Origin Realm cultivator exist in this world?
Even if Senior Li wanted to kill them, he could not have done so this easily, right?
Zhang Fu stood on the spot with a pale face as big beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and slid down his face.
“Your companion was a bit tactless, so he died!” Yang Kai looked at Zhang Fu indifferently, without the slightest emotion in his eyes, making Zhang Fu sweat even more profusely.
He wanted to escape but found that he couldn’t muster the courage.
He had a feeling that if he really tried to run, he would be the next one seeing his own decapitated body.
“I hope your answers can satisfy me!” Yang Kai continued to put pressure on Zhang Fu as he observed his victim carefully.
Zhang Fu’s complexion was forlorn, and his eyes showed a clear light of fear. Pursing his dry lips, he asked, “If I tell you what you want to know, will you let me go?”
“What do you think?” Yang Kai sneered.
Zhang Fu’s body trembled as he gathered his courage and said, “Since you won’t let me go, why should I cooperate with you? Either way, I’ll die.”
“I can kill you quickly, so you won’t even notice you died!” Yang Kai smiled gently.
This smile was like that of a reaper from hell and Zhang Fu felt that this young man he was facing was scarier than Senior Li.
“I need to think about it!” Zhang Fu gulped hard as his eyes drifted about, obviously trying to find a way to escape.
Yang Kai just observed with a smile for a moment before flicking his wrist, causing the golden thread at his fingertips to flicker. Zhang Fu saw this, screamed, and hurriedly tried to dodge.
However, before he could dodge, a powerful Shi wrapped him up making it impossible for him to even move!
Zhang Fu’s eyes shrank as he looked down to find that the tips of his fingers on his left hand had been sheared off, as if they were sliced by some kind of extremely sharp blade, leaving a smooth wound that blood continued to splash out of.
The pain of this injury was nothing for a battle-hardened Origin Realm master, but what frightened Zhang Fu was that he had no power to fight back in front of Yang Kai.
Both of them were Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, but the other party was like an aloof god who could easily control his life or death!
The golden light flashed again…
Zhang Fu felt a twang of pain again as his left fingers were shaved down slightly more, the severed pieces drifting away slowly right before his eyes.
The other party did not speak anymore and simply kept waving his hand, sending out the golden thread every once in a while.
Another slice was taken, then another…
Zhang Fu’s left hand was slowly but surely cut away and soon disappeared altogether, leaving him with only a handless left arm. Yang Kai showed no intention of stopping though and instead continued his task with meticulous precision, cutting off small pieces of Zhang Fu’s left arm now that his hand was gone.
What caused Zhang Fu to tremble though was that while this young man continued this slow torture, he spoke in a callous voice to explain what he was doing. “After cutting off your left arm, I will cut off your right, then your left leg, then your right leg. I believe that with your cultivation, you won’t die even after that, so I’ll then begin cutting off parts of your body, but don’t worry, I’ll make sure you survive long enough to witness your heart being cut apart, so you understand exactly how you died.”
Zhang Fu could no longer hold back the panic in his heart and shouted, “Enough, whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you! Just stop!”
One death was not equal to another. Suffering slowly and dying painlessly were completely different concepts. Zhang Fu could not bear watching himself slowly be cut apart; just thinking about such a scene made him shudder uncontrollably.
Yang Kai paused and looked at him lightly before chuckling, “If you’d done this earlier, you could have avoided some pain. What was there to hesitate about?”
Zhang Fu grit his teeth and spat, “The winner is the King, the loser is the villain, just tell me what you want to know.”
“Good! Who are you!” Yang Kai went straight to the point.
“We’re from Sword Union!”
“Sword Union?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Sword Union was one of the Star Field’s hegemons, a super force that controlled several Cultivation Stars. Although it was not as large as Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, its strength was not to be underestimated.
In fact, Yang Kai had some dealings with Sword Union’s cultivators before, but that was many years ago. In the Star Field, in addition to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and Sword Union, there was another super force Purple Star, as well other significant players like Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair, each one occupying their own territory, fighting amongst themselves for dominance.
“Who are you trying to ambush by hiding here?” Yang Kai asked again.
Zhang Fu’s eyes flickered as his look became hesitant, but in the end, he grit his teeth and replied, “The one we’re here to ambush is also from Sword Union.”
Yang Kai looked at him with a strange expression.
Zhang Fu quickly explained, “I’m not lying to you! The one we’re here to ambush is our enemy! Although everyone belongs to Sword Union, there are different factions!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. From the other person’s eyes, Yang Kai could see that he wasn’t lying and his explanation was also reasonable.
For a great force such as Sword Union, its internal structure was naturally complicated and power struggles were inevitable; however, setting up an ambush like this seemed somewhat excessive.
“Explain in detail,” Yang Kai asked, just to be safe.
Since Zhang Fu had chosen to cooperate, naturally he did not try to hide anything and immediately told Yang Kai everything he knew.
In Sword Union, there were apparently several different factions, but two dominated above the rest. One faction was led by the current Union Master while the other was headed by the Vice Union Master. These two factions had been fighting one another for many years.
The Senior Li Zhang Fu mentioned before, whose real name was Li Ming Hai, belonged to the Vice Union Master’s faction.
This time they were here to ambush the rising star of the Union Master’s faction, the direct descendant of Sword Union’s Union Master Gu Cang Yun, Gu Jian Xin!
“A rising star, even the descendant of your Union Master, is actually worth dispatching an Origin King to ambush?” Yang Kai looked at Zhang Fu in astonishment before pensively asking, “What is it about this person that you are all so afraid of?”
Zhang Fu smiled bitterly, “If it was just an ordinary Origin Realm master, naturally we wouldn’t need to pay him so much attention, but the Young Union Master possesses the Universe Sword Body and has now reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm. If he breaks through to the Origin King Realm, the Vice Union Master’s faction will have no future, so we need to take advantage of this time, when he has no strong guardians, to take action. Your appearance disrupted Senior Li’s plan, so he tried to kill you.”
“Universe Sword Body?” Yang Kai touched his chin, “Some type of Special Constitution, isn’t it? What’s so terrifying about it?”
“The Young Union Master is only sixty years old this year yet has already reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, what isn’t terrifying about it?” Zhang Fu said solemnly, “I think your true age is also not very big, and your strength is quite good, but if you were to be facing our Young Union Master, it’s not certain who would win or lose!”
“Really?” Yang Kai chuckled.
A cultivator who reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm in less than sixty years was indeed a top talent! However, Yang Kai was only about fifty, even younger than this Gu Jian Xin!
When cultivators cultivated, they often did not notice the passage of time, so they didn’t care much about age.
“If it’s true what you say, then I am somewhat interested in your Young Union Master,” Yang Kai snickered.
Zhang Fu swept his eyes over Yang Kai before nodding, “People like you will collide with each other one day, creating great sparks, but… that will all depend on the Young Union Master escaping this tribulation alive! Good, have I told you everything you want to know?”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded lightly at him.
“Then do it!” Zhang Fu urged impatiently, but there were still no signs of Yang Kai acting. Instead, his consciousness just became blurred in the next moment.
Sure enough… he did not even know what happened!
Standing in place, Yang Kai took Zhang Fu and Liu Dong’s Space Rings then burned down their bodies with his Demonic Flames. Pondering for a moment, Yang Kai summoned his Star Shuttle again and flew back the way he came.
He had not sought trouble, but that Li Ming Hai hadn’t even said a word and tried to kill him for simply passing by. How could Yang Kai tolerate such an affront? After being beaten by someone, how could he not hit back?
Yang Kai was planning on joining the fun! If he could find a chance to kill Li Ming Hai, that would be best.
In the Asteroid Sea, the group of cultivators headed by Li Ming Hai waited quietly, like patient beasts ready to pounce.
After a long time though, someone frowned and said, “Why haven’t Zhang Fu and Liu Dong come back? With their skills, could they have failed?”
“Did they encounter some kind of danger?”
“Is there any danger around here? You don’t want to say they were killed by that guy, do you?”
“How could that be? That guy took a blow from Senior Li and was lucky to have even survived. How could he have the strength to fight against Zhang Fu and Liu Dong? However, it is strange they have not come back after so long, should we go out and look for them?” A man asked Li Ming Hai.
“No, if they cannot even handle such a simple matter, their lives are worthless! Do not act carelessly, within a day or two the Young Union Master’s Starship will pass through here. Just wait quietly.”
“Yes!”
After a brief conversation, the group of ambushers went silent, only occasionally glancing in a certain direction, looking forward to the arrival of the Young Union Master’s Starship.
This Asteroid Sea was quite large, so it was easy to hide in, otherwise, Li Ming Hai would not have chosen to ambush Gu Jian Xin’s Starship in this place.
It was because it was so big that Yang Kai was not spotted when he snuck around and approached.
At this moment, Yang Kai had gotten to within a hundred kilometres of Li Ming Hai’s group.
He also hid behind a big asteroid and stared in the direction of Li Ming Hai with a cold expression.
With his current strength, he could simply have charged forward and attacked. Even if he could not kill Li Ming Hai this way, it would not be a problem for him to kill a few of his subordinates and retreat calmly.
But Yang Kai didn’t choose this course of action. It was Li Ming Hai who injured him before, so he wanted to settle accounts with him personally.
Yang Kai was also waiting. Waiting for the Young Union Master to arrive and for the two sides to fight so he could find an opportunity to launch his own sneak attack, repaying the earlier favour he received in kind!
Somewhere in the Asteroid Sea, Yang Kai concealed both his figure and aura. He believed that it would be impossible for them to find any trace of him even if they were separated by just a hundred kilometres and the opponent was an Origin King Realm master.
Taking the opportunity, Yang Kai inspected Xiao Xiao’s condition again.
It was because he noticed some changes in Xiao Xiao before that he thought about entering this Asteroid Sea to stop for a while, ultimately resulting in him being sneak attacked by Li Ming Hai.
With some time on his hands now, Yang Kai naturally turned his attention to Xiao Xiao again.
After a brief inspection, Yang Kai was overjoyed.
The stone cocoon which had formed around Xiao Xiao now showed visible cracks, similar to the ones which appeared when he was first born. This was an obvious sign that Xiao Xiao was about to break out of his shell.
It was not suitable to have him break out in the Asteroid Sea. Yang Kai didn’t know if the Stone Puppet’s evolution would cause any obvious signs. If he stayed here, it would only be discovered by Li Ming Hai and others.
With no other choice, Yang Kai could only dive into the Sealed World Bead with Xiao Xiao.
Since bringing the elites from the Human, Monster, and Demon Races from Tong Xuan Realm to High Heaven Sect, the Small Sealed World had once again become vacant.
Staring at the stone cocoon in front of him, Yang Kai waited quietly.
Soon after, the stone cocoon made a cracking sound, and the existing fissures became bigger and denser.
Finally, after cracks filled the entire stone cocoon’s surface, Xiao Xiao burst out of it.
Xiao Xiao’s body dexterously fell in front of Yang Kai, his eyes which had been somewhat dull before were now extremely bright, seeming to contain the light of wisdom.
Discovering that Yang Kai was watching him, Xiao Xiao grinned, then stood there scratching his head with his knee-length arms.
Yang Kai stroked his chin as he released his Divine Sense and scanned Xiao Xiao.
“Nothing changed!” After a long while, he murmured with a suspicious look on his face.
After this most recent evolution, Yang Kai had expected Xiao Xiao to experience some kind of radical change, but now it seemed his expectations were a little too high. Xiao Xiao did undergo some changes after swallowing so many rare ores on that Dead Star.
After absorbing the essence of these ores, Xiao Xiao had become noticeably stronger.
This was similar to how a cultivator would take pills used for cultivation, resulting in a definite increase in strength.
But other than that, there did not seem to be any big changes!
If there was anything, it was that Xiao Xiao’s eyes had become nimbler, a clear sign his sentience had increased, but it had still not reached a remarkable level.
“Show me your bigger form!” Yang Kai commanded.
Xiao Xiao immediately obeyed and transformed into his stone giant form, reaching a dozen metres in height, giving off an awe-inspiring and oppressive air!
“And your lava armour?” Yang Kai asked again.
Xiao Xiao’s surface instantly released flaming hot Sun’s True Fire, creating a layer of flowing, terrifying magma around him.
“Yeah… there are no noticeable changes!” Yang Kai frowned as he felt he was failing to understand something. It was reasonable to think that after swallowing the remnant Star Source of that Dead Star Xiao Xiao had obtained some great benefits.
After all, after swallowing it, his reaction was extremely strong and even caused him to revert to a stone cocoon form.
But the final result turned out to be so anticlimactic.
Unable to understand it for the time being, Yang Kai did not bother continuing to probe this matter. There was plenty of time in the future to study what had happened so Yang Kai simply commanded Xiao Xiao to resume his regular form and left him in the Small Sealed World.
As soon as he returned to the asteroid he was hiding on before, Yang Kai realized that something had changed.
A hundred kilometres away, Li Ming Hai’s group had used some kind of Secret Technique to further conceal their auras, almost disappearing from Yang Kai’s perception.
Additionally, in the distance, a Starship was slowly approaching!
This was the Starship of Sword Union’s Young Union Master!
This Young Union Master had come rather quickly. No wonder Li Ming Hai had not hesitated to attack Yang Kai. Obviously, the time before their plan was to start was very soon and Li Ming Hai had not wanted there to be any accidents.
In the end though, not only had Li Ming Hai failed to kill Yang Kai, he had also provoked a hidden enemy for himself. If Li Ming Hai knew this, it was not clear how he would react.
Yang Kai looked towards the location of the approaching Starship and judged it would be at most an hour before the two parties met. Unable to stop himself from drawing a sharp breath, Yang Kai waited in anticipation for a good show!
As time passed little by little, the atmosphere in the huge Asteroid Sea seemed to become tense.
Soon, Yang Kai discovered that Sword Union’s Young Union Master was travelling in a convoy of Starships, with the centre one being slightly larger, about three hundred metres in length.
The left and right Starships were only two hundred metres each.
A small fleet of three Starships!
As they were still too far away, Yang Kai did not know what grade these three Starships were, but they weren’t lower than Origin Grade.
Sword Union was indeed a super force! Origin Grade Starships were considered strategic assets to the Sects on Shadowed Star, but Sword Union could send out three together.
However, the appearance of these three Starships was far different from the one refined by Yang Yan. Bluntly put, these Starships looked more like big sailing ships, especially the one in the middle. It was like a great ocean vessel sailing across the Starry Sky. Its bow was quite sharp, and the body was slender, almost giving it the appearance of a long sword from a distance.
On the decks of the three Starships, cultivators could be seen moving about.
The approaching Starships were clearly unaware of the crisis waiting in ambush in this Asteroid Sea and sailed straight towards it at speed. When the distance shrank to only fifty kilometres though, Li Ming Hai, who had been hiding behind a giant asteroid, decided to take action.
Even if they were separated by a hundred kilometres, Yang Kai could clearly feel a powerful wave of energy well up and from several nearby locations in the Asteroid Sea, an intense light appeared.
Immediately afterwards, dozens of white light beams shot out from the Asteroid Sea like arrows from a bow, showering down on the three Starships in the distance like a rain of lightning.
With such an obvious disturbance and such powerful energy fluctuations, the three Starships obviously took notice and the cultivators on deck all rushed out, summoned their defensive artifacts, and protected the Starship as best they could.
The three Starships themselves also reacted extremely quickly.
With a brilliant flash, a visible energy barrier surrounded each of the three Starships. The Starships also rapidly changed course in an attempt to dodge the incoming fire.
However, Li Ming Hai and his subordinates had been waiting here for quite some time and were well prepared. The sneak attack they launched was perfectly timed, making it impossible for the three Starships to avoid being hit.
The several dozen white pillars of light hit upon the three Starships like a giant wave crashing upon them.
A brighter light erupted as the Starship on the far left was unable to withstand this attack, its shield shattering before its hull was penetrated by several beams of light, resulting in severe damage and a massive explosion!
No one could escape from the ship’s destruction.
The cultivators on this Starship, along with the Starship itself, were extinguished entirely by Li Ming Hai’s first sneak attack!
The Starship on the right had better luck. Although its defensive shield was also worn down rapidly, it had suffered far fewer attacks and its hull was only penetrated by two pillars of light.
Although the Starship was clearly crippled, it did not explode apart, so at least part of the crew had managed to survive.
The cultivators who survived fled from the Starship in a hurry though with everyone in a flurry as they searched for the enemy. After seeing what had become of the left-most Starship, these survivors felt both fear and anger deep in their hearts.
Among the three Starships, only the one in the middle, the largest, remained in relatively good condition.
Although it had withstood more attacks than the other two ships, this Starship was obviously of a very high grade and its defensive shield was not completely breached, though it had become extremely dim.
Before the survivors could recover, Li Ming Hai and his subordinates rushed out.
Immediately after triggering the pillars of light, Li Ming Hai and his subordinates took action, seemingly having anticipated this situation. Arriving in front of the surviving starships, these ambushers summoned their offensive artifacts and began attacking.
The already dim defensive shield was quickly broken.
“Li Ming Hai! So it’s you!” From the middle Starship, a terrifying roar rang out. By listening to this voice, it was clear it belonged to a young man who was filled with monstrous anger, “You dare attack this Young Master? Do you understand the consequences of your actions?”
“The consequences of attacking the Young Union Master, this old master is well aware,” Among the crowd, the exposed Li Ming Hai remained indifferent, not showing the slightest panic. “This old master is also an Elder of Sword Union, so how could he not understand the rules? However, if Young Union Master thinks he can dissuade this old master with such flimsy talk of rules, this old master will have to disappoint.”
“Good, very good! It seems that you are ready to bear the violent anger of this Young Master,” From the Starship, Gu Jian Xin’s voice echoed and soon, a young man appeared on its deck. This young man had a brave and heroic appearance, with a handsome face and a sharp light in his eyes that seemed to gleam like swords.
Sword Union’s Young Union Master, Gu Jian Xin!
Standing tall, like a sword, on the Starship’s deck, even facing an Origin King like Li Ming Hai, he did not show the slightest bit of fear, his expression simply remaining cold and indifferent.
Next to Gu Jian Xin there were two women, one to the left, one to the right. One was tall and had rich curves and lustrous eyes. The other was quite petite and had a delicate-looking face and long black hair that reached all the way down her back. These two women had completely different appearances and temperaments, but they both shared the same fearless, even somewhat eager, look on their faces as Gu Jian Xin.
Li Ming Hai and Gu Jian Xin’s eyes collided and sparks seemed to fly.
The former soon frowned slightly though.
He was shocked to discover that Gu Jian Xin’s aura was thicker than when he saw him last.
It seemed the rumours were true. If there were no surprises, Young Union Master Gu Jian Xin would be able to attempt to break through to the Origin King Realm within the next three to five years!
Once he successfully reached the Origin King Realm, with his Universe Sword Body’s Special Constitution, coupled with the Left and Right Sword Servants, no ordinary First-Order Origin King would be his opponent. He would even be able to fight with some Second-Order Origin Kings!
A true monster! No wonder Vice Union Master Wei Qian Zong was so eager to eradicate Gu Jian Xin, obviously, he had noticed just how terrifying the latter’s growth had become.
Fortunately, a rare opportunity had presented itself here today. As long as Gu Jian Xin died, Sword Union would fall into the Vice Union Master’s hands in the future; after all, a genius who failed to mature was no genius!
“Li Ming Hai, this Young Master has only one question!” Gu Jian Xin stood on the deck with his hands behind his back, “How did you know that this Young Master would travel through here?”
Li Ming Hai narrowed his eyes and said coldly, “Young Union Master already knows the answer in his heart, why bother asking this old master?”
Gu Jian Xin nodded lightly, “It seems that there are traitors around this Young Master. Very well, once this is all over, this Young Master will route them out.”
“Young Union Master need not worry about such matters as you have no future!” Li Ming Hai waved his hand and shouted, “Kill them all, don’t let a single one escape!”
If there were any survivors from this incident, it would bring great trouble, so Li Ming Hai didn’t plan to leave any witnesses alive.
With the order given, the Origin Realm masters around Li Ming Hai took action, attacking the enemy cultivators who had escaped the right escort Starship.
Atop the middle Starship where Gu Jian Xin stood, a large number of cultivators also emerged, eager to meet the enemy.
Instantly, the Asteroid Sea was filled with brilliant flashes of light as artifacts and Secret Techniques continued to bloom.
Although there weren’t many people on Li Ming Hai’s side, thirty at most; all of them were masters at or above the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, giving his side a very high combat effectiveness. On the other side, Gu Jian Xin had two hundred or so cultivators supporting him, but their cultivations were somewhat mixed and the number of masters they had was less than Li Ming Hai’s side.
Most importantly though, with an Origin King like Li Ming Hai presiding over the situation, the pressure on Gu Jian Xin’s side was too great, making it difficult for the Origin Realm masters on the latter’s side to display their full strength.
As such, when the two sides made contact, Gu Jian Xin’s side immediately began suffering heavy casualties while Li Ming Hai’s side remained undamaged.
For the start, Li Ming Hai’s group had absolute superiority over Gu Jian Xin’s people.
The battle had already started, but Li Ming Hai did not rush to take action, instead just staring at Gu Jian Xin and the two women next to him with a solemn look on his face.
It seemed that this man and two women in front of him were opponents worthy of him taking seriously.
He didn’t move, but Gu Jian Xin, whose side was clearly weaker, naturally didn’t dare to act rashly, only able to watch his subordinates fall one by one in frustration.
After a long silence, Li Ming Hai said faintly, “Young Union Master, do you want to take your own life or do you need this old master to send you on your way?”
“Old dog, you think you’ve already defeated this Young Master?” Gu Jian Xin shouted coldly.
Li Ming Hai slowly shook his head, “Since this Li dared to appear here, naturally he is fully prepared. Young Union Master is indeed a dragon among men, with your Universe Sword Body and your Left and Right Sword Servants who have cultivated together with you since childhood, you are truly extremely difficult to deal with, but… Young Union Master has not arrived at the Origin King Realm, after all. If you had already reached the Origin King Realm, this old master would definitely not be your opponent. Unfortunately, Young Union Master is destined to be unable to escape today.”
“Whether I can escape this crisis today or not, you will know after you try,” Gu Jian Xin roared as he summoned a white long sword into his hand. Sword light surrounding his body, he soared up from the deck!
This sword light was like a rising sun covering the earth, brilliant and majestic.
When he moved, the two women who had been standing behind him also moved. Like Gu Jian Xin, they summoned their swords, released brilliant sword light from their bodies, and followed after Gu Jian Xin.
Different from Gu Jian Xin, however, the sword light these two females emitted manifested as a great crescent moon and a sea of shimmering stars.
The three sword lights rapidly merged into one and exuded a shocking momentum that far surpassed what an Origin Returning Realm master should be able to. A long sword light cut through the void and slashed towards Li Ming Hai in the next instant!
Li Ming Hai’s eyes flashed as he was truly shocked by the might of Gu Jian Xin’s Secret Technique, calling out loud, “Sun, Moon, and Stars, the Three Swords Brilliance Secret Technique is truly deserving of its reputation! With just this, Young Union Master can already be considered invincible in the Origin Returning Realm! Unfortunately… your Left and Right Sword Servants are slightly worse than your own, and you are not an Origin King. Let this old master show you just how big the gap between the Origin Realm and the Origin King Realm is!”
Saying so, an invisible force spread out from Li Ming Hai’s body.
Domain!
Li Ming Hai had broken through to the Origin King Realm over five hundred years ago and could already be considered an established master in this realm. Even if he had no hope of advancing his cultivation higher in the future, and his Domain was not that strong, in the end, it was still a Domain!
An Origin Returning Realm cultivator who was enveloped in a Domain was destined to be completely suppressed, unable to resist.
However, Li Ming Hai’s Domain was actually unable to stop Gu Jian Xin’s trio. From the sword light of these three, a new force emerged suddenly and easily broke through the Li Ming Hai Domain suppression.
Li Ming Hai’s eyes shrank as he shouted in a low voice, “Bright Sea Domain Dividing Mirror! To think Union Master gave you this treasure!”
The Bright Sea Domain Dividing Mirror was an Origin King Grade artifact, and after being activated, it could nullify the effects of an Origin King’s Domain to a large extent. If the opponent wasn’t strong enough, it was even possible for this mirror to shatter their Domain entirely.
This strange treasure was quite famous throughout the Star Field; after all, artifacts that could resist Domain were extremely rare.
With the help of this treasure, Gu Jian Xin and his two Sword Servants weren’t suppressed by Li Ming Hai’s Domain and were able to send their attack towards him.
Facing the Sun, Moon, and Stars Three Swords Brilliance Secret Technique, Li Ming Hai didn’t dare act carelessly. Flipping his wrist, the long spear artifact which he had used to attack Yang Kai before appeared again and he began pouring his Saint Qi into it. A shocking force condensed at the tip of the spear as Li Ming Hai flew forward to meet Gu Jian Xin’s trio in close combat.
The clank of metal rang out instantly.
Sword and spear shadows flooded a massive region as the four figures of Li Ming Hai and Gu Jian Xin’s trio were engulfed by brilliant flashes of light.
In the distance, Yang Kai stared at all of this in amazement, an expression of surprise on his face.
Being able to compete with an Origin King with just an Origin Returning Realm cultivation was not something that could normally be achieved, but Gu Jian Xin had done just that. Even though he was drawing strength from the two women behind him, it was clear he wouldn’t be suppressed any time soon.
Moreover, the cultivation of those two women was obviously inferior to Gu Jian Xin, both of them seemingly just Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators; however, it was also clear that these three had cultivated some kind of profound Secret Technique that allowed them to consolidate their strength and exert a force far beyond that of an ordinary Origin Realm master.
[This Young Union Master of Sword Union is quite impressive!]
When the battle between the two sides started, Yang Kai had already left his hiding place and stealthily approached the battlefield to observe more closely.
Eighty percent of his attention was focused on Li Ming Hai as he looked for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
To deal with an Origin King like Li Ming Hai, if the right timing was not grasped, it would only result in alerting the enemy, so Yang Kai had to wait patiently.
Originally, he was a little worried that Gu Jian Xin and the others would be defeated in a single blow, but now, it seemed like this Young Union Master could actually fight on for some time.
While observing the fight, Yang Kai noticed a few streaks of light escaping towards the Asteroid Sea.
Obviously, the battlefield had begun to expand, with some cultivators trying to escape, and this Asteroid Sea, which was filled with obstacles, was undoubtedly the best place to escape to.
Two weaker cultivators appeared to be fleeing, and from the outline of their figures, they were probably women. At the same time, a cultivator from Li Ming Hai’s side was chasing after them.
Judging from the aura fluctuations, the two escaping women were Third-Order Saint Kings. Such cultivations really had no use in this kind of battle.
The cultivator chasing behind them was a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm master, and with the vast gap in their strengths, it was nothing less than a miracle these two women had even managed to escape this far.
Because of Li Ming Hai’s order not to leave anyone alive, the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm master didn’t intend to let the two women go and hurriedly chased after them, closing the gap between them rapidly.
The relationship between these two women was obviously close, as even when they were fleeing, they didn’t abandon one another and kept guarding each other tightly. What made Yang Kai feel helpless though, was that the direction they were moving towards was actually where he was hiding.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would fly past him within a few breaths.
Letting out a sigh, Yang Kai prepared to take action.
A moment later, the two women who were escaping flew past the asteroid where Yang Kai was hiding. At such a close distance, and with the two women already looking for suitable hiding places, they naturally found Yang Kai right away.
When their eyes met, Yang Kai was stunned for a moment while the two women on the opposite side were also stupefied.
In the next instant, the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator who had been chasing them arrived though and sent out a palm towards the two frozen women.
Judging by the power of this attack, even if these two women resisted with all their strength, they would probably be seriously injured at best.
However, the palm the man sent out suddenly collapsed half-way to its target.
“What happened?” The Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator who had been chasing the pair of women was startled, but before he could react, he saw a golden light flash in front of him and vaguely felt a golden thread-like object cut through his neck.
The Saint Qi he used to protect himself was like paper in front of this golden thread, unable to play any effect at all. After a slight stinging pain, the cultivator’s vision grew dim and faded into darkness.
In the Asteroid Sea, Yang Kai looked at the two women standing nearby in amazement.
These two women were undoubtedly more surprised than Yang Kai though. When the Origin Returning Realm master who was chasing them died all of a sudden, the two women screamed and turned around, wanting to see who it was that saved them.
Seeing none of their allies nearby though, the two women finally turned their eyes back to Yang Kai as they had a fairly good guess what had just transpired. But despite knowing in their hearts what the truth was, their beautiful eyes still showed incredible shock.
“What are you dawdling for? Come here quickly!” Yang Kai called out in a low voice while beckoning to them.
Only then did the two women come back to their senses, exchange a glance, and quickly hurried over to a spot ten metres away from Yang Kai while eyeing him suspiciously, their expressions wavering in uncertainty.
Yang Kai looked at them with a grin and said teasingly, “What’s wrong? After only a few years you don’t recognize me anymore?”
Hearing his words, the two women gasped fiercely and confirmed the guess in their hearts was not wrong, but because of this, they felt more and more shocked, the taller of the two covering her mouth as she called out hesitantly, “Yang Kai?”
“Is it really you? Did you kill that person just now? When did you become so powerful? Why are you here in the first place?” The other woman, who seemed to be younger, quickly spat a flurry of questions before suddenly becoming alert again and asking, “Are you with Li Ming Hai?”
As soon as she began speaking, she seemed unable to stop, leaving Yang Kai no gap to answer her questions.
The older woman observed Yang Kai seriously for a moment before slowly shaking her head, “Little Sister, don’t talk nonsense. If he was with Li Ming Hai, why would he bother helping us just now?”
Yang Kai chuckled, looking at the younger woman and teasing, “He Miao, seems you are still as scatterbrained as before.”
He Miao heard this, and her face turned red as she shyly said, “I’m sorry, I was just too frightened.”
“It’s alright,” Yang Kai smiled lightly as he observed the two women and said with nostalgia. “I didn’t expect that we would meet again in such a place after a few dozen years.”
These two women were the very same ones Yang Kai had first met when he entered the Star Field, He Zao and He Miao.
After escaping from the floating continent all those years ago, they had never met one another. So, upon seeing them here, Yang Kai was also quite surprised. But after thinking about it carefully, Yang Kai recalled that these two sisters, He Zao and He Miao, were disciples from Sword Union, so while unlikely, it wasn’t impossible for them to be here.
Nevertheless, being caught up in this kind of incident, it seemed these two sisters had quite the bad luck.
“En, it’s been many years since we last met,” He Zao sighed, “I didn’t expect you to be so powerful now. You killed that person just now, right?”
“En.”
Seeing Yang Kai admit it, even though they had their suspicions, the two sisters were still a little speechless.
When they met Yang Kai for the first time, Yang Kai was nothing but a First-Order Saint, and even their own cultivations were higher than him at the Third-Order and Second-Order Saint Realm.
After thirty years, the two sisters had used their excellent aptitude and hard work to rapidly reach the Third-Order Saint King Realm.
But compared to Yang Kai, their achievement seemed completely insufficient!
Being able to kill a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm master instantly, even under the premise of a sneak attack, proved that Yang Kai was at least an Origin Realm cultivator himself! And most likely… a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master!
The moment when Yang Kai showed his hand, He Zao felt an energy fluctuation not weaker than the Young Union Master Gu Jian Xin.
Both sisters were deeply shocked.
Suddenly, He Zao’s expression changed again and she asked solemnly, “Yang Kai, can you please help us?”
“With what?”
“Please save our Honoured Master!”
“Your Honoured Master?” Yang Kai frowned, but quickly realized that He Zao should be referring to that beautiful woman Yue Xi!
When they were trapped on the floating continent that year, the Honoured Master of the He Zao and He Mao sisters, Yue Xi, was also there. Yang Kai had some dealings with her, but they had not been very pleasant. Because Yang Kai’s birthplace was too remote and his cultivation wasn’t high, Yue Xi had looked down on him.
Furthermore, Yang Kai also killed Yue Xi’s other disciple at that time, causing her to bear open hostility towards him.
But later, Yue Xi’s perception of Yang Kai improved for various reasons and ultimately, with his help, she and her two disciples were able to successfully escape the floating continent. On top of that, it turned out that her last disciple wasn’t a good thing, and his death wasn’t worth pitying.
“Yue Xi is here too?” Yang Kai glanced towards the battlefield again, only to see a large area of brilliant flashes and chaotic energy fluctuations, making it impossible for him to tell who was fighting from this distance.
An anxious look appeared on He Zao’s face, “We were only able to escape thanks to Honoured Master delaying the enemy, but her situation is not optimistic. I don’t know how long she can hold on, Yang Kai, can you…”
She obviously knew that her request was a bit excessive. The battlefield was in a state of chaos right now and even an Origin King Realm master was fighting. Anyone who entered haphazardly would certainly be at great risk.
However, He Zao was just a Third-Order Saint King and was unable to help Yue Xi at all, so she could only swallow her embarrassment and ask Yang Kai for help.
“Big Brother Yang…” He Miao also called out in a pitiful voice with a pleading look on her face. Her previous liveliness had all but vanished and she now appeared quite helpless and forlorn. Thinking that the Honoured Master who raised her might fall in that battlefield, He Miao almost burst into tears.
Perhaps because of their experience when escaping from the floating continent, or perhaps because Yang Kai just killed a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator with a single blow, the two sisters had inexplicable confidence in him and believed that if he took action, their Honoured Master could be saved.
Yue Xi had a bad impression of Yang Kai at the beginning, but she had only the warmest of intentions for her two disciples, otherwise, she would not have taken such great risks to delay the enemy in order to let He Zao and He Miao escape.
Yang Kai brow furrowed deeply.
Seeing this, He Zao and He Miao did not dare to urge him and simply waited anxiously.
After a short silence, Yang Kai raised his eyes and said seriously, “The main reason why I am hiding here is to launch a sneak attack against that Li Ming Hai!”
He Zao and He Miao suddenly exclaimed as they stared at Yang Kai in shock, an incredible brilliance flashing across their beautiful eyes.
An Origin Returning Realm master wanting to sneak attack an Origin King! This was like an ant hiding in the shadows, then stretching out its leg to try to trip an elephant, a completely unbelievable scenario.
“I’m serious. When I passed by here before, I was attacked by him, which is why I remained!” Yang Kai looked at them lightly. “So it’s not convenient for me to come forward now.”
The brilliance in the sisters’ eyes quickly dimmed.
“However, since He Miao calls me big brother, I can’t just sit back and watch,” Yang Kai chuckled.
He Miao looked at Yang Kai in pleasant surprise, and the pale, bloodless complexion on her face was replaced with a shy blush.
“Come out!” Yang Kai suddenly called, and in the next moment, a stream of fiery red energy burst from his body before quickly condensing into a human figure.
In the blink of an eye, a glamorous woman with an exotic figure appeared strangely in front of He Zao and He Miao.
This glamorous woman had fiery red hair which looked like the most gorgeous of burning flames and her clothes were all crimson red in colour. At such a close distance, both He Zao and He Miao felt an astonishing and dangerous energy fluctuation coming from this woman.
This was an aura of pure destructive power!
“Master, what are your orders?” As soon as the woman appeared, she asked Yang Kai respectfully, without even looking at He Zao or He Miao, as if in her eyes, the two women were like air and could be ignored.
“Accompany and protect them!” Yang Kai pointed to He Zao and He Miao.
The woman finally glanced towards the two sisters and nodded lightly.
“Yang Kai, she is…” He Zao asked hesitantly.
“My friend, you can call her Liu Yan!” Yang Kai replied.
Even Yang Kai did not notice that when he introduced Liu Yan to the two sisters this way, her beautiful eyes flashed with a subtle but extremely bright light.
“So it is Elder Sister Liu Yan. We will be imposing on Elder Sister then,” Although He Zao saw that Liu Yan didn’t have a physical form, the other party’s sentience was clearly quite high, so she did not dare act negligently.
“Liu Yan will obey Master’s orders!” Liu Yan didn’t say much, replying promptly and concisely.
“En, go,” Yang Kai nodded faintly at Liu Yan. Liu Yan nodded back before her body transformed back into a stream of fiery light and dove into He Zao’s body before she could even react.
He Zao exclaimed in shock, but soon, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face.
Because she felt that there was a terrifying power now hidden within her body. Although this power was not under her control, and even brought her some discomfort from its heat, with this power, she was confident she could save her Honoured Master!
Turning a look filled with gratitude to Yang Kai she bowed her head, “Thank you!”
“Be careful!” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
The He Zao and He Miao sisters looked at each other quickly before turning around and flying towards the battlefield.
With Liu Yan’s assistance, the safety of the two sisters was assured. Since she swallowed and refined the Heavenly Thunder Fire in Brilliant Flame Sect, not only had Liu Yan’s sentience evolved greatly, her strength had also soared!
Before swallowing the Heavenly Thunder Fire, she was able to fight against Third-Order Origin Realm masters.
After swallowing it, she was now capable of competing with an ordinary First-Order Origin King.
On the battlefield, there was only one Origin King, Li Ming Hai, so no one else was Liu Yan’s opponent. It was conceivable that once He Zao and He Miao returned with Liu Yan, the entire course of the battle would shift dramatically, flipping which side was overwhelming the other.
Collecting his thoughts, Yang Kai refocused his attention on Gu Jian Xin and Li Ming Hai.
Their battle was the fiercest in the entire battlefield and gave off the greatest energy fluctuations, so it was easy for Yang Kai to find them at a glance.
Gu Jian Xin and his Left and Right Sword Servants were still fighting together as one, wrapping themselves in three the image of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, releasing potent Sword Qi waves towards Li Ming Hai who used his long spear to nimbly fight back against them.
The two sides seemed to be locked in an even battle so far!
After observing for a moment though, Yang Kai could tell that Gu Jian Xin’s side was starting to have difficulties.
When he and the two women performed this Secret Technique before, the Sun, Moon, and Star Sword Brilliances were extremely bright, with a radiant sun, bright crescent moon, and sea of stars supporting and enhancing one another, but now, these three manifestations were slowly beginning to dim and their aura had become somewhat depressed.
On the other hand, Li Ming Hai’s strength had not diminished.
It seemed that, if nothing happened, Gu Jian Xin would ultimately lose.
Taking advantage of the fierce fighting between them, Yang Kai also began to draw closer.
Gu Jian Xin being able to fight until now was already quite impressive, and even if at that last moment, he was unable to cause heavy losses to Li Ming Hai, he should at least be able to wear him down and draw his full attention.
As long as Li Ming Hai’s attention was diverted, Yang Kai could take the opportunity to attack.
Soon, Yang Kai had approached to within ten kilometres of the battle’s perimeter! This was the limit of how close he could get, any closer and Li Ming Hai would definitely notice him.
Just after Yang Kai concealed himself once again, Li Ming Hai’s shout rang out, “Young Union Master, if this is the extent of your ability then this old master will be sending you to the afterlife today!”
Gu Jian Xin did not respond, but it was not clear whether he disdained to do so, or he did not have the spare capacity to. The sword light he and his Left and Right Sword Servants were emitting suddenly bloomed, transforming into a massive sword thousands of metres long and swiftly chopped towards Li Ming Hai’s head.
Li Ming Hai saw this and laughed loudly, “Paltry tricks! Even now you insist on this futile resistance, Young Union Master?”
As soon as these words fell, the Soul Breaker Spear in Li Ming Hai’s hand flicked and from its tip a profound dark light shot out to meet the massive sword light.
The white and black rays of light collided and burst into a massive explosion that sent out a wave of powerful ripples. These ripples of energy were violent enough to force all the surrounding Origin Returning Realm masters in the vicinity to retreat.
The two opposite energies clashed in the void, but soon, the stalemate was broken.
Li Ming Hai had used some kind of Secret Technique to greatly increase the intensity of his dark light and directly suppressed the sword light.
A loud bang resounded.
The sword light burst to pieces and a muffled snort echoed as three shadows shot out in different directions.
Gu Jian Xin’s face was pale and there were clear traces of blood at the corners of his lips; obviously, he had suffered some injuries.
His Left and Right Sword Servants were in even worse condition. These two attendants had cultivated together with Gu Jian Xin from when he was a child until now, and as auxiliaries who supported him, their cultivation had always been one step lower than for Gu Jian Xin’s.
As a result, the two Sword Servants suffered greater damage in this exchange. The Left and Right Sword Servants coughed up blood as their tender bodies tumbled uncontrollably, their robes dyed a dark crimson-red.
Li Ming Hai’s eyes flashed a ruthless light, but instead of taking this opportunity to take Gu Jian Xin’s life, his figure flickered and he thrust his spear towards the Left Sword Servant who was closest to him.
As an Origin King, his combat experience was naturally extremely rich, and although this might be the best time to kill Gu Jian Xin, given the latter’s extraordinary identity, and the fact that he was carrying a famous artifact like the Bright Sea Domain Dividing Mirror, there was no telling what other kinds of life-saving treasures he had on him.
Li Ming Hai was not confident he could kill Gu Jian Xin in a single blow.
As such, he chose to attack the Left Sword Servant. As long as the Left Sword Servant died, Gu Jian Xin would no longer be able to use his Sun, Moon, And Stars Three Swords Brilliance Secret Technique. Once that happened, Li Ming Hai was confident he could slowly wear down Gu Jian Xin until he died!
Witnessing Li Ming Hai’s actions, the Right Sword Servant’s beautiful eyes filled with determination and anxiety, hurriedly stabilizing her tumbling figure before pushing her Saint Qi and gathering her sword light again as she flew towards the Left Sword Servant.
Gu Jian Xin also let out a near-hysterical shout, “Ling Yue, watch out!”
As he shouted, he too desperately rushed over.
Three figures rapidly moved towards the Left Sword Servant, shrinking the distance between them in an instant.
A sardonic grin appeared at the corner of Li Ming Hai’s lips and when he felt that the timing was just right, he suddenly whirled around and threw the Soul Breaker Spear in his hand towards the Right Sword Servant.
Everyone was stunned.
Only now did they understand that Li Ming Hai’s initial goal was not the Left Sword Servant, but the Right Sword Servant!
Or perhaps, he had reacted in the moment after discovering a better target…
After the Soul Breaker Spear flew out of Li Ming Hai’s hand, it transformed into a giant python which opened its blood-red mouth and bit towards the Right Sword Servant, as if wanting to swallow her whole.
This was a genuine Origin King Grade artifact, not something the Right Sword Servant could handle alone. If she were to take this attack head-on, death was the only possibility.
At that moment, Gu Jian Xin’s body released a flash of brilliance and using some kind of Secret Technique or artifact, he instantly appeared in front of his Right Sword Servant, grabbed hold of her, and placed his body between her and the incoming attack. At the same time, a cyan coloured Artifact Armour that seemed to be composed of numerous tiny scales appeared on Gu Jian Xin’s body.
On the Artifact Armour, flowing runes and light flashed, and at first glance, it was obviously a high-grade defensive artifact. After being activated by Gu Jian Xin’s Saint Qi, the Artifact Armour released a firm energy barrier.
The moment the light barrier formed; Li Ming Hai’s attack reached its target.
The giant python smashed up against Gu Jian Xin’s Artifact Armour.
The bright energy light film dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, only managing to persist for two breaths before bursting apart. The python’s remaining power struck Gu Jian Xin’s body at that moment, causing him to fly out while coughing up mouthfuls of blood onto his Right Sword Servant and turning his face pale and bloodless.
“This old master admires Young Union Master’s loving heart and righteousness, but… though you managed to save one, can you save the other as well?” Li Ming Hai’s triumphant voice sounded with a hint of sarcasm and mockery.
Gu Jian Xin, who was still tumbling flying backwards, fixed his eyes and found that Li Ming Hai was now flying towards the Left Sword Servant again and was condensing his Saint Qi onto his palm.
From that palm, a powerful vortex began to form!
With the power of this vortex, coupled with the innate pressure of an Origin King Realm master, the Left Sword Servant was suppressed to the point where she could not move or put up any resistance.
However, as death befell her, she did not show the slightest worry about her own safety, instead turning her beautiful, worry-filled eyes towards Gu Jian Xin. Seeing that Gu Jian Xin had not been killed and had only suffered a serious injury, her expression relaxed, and her red lips moved lightly.
He could not hear her voice, but Gu Jian Xin knew that she was telling him to escape!
“Li Ming Hai!” Gu Jian Xin roared like a wounded beast, his voice filled with hatred as he echoed through the void, his eyes going completely bloodshot.
“Young Master, you must go!” The Right Sword Servant, who was still being held in Gu Jian Xin’s arms, firmly grasped him, and cried out pleadingly, “Sister Ling Yue would not want you to throw your life away here. As long as you can escape, Sister Ling Yue’s death won’t be in vain!”
Gu Jian Xin froze in place as he hesitated about what to do, but in the next instant, the rage-filled expression on his face changed to one of utter astonishment. Immediately, a burst of pleasant surprise flashed across his eyes as his gaze landed behind Li Ming Hai.
Gu Jian Xin had suddenly discovered that a figure had appeared behind Li Ming Hai at some unknown point. This person was like a ghost, approaching to within ten metres of Li Ming Hai without the old dog Li even noticing.
Immediately, this mysterious young man waved his hand through the air rapidly, sending out a series of pitch-black, crescent-shaped blades that flew towards Li Ming Hai.
Each of these attacks gave off a profound and mysterious power that even from a great distance, Gu Jian Xin was able to clearly sense it.
As soon as this attack was launched, Li Ming Hai noticed and he roared, “Who!”
Hurriedly turning around, Li Ming Hai pushed his palm out towards this unknown assailant.
Shock and excitement filled Gu Jian Xin’s face when he saw Li Ming Hai’s palm fail to fully disperse this wave of attacks, allowing several the black crescent blades to reach his arm.
Suddenly, little pieces of the old dog surnamed Li’s arm vanished!
As if they never existed, they were swallowed by The Void…
When the pain of losing his arm finally registered, Li Ming Hai roared madly as he stretched out his undamaged arm and drew the Soul Breaker Spear back to him. His eyes practically spitting fire, he glared at the young man who attacked him and shouted, “Junior, I’ll make you pay for this!”
“You won’t have the chance!” The young man coldly snorted as he summoned a bladeless, green long sword with a flip of his wrist. The long sword trembled and twisted slightly as it transformed into a giant dark-green dragon that pounced towards Li Ming Hai.
A mighty dragon roar shook the sky as thick Dragon Pressure descended from above, causing Li Ming Hai to let out a strange cry as he quickly pushed the Soul Breaker Spear’s power, transforming it into its giant python form.
The two transformed artifact monsters collided with each other violently, but how could a mere python ever defeat a dragon? After only a brief resistance, the python was destroyed by the dragon!
Li Ming Hai finally showed a look of horror in his eyes as he hurriedly searched for the young man who attacked him, but to his shock, he was unable to find him anywhere! Just as he mysteriously appeared, after summoning this terrifying dragon artifact, the young man had vanished like a ghost.
A thick murderous intent suddenly appeared behind him, causing Li Ming Hai heart to jump and he instinctually released his Domain in an attempt to regain the initiative.
Although their confrontation had been brief, Li Ming Hai had keenly noticed that the young man who attacked him was only a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. To deal with an Origin Realm cultivator, Domain was undoubtedly the best choice!
Not everyone was like Gu Jian Xin, possessing an extraordinary treasure like the Bright Sea Domain Dividing Mirror that could resist Domain.
Li Ming Hai’s had made the best response possible, but to his shock, the moment his Domain spread out, it was met by a potent Shi, one that was not only unsuppressed by his Domain, but was even able to confront it head-on.
There was a mysterious power integrated into this Shi.
The surrounding space began to collapse, and innumerable tiny Void Cracks began to fill Li Ming Hai’s surroundings, enveloping him in an airtight field!
“Space Force!” Li Ming Hai exclaimed.
At that moment, the giant dark-green dragon that destroyed the giant python rushed over and opened its giant maw to bite towards Li Ming Hai.
Behind him, an icy chill struck Li Ming Hai as an intense murderous washed over him like a tidal wave.
He was completely surrounded, with no way out!
“Old dog Li!” Gu Jian Xin rushed over and released a dazzling sun-like sword light towards Li Ming Hai.
At the same time, the surrounding burst with golden light as hundreds of golden threads slashed through space.
The Void Cracks around Li Ming Hai’s body also rapidly enlarged and traversed towards him.
In that instant, Li Ming Hai was submerged by a myriad of different deadly attacks.
The place where Li Ming Hai stood was instantly enveloped by a dazzling burst of light, blinding all who were nearby and releasing a Heaven destroying and Earth-shattering energy fluctuation.
Gu Jian Xin flew out again even faster than before, but fortunately, the Right Sword Servant, having anticipated this moment, was there to catch him.
With a loud cough, Gu Jian Xin slumped over into the arms of his Right Sword Servant and sprayed out a thick blood mist.
“Young Master!” The Right Sword Servant cried out as her beautiful eyes filled with worry.
Gu Jian Xin did not have the luxury to answer as his eyes fixed straight ahead.
He did not know if Li Ming Hai was dead, but the piercing feedback he felt from his sword just now was a clear indication that he had managed to stab Li Ming Hai’s vitals.
Nevertheless, his opponent was an Origin King! This was the first time Gu Jian Xin had truly fought an Origin King in a life or death battle, so he was naturally somewhat inexperienced. Before seeing Li Ming Hai’s corpse with his own eyes, he dared not act carelessly.
The brilliant flash of light gradually dissipated, and a figure emerged.
Gu Jian Xin’s eyes shrank suddenly.
Li Ming Hai!
Even after suffering such a terrifying attack, Li Ming Hai had not died. However, having been struck by such a powerful wave of attacks, Li Ming Hai had been reduced to a dishevelled and embarrassing appearance. His clothes were ragged and the Artifact Armour he had summoned in the nick of time was also clearly destroyed.
What made Gu Jian Xin overjoyed though was that Li Ming Hai’s injuries were obviously not light, with blood leaking from many places and numerous wounds so deep that his bones were showing.
On Li Ming Hai’s face, an expression filled with anger and fear had appeared.
He was truly frightened as he felt the threat of death just now!
Unable to calm his nerves, Li Ming Hai looked around, his gaze only staying on Gu Jian Xin and the Right Sword Servant for a moment before it continued scanning the surrounding void.
Unfortunately, Li Ming Hai was not able to achieve anything as he couldn’t discover a single trace of the mysterious young man who attacked him before.
“Junior, this old master will make you pay the price one day!” Li Ming Hai tried to put up a strong front as he shouted before turning into a stream of light and fleeing towards the distance, leaving behind a trail of blood as he flew.
“He must not escape!” Gu Jian Xin shouted towards the void as he gasped for breath.
Just as his voice fell, from somewhere in the void, a multi-coloured burst of light appeared, and a five coloured Sword Qi formed into a giant blade that flashed towards the fleeing Li Ming Hai.
Li Ming Hai was horrified when he felt this approaching attack and hurriedly used a Secret Technique to protect himself.
Unfortunately, he was strong in will but weak in strength, and the method he used was only able to block the five coloured Sword Qi for an instant before it was shattered. The sword wave sliced through Li Ming Hai’s body before disappearing into the distance like a shining comet.
Li Ming Hai’s body froze in place, his eyes wide and unmoving.
The vitality of his body and the light in his eyes quickly dissipated.
A dignified Origin King Realm master died here!
Gu Jian Xin, who was watching from a distance, could not figure out the situation. After being severely wounded, he did not dare to act rashly and just continued to stare at Li Ming Hai’s body vigilantly. Soon though, the still-shaken Left Sword Servant flew over and inspected Li Ming Hai before happily flying over to rendezvous with Gu Jian Xin.
When his Left Sword Servant returned, Gu Jian Xin asked eagerly, “How is it?”
“Li Ming Hai is dead!” Left Sword Servant replied.
Gu Jian Xin exhaled a long breath, his whole figure relaxing as he limply fell into the Right Sword Servant’s embrace as he said with some lingering fear, “Good, good, as long as he’s dead it’s good!”
“Young Master, that person just now…” The Left Sword Servant wore a suspicious look on her face.
“He’s not from our Sword Union,” Gu Jian Xin shook his head, took out some pills from his Space Ring, stuffed them into his mouth, and said, “We can figure it out later, but we need to go support the others first. Old Dog Li brought a lot of masters with him, I am afraid they won’t… huh…”
While Gu Jian Xin spoke, he turned his head and looked towards the distant battlefield and was greeted by a strange scene.
Many of the cultivators from his side were still alive while, on the contrary, Li Ming Hai’s subordinates were almost all dead or severely injured. Gu Jian Xin had been fighting Li Ming Hai just now, so he did not have the time to pay attention to anything else, so this scene came as quite a surprise to him.
Gu Jian Xin was naturally well aware of the gap in strength between the two sides and knew his side was far weaker than Li Ming Hai’s.
After all, Li Ming Hai had laid an ambush for him here, so how could he not have made appropriate preparations?
This time, Gu Jian Xin was lucky enough to kill Li Ming Hai and keep his life thanks to the help of that noble stranger, but how were his subordinates also able to emerge victoriously?
Gu Jian Xin could not believe his eyes.
However, after watching for a while, he finally understood what was happening.
It turned out to be because of Yue Xi and her two Disciples!
Gu Jian Xin had met Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao before. In any case, the Master and Disciple trio were cultivators who followed him, so although Yue Xi was only a First-Order, she was still an Origin Realm master. Gu Jian Xin naturally had some impression of them.
At this moment, the Master and Disciple trio were leading the charge against the enemy who should be far stronger than them, but it was actually the three of them who were in complete control of the battle.
Whenever a battle erupted, a red light would burst from He Zao’s body and the enemy would inexplicably fall…
[What is that red light?] Gu Jian Xin could not understand it at all. He never knew that there was such an astonishing cultivator hidden amongst his subordinates who was capable of such an incredible feat!
The overall situation had been determined over there, with Li Ming Hai’s side’s defeat being inevitable. The few survivors from the original ambushers were now fleeing while Gu Jian Xin’s subordinates were in pursuit.
Gu Jian Xin felt relieved and took a deep breath before cupping his fists and calling out to the void, “Dare I ask honoured friend’s name? For this life saving kindness, this Gu is extremely grateful. If it is convenient, could friend come out and meet with me?”
“Haha, Young Union Master is too polite,” A hearty laughter came from nearby and Gu Jian Xin turned his head to find a familiar young man, who he might have met before but could not put his finger on it, was now slowly walking over to him.
Gu Jian Xin’s eyes flashed as his Left and Right Sword Servants looked at Yang Kai with curiosity and gratitude.
If it were not for Yang Kai’s sudden appearance, while it didn’t matter if they had died, it was certain their Young Master would have perished as well. As such, the Left and Right Sword Servants were extremely grateful towards Yang Kai, who had turned the tide of the battle, and their eyes reflected a kind light as they observed him.
Gu Jian Xin also observed Yang Kai carefully and confirmed that the other part was truly just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator as he had detected before. But the combat power this young man had shown before was clearly far beyond his realm.
Perhaps, even if he were to join forces with his Left and Right Sword Servants, they would not necessarily be this young man’s opponents! Gu Jian Xin was thoroughly shocked.
As Sword Union’s Young Union Master, from infancy until now, he had received resources and training beyond anything ordinary people could dream of. He also wasn’t a second-generation child with no ambition, he had lofty ideals and a broad future before him, so he had never slacked in his cultivation over the years.
He thought that there were few of his generation in the Star Field worthy to be his opponent within the Origin Returning Realm!
But today, he saw one! A cultivator of the same generation who made him feel intense pressure.
“Third Young Master Xue Yue?” Gu Jian Xin asked suspiciously.
Yang Kai’s face twitched visibly as he spat, “Do I look like such a womanly boy?”
Gu Jian Xin smiled awkwardly as his Left and Right Sword Servants also couldn’t help tittering lightly, the more playful looking Left Sword Servant even giggling out loud, but feeling that she was acting indiscreetly she quickly used her jade hand to cover her mouth.
“Sorry, this Gu and Third Young Master Xue Yue have not met for many, many years,” Gu Jian Xin explained. “Then is Your Excellency Zi Dong?”
“Who?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
“Purple Star’s Young Master…” Gu Jian Xin was at a loss.
“Ho, it seems Young Union Master believes only Young Masters from other great forces are qualified to speak with you?” Yang Kai looked at Gu Jian Xin with a smile.
“This Gu meant no such thing,” Gu Jian Xin said solemnly, “It’s just that this Gu finds it difficult to imagine that someone could become so strong without the support of such a great force! If I have shown any impropriety, please forgive me.”
“It’s fine,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I am not a person from any great force. My name is Yang Kai.”
Gu Jian Xin was taken aback as he truly had never heard the name Yang Kai before. What was certain was that he was definitely not from any great force, but this reality only shocked Gu Jian Xin even more.
Cupping his fists solemnly again, he politely called, “So it is Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly before glancing towards the distance where the other battlefield had settled down. With Liu Yan’s help, how could Li Ming Hai subordinates have any chance to escape? All of them were executed without a single one being able to escape.
“Brother Yang, this Gu has a question, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate to ask,” Gu Jian Xin suddenly spoke.
“When I passed by here before, Li Ming Hai attacked me by surprise, so I decided to lie in ambush here to return the favour,” Yang Kai glanced at him and answered before the question was asked.
“Brother Yang is brave, bold, and strong!” Gu Jian Xin brow jumped.
An ordinary Origin Returning Realm cultivator who was sneak attacked by an Origin King and managed to survive would normally run as far away as possible. They may gnash their teeth and curse violently to vent their anger, but very few would dare do what Yang Kai did, daring to come back and launch his own sneak attack.
Those who acted this way either didn’t fear the Heavens or had something to rely on that gave them confidence in success.
And from the results, it was obviously Yang Kai belonged to the latter category!
It seemed he had not used his full strength in the previous battle.
Moreover, this Yang Kai was obviously a man who sought revenge for any grievance he suffered!
“Since it was supposed to be a sneak attack, why didn’t Brother Yang wait for a better opportunity? For example, when old dog Li killed me and relaxed his guard? Brother Yang could have chosen to take action at that time and saved himself some effort,” Gu Jian Xin asked.
“Needing to put in more effort doesn’t mean I couldn’t kill him,” Yang Kai smiled confidently. “What Young Union Master wants to ask is why I saved you, yes?”
Gu Jian Xin nodded.
“It would be a pity for a man who is willing to sacrifice himself for his woman to die just like that,” Yang Kai replied.
Earlier, Gu Jian Xin had personally resisted Li Ming Hai’s blow for his Right Sword Servant, and Yang Kai was clear on how dangerous that was. If anything had gone wrong, Gu Jian Xin and his Right Sword Servant would have both died together.
Yang Kai had also fought side by side with Su Yan before against a master like Luo Hai, so he very much approved of Gu Jian Xin’s approach.
A man who was willing to go so far for his beloved was definitely not a cunning and sinister character.
Gu Jian Xin was stunned.
The Left and Right Sword Servants also blushed slightly as they glanced towards Gu Jian Xin with clear affection reflected in their beautiful eyes.
Soon though, Gu Jian Xin let out a hearty laugh and the last traces of vigilance in his eyes finally dissipated, saying with great heroic spirit, “It seems that Brother Yang is also a man among men. En, this Gu being able to encounter Brother Yang here is truly an honour!”
Yang Kai touched his nose and said, “The other reason is… I am acquainted with someone from your Sword Union.”
“Oh? Brother Yang knows someone from our Sword Union?” Gu Jian Xin asked with joy.
Without even mentioning that he now owed Yang Kai a live-saving grace, Gu Jian Xin felt it quite enthusiastic about Yang Kai and wanted to make friends with him. As such, hearing that Yang Kai had some contact with Sword Union already naturally made Gu Jian Xin incredibly happy.
“Who is it that Brother Yang knows?”
“They’re coming over now,” Yang Kai gestured.
Gu Jian Xin turned his head and soon found that the Yue Xi Master and Disciple trio, who had shined so brightly in battle, were flying over.
“So it’s them!” Gu Jian Xin was genuinely surprised.
He thought that the one Yang Kai knew was some top master among his subordinates, but it actually turned out to be these three.
Soon after, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao crossed the short distance separating them and saluted Gu Jian Xin before asking about his situation. After learning that the Young Union Master was fine, they all visibly relaxed.
“Big Brother Yang,” He Zao and He Miao turned to Yang Kai next. This time, they had relied on Yang Kai’s help to turn danger into safety, so they did not treat him as an outsider and called out to him charmingly.
Yang Kai nodded slightly, stretched out his hand, and took back a brilliant red light from He Zao’s body, sucking it into his palm.
“Thank you, Yang Kai. If not for your help, we would all have perished here. This Mistress and her Disciples are eternally grateful!” Yue Xi sincerely thanked him.
Yang Kai did not stand on ceremony and calmly accepted the other side’s gratitude.
“Brother Yang is actually acquainted with Lady Yue and her disciples, it seems all of this was truly predestined,” Gu Jian Xin laughed loudly. “If Brother Yang doesn’t object, why not come aboard this Gu’s Starship to rest? This Gu will offer the finest entertainment.”
Yang Kai heard this but did not immediately agree.
The reason why he stayed here was mainly because he wanted to launch a sneak attack on Li Ming Hai, so now that the latter was dead, he had no particular reason to remain.
Seeing him go silent, Gu Jian Xin did not try to urge him, but He Zao and He Miao both stared at Yang Kai pleadingly, as if hoping he would agree.
“Might I ask what Young Union Master’s destination is for this trip?” After a while, Yang Kai looked up and asked.
“Brother Yang can just call me Brother Gu, being referred to as Young Union Master seems a bit stiff,” Gu Jian Xin smiled. “As for Brother Yang’s question, this Gu is heading towards Azure Tree Star this time.”
“Azure Tree Star?”
“Yeah, it is one of the Cultivation Stars under the jurisdiction of my Sword Union and about a month’s journey away from here.”
“Is that so….” Yang Kai thought for a while before coming to a conclusion and nodding, “Since Brother Gu has made such a generous invitation, then this Yang will be imposing on you.”
Seeing Yang Kai agree, Gu Jian Xin’s eyes brightened, and he seemed to be extremely happy. Walking forward, he put his arm around Yang Kai’s shoulder and led him towards the Starship, acting like old friends who had just reunited.
Under the attack of Li Ming Hai and his group, one of the three Starships had been destroyed while another had been crippled, leaving just the largest Starship Gu Jian Xin was sailing aboard intact. Although this Starship was also somewhat damaged, it only needed some minor repairs before it was able to get underway.
Aboard the Starship, Gu Jian Xin arranged for quarters for Yang Kai before excusing himself so he could heal his injuries. Gu Jian Xin had just fought an intense battle against Li Ming Hai, and although he had not suffered any fatal injuries, he had several heavy wounds. This damage needed to be addressed quickly with pills and meditation.
Yang Kai naturally understood this and did not mind.
After a day of repairs, the Starship got underway again.
Yang Kai was given an extremely luxurious room by Gu Jian Xin, one that was not only large but ornately decorated, with hundreds of luminous stones providing a soft and warm light not inferior to natural sunlight.
There was also an incense burner in the room which a calming fragrance wafted from.
Yang Kai also had his reasons for accepting Gu Jian Xin’s invitation.
He had travelled quite a distance on his own while arranging Space Arrays on a few Dead Stars as transfer points. Now, he needed to connect this network to a real Cultivation Star, otherwise, the cultivators from Shadowed Star would have no end destination.
According to Yang Kai’s own observations from his Star Chart, this Azure Tree Star was quite a good Cultivation Star.
If Ye Xi Yun and the others could travel through the Space Array network to Azure Tree Star, they could take advantage of the World Energy and World Principles there to attempt to break through to the Origin King Realm.
Another reason was that he did not have many Space Spirit Crystals left.
Although Ye Xi Yun and the others had collected almost the entire supply of Space Spirit Crystals available on Shadowed Star for him before he left, the amount required to arrange a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array was simply too great.
The Space Spirit Crystal he had on hand was only enough to arrange one more Space Array!
He needed to find a way to acquire more.
Azure Tree Star was a Cultivation Star under the jurisdiction of Sword Union, and Yang Kai now had a friendly relationship with Gu Jian Xin, the Young Union Master, so he could use this opportunity to acquire more Space Spirit Crystals.
Before doing so though, Yang Kai could take a trip back to the Ore Star to see if Qian Tong, Ye Xi Yun and the others had found a Space Spirit Crystal mineral lode. If so, it would save him some trouble.
Sitting down in his room, Yang Kai took inventory of his gains.
He had not actually acquired much though; after all, he had only killed three people in the conflict. Needless to say, Zhang Fu and Liu Dong’s Space Ring basically had nothing of interest to Yang Kai, all of their items would likely wind up in High Heaven Sect’s storehouse.
As for Li Ming Hai’s Space Ring, there was a lot of wealth stored inside.
Of note was the Origin King Grade Soul Breaker Spear artifact which had now fallen into Yang Kai’s hands.
Even considering the entire Star Field, Origin King Grade artifacts were rare things that could not be purchased at will! However, Yang Kai was not too excited about this artifact as among the people he knew, there wasn’t anyone suited to using it.
For now, he could only set it aside.
While taking inventory, a knock suddenly came from his door and after a moment of surprise, Yang Kai called out casually, “Come in.”
The door opened and two beautiful figures walked in one after the other.
“Big Brother Yang!” He Miao greeted him crisply before setting down a few trays on a nearby table together with He Zao.
Yang Kai glanced over and found that these trays were filled with exquisite delicacies and wine, but he did not pay these things too much mind. At his level of strength, even the finest of foods and wines were nothing but luxuries to stimulate the palate without much practical purpose. Only some special dishes were capable of improving his strength directly.
“Are we disturbing you?” He Zao was a little more mature and when she saw Yang Kai wearing such a casual appearance, she asked worriedly.
“No,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before motioning, “Have a seat.”
“We couldn’t,” He Zao waved her hands, “We are here to serve you, standing is more appropriate. If you have any instructions, please don’t hesitate to tell us.”
“Gu Jian Xin asked you to come?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“En,” He Zao lowered her eyes respectfully, while on the other hand, He Miao looked around curiously.
Obviously, she had never entered this type of luxurious room before.
“Then first sit down, this is an order,” Yang Kai smiled.
He Zao hesitated for a moment before nodding lightly and taking a seat with her sister. After assuming an extremely respectful posture, however, He Zao saw He Miao’s restless appearance and shot her a vicious glance.
He Miao spat out her delicate tongue before finally settling down as well.
“It seems that every time I meet you, your situation is quite bad,” Yang Kai said with a smile.
The first time he met these two sisters in the Star Field, they were being chased by Purple Star’s cultivator. Just now, they had been ambushed by Li Ming Hai here. Although the situation was different, the circumstances were quite similar.
Hearing Yang Kai’s joke, He Zao’s face flushed while He Miao muttered, “We should be the ones saying that.”
“He Miao!” He Zao glared at her little sister immediately, causing He Miao to pout in dissatisfaction, “What’s wrong, Big Brother Yang won’t care.”
He Zao’s expression became helpless as she looked at Yang Kai apologetically, “Please forgive my little sister, Big Brother Yang, she grew up a bit spoiled.”
“It’s fine, there’s no need to be so nervous,” Yang Kai waved his hand. When he met the two sisters back then, because everyone had similar strength, with their cultivation being higher than his own, they were able to interact as members of the same generation. Now though, with such a massive gap in strength appearing between them, He Zao was having some difficulty adapting.
After all, even their Honoured Master was only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, while Yang Kai had become a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master and was even on good terms with their Young Union Master.
Seeing her like this, Yang Kai could only change the subject and promptly asked about how they had been these past years.
With nothing to hide, He Zao immediately explained.
After escaping from the floating continent all those years ago, they had gone their separate ways. Yue Xi took the two sisters back to Sword Union, but because such massive losses were incurred during this operation, with a Starship destroyed and many Sword Union cultivators dying, as the leader at the time, Yue Xi almost suffered a disaster. In the end, though, a high-level Elder from Sword Union stepped forward to put in a good word for her, allowing Yue Xi to escape heavy sanction.
For this reason, Yue Xi and her two disciples began to follow Gu Jian Xin, because that Senior who spoke for them was one of the Young Union Master’s supporters.
This time, Gu Jian Xin had set off from Sword Union’s Home Star for Azure Tree Star on some kind of business, and Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao had followed along. Never had they imagined they would get involved in such a battle and almost lose their lives.
After finishing her story, He Zao did not ask Yang Kai about his experiences over the years as she was aware her status and identity were not high enough to know.
Yang Kai nodded faintly and said, “By the way, how much do you know about your Young Union Master, Gu Jian Xin?”
“Young Union Master?” He Zao was startled, “Does Big Brother Yang want to know more about the Young Union Master?”
“En,” Yang Kai was satisfied seeing her understand his intent. “Tell me whatever is convenient for you to disclose.”
He Zao smiled lightly, “I don’t know much actually, so there’s nothing inconvenient to talk about. Young Union Master can be said to be the most talented genius in Sword Union in the past thousand years. He is currently less than sixty but has already reached the peak of the Origin Realm. There are also rumours that he will be able to break through to the Origin King Realm within three to five years!”
Yang Kai nodded while sipping his tea, motioning her to continue speaking with his eyes.
He had already learned this information from Liu Dong before.
“Young Union Master is humble, respectful, and righteous. He is the successor Union Master has placed his hopes on. Not only is his cultivation high, but his combat strength is also excellent as well. It seems that only Xue Yue, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Third Young Master, and Purple Star’s Zi Dong are able to compete with him among the younger generation of the Star Field.”
“Is that so…” Hearing this, another person suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s mind.
Xu Bin Bai!
The interesting young man Yang Kai met outside Green Mountains Star’s Blood Prison that day! It was said that he was the Disciple of an Origin King Realm master named Wu Dao. This Wu Dao’s cultivation was so profound that even Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Luo Hai was extremely respectful of him, addressing him as Senior Wu Dao!
Wu Dao was no doubt a genuine Third-Order Origin King and one of the divine dragons who one could never catch sight of.
The disciple of such a person could not be worse than Gu Jian Xin, Xue Yue, or Zi Dong, perhaps even slightly stronger, but this thought lingered in Yang Kai’s mind for just a second, and he did not annunciate it.
He Zao had lived in Sword Union for a long time and her strength was not very high, so the things she had come into contact with were quite limited, making her vision somewhat narrow.
“Young Union Master’s reputation in Sword Union is also excellent. If not, Honoured Master would not have chosen to follow him. En, Young Union Master is always accompanied by his Left and Right Sword Servants. I’ve heard that they have cultivated together since childhood and are like brother and sisters.”
“Probably not just brother and sisters,” Yang Kai chuckled.
When the Left and Right Sword Servants looked at Gu Jian Xin, there was clearly more than just friendship in their eyes.
He Zao pursed her lips as a trace of crimson filled her cheeks. Squeezing her dress slightly, she didn’t respond to Yang Kai’s comment and instead continued, “The Left Sword Servant is called Ling Yue while the Right Sword Servant is called An Xing. Young Union Master and his Left and Right Sword Servants have cultivated a profound method together known as the Sun, Moon, and Stars Secret Techniques. Combined, the three of them can exert a combat power far beyond their own cultivation level. However, even without the assistance of his Left and Right Sword Servants, the personal combat power of the Young Union Master alone is very strong, and an ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cannot possibly be his opponent.”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
Whether a cultivator was powerful or not was often discernable at a glance. Gu Jian Xin gave Yang Kai a powerful feeling.
Clearly, Gu Jian Xin belonged to the elite of the elite!
“This is everything I know,” After He Zao finished speaking, she looked towards Yang Kai respectfully, as if waiting for his next instructions.
“Then Gu Jian Xin’s trip to Azure Tree Star this time, do you know what its purpose is?”
“I don’t, we were simply following orders. We didn’t even know where we were sailing to until Young Union Master mentioned it,” He Zao shook her head.
“Big Brother Yang, you are asking so many questions, so are you planning on being enemies with Young Union Master?” He Miao asked with some worry.
Yang Kai laughed and shook his head, “Why would I? There’s no grudge between us so how could I become Gu Jian Xin’s enemy? Besides, Gu Jian Xin should be a good person. However, since I have boarded his Starship, I naturally want to learn more about him. You don’t need to be so nervous.”
“Oh,” He Miao relaxed greatly while her little hand patted her rather well-endowed peaks, a relieved expression filling her face.
He Zao and He Miao were only Third-Order Saint Kings, and although they were somewhat young, they had a chance of becoming pillars of Sword Union in the years to come, but that was a matter for the future. With their current cultivation and status, they naturally did not have access to much high-level information.
To them, their current lives could be summed up in two words.
Follow orders!
There was no need to ask anything or even think too much, they simply needed to follow orders from above. Even if it was a task which would cost them their lives, they had no choice but to obey.
This was the sorrowful fate of cultivators at the bottom of great forces. These cultivators seemed to receive excellent shelter, but they lost some of their freedom in exchange. If Yang Kai really wanted to be an enemy of Gu Jian Xin, He Zao and He Miao would be put in a difficult position.
Afterwards, Yang Kai continued his conversation with He Zao and He Miao before asking them to leave.
“Big Brother Yang…” Before leaving though, He Zao suddenly turned around and called out.
“Is there something else?” Yang Kai looked at her.
He Zao bit her red lips lightly for a moment before shaking her head, “It’s nothing, please have a good rest. If you need anything, just summon us. We live in the fiftieth room of this wing.”
“Sure,” Yang Kai nodded suspiciously.
After sending the sisters off, Yang Kai stood there and pondered for a moment. He Zao must have wanted to say something to him just now, but ultimately decided not to.
Although he had only met these two sisters twice, after the experience back on the floating continent a couple dozen years ago, sharing adversity together, they could be considered quite close.
The encounter this time had reaffirmed their bond of friendship.
If He Zao really asked him for help, Yang Kai would not refuse, unfortunately, it seemed she had concerns of her own and decided not to say anything, making it tricky for Yang Kai to ask as well.
“Big sister, did you want Big Brother Yang to speak on our behalf?” He Miao asked He Zao when they returned to their own room.
“En,” He Zao nodded lightly as she said quietly. “Now, only Big Brother Yang can help us. Even Honoured Master is unable to solve this problem.”
“So why didn’t you say anything? Big Brother Yang is a good person, so he would definitely not sit back and watch if you asked.”
“I believe so too…” He Zao sat down on the edge of the bed. “But this matter has nothing to do with him; it’s our own affair.”
“Elder Sister…” He Miao lay down and rested her head on He Zao’s lap while whispering sadly. “If we don’t do something, we’ll really have to… with that person…”
He Zao reached out her hand a brushed He Miao’s hair, a trace of sorrow also appearing on her pretty face, “En, if it weren’t for Senior Qin’s shelter all those years ago, we and Honoured Master would not have escaped punishment and would perhaps not even be alive today. He is Senior Qin’s son, and it is precisely because of this that Honoured Master was unable to refuse Senior Qin’s proposal. It should be… our turn to repay him. Over the years, Senior Qin has done much for us after all.”
“I don’t want to!” He Miao stood up suddenly and displayed a fit of fierce anger as she clenched her fists and said firmly, “If that day comes, I’ll butcher that Qin Qi Yang brat first!”
He Zao was startled as she stared at He Miao in shock, quickly shouting, “You’re not allowed to talk such nonsense!”
He Miao pouted but did not speak anymore, sinking back down to the bed and falling into her big sister’s lap again.
Inside his room, Yang Kai had just sat down to meditate again when he heard another knock at the door.
This made him frown as he stood up slightly displeased and opened the door only to be met with a glamorous but slightly flustered face.
Yang Kai was stunned.
“Can I come in?” The visitor asked in a low voice as she looked around, seemingly afraid she would be discovered.
[What’s happening?] Yang Kai was even more at a loss; however, seeing the anxious look on the other party’s face, he did not refuse, moved to the side, and allowed this visitor to rush into the room, bringing with her a fragrant burst of wind.
After closing the door, Yang Kai turned to look at this beautiful woman and asked suspiciously, “Lady Yue, is there something you need to discuss with me?”
The person who had come was surprisingly the Honoured Master of He Zao and He Miao: Yue Xi!
Yang Kai was quite confused. The two sisters had only just left but now their Honoured Master had followed on their heels. What was happening here? If outsiders noticed this scene, it would certainly generate rumours about something unspeakable and shameful happening between him and these three.
“This Mistress greets Young Master Yang,” Yue Xi elegantly bowed and lightly opened her lips, saying, “This Mistress thanks Young Master Yang for his life-saving grace…”
“Speak frankly,” Yang Kai looked at her lightly.
Yue Xi’s face became stiff but soon she wore a bitter smile, bit her lips and hesitated for a moment before bluntly saying, “This Mistress wants to ask Young Master Yang to show mercy and save He Zao and He Miao from a miserable fate.”
“What’s happening to them?” Yang Kai frowned, “From what I can tell, they seem quite well without any signs of illness or injury. Is there some matter they need saving from?”
“It is true they are not ill or injured,” Yue Xi shook her head. “It’s just that they… one of them must marry a strange man, one who is not normal!”
Yang Kai squinted and stared straight at Yue Xi.
The force behind his gaze caused Yue Xi to feel quite pressured and her expression gradually became tense, a look of embarrassment and guilt flashing across her face, but soon, she raised her eyes again and stared straight at Yang Kai.
“Have a seat first, then we can talk,” To Yue Xi’s surprise, Yang Kai motioned to her to sit down then poured her a cup of tea.
“Many thanks,” Yue Xi took a deep breath and took a seat.
“I’ll need you to explain in more detail,” Yang Kai sat on the other side and asked.
Yue Xi nodded, “I should have made myself clearer. It’s like this.”
After listening to her speak, Yang Kai understood the whole story.
This matter was related to the events of that year. When Yang Kai had first met Yue Xi, she was a Third-Order Saint King and commanded a Saint King Grade Starship charged with performing some low-risk tasks in the Star Field.
During the events of that year, Sword Union had suffered huge losses. In the end, only Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao had survived. After returning to Sword Union’s Home Star, they faced a disaster they were unable to resolve.
According to the Union’s laws, the typical punishment would be execution to serve as a warning to others, or else to abolish her cultivation and expel her from Sword Union. As for He Zao and He Miao, they would likely degenerate into servants.
At the last moment though, an Elder from Sword Union named Qin Wu Hui had spoken on their behalf and saved their lives and status.
Qin Wu Hui was a master who followed Gu Jian Xin, and as such, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao became indirectly connected to Gu Jian Xin.
Qin Wu Hui was a good-natured person, and even after speaking up to defend Yue Xi and her disciples, he had not tried to threaten or abuse them in any way. In fact, he had taken care of the Master and Disciples over the years, causing the latter to be extremely grateful to him.
However, Qin Wu Hui had a prodigal son named Qin Qi Yang. This boy relied on his father’s prestige to run rampant on Sword Union’s Home Star. Although it could not be said he was completely lawless, he was certainly not a good thing either.
Qin Wu Hui accompanied and assisted Gu Jian Xin almost all the time and neglected to discipline his own son, simply allowing matters to drift.
On Sword Union’s Home Star, however, there were many people of high status and strength, and one day, Qin Qi Yang provoked an opponent he should not have. After falling into a trap, although he fought fiercely and managed to preserve his life, Qin Yi Yang suffered a serious wound to his Soul which essentially turned him into a fool.
Although his son had always been a good-for-nothing, he was still his son, in the end. When Qin Qi Yang degenerated into an idiot, Qin Wu Hui was extremely distressed, but surprisingly, his boy became much better behaved after the incident and no longer showed any of his previous delinquent tendencies.
After many years, Qin Wu Hui was now thinking about finding a marriage partner for his son so he could produce a few heirs.
But who would want to marry Qin Qi Yang, who had become a fool? Coupled with his previous miscreant reputation, no woman of status would be willing to marry him.
Qin Wu Hui’s status was not low, so he disdained to arrange a marriage with some ordinary women for his son.
Out of desperation, Qin Wu Hui could only target the two sisters He Zao and He Miao. Obviously, as long as either of the sisters could marry Qin Qi Yang and give birth to an heir for him, it would alleviate Qin Wu Hui’s concerns.
For this purpose, Qin Wu Hui even prepared a very generous amount of compensation!
He did not go directly to Yue Xi to discuss this matter though and instead reported it to Gu Jian Xin directly.
In a sense, this approach was quite despicable. Qin Wu Hui also agonized over the matter for a long time before ultimately deciding to put aside his face and act.
Qin Wu Hui had followed Gu Jian Xin for many years and was both hardworking and loyal. Now, he simply wanted to arrange a marriage for his son to extend his bloodline, so how could Gu Jian Xin refuse? After receiving this request, Gu Jian Xin directly summoned Yue Xi and told her to discuss with He Zao and He Miao about which of them would marry Qin Qi Yang.
With Gu Jian Xin interceding, there was simply no room for Yue Xi to manoeuvre.
For more than a year, Yue Xi had been stalling, and since Qin Wu Hui also knew that his actions were somewhat dishonourable, he did not try to urge her.
However, procrastination was not a solution. One day, either He Zao or He Miao would be forced to accept.
Yang Kai’s appearance gave Yue Xi hope! She couldn’t ask Gu Jian Xin to break off this affair, and Qin Wu Hui had treated the three of them quite kindly, so refusing was not an option, but Yang Kai was different. Yang Kai was not from Sword Union and it was obvious that Gu Jian Xin wanted to make friends with him, so perhaps just a few words would be enough to solve the tragic future of the two sisters.
Because of this consideration, Yue Xi had secretly visited Yang Kai to ask him to speak on their behalf.
After listening, Yang Kai nodded gently, “So that’s the situation!”
He somewhat understood what He Zao wanted to say before she left. It was likely she wanted to ask for help but was too embarrassed to speak of it.
“Young Master Yang, can you please show compassion and save those two girls? The two of them have lived a tragic life with no father or mother. This Mistress raised them both from infancy till now, treating them as my daughters and really cannot bear to see them forced into this fiery pit!” Yue Xi pleaded as she sobbed, “Senior Qin has been very kind to us, and if he wanted this Mistress to repay him in any other way, this Mistress would certainly not refuse, but this is about the future of those two girls, so this Mistress really cannot agree.”
“En, this matter is not your fault,” Yang Kai’s speech became milder. When he heard her request before, Yang Kai had misunderstood slightly, but after listening to Yue Xi’s explanation, he understood that this matter was truly beyond her ability to handle.
With Gu Jian Xin having spoken, how was she supposed to resist?
For Gu Jian Xin, satisfying Qin Wu Hui’s wishes was naturally the priority; after all, he was not familiar with He Zao or He Miao. What’s more, Qin Wu Hui had prepared plenty of compensation for them.
With his identity as a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, the compensation he came up with was surely extremely generous. For an ordinary woman, marrying into the Qin Family was akin to flying from the branch to become a phoenix.
It could even be said that Gu Jian Xin was being a bit inconsiderate in regards to this matter, but with his position and status, his decision was actually quite reasonable.
However, inserting himself into this kind of matter rashly also seemed inappropriate, causing Yang Kai to frown.
“Young Master Yang…” Seeing Yang Kai tapping his finger on the table, Yue Xi remained silent as long as she could, before she finally couldn’t help saying. “If Young Master Yang can let Young Union Master cancel this marriage, this Mistress swears that even if she must die the cruellest of deaths she will find a way to repay you.”
“There’s no need to act so seriously,” Yang Kai waved his hand. “It’s just that if I really come forward to resolve this matter, what do you plan to do in the future?”
Yue Xi was dumbfounded when she heard these words and was unable to react for a moment.
“Let me put it this way; you owe that Qin Wu Hui a great debt of kindness, so if this matter is truly resolved by me, then you three Master and Disciples will certainly bear the reputation of ingratitude. How do you plan on maintaining a foothold in Sword Union in the future under such circumstances?”
Not everyone knew or cared for the truth, and many only saw what was on the surface. What Yang Kai said was something that would transpire.
Irrelevant cultivators would definitely feel that Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao were repaying kindness with scorn…
“This…” Yue Xi thought about the cold glares and whispers behind her back she and her Disciples would need to endure from the people of Sword Union in the future and could not help shivering. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something, grit her teeth, and declared, “If Young Master Yang does not object, he might as well directly ask Young Union Master for those two girls directly. They only have Third-Order Saint King cultivations, so the Young Union Master will not refuse you. In the future, even if you take them as maids or concubines it won’t matter.”
“Are you serious?” Yang Kai was startled.
Yue Xi smiled, “This Mistress can see that those two girls have favourable impressions of Young Master Yang, so I am sure they will not reject you. After all, Young Master Yang is a dragon among men like Young Union Master.”
“You’re their Honoured Master, how…” Yang Kai’s face twitched visibly.
“Then Young Master Yang, this matter…” Yue Xi looked at Yang Kai nervously. Before getting Yang Kai’s exact answer, she could not rest assured.
“This matter isn’t so easy to manage,” Yang Kai frowned.
Yue Xi’s heart sank.
“First, tell me what that Qin Qi Yang’s exact situation is, and who is Qin Wu Hui precisely. What is his character like, and what is his status within Gu Jian Xin’s ranks?”
…..
After half an hour, Yue Xi left Yang Kai’s room and the sorrow which had adorned her brow for the past year had disappeared. Even her footsteps seemed to have become much lighter. Obviously, she received a positive answer.
For the next two days, the Starship sailed towards Azure Tree Star without any more surprises.
Yang Kai cultivated quietly in his room while also taking the time to refine a furnace of pills.
Two days later, a knock sounded from the door.
After receiving Yang Kai’s permission, the door opened and the He Zao, He Miao sisters walked in.
“Big Brother Yang, Young Union Master has arranged a banquet. We’ve been instructed to invite Big Brother Yang,” He Zao said.
“Okay,” Yang Kai nodded and stood up. “Lead the way ahead.”
“This way please!” He Zao and He Miao immediately walked ahead.
After a quick walk through the Starship’s corridors, the trio arrived at a magnificent hall. Inside this hall were a number of cultivators sitting in two rows at a giant table with food and wine arranged in front of them.
Gu Jian Xin sat at the head position with a ruddy complexion and his Left and Right Sword Servants standing behind him.
It seems that after a few days of meditation, Gu Jian Xin had essentially restored himself.
Seeing Yang Kai enter, Gu Jian Xin immediately got up and greeted him with a smile. The other cultivators present also quickly stood up and cupped their fists.
Many of them only knew about Yang Kai’s existence and that he was the one who had slain Li Ming Hai a few days ago, but had actually not greeted him personally. Seeing even Gu Jian Xin greet this young man so enthusiastically though, none of them dared show a lack of courtesy.
Yang Kai did not lack etiquette either and cupped his fists to those in the hall with a smile on his face. Seeing the relaxed and friendly smile on Yang Kai’s face gave the Origin Returning Realm masters present a good impression, feeling that he was powerful but not arrogant. Everyone understood why their Young Union Master had taken an interest in him.
“Brother Yang, over here!” Gu Jian Xin beckoned.
He Zao and He Miao led Yang Kai to the head of the table where a seat was prepared just below Gu Jian Xin’s before they withdrew a step and stood respectfully.
After Yang Kai took his seat, Gu Jian Xin smiled heartily, “Brother Yang, this Gu has been recovering these past few days and been negligent in his duties as a host. I hope Brother Yang will not take offence.”
“Brother Gu is too serious, healing should naturally be a priority,” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
“Many thanks for your understanding, Brother Yang! Today’s banquet is just a small event to thank Brother Yang for his saving grace. Without you, Ling Yue, An Xing, and I would have fallen to old dog Li’s wicked scheme. From now on, Brother Yang is this Gu’s friend and benefactor!”
Many Origin Realm masters sitting below had a sharp light flash across their eyes.
Gu Jian Xin was a bold and free spirit, but he would never easily utter the word ‘friend’.
Now that he had spoken so, it meant he was determined to forge a friendly relationship with Yang Kai.
Moreover, after the word ‘friend’, Gu Jian Xin even went so far as to add the title of ‘benefactor’. These Origin Realm masters naturally understood what this implied.
“This glass is to show my respect for Brother Yang!” Gu Jian Xin drank his full glass in one go.
He Zao immediately stepped forward and filled Yang Kai’s wine glass before stepping back while still holding the pitcher, fulfilling the role of a maid diligently.
Yang Kai picked up his glass and said with a smile, “With Brother Gu being so straightforward, this Yang won’t stand on ceremony.”
Raising his glass, Yang Kai also drank it down.
“Good, no one will leave here sober today!” Gu Jian Xin laughed.
Music played and some young girls walked in from outside the hall one by one and began to sing and dance while waiters carried in a rich assortment of delicacies.
The entire hall instantly became lively.
The cultivators gathered in the hall were constantly making toasts, and Yang Kai did not refuse any of them. With a gentle smile and a calm expression, he had created a particularly good impression of himself after exchanging drinks with everyone.
From time to time, he would chat and laugh with Gu Jian Xin while occasionally glancing at the beautiful dancers.
Time flew by, the wine flowed freely, and the atmosphere in the hall became more and more lively.
Most cultivators were bold and unrestrained people, so this kind of free banquet naturally became a good place for them to let down their guard and express themselves. The cultivators who followed Gu Jian Xin each drank and laughed heartily.
Although Gu Jian Xin drank a lot, he never became drunk. During this time, he was observing Yang Kai.
A dazzling star like Yang Kai suddenly appearing in the Star Field naturally drew Gu Jian Xin’s curiosity, and he naturally wanted to use this banquet to try to learn some more about him.
To his disappointment though, Gu Jian Xin was not able to learn much.
When Yang Kai looked at the young women below who were dancing and singing, his vision remained clear without any obscene desire, and when he drank and chatted with his subordinates, he always behaved following proper decorum.
All in all, Yang Kai was mysterious, but worth making friends with.
After drinking three rounds, Gu Jian Xin suddenly said, “Brother Yang, this Gu has an awkward request to make. I wonder if you’d be willing to listen?”
As soon as this remark came out, the noise in the hall suddenly decreased and although the cultivators present seemed to be drinking and chatting amongst themselves, all of them undoubtedly heard Gu Jian Xin’s words and diverted part of their attention to listen.
“Brother Gu can speak frankly,” Yang Kai put down his glass and smiled lightly.
Yang Kai was actually somewhat surprised. Throughout the banquet, he had been looking for a suitable opportunity to discuss He Zao and He Mao’s situation with Gu Jian Xin, but before he could find one, Gu Jian Xin had spoken up first.
He wondered what this ‘awkward request’ would be.
“It’s like this,” Gu Jian Xin wore a solemn expression, “This Gu was ambushed by Old Dog Li and suffered great losses. Although Old Dog Li deserved his death, he was still one of my Sword Union’s Elders in the end, and the Soul Breaker Spear he wielded is a treasure my Sword Union spent countless materials and hired a renowned Origin King Grade Artifact Refiner to refine. Rather than Old Dog Li’s personal property, it is more appropriate to say it belongs to my Sword Union. Now that he is dead, however, it is this Gu’s responsibility to bring the Soul Breaker Spear back to the Home Star and inform the Union Master about what has transpired.”
Having said that, he looked at Yang Kai with some embarrassment.
Yang Kai immediately understood what he meant.
“Brother Gu wants to take back the Soul Breaker Spear?”
“En,” An awkward smile appeared on Gu Jian Xin’s face. “This Gu knows that this request is truly somewhat shameless. Since Old Dog Li was killed by Brother Yang, the Soul Breaker Spear should belong to you, but… without the Soul Breaker Spear, things will be difficult for this Gu upon his return, which is why I must ask for it back. Of course, this Gu guarantees he will compensate Brother Yang appropriately, so he does not suffer a loss in exchange for the Soul Breaker Spear. As for everything else Old Dog Li had on him, Brother Yang is free to keep them. Those things don’t belong to my Sword Union.”
“So that’s it,” Yang Kai gently nodded as he wore a look of contemplation.
Gu Jian Xin did not urge him and simply waited quietly.
Inside the hall, at some point silence had fallen as everyone paid full attention to what was happening at the head of the table.
After a while, Yang Kai nodded, “Good, the Soul Breaker Spear is an Origin King Grade artifact, and its value is not low. Brother Gu, if I return the Soul Breaker Spear to Sword Union, what compensation can I expect?”
“As long as the value does not exceed the value of the Soul Breaker Spear itself, this Gu will definitely acquire it for you!” Gu Jian Xin replied solemnly.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Since Brother Gu is so sincere, then this Yang will oblige. In any case, this artifact is of no use to me.”
He did not use a spear and there was no one among his close acquaintances who did, so Yang Kai didn’t feel much loss returning the Soul Breaker Spear.
Saying so, Yang Kai took the Soul Breaker Spear out of his Space Ring and placed it in front of Gu Jian Xin.
Gu Jian Xin gestured lightly, and the Left Sword Servant Ling Yue immediately stepped forward and collected this Origin King Grade artifact.
“For Brother Yang’s righteousness, this Gu is grateful. I wonder what kind of compensation Brother Yang wants in return? Although my Sword Union is not the strongest force in the Star Field, it is also not weak and possesses many rare cultivation resources and materials, pills and herbs. Even if Brother Yang wants some kind of profound Secret Art or Secret Technique, this Gu can find a way to acquire it for you!”
Yang Kai returning the Soul Breaker Spear without any hesitation was a great relief to Gu Jian Xin, so he was prepared to compensate him for his loss as much as possible.
Yang Kai smiled lightly and said, “There’s no need to rush this discussion of compensation, Brother Gu.”
“No rush?” Gu Jian Xin was taken aback.
“En, this Yang wants to ask: Who here is Senior Qin Wu Hui?”
*Shua Shua Shua…*
In the hall, almost everyone’s eyes turned towards a certain direction. Following these eyes, Yang Kai’s gaze landed on a thin old man wearing unremarkable grey robes who was sitting only a seat below Gu Jian Xin.
Being able to sit in such a position showed how high this man’s status was amongst this group.
Yang Kai suddenly calling his name caused Qin Wu Hui to show a puzzled look and he quickly stood up. Cupping his fists, this old man said, “This old master is Qin Wu Hui; there is no need for Young Master Yang to address this old master as Senior. What advice does Young Master Yang have?”
“Senior is too modest,” Yang Kai smiled. “Actually, I have something I wish to give Senior, and I hope you will not refuse!”
“You wish to give this old master something?” Qin Wu Hui was now completely confused.
He was certain he had never greeted or even met Yang Kai before today, and had no relationship with him, yet this young man suddenly wanted to give him something. Despite Qin Wu Hui’s vast knowledge and experience, Yang Kai’s actions left him baffled.
Before Qin Wu Hui could comprehend the situation though, Yang Kai tossed a jade bottle over to him.
There was no sign of any Saint Qi being used to send this jade bottle, so Qin Wu Hui simply caught it and asked in surprise, “Young Master Yang, this is…”
“Senior might as well open it,” Yang Kai smiled, “Naturally, you will know what is inside once you do.”
Qin Wu Hui furrowed his brow and turned his eyes towards Gu Jian Xin, but the latter just laughed loudly, “Since it was delivered to Elder Qin by Brother Yang, Elder Qin might as well take a look. This Young Master is also very curious about what Brother Yang is trying to peddle.”
Qin Wu Hui nodded and opened the bottle before everyone’s eyes before pouring out a pill onto his palm.
This pill was snow-white and only about the size of a bean, but when it appeared before his eyes, Qin Wu Hui’s suspicious expression suddenly became rosy, filled with surprise, excitement, and disbelief…
Immediately, he brought the pill to his nose, sniffed it carefully, and even licked it with his tongue.
He soon exclaimed, “This is… a Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill?”
“What?” Inside the hall, all the gathered cultivators called out in alarm as if an explosion had gone off, all of them gazing towards the pill in Qin Wu Hui’s hand in surprise before shifting to Yang Kai, seemingly eagerly waiting for him to answer.
Gu Jian Xin’s eyes flashed as well as he glanced towards Yang Kai thoughtfully and hesitantly asked, “Brother Yang, is this really a Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill?”
“Senior Qin’s vision is quite sharp; this is indeed a Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill!”
Receiving confirmation from Yang Kai, Qin Wu Hui was so excited that he almost jumped for joy.
Even Gu Jian Xin drew a deep breath and quickly said, “Brother Yang’s means are truly shocking!”
“It’s a mere pill,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Young Master Yang, why would you…” Qin Wu Hui came back to his senses and held the jade bottle tightly in his hand as he looked towards Yang Kai with a puzzled expression, wondering why this unknown young man had suddenly given him this Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill.
“I heard that during a battle against a powerful opponent, Senior Qin’s son suffered a severe injury to his Soul. This Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill should be the appropriate medicine for this situation. Although I dare not say it is a miracle cure, if used in conjunction with appropriate treatment, it should be able to fully restore Young Lord Qin’s Soul over time,” Yang Kai looked at Qin Wu Hui with a smile.
Qin Wu Hui looked at Yang Kai with a face full of excitement.
What happened to Qin Qi Yang had become something of a heart demon to him, and he had been searching for a pill to treat his good-for-nothing son over the years. Unfortunately, even with his capabilities and Gu Jian Xin’s backing, Qin Wu Hui had been unsuccessful in his attempts so far.
Injuries to the Soul were far more difficult to treat than those to the body, and only some extremely special pills would be effective. If it was only a minor injury, things wouldn’t be quite so difficult, but Qin Qi Yang had been wounded so badly that he had degenerated into an idiot, which was a grave injury.
According to Qin Wu Hui’s research, there were only a few pills in existence that could completely heal this kind of injury, but most of those pills were extinct, with either their recipe having been lost to history or the materials required to refine them having disappeared.
The Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill was one such pill. Qin Wu Hui was able to recognize this pill immediately because he had been constantly searching through ancient books these past few years. He also knew that in order to refine this kind of pill, one needed to use the Monster Core of a Seven Coloured Elk!
The Seven Coloured Elk was an ancient exotic Monster Beast that had long ago gone extinct in the Star Field; it was now impossible to find one anywhere.
Even if the Monster Core of a Seven Coloured Elk could somehow be found, it was also an essential component in refining treasures like the Ten Thousand Year Incense, so who would use it to refine a mere Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill?
Yet now, Yang Kai had suddenly taken one out!
Qin Wu Hui gripped the jade bottle tightly as his lips trembled, now knowing what to say.
“Brother Yang, I heard that this Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill is an ancient pill which can even enhance a cultivator’s comprehension and aptitude if taken. Is this true?” Gu Jian Xin suddenly asked.
Enhancing comprehension and aptitude would classify this pill as a Heaven defying treasure.
Generally speaking, qualities like aptitude and talent were innate and could not be changed by external forces unless one had some kind of extraordinary opportunity.
As such, after hearing Gu Jian Xin’s words, all the cultivators in the room were thoroughly shocked as they realized that the true value of this pill was actually far higher than the Origin King Grade Soul Breaker Spear!
An artifact was only an external tool and could not fundamentally change a cultivator’s ability like their aptitude or talent could. The more valuable item was obvious.
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “Brother Gu believes this kind of rumour? The Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill is indeed quite good, but it is not Heaven defying to such an extent. As far as I know, this pill does not affect one’s comprehension or aptitude, but it is the perfect medicine for healing one’s Soul.”
“So that’s how it is. If Brother Yang knows much about the Alchemic Way, could you perhaps also be an Alchemist?” Gu Jian Xin’s eyes lit up.
Yang Kai chuckled and shook his head, “I am not an Alchemist, this pill is something I obtained by chance in the Emperor Garden.”
He had already come up with an excuse for the origin of this pill.
“The Emperor Garden!” Qin Wu Hui gasped as he realized once again how precious this pill was.
“Is that so,” Gu Jian Xin also looked relieved, “Only in a place like the Emperor Garden would such an ancient pill exist. It seems that Brother Yang went to explore the Emperor Garden when it opened a few years ago, yes?”
“Indeed.”
A look of desire flashed across Gu Jian Xin’s face, but he soon sighed, “When the Emperor Garden opened, this Gu was in the middle of a critical retreat and could not enter. It’s a shame, if this Gu had gone, he may have been able to befriend Brother Yang a few years ago.”
“It’s not too late now,” Yang Kai smiled.
“True,” The regretful expression on Gu Jian Xin’s face disappeared and was replaced with a smile.
“Young Master Yang…” Qin Wu Hui stood tall with an expression of hesitation on his face. “This Qin is undeserving of such a gift!”
“Senior need not speak so,” Yang Kai interrupted him. “Giving this Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill to Senior Qin is actually because I need Senior Qin’s assistance with something.”
“Please name it, Young Master Yang!” Qin Wu Hui said hurriedly. He was actually afraid that Yang Kai would not ask him for something in return. There was no such thing as rewards for no effort. This Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill was invaluable and not something that could be given away casually, so hearing Yang Kai had something he wanted in return allowed Qin Wu Hui to relax somewhat.
“It’s like this,” Yang Kai mused. “As Senior knows, He Zao and He Miao are old acquaintances of mine that I met at got to know dozens of years ago. Meeting them again in this vast Star Field can be considered a kind of fate; however, I’ve recently learned that they have a somewhat complicated relationship with Young Lord Qin…”
Yang Kai did not go on because he believed Gu Jian Xin and Qin Wu Hui would be able to understand his meaning from just this.
As for the He sisters who were standing behind Yang Kai, their eyes widened after a moment of shock, and their faces filled with a pleasant surprise; even their breathing quickened slightly.
“So that’s it,” Gu Jian Xin grinned meaningfully as if he had learned some kind of special secret.
Qin Wu Hui showed a look of embarrassment and guilt on his face and quickly cupped his fists, “This matter stemmed from this old master’s selfishness, forcing He Zao and He Miao against their wishes into an unfortunate decision. On the other hand, Young Master Yang is so benevolent and righteous it brings shame to this old master’s heart. Having received this ancient pill which can help my good-for-nothing son recover, this old master guarantees that the previous agreement will be cancelled.”
“Many thanks, Senior.” Yang Kai picked up his glass and stood, smiling, “Senior is a straightforward and upright man, this cup is Junior’s respect for Senior.”
“I would not dare accept,” Qin Wu Hui also raised his glass quickly and with a solemn expression vowed. “My son was ignorant and the disaster he suffered was deserved. Now that Young Master Yang has provided a chance for him to recover, this old master has nothing but thanks to offer. This old master also promises he will discipline his son in the future and set him on the righteous path so as not to disappoint Young Master Yang’s benevolence!”
The two drank their glasses of wine before Yang Kai took his seat again.
In a seat in the corner of the hall, Yue Xi cast a grateful look towards Yang Kai.
She never expected that Yang Kai could solve this matter so easily. Originally, it seemed like a peaceful resolution had been impossible, as no matter how highly Gu Jian Xin regarded Yang Kai, it would be a huge loss of face to side with him over a loyal subordinate like Qin Wu Hui, while doing the opposite would not have yielded any good results either.
However, Yang Kai had managed to sweep this problem away without causing Qin Wu Hui to lose any face with a single pill, instead even gaining significantly.
It could be said that everyone was happy with this arrangement.
It’s just… this kind of price was something only Yang Kai could take out casually.
“He Zao, He Miao!” Qin Wu Hui did not immediately take a seat and instead called out to the two sisters before waving his hand and sending two streams of light towards them.
The two sisters had yet to recover from their excitement and joy and only reflexively grasped the two streams of light in their hands before turning their attention to Qin Wu Hui.
“This old master has troubled you this past year, accept these as compensation. I hope you can assist the Young Master with all your heart in the future and not bear a grudge against this old master,” Qin Wu Hui said sincerely.
“Disciple would not dare! Disciple thanks Elder Qin for his generous reward!” He Zao and He Miao bowed and spoke in unison before taking a look at what exactly they had been given.
After a glance, the two discovered that they were actually holding a pair of Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifacts! It was two identical scimitars that seemed to be capable of joining into one to form a single round flying blade.
With their cultivation and status, it was basically impossible for them to obtain Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifacts unless they were gifted by their Honoured Masters or an Elder.
However, Yue Xi herself was not rich, so how could she provide the two sisters with such powerful artifacts? Only someone like Qin Wu Hui could casually pull out and give away two Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifacts.
The two sisters understood that this kind of treatment was all due to Yang Kai! Without Yang Kai, how could Qin Wu Hui have given them two artifacts so freely?
Standing behind Yang Kai, staring at his back, both sisters’ beautiful eyes overflowed with gratitude.
“Brother Yang…” Gu Jian Xin smiled bitterly to the side as he rubbed his forehead lightly and said, “You doing this makes this Gu wonder how he is going to compensate you. We haven’t even finished discussing the Soul Breaker Spear either.”
He had to compensate Yang Kai for the loss of the Soul Breaker Spear, yet instead of making a request, Yang Kai had sent out another gift to Qin Wu Hui. While the exchange between Yang Kai and Qin Wu Hui might seem like a fair deal on the surface, as long as they were slightly discerning, anyone could see that Yang Kai had suffered a huge loss!
After all, whether it was Qin Wu Hui, He Zao, or He Miao, they were all members of Sword Union. Yang Kai had gifted a pill but received nothing in return; what’s more, the pill he delivered was an ancient one that could no longer be refined.
As such, Gu Jian Xin suddenly felt that he owed Yang Kai greatly.
“Brother Yang, we should discuss this matter now. What kind of compensation do you want? Please do not hesitate, this Gu is ready to lose a pound of flesh to you,” Gu Jian Xin joked.
“There’s no need to worry so much,” Yang Kai smiled, “Actually, I have already thought about what I’d like as compensation and for Brother Gu. It should be a simple matter.”
“Oh? Please do explain,” Gu Jian Xin put on a serious face as everyone else in the hall also looked curiously towards Yang Kai. Everyone wanted to know what he would ask for, especially Qin Wu Hui who seemed determined to fulfil any request Yang Kai made.
“Our destination for this trip is Azure Tree Star, right?” Yang Kai asked.
“Indeed.”
“And this Azure Tree Star is under the direct control of Sword Union?”
“Yes! Azure Tree is under the jurisdiction of my Sword Union,” Gu Jian Xin said proudly, “Regarding Cultivation Stars like Azure Tree Star, my Sword Union controls three!”
“Then this will be simple,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I want a site covering a radius of ten thousand kilometres. En, I do not need it to be a particularly rich region, just so long as it is not barren, it will be fine.”
“Ten thousand kilometres?” Gu Jian Xin frowned.
“Five thousand kilometres is also fine,” Yang Kai added.
“Hahaha, Brother Yang is far too polite, forget ten thousand kilometres, even a hundred thousand kilometres is fine!” Gu Jian Xin laughed and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “A hundred-thousand-kilometre territory on Azure Tree Star is nothing. Good, it’s settled then, when we arrive on Azure Tree Star, this Gu will have someone arrange it. As for what site Brother Yang would like, you can make your own decision!”
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment and unable to respond, but soon he smiled and nodded, “Since Brother Gu has said this much, this Yang will naturally accept.”
As the Star Master of Shadowed Star, owning a trivial hundred-thousand-kilometre territory did not have any big impact on him.
“There’s no need for politeness between us!” Gu Jian Xin stretched out and beckoned, causing Ling Yue to immediately step forward to fill his and Yang Kai’s glass.
“Brother Yang, might I ask what you want this site for? Do you plan on settling down on Azure Tree Star?” Gu Jian Xin asked with joy and expectation.
If Yang Kai really was planning to do so, it would undoubtedly be good news for Gu Jian Xin. He was still worried about having an opportunity to win over Yang Kai, but if Yang Kai wanted to settle on Azure Tree Star, how could there not be chances to recruit him in the future?
“I’ve no intention of settling down, but building a temporary residence might not be a bad idea,” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“Brother Yang is a man of great ambitions it seems!”
“Brother Gu, might I discuss another business deal with you?”
“Brother Yang, please speak.”
“I need a large amount of Space Spirit Crystals. I don’t know if Brother Gu could provide them? Of course, I will purchase them with Saint Crystals or exchange them for other valuables so your Sword Union won’t suffer a loss.”
“Brother Yang is too serious, since it’s a transaction, this Gu will naturally not refuse, but… Space Spirit Crystals are a scarce commodity in the Star Field, so it will have to wait until we reach Azure Tree Star before I can make some inquiries for you.”
“Then I shall trouble you.”
…..
The banquet lasted for an entire day with everyone only departing after becoming thoroughly drunk.
Yang Kai returned to his room and washed himself before scattering the effects of the alcohol.
Later, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao came to visit him together and thank him.
To Yang Kai, this was nothing more than a trivial matter. The materials used to refine the Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill were all part of his collection and the only precious item used was the Monster Core of the Seven Coloured Elk.
Yang Kai had obtained this Monster Core after killing the Seven Coloured Elk Variant in the Emperor Garden but he had no use for it until now, so it wasn’t a loss for him to refine a pill with it this time.
But for the Master and Disciple trio, this was an important matter that greatly affected their futures.
Yang Kai could perceive their gratitude, which made him feel slightly complex emotionally.
With differences in position and power, the things one could accomplish also differed greatly, just like how an ant could not shake an iron rod with all its strength, but an ordinary mortal could easily pick it up just by reaching out.
After seeing off the Master and Disciple trio, Yang Kai entered into secluded retreat to cultivate his various Secret Techniques.
Whether it was his Golden Blood Threads, Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, or Space Force, Yang Kai needed a lot of time to cultivate and consolidate them.
The road ahead was very safe. After being attacked by Li Ming Hai, the Starship did not encounter any disturbances and twenty days later, it arrived safely at Azure Tree Star!
In the Star Field, each Cultivation Star had its own World Principles, so there were inevitably differences between them.
Whether it was in terms of World Energy or materials produced, or the number of cultivators living on it and the heights they could reach, there was a huge contrast between different Cultivation Stars.
For example, Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy was extremely thin, so cultivators were limited to reaching the Saint Realm.
On some Cultivation Stars, the limit was the Saint King Realm, Origin Returning Realm…
Although Shadowed Star had rich World Energy, enough to support cultivators reaching the Origin King Realm, because of the World Principle suppression, it was impossible for cultivators to spy on the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.
Among the many Cultivation Stars, the most bountiful ones would be taken as Home Stars of great forces.
For example, Water Moon Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Sword Star of Sword Union, Purple Star of Purple Star…
These Home Stars surpassed other Cultivation Stars in almost all aspects.
Azure Tree Star could only be regarded as an ordinary Cultivation Star with World Energy on par with Shadowed Star’s but with less than half the area.
In front of the Azure Tree Palace, Gu Jian Xin’s Starship descended slowly towards a square where a group of Sword Union cultivators were waiting to receive him.
The leader of this group was a beautiful woman with a stunning face and graceful figure. She was wearing a long black dress and had such abundant peaks that they nearly burst from their restraints. Her waist was slim while her legs were long and slender. On her face, she wore a warm smile that paired perfectly with her bright eyes while a mature aura lingered about her.
As soon as Gu Jian Xin disembarked from the Starship, he greeted this woman enthusiastically, “Aunt Lan, it’s been a long time.”
The beautiful woman called Aunt Lan smiled and said, “Greetings, Young Union Master. Subordinate has been anticipating your arrival.”
Saying so, she gave an elegant salute while the cultivators behind her also bowed in greeting.
“There are no outsiders here, so why must Aunt Lan act so politely?” Gu Jian Xin smiled and spoke. It was obvious that he had a good relationship with this beautiful woman.
“Courtesy cannot be abandoned!” Aunt Lan smiled sweetly before her pair of beautiful eyes swept the figures behind Gu Jian Xin, greeting Qin Wu Hui with a gentle nod then fixing on Yang Kai for a moment, a hint of suspicion flashing across her face.
She was naturally familiar with all of Gu Jian Xin’s important subordinates, but Yang Kai was a new face, which she found strange. Using her Divine Sense, she swept Yang Kai and discovered that he was actually a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, confusing her slightly more.
“It’s windy outside, let’s go inside before we talk further,” Gu Jian Xin did not immediately introduce Yang Kai to this beautiful woman and instead made such a proposal.
A gleam flitted across Aunt Lan’s eyes before she smiled and nodded, “Alright. This way, Young Union Master.”
Saying so, she led the way.
Azure Tree Palace was a symbolic building of Azure Tree Star, the headquarters established by Sword Union on Azure Tree Star to manage Azure Tree Star.
Yang Kai followed quietly while observing this beautiful woman named Aunt Lan.
Although he did not release his Divine Sense to investigate carefully, judging from the aura he felt from this beautiful woman, he was certain that she was an Origin King!
Thinking about it though, this was appropriate. Azure Tree Star was a critical Cultivation Star to Sword Union, so it was only natural that an Origin King Realm would be stationed here to preside over it. This beautiful woman named Aunt Lan should be a First-Order Origin King cultivator, because her aura had similar power to Li Ming Hai’s while it a far cry from Luo Hai’s.
The Azure Tree Palace occupied a wide area and after entering it and dispersing the miscellaneous people, Gu Jian Xin finally made introductions.
Through Gu Jian Xin’s introduction, Yang Kai learned that this beautiful woman was named Luo Lan, and she was indeed a First-Order Origin King as he suspected.
“Aunt Lan is the Star Master of Azure Tree Star and is responsible for all of Sword Union’s matters here!” Gu Jian Xin said.
“Star Master?” Yang Kai’s face changed slightly.
“Haha, it’s not what Brother Yang thinks,” Gu Jian Xin seemed to already know what Yang Kai was reacting to and explained with a smile, “This Star Master is not the kind of Star Master you imagine, it’s just a title.”
“So, it’s just a title,” Yang Kai felt relieved; after all, from what he knew, essentially all Star Masters were Third-Order Origin Kings, as only they seemed capable of refining a Star Source somewhat safely.
Luo Hai becoming Star Master of Green Mountains Star was entirely thanks to luck, and Yang Yan was the one who helped Yang Kai become Star Master of Shadowed Star.
Luo Lan was just a First-Order Origin King, so if she had managed to become a genuine Star Master, it could only be said that she obtained the greatest of opportunities!
However, if it was just a title given to her, it was not such a big deal. Any Origin King sent by Sword Union to oversee Azure Tree Star would receive the title of Star Master.
This Star Master was nothing more than a status indicator and did not come with the conveniences and advantages a true Star Master should have.
“Little brother seems quite surprised, could it be you’ve met a Star Master before?” Luo Lan was a woman with keen intuition and immediately inferred something from the changes in Yang Kai’s expression.
“En… I had the honour of meeting Sir Luo Hai on Green Mountains Star a few years ago,” Yang Kai casually explained.
“Sir Luo Hai…” Luo Lan murmured, “A few years ago? It seems that this brother had participated in the Blood Prison Trial.”
“En.”
“Brother Yang also participated in the Blood Prison Trial?” Gu Jian Xin was shocked as he looked at Yang Kai in amazement.
It seemed that Yang Kai having his current achievements was not simply a matter of luck. Gu Jian Xin learned from Yang Kai that he had explored the Emperor Garden, and now it seems he also underwent the Blood Prison Trial.
Surviving and returning from the two fierce lands one after another with just luck was not enough. It took true ability.
“Impressive!” Gu Jian Xin expressed his sincere admiration, cupping his fists in respect.
“Haha,” Yang Kai chuckled slightly awkwardly.
“Unfortunately, it seems that less than two years after the Blood Prison Trial, Luo Hai was killed. This incident shocked the entire Star Field,” Luo Lan muttered quietly.
“This Young Master also heard about that incident. Unexpectedly, someone like Luo Hai could be killed; who could have been responsible??
Yang Kai remained silent, his expression calm.
“By the way, Aunt Lan, I was ambushed by Li Ming Hai on my way here this time,” Gu Jian Xin changed the subject abruptly.
“What?” Luo Lan’s beautiful face paled, “Were you hurt?”
“My injuries have already healed. It was all thanks to Brother Yang’s help though, otherwise, I’m afraid I would have met disaster.”
“Him?” Luo Lan glanced at Yang Kai suspiciously. Although she was not sure what happened, since Gu Jian Xin said that Yang Kai helped him escape danger, she naturally would not question him and said with a serious expression, “Many thanks for offering your aid, little brother. This Queen will certainly repay you for your efforts.”
“Senior is too polite, Brother Gu and I are like old friends. It was just some trivial assistance, nothing worth mentioning,” Yang Kai said modestly.
“Trivial…” Luo Lan’s expression became extremely weird.
Being ambushed by an Origin King was no trivial matter, and she could almost imagine the great risks involved. If one thing had gone wrong, Gu Jian Xin would likely not be standing in front of her right now, already buried in a remote corner of the Star Field.
“Where is that bastard Li Ming Hai now?” Luo Lan turned her gaze to Gu Jian Xin again as a cold murderous intent flashed across her beautiful eyes, “Daring to do such a thing, there will be no place for him in the Star Field again!”
“He’s dead!” Gu Jian Xin quickly said.
Luo Lan’s jaw dropped and only after a short silence did she ask, “How did he die?”
Gu Jian Xin only glanced over at Yang Kai as a response.
Luo Lan once again turned a suspicious gaze towards him.
Yang Kai smiled harmlessly and said, “I only gave him a sneak attack while he was concentrated on fighting Brother Gu.”
Luo Lan was again a little speechless but soon smiled and said, “Little brother conceals himself quite well.”
“He simply let success get to his head at the time,” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders.
Seeing his casual expression, Luo Lan immediately knew that Yang Kai did not want to talk about this topic anymore, so she smartly advanced the conversation, “Since even Li Ming Hai died, the situation can be considered closed; however, Young Master being able to escape this time was only thanks to a fortunate encounter with a noble person who provided assistance. You cannot act so recklessly in the future.”
“I know,” Gu Jian Xin nodded solemnly, “Oh yeah, Aunt Lan, I brought Brother Yang here this time mainly to consult with you about something.”
“Oh, what?”
“Brother Yang wants to build a palace on Azure Tree Star and needs a plot of land about a hundred thousand kilometres across, does Aunt Lan have any appropriate locations?”
“A hundred thousand kilometres…” Luo Lan pondered for a moment before saying, “There are many options, but I do not know what kind of location little brother would prefer, so why don’t we discuss this matter while consulting Azure Tree Star’s map tomorrow?”
“Sound good. I shall trouble you, Senior.”
“Little brother need not be so polite. You saved Young Master’s life, so a hundred-thousand-kilometre territory is nothing to Sword Union.”
“Junior will take his leave first then. I look forward to meeting you again tomorrow, Senior,” Yang Kai knew that Gu Jian Xin brought him over to meet Luo Lan and discuss his request for a piece of land, but now that introductions were finished these two certainly had other confidential matters to discuss which were not appropriate for him to overhear.
“I’ll see you out,” Gu Jian Xin gestured before leading Yang Kai out.
Outside, a maidservant was assigned to lead Yang Kai to a guest room in the Azure Tree Palace to rest.
After Yang Kai left, Luo Lan released her Divine Sense and opened the many barriers around the room to ensure no one could spy on this place before asking solemnly, “Young Master, that Yang Kai… is he credible?”
“En, according to my observations along the way, he has nothing to do with Sword Union and him appearing where Li Ming Hai was lying in ambush for me was simply a coincidence. It was Li Ming Hai who launched a sneak attack on him first.”
“He managed to survive a sneak attack from Li Ming Hai?” Luo Lan’s expression changed slightly.
“I don’t know how he managed that,” Gu Jian Xin slowly shook his head, “However, there is no doubt about his strength. What he said before was simply giving me face. Li Ming Hai dying was almost entirely thanks to him, and although part of the reason was him successfully launching a sneak attack…. Aunt Lan, you’ve lived many years, but have you ever heard of an Origin Realm cultivator killing an Origin King before?”
“No!” Luo Lan shook her head solemnly before glaring at Gu Jian Xin suddenly, “Oh? You said your ‘Aunt Lan has lived many years’? Are you saying your Aunt Lan is old?”
“Uh…” Gu Jian Xin scratched his head awkwardly and quickly wore a serious face as he tried to change the subject. “Moreover, according to my observations, he actually used Space Force to sneak attack Li Ming Hai!”
Luo Lan’s attention was on something important, so it took a while to process the additional information and asked, “Space Force? He’s able to use such a strange power in battle?”
“It’s more than that!” Gu Jian Xin recalled the scene at the time and his expression constantly fluctuated as he said solemnly, “His accomplishments in the Dao of Space seem to have reached an unprecedented level. He was able to condense his Space Force into a coherent blade that cut and exiled part of Li Ming Hai’s body to The Void!”
Luo Lan could not help gasping when she heard this.
“Suffice it to say, I only want to make friends with him, and definitely not become enemies, so I will have to ask Aunt Lan to pay some more attention to him in the future.”
“Rest assured, since he wants a hundred-thousand-kilometre territory here, there will always be opportunities for us to come into contact in the future,” Luo Lan’s beautiful eyes glowed with a strange light, as if she had become interested in Yang Kai, and continued. “Good, tell me in detail about the fight between you and Li Ming Hai. Aunt Lan is very curious.”
……
Either Sword Union always moved quickly, or Luo Lan was simply an efficient administrator, but Yang Kai had only stayed in the Azure Tree Palace for a single day before he was summoned by Luo Lan to discuss something.
Yang Kai naturally understood this was about the territory he asked for and did not delay.
Following the messenger who had come to summon him, Yang Kai made his way through the halls of the Azure Tree Palace for a short time before meeting a casually-dressed Gu Jian Xin in a certain corridor. The latter saw Yang Kai and beckoned to him with a smile.
The Left Sword Servant Ling Yue and Right Sword Servant An Xing were standing together with him.
“Brother Gu!” Yang Kai stepped forward and cupped his fists.
“How is Brother Yang’s accommodation?” Gu Jian Xin asked enthusiastically.
“Extremely comfortable!” Yang Kai replied.
“That’s good, this Gu was worried he was not offering good enough hospitality, but since Brother Yang says he is comfortable, I can feel relieved.”
“En, Senior Luo asked me to see her…”
“It’s as you think,” Gu Jian Xin grinned at Yang Kai before drawing him along with him. “Follow me.”
Walking down this corridor, the group of four soon came to a light curtain which shrouded the way forward, making it impossible for anyone to see past it. This light curtain was like a waterfall that flickered with countless tiny flowing runes which swam about like small fish, giving it a mysterious and complex appearance.
Gu Jian Xin did not even spare the light curtain a glance and walked straight forward, only pausing for a moment to tell his Left and Right Sword Servants, “You remain here. Execute anyone who dares try to intrude.”
“Yes!” Ling Yue and An Xing nodded firmly as they stood outside.
Gu Jian Xin then led Yang Kai directly past the light curtain.
After experiencing a flash of light, Yang Kai found himself in a seemingly entirely different world.
The whole place was silent and there was nothing of note except for a huge spherical object positioned in the middle of the space.
This sphere was almost two dozen metres in diameter and had irregular patterns covering it, some of which were yellow, some blue, some green, all of them occupying different areas on the sphere’s surface.
As Yang Kai got close, he noticed the sphere was spinning clockwise at a subtle speed.
Luo Lan was standing nearby and greeted with a smile, “Little Brother!”
“Senior Luo!” Yang Kai hurriedly returned the courtesy, but soon his attention was attracted to the sphere in front of him again.
Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin did not seem like they intended to explain and simply observed the changes in Yang Kai’s expression with interest.
Soon though, Yang Kai showed a look of understanding, turned to Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin, and said in surprise, “Is this a model of Azure Tree Star shrunk down countless times?”
“Little Brother’s intuition is sharp!” Luo Lan smiled and nodded, “This is indeed a tiny replica of Azure Tree Star. It took many cultivators from our Sword Union a hundred years to survey all of Azure Tree Star’s environments, measuring each region and categorizing them to complete this design.”
“Is this the map Senior mentioned yesterday?” Yang Kai asked thoughtfully.
“Exactly!” Gu Jian Xin smiled and nodded, “The map that Aunt Lan was talking about yesterday refers to this thing, which was why we had to wait until today to let Brother Yang see it.”
“There are many conveniences to this thing,” Yang Kai muttered in surprise as he circled the sphere, soon understanding what the different colours represented.
The yellow colours represented plains, while the blue was water and the green was forest.
There were a small number of other colours also present which obviously corresponded to rarer areas like swamps and deserts.
Sword Union’s methods were impressive, but… taking a hundred years to complete a project like this was something only a super force could afford.
Looking closer, there were many large and small city-like signs on this sphere, which were obviously settlements where cultivators on Azure Tree Star gathered.
With this, Luo Lan would find it much easier to manage Azure Tree Star.
While Yang Kai observed, Luo Lan took the initiative to explain to him. As Yang Kai expected, the different colours really did correspond to different geographical environments, and depending on the colour’s depth, one could tell the richness of the ambient World Energy in those areas.
The lighter the colour, the thinner the World Energy and vice versa.
After briefly explaining to Yang Kai about this map, Luo Lan said, “The piece of land Little Brother wants, a piece of land a hundred thousand kilometres is neither big nor small, so this Queen has selected a few locations for you to choose from. Of course, these are just areas this Queen thinks are suitable. If Little Brother is not satisfied, he is free to choose any other spot on Azure Tree Star!”
Yang Kai was grateful and cupped his fists, “Junior will be accepting Senior’s good intentions then. Please advise me.”
“Little Brother need not be so polite,” Luo Lan smiled, stretched out her hand towards the large spherical map in front of her, spun it slightly then halted it at a certain position. Luo Lan pointed to a certain place and said, “This is the first place this Queen selected. This area is surrounded by mountains and rivers and is rich in materials as well as World Energy. There is also a city nearby, which would fall under Little Brother’s jurisdiction.”
“A city? Is that alright?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
He only wanted a piece of land that was not too barren and never expected he would actually be given an entire city to control.
“It’s no big deal, it’s just a single city,” Gu Jian Xin grinned.
“Indeed, on Azure Tree Star, even if there aren’t ten thousand such cities, there are at least eight thousand. Having Little Brother assume command of it would be this place’s blessing,” Luo Lan also added with a smile. Yang Kai did not know what Gu Jian Xin had told her yesterday, but he could tell that Luo Lan’s attitude towards him had changed subtly and was much more enthusiastic.
“If Little Brother is not satisfied with this place, then how about here,” Luo Lan waved her hand and spun the map again, pointing to another spot and explaining, “This place is also quite good. This Queen has been here before and can attest to its beautiful scenery and numerous great beauties…”
Seeing Yang Kai remain indifferent, Luo Lan immediately introduced him to the next place.
After introducing seven places in a row, Yang Kai still had nothing to say.
Strictly speaking, the places Luo Lan selected for Yang Kai were indeed quite good, with rich World Energy and numerous other advantageous conditions, each one an extremely generous proposal.
But Yang Kai did not seem to be satisfied with any of them, causing Luo Lan to be a little puzzled, not knowing exactly what he was looking for.
“Senior Luo, is there a suitable place on the sea?” Yang Kai saw that she was about to introduce the next place and quickly asked.
“On the sea?” Luo Lan raised her brow before smiling, “So Little Brother would like to live next to the sea! What do you think about this position?”
…..
Half an hour later, Yang Kai walked out of the mysterious space with a content look upon his face.
After making a few comparisons, he finally chose a place called Twin Shark Island.
It was difficult to classify Twin Shark Island as a single island or two, because if one looked from above, they would see that, although narrow and shallow, there was a connection between them. When viewed from the side, this island, or islands rather looked like two sharks advancing side by side through the sea, a very vivid image.
Hence the name, Twin Shark Island!
The area was very in line with Yang Kai’s requirements, no more, no less, exactly one hundred thousand kilometres in total.
Additionally, there was a medium-sized sea-side city five hundred thousand kilometres away from Twin Shark Island!
This island was relatively remote on Azure Tree Star, and Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin could not understand why he chose such a place; after all, compared with the locations Luo Lan introduced to him before, Twin Shark Island’s only advantage was its rich World Energy aura.
It seemed like Yang Kai was going around the sun to reach the moon and intentionally took a bad deal.
But since Yang Kai had already decided, they did not try to persuade him otherwise.
And so, Twin Shark Island became Yang Kai’s territory from now on. As long as the faction Gu Jian Xin led still controlled Sword Union, no one would be able to take Twin Shark Island away from him.
This was also Gu Jian Xin’s commitment to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not care too much though; now that this site belonged to him, if someone dared try to take it from him in the future, they would first have to weigh the consequences.
The next day, Yang Kai bid farewell to Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin and prepared to leave for Twin Shark Island.
Outside the Azure Tree Palace, Gu Jian Xin wore a slightly guilty expression as he said, “Brother Yang, unfortunately, this Gu cannot take you there in person. I have come to Azure Tree Star on important business, so my time is quite limited.”
“Brother Gu doesn’t need to pay it any mind, I can find my way to Twin Shark Island. Moreover, with this token given to me by Senior Luo, travelling and making arrangements will be convenient,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Gu Jian Xin nodded, “Indeed.”
Then, making a mysterious smile, he added, “But Brother Yang, there are a few people here who would like to travel with you to Twin Shark Island. I hope you won’t refuse.”
“Someone wants to go with me? Who?” Yang Kai frowned. He hadn’t heard anything about this beforehand.
Gu Jian Xin glanced to the side and after following his line of sight, Yang Kai saw three familiar faces.
“Young Master Yang!” Yue Xi walked over slowly and stood not far away.
“Big Brother Yang,” He Zao and He Miao also called out cheerfully.
Yang Kai looked at Gu Jian Xin, who shrugged his shoulders and smiled, “I’ve expelled them from Sword Union. As the Young Union Master, I have such rights.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed.
“Then, I asked them what they plan to do in the future, and they all said they wanted to follow you. I wonder if you’d be willing to take them in?” Gu Jian Xin added with a grin.
“Many thanks for your kindness, Brother Gu,” Yang Kai said seriously.
With his shrewdness, how could Yang Kai not notice that Gu Jian Xin was doing him a favour? After all, he was just a lone wanderer on Azure Tree Star, and although he was strong, there were always some matters that would be inconvenient for Yang Kai to handle in person, so having competent assistants was a necessity.
With Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao following him, the situation would be different. Some of the trivial matters that needed to be attended to could be left to them, and if it was ever inconvenient for Yang Kai to handle something personally, he could ask one of these three to manage it.
This move also spared Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao from enduring some awkward situations in Sword Union in the future. As Yang Kai said before, after the matter regarding Qin Qi Yang was dealt with in such a manner, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao would find it difficult to remain in Sword Union. No matter where they went, they would be accused of ingratitude.
Now that they had been expelled from Sword Union though, this would no longer be an issue.
Gu Jian Xin was a sharp individual and was trying to make the best impression he could on Yang Kai, so he had not hesitated to make this move.
This was a kindness to him, so Yang Kai naturally had no reason to refuse.
Turning to Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao, Yang Kai asked solemnly, “Are you willing to follow me?”
“As long as the Young Lord is willing to give us shelter, this Yue Xi is willing to do her best to serve him!” Yue Xi quickly replied.
“We are willing!” The two sisters said in unison.
“Good, then from now on, you will follow me,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Many thanks, Young Lord!” Yue Xi elegant bowed, her face overflowing with joy.
“Little brother…” Luo Lan, who was standing next to him, only spoke up now and said, “As for the Space Spirit Crystals you need, for the time being, this Queen is unable to gather much, but she will do her best to collect some and have them sent to you later. Would that be acceptable?”
“En, I’ll have to trouble Senior with this matter then.”
After Yang Kai chose Twin Shark Island as his site, he asked Gu Jian Xin and Luo Lan to acquire a large amount of Space Spirit Crystals for him, but these things were too scarce, so Luo Lan was unable to acquire a large quantity of them in such a short span of time. However, with her promise, Yang Kai was assured he would get some sooner or later.
Afterwards, Yang Kai took Yue Xi, He Mao, and He Zao, summoned his Star Shuttle, and left the Azure Tree Palace.
Gu Jian Xin and the others watched Yang Kai leave before returning to the palace.
Going to Twin Shark Island would take half a month despite using the Space Arrays on Azure Tree Star.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had the token given to him by Luo Lan, and with it, all the Space Arrays of the major cities on Azure Tree Star were open to him.
Following the route given to him by Luo Lan, Yang Kai travelled through various Space Arrays for half a month before arriving at Twin Shark Island.
Although Twin Shark Island was remote, it still had a Space Array used to connect with the outside world, and when the figures of Yang Kai and his group appeared on the platform, the cultivator responsible for guarding this place immediately came forward and swept his eyes over them before performing his routine duties, “Travelers, what business do you have here on Twin Shark Island?”
Yang Kai glanced at him and found that this person was only a Third-Order Saint King while the other cultivators responsible for guarding this place also were not very strong.
From the level of these cultivators, it could be inferred that the total strength of Twin Shark Island was not very high.
Yang Kai did not answer directly and instead took out the token given to him and showed it to this guard.
“What’s this?” The cultivator’s eyes narrowed slightly as a blank expression appeared on his face.
“You don’t know?” Yang Kai frowned, “Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what it is, what is your Island Master’s name and where is he? Take me to see him.”
The cultivator was shocked by Yang Kai’s aggressive questioning and domineering attitude. Although he did not recognize what this token represented, he could faintly guess that Yang Kai had a powerful background.
Immediately fixing his previous careless attitude, he replied suspiciously, “Island Master’s name is Zhu Liang. Dare I ask where these friends come from and how they know Sir Island Master?”
Before Yang Kai could answer, Yue Xi coldly snorted, “Are you qualified to ask about my Young Lord’s identity? Hurry up and lead the way!”
As she spoke, she intentionally released a bit of her Shi, causing the guard to change in complexion and realize that this man and three women were not people he could contend with. As such, he quickly bowed and guided them.
This was another advantage of having confident subordinates. Yue Xi speaking up there would raise Yang Kai’s identity and status and avoid some troublesome inquiries.
Yang Kai shot Yue Xi an approving look, to which the latter responded with a smile.
The strength of Twin Shark Island’s Island Master Zhu Liang was not very high, only First-Order Origin Returning Realm. On such a remote island, it was quite rare for powerful cultivators to appear.
After Yang Kai showed him the token and Luo Lan’s handwritten note, Zhu Liang immediately acknowledged Yang Kai as this place’s new master.
Being able to assume command of Twin Shark Island so smoothly satisfied Yang Kai greatly.
“En, you will remain as Island Master in the future, and you will manage Twin Shark Island as before. I will not interfere in any of your affairs. If there are any problems you cannot handle, you can inform Lady Yue and she will convey it to me.”
“I understand!” Seemingly realizing Yang Kai was easy to get along with, Zhu Liang gradually became less nervous.
“Island Master Zhu…”
“I am just a subordinate,” Zhu Liang responded quickly, “Sir should simply call this Zhu Liang by his name.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “Okay, tell me about the situation on Twin Shark Island.”
“Understood!” Zhu Liang gathered his thoughts for a moment before explaining, “Twin Shark Island is approximately one hundred thousand kilometres across and has fairly rich World Energy; however, it doesn’t produce any notable resources, making supplies a slight problem. Currently, there are roughly two hundred thousand residents on the island. The average cultivation level here is not high. Despite his lack of talent, your subordinate here is actually the strongest master on Twin Shark Island at the First-Order Origin Returning Realm. In addition to me, there are three other First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators on the island who serve as the Deputy Island Master and Elders. This lowly one has set up an Elder Council to manage the matters of Twin Shark Island with several elders…”
“Five hundred thousand kilometres east of Twin Shark Island there is a city which is connected via Space Array. In the surrounding million-kilometre region, there are many other islands with similar situations to Twin Shark Island, and the relationship between the islands is fairly peaceful with only occasional contact. The biggest danger here comes from sea beasts. Every year, sea beasts will attack the island, resulting in much damage and loss of life; however, Twin Shark Island will certainly be much safer and more peaceful in the future with Sir here!”
While explaining, Zhu Liang also took the opportunity to flatter Yang Kai.
Yang Kai paid this no mind though.
Zhu Liang continued, “The biggest output of Twin Shark Island and the nearby islands are the Monster Cores from sea beasts. Every year, many foreign cultivators come to Twin Shark Island to hunt these sea beasts…”
After half an hour of questioning, Yang Kai had a cursory understanding of the situation on Twin Shark Island.
Overall, he was quite satisfied with this place and found it very suitable for his next plan.
However, he needed to find an appropriate location before implementing that plan.
Yang Kai decided to handle this personally.
After dismissing Zhu Liang, Yang Kai assigned Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao some tasks before flying off on his Star Shuttle alone to investigate the terrain of Twin Shark Island.
This survey took Yang Kai eight days to complete.
In the end, Yang Kai chose an area in the southeast that was close to the sea and had excellent scenery. Most importantly though, there was a large amount of open space here with few traces of cultivators ever visiting.
Yang Kai found Zhu Liang again and asked him to recruit some cultivators from Twin Shark Island to build a palace there.
Yang Kai naturally was not going to let others work in vain and offered Saint Crystals as payment.
Would Zhu Liang refuse this golden opportunity? Even if Yang Kai did not pay, he would still do his best to fulfil Yang Kai’s request.
There were two hundred thousand people on Twin Shark Island, so Zhu Liang casually gave an order to recruit a thousand people and had them begin constructing a large palace at the place Yang Kai designated.
The cultivators began immediately and worked at an incredibly fast pace. Within half a month, a magnificent palace was built that stretched across a more than ten-kilometre-wide area.
Zhu Liang even paid out of his own pocket to add some furniture and decorations to the palace.
Once it was finished, Yang Kai moved in with Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao.
The palace was huge and seemed quite quiet and lonely with only four people inside of it.
Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao did not understand why Yang Kai had built such a huge palace here, but knowing it wasn’t their place to ask, they simply obeyed his instructions and served him with dedication.
That night, Yang Kai called them into his room.
“What orders does Young Lord have for us?” Yue Xi asked curiously.
“It’s nothing so serious. Have a seat first,” Yang Kai motioned to them.
After the three women were seated, Yang Kai continued, “Since you have chosen to follow me in the future, then I will not mistreat you. Having said so, I will inform you now that I have a Sect called High Heaven Sect, of which I am the Sect Master. The Sect’s headquarters is on a very remote Cultivation Star. Would you like to join High Heaven Sect?”
The Master and Disciples glanced at each other before looking at Yang Kai and without hesitation nodding together, “Of course we would.”
“En, then from now on, you are members of High Heaven Sect,” Yang Kai smiled and said, “The Sect headquarters is a long way away, so you won’t have an opportunity to visit it in the short term, but rest assured, a day will come when I bring you to see it. High Heaven Sect… in the future, it will not be weak.”
Next, Yang Kai asked about the Secret Arts and artifacts Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao used.
The three of them explained to Yang Kai in detail, without concealing anything.
Regarding Secret Arts, Yang Kai could not give them too many suggestions and could only allow them to explore slowly on their own, but when it came to artifacts, Yang Kai wasn’t stingy.
Yue Xi originally had two Origin Grade artifacts, but both were Low-Rank, and although they could boost her combat power slightly, the effect was extremely limited.
Yang Kai gave her his Feather Spirit Arrow and the Array Plate which had the Spectral Cloud Array sealed within it.
With the improvement of his strength, these two artifacts had become useless to him.
The Feather Spirit Arrow required one to pour their Saint Qi into it to fill it to a certain extent before releasing it all in one extremely potent attack. Unfortunately, the Saint Qi capacity only allowed it to be activated twice, after which it needed to be charged again.
With Yang Kai’s current methods, he did not need to use artifacts when confronting Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, and when dealing with Origin Kings, the Feather Spirit Arrow could not provide him with much help.
As such, he figured he could give it to Yue Xi.
The same was true for the Spectral Cloud Array Plate. It had little use to Yang Kai.
However, if these two artifacts were used effectively by Yue Xi, their peculiar abilities could greatly enhance her strength. With these two artifacts, Yue Xi could still pose a threat to a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator’s life despite her First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation.
Receiving these two artifacts, Yue Xi was unable to contain her joy.
Although she had Qin Wu Hui’s support in Sword Union and followed Gu Jian Xin, she could have never dreamed of receiving such treasures. Yang Kai’s wealth and generosity were simply shocking to her, in a pleasant way.
Yang Kai did not give any artifacts to the He Zao He Miao sisters because the two had just received a pair of Origin Grade Mid-Rank scimitars from Qin Wu Hui and were already busy adapting to their use.
When the two scimitars were combined into one, they formed a large, circular flying blade which was comparable to an Origin Grade High-Rank and possessed amazing lethality.
Having more artifacts wasn’t necessarily better.
Yang Kai handed two Origin Condensing Pills to He Zao and He Miao instead. In their current state, they only needed a bit more accumulation before they could attempt to break through to the Origin Realm.
In addition, Yang Kai gave the Master and Disciples a large number of Saint Crystals and pills they could use to cultivate before sending them to enter retreat.
Next, Yang Kai began arranging the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array in preparation to connect it to the transfer point he had built earlier.
Yang Kai deliberately chose the innermost palace as the location for the Space Array.
Refining all kinds of materials in a familiar way, engraving the Spirit Array, pouring his Space Force into it…
A few days later, a new Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array had been formed.
The Space Spirit Crystals in his hand had all been used up to finish this last Space Array! In fact, the number of Space Spirit Crystals almost failed to meet the needs of this array, but fortunately, Yang Kai’s calculations had been correct and he managed to complete it successfully.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai checked on Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao quickly, discovering that they were still in retreat. Nodding, Yang Kai then inserted enough Saint Crystals into the array and activated it.
In a flash, Yang Kai arrived on the Ore Star.
Among the underground ruins discovered by Yang Kai before, there was a brightly lit area with countless cultivators bustling about.
Yang Kai was surprised to discover that not only were there High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall disciples here, but also people from Clear Sky Sect and Coloured Glass Sect as well as many cultivators from Sects that had good relations with High Heaven Sect.
Evidently, Ye Xi Yun and the others had finished making preliminary arrangements here and had begun inviting cultivators from other Sects to come and mine this place.
“Sect Master Yang?” As Yang Kai was observing, a surprised call came not far away.
Yang Kai turned his head and discovered that the one who called out to him was none other than Mo Yu from Clear Sky Sect!
“Senior Mo,” Yang Kai said hello with a smile.
“It really is Sect Master Yang!” Mo Yu was overjoyed and quickly walked over, “I thought I had recognized the wrong person, but it turns out it really was you. Sect Master Yang, where did he come from?”
“Azure Tree Star!” Yang Kai replied casually.
“Sect Master Yang’s abilities are astounding!” Mo Yu said with admiration, “If it weren’t for you, my Shadowed Star’s cultivators would have remained trapped forever, but now we can quickly and easily travel to other Cultivation Stars. I’m afraid no one other than our Shadowed Star cultivator’s can enjoy such convenience.”
“Haha,” Yang Kai laughed without denying it.
It was true. Without the Space Array based on his comprehension of the Dao of Space, ultra-long-distance teleportation was not possible. There may be so few Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Arrays in the Star Field, but those were definitely relics leftover from ancient times and did not have the stability and safety of the ones Yang Kai personally arranged.
No one dared to use those ancient Space Arrays unless absolutely necessary.
“Did Sect Master Yang come here to look for Great Elder Ye?” Mo Yu asked again.
“En, where are Great Elder and the others?”
“Come, I’ll take you there,” Mo Yu quickly led the way.
Because of the rise of High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star, countless Sects and families had begun forming closer ties with it. It was High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall who turned the tide of war when Corpse Spirit Religion was running rampant. This time, because Clear Sky Sect had a close relationship with High Heaven Sect, they were able to obtain an opportunity to come to the Ore Star to mine rare ores.
Mo Yu and Yang Kai shared a close friendship, so they chatted happily upon meeting once again.
Soon, Yang Kai saw Ye Xi Yun and Qian Tong, who were assuming command of the overall situation on the Ore Star.
After learning that he, Yang Kai, now owned a large territory on a Cultivation Star called Azure Tree Star and had connected it to the Space Array network, everyone was extremely excited.
This meant that the cultivators who had reached the limits of Shadowed Star now had a place where they could escape from the shackles of its World Principles and spy on the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.
Especially for Ye Xi Yun, she had been waiting for this day for a long, long time!
“When does Great Elder plan to leave?” Yang Kai looked at Ye Xi Yun and asked.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Ye Xi Yun shook her head and said, “I won’t be going there for now.”
Yang Kai went silent for a moment before quickly reacting, “Because of Yang Yan?”
“En!” Ye Xi Yun lightly smiled, “If I were to really break through to the Origin King Realm on Azure Tree Star, it would become difficult for me to stay on Shadowed Star for an extended period of time. Sect Master Qian’s circumstances are the best example. I think… only after she awakens, will I attend to my own affairs.”
“I see,” Yang Kai heard this and did not try to persuade her otherwise.
Ye Xi Yun had done much for Yang Yan. Last time, she had the opportunity to leave Shadowed Star with Yang Kai, but because Yang Yan was still slumbering, Ye Xi Yun chose to stay behind and stand guard. This time, she had made the same choice.
“Alright then,” Yang Kai smiled. “In any case, since it’s Great Elder, as long as the time is right, it shouldn’t be too difficult to break through to the Origin King Realm.”
“Sect Master thinks too highly of me,” Ye Xi Yun laughed lightly. “Throughout the ages, the Origin King Realm has always been the highest ambition of us cultivators. Countless Origin Returning Realm masters have been stuck at this juncture for their entire lives. It certainly won’t be that easy for me to reach that boundary.”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, knowing that Ye Xi Yun was simply being modest.
If the previous Ye Xi Yun did not have complete confidence, the current Ye Xi Yun who had refined several Domain Stones and comprehended the mysteries of Domain had at least an eighty percent chance of smoothly breaking through to Origin King Realm.
“In any case, I came back this time just to tell you the good news,” Yang Kai turned his head and looked around, “As for when you will go to Azure Tree Star, you can arrange that amongst yourselves.”
“Don’t worry about this. When the time comes, Great Elder Ye, Brother Mo, and I will definitely organize a group of people to travel to Azure Tree Star,” Qian Tong laughed heartily. “How could we not grab hold of such a wondrous opportunity? Even if we break through to the Origin King Realm, it does not matter if we can’t remain on Shadowed Star for a long time. With the Space Array available, we can come and go freely, so Shadowed Star shouldn’t have any accidents.”
“Alright, when you go there, someone will be waiting to welcome you,” Yang Kai nodded, “By the way, you’ve been mining here for some time now. Have you found a Space Spirit Crystal mineral lode?”
“No,” Qian Tong shook his head and said. “This old master, Great Elder Ye, and Brother Mo have gone out several times to search for mineral lodes, but although this Ore Star is extremely rich, we’ve yet to discover a Space Spirit Crystal lode.”
Yang Kai was not surprised about this and had just been asking casually about Space Spirit Crystals, so he wasn’t disappointed with the negative response.
Yang Kai did not remain on the Ore Star for very long, and after explaining a few things while also getting some updates on the situation, he used the Space Array to return to his palace on Azure Tree Star.
This trip only took him half a day, so when he returned, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao were still in secluded retreat.
The rest of the day was spent without any surprises.
Zhu Liang brought the few Elders of Twin Shark Island to visit Yang Kai mainly to introduce themselves, but this was not surprising. Twin Shark Island was now Yang Kai’s territory and they would have to rely on him in the future, so how could they be negligent in such courtesies?
Yang Kai did not need to pay these few First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators much mind, simply entertaining them briefly before sending them away.
What Yang Kai was waiting for was word from Sword Union; he believed that, as a super force, they would surely be able to collect some Space Spirit Crystals for him. As long as he had enough Space Spirit Crystals, Yang Kai could set off again to arrange more Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays, eventually covering the entire Star Field, allowing Shadowed Star’s cultivator to travel wherever they wanted without worrying about the vast distances of the Star Field.
Tong Xuan Realm was especially important to Yang Kai!
He was eager to connect Shadowed Star to this homeland.
Unfortunately, there had been no news from Sword Union so far.
It was not until two months later that Yang Kai, who was cultivating, received a message from Yue Xi, “Someone from Sword Union is here.”
Yang Kai was very excited and got up quickly, going out to meet with this messenger as he secretly looked forward to how many Space Spirit Crystals he would be able to get this time.
He thought that Luo Lan would dispatch a subordinate of hers to complete this exchange, but Yang Kai was shocked to discover that Luo Lan had come herself!
“Why has Senior Luo come here in person?”
After inviting Luo Lan into the palace and offering her a seat in the greeting hall, Yang Kai could not help asking.
“Little Brother is Young Master’s friend. This Queen should naturally come here personally,” Luo Lan pursed her lips and smiled. “Why, am I not welcome?”
“Nonsense, Senior being able to visit my humble home is a great honour,” Yang Kai laughed heartily.
Of course, he did not believe that someone like Luo Lan would be so idle that she had time to come sight-seeing here, which meant that the reason she gave him was not the real one!
For a simple trade on behalf of Sword Union, Luo Lan could send any of her subordinates to complete it. Why would she need to come out in person?
Yang Kai faintly sensed that Luo Lan had some other purpose in coming here, but since the other party did not say anything yet, he didn’t ask.
“It’s quite quiet here,” Luo Lan turned her eyes around as she spoke. This palace stretched over ten kilometres in radius, but only Yang Kai, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao lived here. With the three women in retreat though, it was almost like Yang Kai was the only one who was present.
In normal times, the palace was indeed all but silent.
“Why not have Zhu Liang find some servants to take care of this palace?” Luo Lan asked, seemingly concerned.
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “That’s not necessary, I can handle things here myself, what would there even be for servants to do?”
“Fair enough, peace and quiet are best,” Luo Lan smiled before suddenly saying. “En, these are the Space Spirit Crystals that Little Brother requested. Although this Queen tried her best to collect them, as you know, Space Spirit Crystals are very rare so I don’t know if this quantity can meet your requirements.”
Saying so, Luo Lan took out a Space Ring, flicked her wrist, and sent it over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and caught it before sweeping its content with his Divine Sense, only to frown lightly at what he saw.
Luo Lan was observing carefully and couldn’t help asking in surprise, “What’s wrong? There are many Space Spirit Crystals in this Space Ring. Is it not enough for Little Brother?”
Yang Kai frowned and nodded, “It’s not much.”
Luo Lan wore a solemn look and asked, “What do you need so many Space Spirit Crystals for? These things don’t really have another purpose other than refining Space Rings, right?”
Yang Kai chuckled but did not answer.
Luo Lan seemed to realize she had asked something she shouldn’t have and apologized, “This Queen was simply curious, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Alright, if you wait for a while, I can contact the Home Star and have them collect some more for you.”
“How long would that take?” Yang Kai asked.
“The Home Star is not close to here, so even if they manage to collect some Space Spirit Crystals, it will take some time to deliver it. It would be at least a year, but even so, I don’t know how many Space Spirit Crystals they would be able to collect.”
“Forget it then,” Yang Kai shook his head slowly.
The Space Spirit Crystals that Luo Lan brought this time were not few, but for Yang Kai’s goal, they also weren’t many. These Space Spirit Crystals would only be enough to arrange a single Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, which obviously could not meet Yang Kai’s needs.
If he wanted to connect Tong Xuan Realm to Shadowed Star, he would need to build at least two or three Space Arrays to serve as transfer points in between!
“The formation of Space Spirit Crystals is quite difficult, and generally speaking, they only appear as by-products in different mineral lodes, making their number quite scarce. However, this Queen has heard of a place where numerous Void Cracks form large numbers of Space Spirit Crystals…” Luo Lan suddenly began speaking about a seemingly unrelated but associated topic, immediately acting mysterious and asking. “Is Little Brother interested in perhaps looking for Space Spirit Crystals on his own?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes before chuckling, “This is the real purpose of Senior coming here in person, right?”
Luo Lan smiled and did not try to deny it, “Since you’ve seen through me, then I won’t bother hiding.”
“Senior knows of a place where there are Void Cracks which form Space Spirit Crystals?” Yang Kai asked.
“En,” Luo Lan nodded. “I wonder if Little Brother is interested in going there?”
“And if I say I’m not?” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
Luo Lan didn’t seem surprised and simply laughed lightly, “Well… In addition to Space Spirit Crystals that may exist there, that place is also home to Shocking Void Beasts!”
“Shocking Void Beasts?” Yang Kai muttered under his breath as his eyes fixed on Luo Lan deeply and said, “It looks like Senior knows I am proficient in the Dao of Space. Was it Gu Jian Xin who told you?”
“If this wasn’t the case, do you think this Queen would come here in person?” Luo Lan smiled, “Since you used Space Force in front of the Young Master, you should have already known this would happen; however, you may rest assured, only I and Young Master know of this. No one else will.”
“It doesn’t matter if others know or not,” Yang Kai shrugged. “If I was afraid that people would know, I wouldn’t have used Space Force to kill Li Ming Hai.”
Luo Lan was startled, then smiled bitterly.
She could not help but feel like all the initiative she had in this situation was shattered by Yang Kai’s few words, making her feel somewhat weak.
After pondering for a while, she said in a serious tone, “Little Brother, since you cultivate the Dao of Space and have significant achievements in this domain, you must be aware of the benefits a Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core would have for you. This kind of exotic beast which can freely shuttle The Void is said to have gone extinct long ago, but there is one place where they still survive. If you can obtain one of their Monster Cores, I think your comprehension of the Dao of Space will increase a level. On top of that, there is a huge possibility that there are many Space Spirit Crystals in the place, more than enough for your needs. If I am not mistaken, you need Space Spirit Crystals to cultivate Space Force too, yes?”
Yang Kai neither confirmed nor denied her guess, simply asking, “And where would that be?”
Seeing him finally showing some interest, Luo Lan’s expression brightened but did not directly answer, instead asking, “If I told you that there is a higher realm above the Origin King Realm, would you think I am lying to you?”
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head.
Luo Lan was stunned by his immediate response.
“Someone once told me that the Martial Dao has no peak! The Origin King Realm can naturally not be the ultimate goal of us cultivators,” Yang Kai explained casually.
“So that’s how it is!” Luo Lan relaxed and smiled; she had thought Yang Kai knew some terrifying information, but it turned out he just had his own dreams and aspirations.
In truth, Yang Kai really had this startling piece of information, but he had no intention of letting that be known.
Luo Lan added, “No one knows whether the Origin King Realm is the highest realm a cultivator can reach, but with a legendary character like the Starry Sky Great Emperor having once appeared, many Origin Kings feel that there must be a realm above the Origin King Realm. Additionally, above the Star Field we live in, there must also be a higher realm.”
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Because the place I spoke of to you is actually a fragment that was severed from that higher realm,” Luo Lan said solemnly. “We call it the Severed World, and the World Energy and World Principles of that place are somewhat different from those of any Cultivation Star in the Star Field. Not only that, but that place contains countless opportunities. Without even mentioning the various rare and precious cultivation resources there, some people even managed to bring back herbs and ores which surpass the Origin King Grade from it. These precious resources allowed some to easily enhance their cultivation. We Origin Kings have an exceedingly difficult time enhancing our cultivation, but if one is lucky enough to find some rare resource from that place, it may be enough to break through one’s shackles and reach a higher level.”
“The Severed World?” Yang Kai frowned.
“En, the World Principles there are more suitable for cultivators to cultivate in.”
“And that’s the place you want me to go to?”
“Yes,” Luo Lan nodded.
“If what you say is true though, wouldn’t those Third-Order Origin Kings who have secluded themselves from the world and go there to attempt to break through to a higher realm?”
“No,” Luo Lan smiled, “After all, that place is only a fragmented world, and although it comes from a higher realm, it still exists within the Star Field, so it cannot satisfy the needs of those Third-Order Origin Kings to make a breakthrough. There have been a few Third-Order Origin Kings who entered that place before, but the result was that none of them could enhance their cultivation further. Also… how many Third-Order Origin Kings do you think there are in the Star Field? Most of them are old monsters that no longer appear unless something sensational occurs.”
“But there will be Second-Order Origin Kings there, right?”
“Possibly,” Luo Lan nodded.
“Since it is a place where Origin Kings go to seek opportunities, why ask me to accompany you there? I’m only a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator,” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“You may be a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, but you’re anything but normal, right?” Luo Lan asked, “This Queen has never heard of any Third-Order Origin Returning Realm that can kill an Origin King, and don’t say it was because you made a sneak attack. If an Origin King could be casually killed just because they were sneak attacked, they would not be an Origin King. I came to you first because you are not weak, so you shouldn’t be a burden for me, but more importantly, I need your help specifically for something in that place!”
“You need my help specifically?” Yang Kai raised his brow thoughtfully but quickly understood, “Because I cultivate the Dao of Space?”
“Exactly!” Luo Lan nodded, her expression saying that it much easier dealing with a smart person, “The Severed World is filled with Void Cracks, some visible, some not, but all of them extremely dangerous, even to Origin Kings. Every time that place opens, several Origin Kings get lost to those Void Cracks, I do not want to suffer such a fate! Since you are proficient in the Dao of Space though, it should be easy for you to sense those Void Cracks.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded, “But… will it be alright for you to bring in an Origin Returning Realm cultivator like me?”
“Why not?” Luo Lan chuckled, “Any Origin King that is qualified to enter can bring another person with them, so you won’t be the only Origin Realm cultivator there!”
“There will be others?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Yes, but not many; however, since that place is extremely well suited for Origin Kings to cultivate in, it is naturally an excellent place for Origin Realm cultivators to cultivate as well. Some people even enter that place in order to break through to the Origin King Realm.”
Speaking until here, Luo Lan said, “That’s all the information I know about this. I came here today to ask Little Brother for his help; of course, this is also a good opportunity for you.”
“Opportunities are accompanied by risks.”
“You’re already a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator at such a young age, so you must have already experienced more than your fair share of risks, no?” Luo Lan giggled lightly, “Cultivation itself is a process of competing against others, the Heavens, and oneself. Only by going all out will one succeed!”
Yang Kai took a deep breath, pondered for a while, and said, “I need to think about this.”
“Naturally. In any case, there’s still time. Please give me an answer after careful consideration.”
Luo Lan being able to say so already showed her sincerity.
Yang Kai solemnly replied, “Good, then I’ll have to ask Senior to remain here a few days. I will have an answer for you three days later.”
“Then this Queen will wait for good news. If you can accompany this Queen, I believe the journey will be much safer.”
…..
Three days later, Yang Kai and Luo Lan left Twin Shark Island together and set off for the Azure Tree Palace.
In all honesty, Space Spirit Crystals that Luo Lan mentioned being formed in the Void Cracks did not have much attraction to Yang Kai. Although these things were scarce, Yang Kai only needed to travel to a few more Cultivation Stars and he would be able to collect a sufficient amount.
With the financial and material resources he currently possessed, he did not have any problem purchasing a large amount of Space Spirit Crystals, it would only take him some time.
What really attracted Yang Kai’s attention was the Shocking Void Beast which could freely shuttle The Void!
This was an exotic ancient beast that lived in The Void, and its Monster Core was of great help to those who cultivated the Dao of Space. Currently, Yang Kai had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation of the Dao of Space and opening the Sealed World Bead had become extremely slow; however, if he could obtain the Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core and use it as the primary material in a Spirit Pill, it would allow him to make a qualitative leap in his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
Since there would not be any Third-Order Origin Kings in the Severed World, Yang Kai had nothing to worry about.
He was confident that he could escape from a Second-Order Origin King with his current abilities.
As such, after three days of consideration, he agreed to Luo Lan’s request and decided to go with her to the Severed World.
Before leaving, Yang Kai ordered Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao to remain in the palace and told them that if a cultivator holding a token with the character for ‘High’ on it appeared suddenly, there was no need to panic because they were from High Heaven Sect. Just receive them courteously.
Although the Master and Disciple trio were confused, not understanding how someone would suddenly just appear in the palace, they did not ask anything and just accepted their task.
A few days later, Yang Kai and Luo Lan came to the Azure Tree Palace.
After arranging a room for Yang Kai to rest in, Luo Lan started making preparations. Since she was leaving Azure Tree Star on this trip, so naturally had many affairs to settle. She also had much to prepare to enter the Severed World.
As for Yang Kai though, he just sat in meditation in his room.
Gu Jian Xin was no longer here. According to Luo Lan, the Young Union Master of Sword Union had left more than a month ago, but he had repeatedly told Luo Lan to treat Yang Kai carefully.
Time flew by and soon a month had passed.
Yang Kai, who was meditating, received a Divine Sense Message from Luo Lan suddenly and immediately ended his retreat, opened the door, and walked out.
Outside the door, Luo Lan was waiting for him, and after seeing him come out, she gently nodded and led the way.
Outside the Azure Tree Palace, an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Starship had been prepared. The two entered the Starship, and not long after, it took off and headed towards the Star Field.
“The Severed World is located in a certain remote region of the Star Field and its entrance is wrapped in countless Void Cracks. Normally, it is impossible to enter, but once in a while, the surrounding Void Cracks stabilize, and the entrance can be opened. At that time, it is necessary for multiple Origin Kings to jointly execute a special Secret Technique. Once we get there, we will have to wait for some time before we can enter,” Luo Lan explained to Yang Kai as she led him through the Starship.
“Do you know the other Origin Kings who will be entering?” Yang Kai asked.
“I know some of them, and I will recognize the names of others even if I’ve never met them before; however, I won’t know all of them as the entry time for the Severed World isn’t fixed, so only those who receive the news and are hoping to search for opportunities or to break through will appear,” Luo Lan stopped in front of a certain room and said. “You can live here for the time being. If you need anything, just ask. We’ll arrive at our destination in about a month.”
Yang Kai nodded and entered the room.
Upon entering, Yang Kai walked over to the bed, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.
Nothing happened over the next month, which Yang Kai spent entirely in meditation. Luo Lan did not come to visit him during this time, nor did any of the Sword Union cultivators disturb him.
It was not until one month later that Yang Kai felt the Starship stop.
Luo Lan’s voice sounded outside his room soon after, “Yang Kai.”
Yang Kai’s figure flickered, and he opened the door, nodding to Luo Lan lightly before the two of them walked out.
The Starship’s main hatch opened, and the two rushed out like lightning.
After the two left, the Starship turned around and sailed back along the path it took.
Standing in the void, Luo Lan looked left and right to get her bearings before speaking, “Follow me.”
Saying so, she summoned her Star Shuttle and began leading the way.
Two streams of light, one in front and one behind, soared through the vast, empty Star Field.
Yang Kai remained silent as he followed behind Luo Lan, avoiding the occasional asteroid and Starry Sky Storm they encountered.
He did not know how much time passed, but at a certain point, Yang Kai suddenly saw a circular object floating in the void up ahead that exuded a dazzling brilliance.
Even from far away, Yang Kai could feel the fluctuation of Space Force coming from this object.
“Is that…” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at Luo Lan.
“En, that’s the entrance,” Luo Lan relaxed after seeing the scene ahead. “It seems that we’ve arrived early. The entrance has not stabilized yet and cannot be opened temporarily.”
“The Space Force fluctuations coming from it are indeed chaotic…” Yang Kai muttered to himself.
“You can feel them?” Luo Lan looked at him in surprise.
“You know I am proficient in the Dao of Space. Why wouldn’t I be able to feel them?” Yang Kai chuckled lightly.
Luo Lan’s eyes lit up, “It really was a wise choice to bring you here. At this distance, I can only feel that there is danger up ahead. Even if a Third-Order Origin King wanted to break in, I am afraid they would meet a terrible end. I don’t know what will happen next, but Yang Kai, you have to remember, don’t expose your ability in front of other people here, otherwise…”
“I know,” Yang Kai interrupted her, how could he not understand the truth that an ordinary man is innocent, but treasures make one guilty? If his ability to read Space Force fluctuations was really exposed, he would instantly become the target of every Origin King present.
Luo Lan gently nodded and continued flying together with Yang Kai.
The closer the pair got to the entrance, the clearer Yang Kai could sense the Space Force fluctuations, his eyes gradually revealing a trace of excitement. Originally, he had followed Luo Lan on this trip primarily to hunt a Shocking Void Beast and obtain its Monster Core, but what he had not anticipated was that he would have some gains even just by reaching his place.
Others could only sense that there was danger surrounding the entrance, but Yang Kai could feel the essence of the Space Force coming from it. The chaotic fluctuations here helped him comprehend the mysteries of the Dao of Space and it was not long before he reached a state of enlightenment.
A few hours later, the two had already arrived not far from the entrance.
Observing from a close distance, this entrance was about five kilometres in length and exuded a white brilliance, but in front of the entrance, a pitch-black Void Crack would flit about like a fish from time to time.
These swimming Void Cracks blocked anyone from attempting to pass through the entrance and were no doubt the most dangerous barrier here.
Near the entrance, there were already several figures waiting. There were not many people present, only seven or eight, most of them alone, with only a few clearly in pairs.
Yang Kai didn’t dare to investigate too presumptuously because he knew that these people were basically all Origin Kings!
These people stood far apart, indicating that they were from different great forces and had no plans to join forces. Some had closed their eyes and were resting while others were looking about, their outfits all quite different.
When Luo Lan and Yang Kai arrived, they immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
“Elder Luo dares to come to this place?” Not far to the left, a hoarse voice suddenly called out with a hint of frivolousness.
Luo Lan heard this voice, furrowed her delicate brow, and glanced over towards its source, her expression fluctuating a few times before she quickly said, “So it is Elder Cui! Since Elder Cui can come, why can’t this Queen come?”
The man surnamed Cui chuckled, “This Cui certainly didn’t mean to imply that, but… the Severed World is extremely dangerous. Is Elder Luo not afraid she might accidentally perish inside?”
“Elder Cui need not concern himself with this Queen’s safety, he should instead worry about his own,” Luo Lan snapped back.
As soon as these two met, they began bickering like this, so obviously, they were quite familiar with one another and had grievances between them. Yang Kai stood beside Luo Lan, observing this man’s words and expressions but remaining silent, simply taking note of him in his heart.
The man surnamed Cui nearly choked on Luo Lan’s blunt remarks, but he did not show any annoyance, instead, just grinned lightly, “Elder Luo, although there are some misunderstandings between you and me, in the end, we’re both Elders of Sword Union. Since we’ve both come here, why not work together? That way, it will be much safer for everyone.”
“This Luo Lan will take Elder Cui’s kindness to heart, but… this Queen is not alone this time. Elder Cui should invite someone else,” Luo Lan replied lukewarmly, rejecting the other party’s proposal.
Yang Kai’s expression changed, only now realizing that this man surnamed Cui was also an Elder of Sword Union.
It seemed that he was an opponent from Sword Union’s Vice Union Master’s faction, otherwise, Luo Lan would not have treated him so coldly.
The man surnamed Cui glanced at Yang Kai thoughtfully as his eyes flashed like a poisonous snake and he said, “Elder Luo brought this little boy with her? Why has this old master never seen him before? Elder Luo bringing a Junior here… do you want him to gain something from the Severed World, or perhaps expect him to break through to the Origin King Realm?”
“Why should I tell you about my relationship with him? Elder Cui, aren’t you sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?” Luo Lan looked at the other party with disgust.
The man surnamed Cui snickered lowly, “If you don’t want to say, don’t. Why get so upset?”
After saying so, he turned to Yang Kai and said in a pointed tone, “Boy, the Severed World is very dangerous. Be careful not to die inside.”
Yang Kai squinted at him, his expression cold, not intending to make a response.
This attitude made the man surnamed Cui quite annoyed. Luo Lan slapping his face in public was one thing; after all, Luo Lan and he were both Sword Union Elders and their strength was even, but Yang Kai was just a trivial Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, yet he dared act so arrogantly. This man surnamed Cui wanted to find an excuse to attack.
However, before he could even say anything to Yang Kai, a cold snort rang out from nearby, “What a farce, if your Sword Union has internal disputes, just solve them quickly by yourselves. Why put them on display here? Or do you want this old master to referee a fight between you two? The winner stays and the loser can scram!”
The man who spoke wore deep-purple robes and had a sturdy face, his expression calm and composed as an oppressive aura lingered about his body.
The man surnamed Cui and Luo Lan heard this voice and both their faces changed slightly.
Luo Lan let out a peal of light laughter as she said, “We’ve shown Senior Ni something embarrassing. This Mistress did not have such intentions.”
The man surnamed Cui also smiled politely and said, “Senior Ni need not pay it any mind, I was simply making a joke with Elder Luo.”
“Hmph!” Senior Ni coldly snorted, not putting Luo Lan or the man surnamed Cui in his eyes at all as he snapped, “Since that’s the case, then be quiet and don’t disturb this old master!”
Luo Lan and man surnamed Cui both looked embarrassed but didn’t say anything more, the man surnamed Cui simply shooting Yang Kai a cold glare, as if wanting to remember his appearance.
Just after arriving here, he had already become the target of an Origin King Realm for no apparent reason, a fact that caused Yang Kai’s mood to sink.
“That guy’s name is Cui Hong, an Elder of my Sword Union and a life and death friend of Li Ming Hai. Both are members of the Vice Union Master’s faction. When you enter the Severed World, you must be careful not to leave my side. He wouldn’t dare attack me head-on, but he’ll have no qualms about attacking you,” Luo Lan’s voice quietly reached Yang Kai’s ears and explained to him.
Yang Kai nodded imperceptibly before asking quietly, “Who is that Senior Ni? Both of you seemed quite wary of him.”
“His name is Ni Guang and he belongs to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce,” Luo Lan replied, “He’s a Second-Order Origin King, so why wouldn’t Cui Hong and I fear him?”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai understood and glanced over towards Ni Guang.
When Yang Kai did so though, his eyes happened to meet with those of another person standing next to Ni Guang.
Yang Kai was instantly startled.
The owner of this other pair of eyes was smiling towards him meaningfully, staring at Yang Kai quite enthusiastically.
Yang Kai’s expression filled with bitterness and he almost couldn’t stop himself from cursing, quickly turning his eyes away, lowering his head, half covering his face with his hands while silently chanting to himself, ‘you can’t see me, you can’t see me, you can’t see me…’
This was obviously a pitiful attempt at self-deception…
After he and Luo Lan arrived here, Yang Kai hadn’t paid too much attention to the cultivators who had arrived earlier, and only now did he realize that an old acquaintance of his was next to Ni Guang.
With a face like jade and an all but perfect body, white skin that would make any woman jealous and an enchanting smile that could make any female, and even many males, entranced with just a single glance.
Hold a folding fan in a suave manner, no matter what kind of young talent they were, they would definitely feel inferior in front of him, as if he was born to stand above them all!
Simply synonymous with perfection!
This ‘young man’… if it wasn’t Third Young Master Xue Yue, who would it be?
The last time Yang Kai met Xue Yue was in the Emperor Garden, where they had ended up fighting. Fortunately, with the closure of the Emperor Garden, Yang Kai managed to escape from her entanglement, but he never expected to meet her again outside this Severed World.
However, it actually wasn’t too surprising once Yang Kai thought about it. The Severed World was filled with both opportunity and risk, and although its existence was only known to a few masters, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was one of the major forces in the Star Field, so they were obviously aware of it.
This time, a master like Ni Guang had been dispatched, so it was understandable that Xue Yue had also come for life experience.
Instantaneously, all kinds of thoughts flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, allowing him to understand the current situation.
Soon, he let out a sigh, raised his head, and stared directly into Xue Yue’s eyes, grinning at her widely, exhibiting a pose of a dead pig not fearing boiling water.
Xue Yue was stunned, as if never expecting Yang Kai would act so boldly. Even with Ni Guang by her side, this bastard still dared to stare back at her, causing her to be a little annoyed and send Yang Kai a vicious look, showing a variety of enchanting styles.
Showing such a posture when she had the outward appearance of a handsome man, however, seemed a bit improper, and those who didn’t know the truth and saw this would definitely think that there was something ‘special’ about Xue Yue’s preferences. But Yang Kai knew her details quite intimately, so seeing her make such a defeated expression only caused him to smile even more happily.
Yang Kai’s relationship with Xue Yue was complicated, to say the least.
While they could be loosely classified as enemies, it hadn’t reached the point where they wanted each other dead. Rather, it was Yang Kai who had learned Xue Yue’s greatest secret and Xue Yue who wanted to eliminate him to remove that threat.
However, Xue Yue never truly tried to silence the witness to the crime, and even if she dispatched some people to chase Yang Kai on Rainfall Star, she hadn’t acted ruthlessly, only sending two cultivators she knew Yang Kai would be able to kill.
In another sense, they could be considered friends, but there was a barrier between their hearts that made it all but impossible for them to truly weather wind and rain together.
Xue Yue essentially felt that Yang Kai had taken advantage of her many times and was so angry she wanted to teach him a harsh lesson so he would be obedient to her, but Yang Kai had also risked his life to save hers, earning her gratitude. The two opposing feelings in her heart left Xue Yue in quite an awkward and frustrating dilemma.
Yang Kai was equally confused about how to deal with his relationship with Xue Yue.
If she was just an ordinary woman, that would be one thing, but she was actually the successor that Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President Ai Ou had set his hopes on. Perhaps Xue Yue would become President of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce in the future, but if her identity as a woman was exposed, that would make it almost impossible for her to assume that position!
This was a secret she had to hide at all costs!
This obvious eye contact was naturally not missed by the Origin Kings nearby, with Luo Lan turning an amazed look to Yang Kai and asking quietly, “Do you know that young man? Do you know who he is?”
“I know, of course I know,” Yang Kai nodded.
Luo Lan said in astonishment, “You actually have such a wide range of contacts?”
Luo Lan had also only heard of the famous Third Young Master Xue Yue, but never seen him. Being able to recognize Xue Yue at a glance was entirely because of Ni Guang’s seemingly humble attitude towards Xue Yue.
In Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Ni Guang was a Senior who had almost unlimited authority, so what other Third-Order Origin Returning Realm besides Xue Yue could he possibly act respectfully towards?
Ordinary Origin Returning Realm masters didn’t even have the qualifications to meet Ni Guang in person, much less stand beside him as an equal.
Moreover, Xue Yue’s appearance was exactly as the rumours had stated, stunning enough to fascinate any sentient being, man, woman, old, or young! Even a master like Luo Lan couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at ‘him’ after seeing Xue Yue.
“Are you friends?” Luo Lan asked again.
“Ahaha…” Yang Kai didn’t know how to answer this question, so he hesitated for a moment before saying. “I have some entanglements with him.”
“Entanglements…” Luo Lan’s heart sank, subconsciously thinking that there might be some hatred between Yang Kai and Xue Yue. If that was the case, his situation was certainly not good.
While the two were whispering here, Ni Guang and Xue Yue seemed to be talking about something as well, and after communicating for a moment, Ni Guang turned an interested look towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had a bitter taste in his mouth, not knowing what Xue Yue had said to Ni Guang. If she had spoken some malicious remarks about him behind his back, there was a chance Ni Guang might act against him.
Thinking so, Yang Kai secretly told Luo Lan to immediately flee as soon as she saw something was wrong and give up on the Severed World.
How could Luo Lan dare disagree? At this moment she deeply regretted dragging Yang Kai here. If she had come alone, although the risk she faced later would definitely have greatly increased, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about just entering. She didn’t fear Cui Hong, but Ni Guang was different, as his Second-Order Origin King cultivation was enough for Luo Lan to withdraw voluntarily.
The conversation between Ni Guang and Xue Yue also seemed to come to an end, and the Second-Order Origin King Realm master was now staring at Yang Kai with piercing eyes, as if he wanted to see through him and into his thoughts.
Yang Kai felt immense pressure but continued to stare at Xue Yue without speaking.
Xue Yue just smiled innocently, opened her folding fan and waved it gently, completely acting the part of an elegant Young Lord.
During her many confrontations with Yang Kai, it was rare that she was able to see his defeated expression, so, even if she was borrowing Ni Guang’s might in order to suppress him, Xue Yue couldn’t help feeling happy!
“Young man, do you want to travel together with this old master?” Ni Guang suddenly asked.
As soon as this statement came out, the scattered Origin Kings nearby all wore startled looks and stared towards Yang Kai with strange and scrutinizing expressions.
None of them knew why Ni Guang would suddenly invite a mere Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator to join him, and one that had come here with Luo Lan from Sword Union at that.
This blatant act of poaching caused everyone to feel some confusion.
If Yang Kai was comparable to Ni Guang in strength, it would be understandable for him to want to form an alliance to explore the Severed World together.
But Yang Kai was nothing more than a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm boy, so what could Ni Guang possibly see in him that is worthy of his attention?
Yang Kai didn’t expect things to develop like this, thinking that the most likely scenario was Xue Yue bad-mouthing him to Ni Guang so that the latter would teach him a lesson. When Ni Guang sent out this invitation though, Yang Kai was not just taken aback, he was also quite suspicious, glancing over at Xue Yue and wondering what she was up to.
Xue Yue smiled triumphantly, still waving her fan as if she was simply enjoying the scenery, the expression on her face completely unreadable.
[Hateful woman!] Yang Kai cursed secretly in his heart.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai turned to Ni Guang, cupped his fists, and said, “Junior is moved by Senior’s kindness, but Junior’s strength is low, so he is afraid if he were to travel together with Senior, he would only become a burden.”
“Haha,” Ni Guang smiled lightly. “Seems you have some self-awareness, but… Since this old master has invited you, naturally he has the confidence to protect you, or are you questioning this old master’s strength and methods?”
Yang Kai frowned while Luo Lan’s face also changed slightly, silently urging Yang Kai to pay more attention to his words.
Yang Kai smiled hesitantly and continued to argue, “Senior has great strength and superb cultivation, Junior doesn’t dare doubt that, but… Junior came here today with Senior Luo, so…”
“A true man should act decisively and not quibble about such minor issues!” Ni Guang snorted coldly, seemingly dissatisfied with Yang Kai continuing to make excuses, taking a deep look at him, and declaring, “In that case, you and Elder Luo can join hands with this old master, what do you think?”
Instead of Yang Kai, Ni Guang’s last words were directed at Luo Lan.
Luo Lan was startled as hesitation and struggle flashed across her face, but she quickly composed herself, smiled, and replied, “Since Senior Ni has offered so kindly, it would be impolite for this Mistress to refuse.”
Saying so, she cast a meaningful glance towards Yang Kai before flying over towards Ni Guang first.
With Luo Lan agreeing already, Yang Kai was out of reasons to object so he could only sigh and chase after her.
Soon after, the pair arrived in front of Ni Guang and Xue Yue, forming a small group.
Among everyone present, originally, only Ni Guang had brought an Origin Returning Realm Junior, while the other Origin Kings came alone. Now that Luo Lan and Yang Kai had joined them, there were now four people in Ni Guang’s group.
If one only counted numbers, this group overwhelmed all others present, but… whether the two Origin Realm Juniors would be more help or hindrance was unclear.
After inviting Luo Lan and Yang Kai, Ni Guang seemed to lose interest in speaking and simply stood in the void, closing his eyes and resting.
After Luo Lan came over, she could not help acting somewhat cautious; after all, her cultivation was lower than Ni Guang’s and she belonged to a different great force, so she was somewhat uncomfortable.
Yang Kai was even less pleased and simply remained sullenly silent.
Xue Yue closed her folding fan and flashed a smile, “Brother Yang, who would have expected that we would meet once more, I didn’t expect to see you here, it must be fate.”
“What do you want?” Yang Kai glared at her and spat with no trace of politeness, “Let me say this first, I have no interest in crossing dragons and swords with other men, so don’t get close to me!”
Luo Lan’s head whipped back and her beautiful eyes flashed a strange light as she glanced back and forth between Yang Kai and Xue Yue, unable to hide her shock.
Even Ni Guang, who had just closed his eyes and calmed his mind, opened them wide once again, his expression turning into an extremely strange one.
“You…” Xue Yue didn’t think that Yang Kai would speak such shameless words as soon as he came over, causing her face to go completely red as she trembled in anger, “What… what nonsense crossing dragons and swords!?”
“Hmph!” Yang Kai snorted through his nostrils, putting on a haughty appearance, “What it means, you know in your heart.”
The ambiguity of his words made Xue Yue even more helpless. Coupled with Luo Lan and Ni Guang’s awkward gazes, Xue Yue could not control her emotions for a moment and blushed all the way to her neck.
“Ha… haha…” Luo Lan did not know what to say so she just let out some forced laughter, as if wanting to ease the embarrassment but only succeeding in making things more embarrassing for Xue Yue.
“You… if you dare to speak impertinently again, I’ll kill you!” Xue Yue ground her teeth and put on a look of absolute anger towards Yang Kai, as if trying to clarify her stance.
“Are you willing?” Yang Kai sneered, looking directly into Xue Yue’s eyes.
Xue Yue was speechless, her teeth grinding even harder as her Saint Qi began showing signs of welling up.
Ni Guang’s eyes narrowed and he let out a slight snicker, “Young man, your courage isn’t small, actually daring to speak such nonsense in front of this old master. No wonder Third Young Master has an interest in you, but… the nonsense stops here, no more trying to stir up trouble just to prove a point.”
Yang Kai grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
Since Ni Guang had given him such a warning, he could only comply. In fact, Yang Kai was only angry that Xue Yue had made things difficult for him and was trying to get some revenge.
After speaking, Ni Guang closed his eyes again, as if nothing happened just now.
On the contrary, uncertainty flashed across Luo Lan’s eyes as she stared at Yang Kai and Xue Yue for a while, as if trying to figure out if there really was some unspeakable secret between them.
Did the famous Xue Yue Third Young Master really like men and not women? Why else would he have looked so guilty just now? What exactly had transpired between these two shocking talents?
Just thinking about it for a moment caused Luo Lan’s face to blush…
“Come here!” Xue Yue suddenly spat out a breath, the blush on her face receding like a tide before she coldly called Yang Kai out and flew away.
She obviously wanted to find a more private location to talk with Yang Kai, lest he say something even more embarrassing.
Yang Kai frowned and wanted to ignore Xue Yue, but thinking about what kind of reaction Ni Guang might have, he sighed and followed after her.
“Young people are always ignorant and arrogant, Elder Luo doesn’t need to pay them any mind,” After the two left, Ni Guang suddenly muttered.
“Haha, it is as Senior Ni says,” Luo Lan gave a light laugh.
Thirty kilometres or so away from the entrance, Xue Yue stopped and turned to look back, her beautiful eyes flashing a complicated light. After Yang Kai came over, she immediately shouted, “Why are you acting like this!”
“Why are you doing this?” Yang Kai asked back.
“What’s wrong with me doing this?” Xue Yue grit her teeth.
“You could have just pretended to not see me and then nothing would have happened. Why drag me over to follow you?” Yang Kai spat; his stomach full of grievances.
“Don’t you know how dangerous the Severed World is? Even Origin Kings cannot guarantee their safety there. I asked Uncle Ni to let you join us to protect your safety! You really don’t know how to appreciate other people’s kindness!” Xue Yue snapped angrily, almost spitting in Yang Kai’s face.
Hearing this though, Yang Kai just smiled slyly as he stared at Xue Yue’s face.
“What?” Xue Yue began feeling somewhat anxious being stared at so aggressively and could not help taking two steps back.
“Didn’t you want to kill me? Since when do you care so much about my safety?” Yang Kai smiled and said, “I know your secret, so wouldn’t it be perfect for you if I died? That way, your secret will never be exposed. You are paying so much attention to me now though, it’s almost as if you’ve fallen for me. Is that what this is all about, Beautiful?”
Xue Yue heard this, curled her lips into a grin, and snickered, “Stop projecting your delusions onto me, just who do you think you are? Why would I, Xue Yue, ever be interested in a shameless guy like you?”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow hearing this and began stroking his chin, as if he was lost in thought. Seeing this caused Xue Yue’s heart to clench because she thought she had wounded his self-esteem, instantly becoming a bit regretful.
However, in the next instant, Yang Kai suddenly said earnestly, “Aren’t women supposed to have special feelings for their first man? Am I wrong?”
“Who is whose first man!?” Xue Yue ground her teeth hard as she spat angrily.
“Although there hasn’t been much progress between you and me, at the very least, we’ve been intimate, with no barriers between…” Before Yang Kai could finish his thought though, his expression changed, and he reached out to grasp towards the void in front of him.
Suddenly, a burst of Saint Qi erupted as Xue Yue’s hand was caught by Yang Kai’s in a tight grip.
With a loud bang, Yang Kai’s body shook slightly, but he did not retreat, instead taking the opportunity to clasp Xue Yue’s little hand and twist her around before using his free arm to lock her neck, holding her firmly in place.
Xue Yue still wanted to struggle, but Yang Kai had moved too fast for her to react.
In an instant, Xue Yue was subdued!
Her face changed slightly as she whispered, “When did you become so strong?”
“Don’t look down on others too much, Beautiful,” Yang Kai said while whispering into her ear, “Moreover, isn’t wanting to fight the moment we meet growing tiresome for you too?”
“Let go!” Xue Yue bit her thin lip lightly.
The hot breath on her ear made it feel like lightning was coursing through her veins, and the intense heat pressing against her back involuntarily made Xue Yue recall all the ‘intimacy’ she had shared with Yang Kai on that Dead Star so many years ago.
Naturally, whenever she thought about that time, full of unbridled contact…
“Let me go!” Xue Yue struggled, but found that she could not escape from Yang Kai’s grip at all, her voice couldn’t help lowering to a whisper, “If someone sees this, how do you plan to explain?”
Yang Kai stared at her red earlobes and laughed frivolously, “Your mouth says no, but your body is still quite honest!”
These ambiguous words only made Xue Yue feel even more embarrassed. Taking a deep breath and trying to sound as calm as possible, she said, “Don’t make trouble. Can you let go now? I promise I won’t act against you again.”
Yang Kai thought for a moment before nodding, “Good.”
Xue Yue’s attack just now did not carry any murderous intent. Obviously, she did not want his life, only to shut him up, so Yang Kai didn’t take it to heart.
Having reached an agreement, Yang Kai released Xue Yue’s hands.
The moment she regained her freedom, Xue Yue instantly opened a dozen metre distance between her and Yang Kai before turning around and glowering at him, wishing she could eat his flesh and drink his blood.
After a while though, she adjusted her somewhat messy clothes and calmed her mood.
“Tell me, what is your real goal here?” Yang Kai’s expression turned extremely serious, completely different from the lawless and obscene one he was just wearing.
Seeing this, Xue Yue had some trouble adapting…
“You didn’t ask that Ni Guang to invite me along for no reason, what do you want?”
“I said it was for your own good, don’t you believe me?” Xue Yue raised her brow.
“So you really do like me…” Yang Kai said deeply.
“Shameless!”
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “Just kidding, don’t be so serious.”
Xue Yue had to take a few deep breaths this time to regain her calm, “In the Emperor Garden, we never got to finish our transaction, or have you forgotten?”
“Deal?” Yang Kai frowned, “What deal?”
“You really forgot?” Xue Yue looked at him and sneered dismissively, “So that’s how it is, it looks like you were too busy flirting with that enchantress from Monster Emperor Star and completely forgot about what I said.”
Yang Kai grinned as he said, “Is that jealousy I hear…”
“Don’t flatter yourself!” Xue Yue yelled angrily.
“However, how did you know that she came from Monster Emperor Star? Did you investigate her later?” Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at her.
“Did I even need to?” Xue Yue raised her chin slightly and coldly snorted, “Where else but Monster Emperor Star could you find that kind of shameless enchantress?”
“Seems you did inquire about her…” Yang Kai muttered to himself. “Forget it, enough about that. I remember the deal you mentioned.”
“Took you long enough, where is it now then?”
“You mean the Stone Tablet which came out of the Stone Monument?”
“Yes!”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. Naturally, he remembered the scene from that time and about the transaction between himself and Xue Yue. Xue Yue had said at the time that as long as he handed over the stone tablet, the grievances between her and Yang Kai would be wiped clean and she would never trouble him again.
At that time, Yang Kai had also agreed, but before he could hand the stone tablet over to Xue Yue, the Emperor Garden closed without warning, resulting in them being unable to complete the exchange.
Later, Yang Kai learned that what was hidden in the stone tablet was the shocking Star Refining Art Secret Technique!
This was a supreme Secret Technique which allowed one to refine a Star Source, thus becoming a Star Master. Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang had been able to refine Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source at the Saint King Realm for two reasons, one was because Tong Xuan Realm had grown incredibly weak and second because of the Star Refining Art.
If either of these two factors had been missing, with Xia Ning Chang’s cultivation at the time, she would not have been able to successfully refine Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source and become its Star Master.
This was undoubtedly a Secret Technique that could shake the very foundation of the Star Field and set off a massive, bloody war. Its value was simply immeasurable.
Knowing nothing about the Star Refining Art, Yang Kai had not had any qualms about exchanging it for his peace of mind, but now that he did, it was, of course, impossible for him to hand it over easily, even if the other party was Xue Yue.
The relationship between the two of them was still somewhat unclear, so how could Yang Kai just give her such an incredible Secret Technique casually?
“Do you know what is recorded on that stone tablet?” Yang Kai asked seriously.
“I don’t know!” Xue Yue shook her head.
“You don’t know but you still want it?”
“Although I do not know what is recorded on it, I know it is the key to allowing my father to break through to the Third-Order Origin King! So, I have to obtain it!”
“President Ai Ou?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Xue Yue’s father was naturally President Ai Ou of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Yang Kai had heard about this famous character before but had never met him. Currently, what Yang Kai knew was that Ai Ou was a Second-Order Origin King that had been unable to break through to the Third-Order for many years. Even so, with the backing of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Ai Ou was not an existence that could be underestimated.
“Yes, so I hope you can give me that stone tablet so I can give it to my father!” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai sincerely.
“How can you be so certain of what is recorded on it? Why are you confident that your father can break through to the Third-Order after obtaining it? You don’t even know what it is.”
Xue Yue smiled and said, “My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has a glorious inheritance stretching back over ten thousand years, so we possess some information that is not known to the public. This is something you should understand.”
Yang Kai nodded as he pondered to himself.
In a sense, Xue Yue was right. The Star Refining Art may really be the key to Ai Ou’s breakthrough to the Third Order; after all, with the identity and heritage of Ai Ou, a veteran Origin King, and the Star Refining Art, it would not be impossible for him to refine a Star Source, and once he succeeded, he would surely be able to successfully break through after receiving the blessings from that Star Source.
Of course, there would be some unavoidable risks involved in this process, risks that could result in his very Soul being extinguished.
After understanding this though, Yang Kai was also secretly surprised by the information held by Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. The Star Refining Art was sealed in a Stone Monument deep inside the Emperor Garden, and before the Stone Monument was smashed, Yang Kai had not noticed anything out of the ordinary about it, but it seemed Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce knew about it in advance.
“I hope you can give me that thing!” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai sincerely, “Even if it’s just a copy, it doesn’t matter. That stone tablet recorded some kind of Secret Technique or Secret Art, right? If that is the case, I don’t need the original stone tablet ontology, a copy will be enough.”
“I need to think about this,” Yang Kai thought for a while before saying.
“No problem,” Xue Yue readily agreed. “But before you make a decision, you’ll have to act together with me.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “With Ni Guang watching, I think it’s impossible for me to get away from you.”
“Who knows, your strongest talent is definitely escaping from trouble, so if I’m not careful, you’ll certainly try to flee,” Xue Yue snorted softly, “That’s why I let Uncle Ni invite you.”
This was Xue Yue’s main purpose in having Ni Guang invite Yang Kai to travel with them! When she saw Yang Kai arrive, Xue Yue knew that it was the perfect opportunity for her to finish the business between them.
“Since we have reached an agreement, let’s go back. The entrance to that place will open soon. Once we enter, do not run around aimlessly,” Yue Xue warned sternly.
“Understood.”
Soon after, the pair returned to the vicinity of the entrance again. Ni Guang still had his eyes closed while Luo Lan also stood aside and waited quietly. Seeing the two reappear, Luo Lan just gently nodded and did not ask anything.
“Xue Yue,” Yang Kai suddenly approached Xue Yue and called out softly.
“What do you want?” Xue Yue asked slightly nervously, frowning as she asked, “Can you not get so close?”
Yang Kai glanced at her strangely before asking, “Who are the people here. Do you know?”
Xue Yue said, “Some I know, some I don’t.”
“Then that person… do you know who he is?” Yang Kai said while glancing towards a certain direction.
Xue Yue quietly glanced over in the direction Yang Kai had looked and found an Origin King Realm master covered in thick black Qi with his face completely concealed. The black Qi around this man was like a living creature, twisting and churning in indistinct patterns, giving off an uncomfortable aura that made those nearby shudder.
“I’ve never seen or heard of him,” Xue Yue shivered involuntarily, and whispered back, “Why? Is there something wrong with him?”
“I don’t know if I’m thinking too much, but I’ve felt like he was paying attention to me for a while now,” Yang Kai frowned.
Xue Yue was stunned. Naturally, she didn’t think Yang Kai was imagining things. Yang Kai’s strength was not weak, and if someone was spying on him, he would definitely sense something, so since he had said so, it was very likely the master wrapped in black Qi was paying attention to him.
As if to confirm Yang Kai’s statement, when Xue Yue secretly stole a glance towards the other party, from the thick black Qi a strange, grating cackle rang out.
Xue Yue’s face turned pale.
“This person… is very dangerous. Don’t provoke him,” Ni Guang suddenly opened his eyes and whispered in a serious tone.
“Uncle Ni, what is his background?” Xue Yue asked.
“I don’t know,” Ni Guang shook his head, “Of all the Origin Kings I know and know of, none of them are similar to this person, but… this old master can tell he is very strong, possibly not weaker than me.”
“So, he’s also a Second-Order Origin King?”
“I can’t say for certain if he is a Second-Order, only if I fought with him would I be able to confirm it,” Ni Guang said slowly, “Regardless, don’t provoke him. This person’s aura is filled with cold, evil energy, so he must have cultivated some kind of demonic Secret Art.”
“I understand,” Xue Yue nodded obediently.
Next, in order to prevent Yang Kai from provoking someone who he shouldn’t, Xue Yue carefully introduced him to the origins and identities of the Origin Kings present. There were more than ten people present and Xue Yue knew eight of them. The rest she was not certain about but was able to make some guesses.
Yang Kai made sure to remember the appearances and identities of these masters in mind, in case of emergencies.
Outside the entrance, everyone continued to wait quietly.
From time to time, a new Origin King would rush over, find an open spot, and close their eyes to rest.
About three days later, a bright stream of purple light, which was particularly eye-catching, suddenly appeared from the distant Starry Sky.
When this purple light appeared, Ni Guang suddenly opened his eyes and stared deeply towards it, a slight frown appearing on his face as he coldly muttered, “That old dog also came…”
He seemed to know the identity of this person at a glance.
“Oh well, since he’s come, we can get started,” Ni Guang muttered again.
The aura which radiated from this purple stream of light was extremely powerful, not at all under Ni Guang’s, so it was apparent that whoever had arrived was a master at the Second-Order Origin King Realm. Aware of this, the faces of the First-Order Origin Kings who had already arrived changed slightly. Only the figure wrapped in black Qi let out a strange laugh, not caring at all about this new arrival.
Soon, the purple light arrived nearby and came to a stop before rapidly dissipating, revealing two figures.
Both of these two had a similar body shape, strong and burly, as if they had been carved from the same mould. On top of that, they both shared the same long purple hair which draped down over their shoulders, giving them a free and unrestrained appearance.
The two looked like brothers.
However, if one looked closely, they would realize this was not the case, because the cultivation gap between the two was quite large. One of them was a Second-Order Origin King while the other was just a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, the same as Xue Yue and Yang Kai.
After these two appeared, their eyes swept around the crowd and soon fixed on the pair from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Ni Guang and the Second-Order Origin King master exchanged looks…
Xue Yue’s gaze collided with the Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator…
Neither side showed weakness, not even flinching, their expressions remaining calm.
“Hahaha!” A loud burst of laughter sounded soon after as the purple-haired Second-Order Origin King boldly called out, “It seems this old master has come a little late and made everyone wait.”
“No one was waiting for you, Zi Long. Stop flattering yourself!” Ni Guang sneered.
“Oh, I thought Brother Ni would have wished I had come here sooner,” Zi Long grinned meaningfully.
“Even without you, this entrance can be opened, it would only take a few more people,” Ni Guang said lightly, “But since you are here, there’s no point in waiting any longer.”
“En. In that case, let’s proceed,” Zi Long smiled.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Yang Kai immediately realized who this man was.
The purple-haired Second-Order Origin King was none other than the Sect Master of Purple Star, Zi Long!
Realizing this, Yang Kai also understood that the Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator beside him was Purple Star’s Young Master, Zi Dong.
Yang Kai was not surprised that Zi Dong was here, because Gu Jian Xin had mentioned that Zi Dong and Xue Yue could be placed on equal footing with him, which meant Gu Jian Xin had acknowledged Zi Dong’s strength.
These three young ‘men’ were the most famous talents in the entire Star Field! Because the three of them represented the three different super forces and were considered future successors to them.
Under these three, there were also many other famous rising stars.
Such as the disciple of Senior Wu Dao, Xu Bin Bai, Shan Qing Luo of Monster Emperor Star and the heirs to the several Monster Race Tribal Lords; however, none had reputations as loud as these three.
It was undeniable that the future of the Star Field would be dominated by these people.
Yang Kai didn’t know if there was some kind of grievances between Zi Dong and Xue Yue, or if it was just the competitive spirit of the younger generation, but as soon as these two met, both of them seemed eager to fight one another, creating some tension in the air.
But now was not a good time for such things.
The arrival of Zi Long allowed the entrance to be opened, so with Ni Guang and Zi Long taking charge, all of the gathered Origin Kings began preparing.
After a brief discussion, the Origin Kings on the scene scattered around, each assuming a position near the entrance, waiting intently.
“Then… shall we begin?” Zi Long cast his gaze over to Ni Guang and asked inquisitively.
Ni Guang nodded lightly, and in the next moment, a majestic Saint Qi burst out of his body as he formed a complex series of signs with his hands before pushing his hands forward.
A beam of energy visible to the naked eye shot out from his palms and poured into the white circular entrance.
Zi Long let out a hearty laugh and also began pouring his Saint Qi into the entrance.
The other Origin Kings present followed suit one after another, even the man wrapped in black Qi who had yet to reveal his face, and appeared incredibly suspicious, did not slack off and cooperated with everyone else in this act.
Soon, a humming sound rang out from the white entrance and the Void Cracks which had originally been freely flowing about seemed to be restrained by an invisible power, freezing in place.
As for the entrance itself, it seemed to have become a bottomless pit, devouring all the Saint Qi poured into it by the many Origin Kings present without showing any signs of stopping.
Among all the people present, only Yang Kai, Xue Yue, and Zi Dong, who were Origin Realm cultivators, did not participate and simply watched from the sidelines.
This was not a surprise though, as they were still incomparable to true Origin Kings no matter how good their aptitude was, or how profound their heritage was. What they could contribute to this kind of forceful opening of the entrance to the Severed World was like a drop of water in the ocean, so instead of wasting their energy, it was better for them to retain their strength to deal with any possible dangers they faced after entering the Severed World.
Time passed slowly.
The expressions of each Origin King became difficult as they continued to pour their Saint Qi into the entrance, causing them a great deal of consumption.
Fortunately, they had prepared a lot of pills to restore their Saint Qi in advance and were taking them regularly to supplement their losses.
The difference in cultivation also became apparent.
For First-Order Origin Kings such as Luo Lan and Cui Hong, their faces now had fine beads of sweat dripping down them and their bodies were trembling slightly. Only the Second-Order masters such as Ni Guang and Zi Long were able to retain a calm image.
More and more Void Cracks became fixed at the entrance, and with the infusion of Saint Qi, the unstable fluctuations of these Void Crack gradually dissipated, leaving behind only stable Void Cracks.
Seeing this, Yang Kai realized how everyone would enter the Severed World.
Soon after, Yang Kai’s conjectures were proven correct. When the number of stable Void Cracks reached a certain number around the primary white entrance, Ni Guang suddenly shouted, “Good!”
As soon as these words fell, all the Origin Kings stopped pouring in their Saint Qi into the void, picked one of the stable Void Cracks, and dashed inside.
After someone passed through one of the stabilized Void Cracks, the Void Crack started to destabilize and begin flitting about again.
Ni Guang and Luo Lan stood side by side, beckoned to Yang Kai and Xue Yue, and after converging together, released their Saint Qi and rushed towards the biggest Void Crack.
From a short distance away, a purple streak of light flew past and Zi Long’s laughter rang out, “Brother Ni, this old master will be going on ahead. Make sure you don’t die inside!”
As soon as these words came out, Zi Long took Zi Dong and disappeared into one of the entrances.
Ni Guang coldly snorted and rushed into the largest Void Crack.
Suddenly, the surrounding space became silent and empty.
After everyone disappeared, the entrances began to warp and distort, with more and more Void Cracks constantly emerging, turning the temporarily stable region into one filled with even more danger than before. It was conceivable that even if just as many Origin Kings gathered here, they would be unable to open the entrance again.
If one wanted to enter this place, they could only wait for the next opportunity, and when that would be was completely unknown.
After Yang Kai followed Luo Lan into the Void Crack, he felt a sense of weightlessness, as if he was falling towards an endless abyss and his Soul felt a great deal of pressure. These were all telltale signs of a substantial spatial transmission.
Yang Kai could perceive that Luo Lan was working hard to resist the pressure coming at her from all directions, but such a transmission was really nothing to him; after all, he was proficient in Space Force. So he had long adapted to this kind of Space Force pressure.
The entire transmission process was extremely fast, almost feeling like a single flash before Yang Kai’s eyes were greeted by a completely different world’s scenery.
The sky was dim, and chaotic energy fluctuations abounded. There was no sun, nor moon, nor stars. The land was dry and desolate, without a single blade of grass and only dried up, cracked ravines.
The place where everyone appeared was in midair, so as soon as they entered, they immediately descended to the ground.
Yang Kai turned his head around and found that Ni Guang, Xue Yue, and Luo Lan were all there.
However, no one else seemed to be around.
This was also easy to understand; after all, each group entered this place through different Void Cracks, and for each Void Crack, there would naturally be a different teleportation location.
Circulating their Saint Qi, the four descended lightly, with Ni Guang and Luo Lan both showing relieved expressions.
“Fortunately, we didn’t appear somewhere dangerous,” Luo Lan said softly while Ni Guang nodded in agreement, feeling their luck was already quite good.
It was not always a smooth process for Origin Kings to enter the Severed World. Without even mentioning the many crises that could not be resolved by Origin Kings in this place, it was even said that there were dangers one could encounter upon entering this place that would pose a threat to ordinary Origin Kings.
Other than encountering an extremely powerful Monster Beast, it was entirely possible to fall as soon as one entered this place.
There were many Ninth-Order Monster Beasts here, with a few Tenth-Order Monster Beasts as well. There were even rumours about legendary Eleventh-Order and Twelfth-Order Monster Beasts existing here…
But luck seemed to be on their side for now.
After landing, Yang Kai noticed that this place was quite different from the Star Field.
The World Principles here seemed to be extremely powerful, and while his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy did not seem to be affected… his Shi was quite heavily suppressed.
Trying to release his Shi, Yang Kai found that it was less than half as powerful as normal.
Perceiving his movements, Xue Yue said to the side, “Don’t bother, everyone is like this. Not only our Shi, but even Uncle Ni’s Domain is suppressed here. The World Principles here are powerful and profound, having a strong impact on both Shi and Domain.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly; his expression slightly relaxed.
Ni Guang looked around and released his Divine Sense. Only after confirming that there was nothing that could threaten him nearby, he turned his head to Luo Lan and said, “Elder Luo, what are you planning to do next?”
Luo Lan was startled and asked suspiciously, “Senior Ni means…”
Ni Guang pondered for a while before saying, “Let me be blunt, the reason this old master invited you was because Third Young Master wanted the young man accompanying us. As for Elder Luo, you were not part of this consideration. Before we entered this place, this old master did not have anything to say, but now that we are inside, this old master would like to clarify if you intend to act together with us or alone? Let me say this first though, this young man must accompany this old master.”
Although he did not know why Xue Yue insisted on having Yang Kai come with them, he knew that Xue Yue never did anything without a purpose.
Since Xue Yue wanted to keep Yang Kai close, she must have a good reason.
Seeing Luo Lan sink in contemplation, Ni Guang said, “If you come with this old master, it will be much safer for you, but this old master won’t guarantee you will gain any benefits. If you separate from this old master, although the risks will be higher, if you can obtain some rare opportunity here, it will be worthwhile.”
What Ni Guang meant was that even if they found something good here, he would not give anything to Luo Lan unless she contributed enough strength to help obtain it.
“I understand,” Luo Lan nodded, “But… I still want to travel with you; after all, Yang Kai was brought here by me, so this Mistress cannot just abandon him here.”
She did not dare act alone without Yang Kai.
Before learning that Yang Kai was proficient in Space Force, Luo Lan had not even planned on coming to the Severed World. She had received word of this place’s opening some time ago, but since she could not guarantee her own safety, she had not thought about entering.
Her coming here was a decision she made almost entirely based on knowing Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space.
As such, she did not want to be separated from Yang Kai.
Seeing her make this choice, Ni Guang didn’t show any change in expression, “If that is the case, we’ll go together. Just curious, Elder Luo: What is the main goal of your trip?”
Luo Lan glanced over at Yang Kai, pursed her lips, and smiled, “I have no special goal in mind, I simply planned to explore at will.”
She did not dare to say she was after a Shocking Void Beast, otherwise, with Ni Guang’s shrewdness, he would definitely be able to infer something.
The group of four people decided to find a nearby place to adjust their breathing after some discussions; after all, the process of opening the entrance to the Severed World had caused both Ni Guang and Luo Lan to consume a great deal of their Saint Qi just now. In a place like this, which was filled with crisis, they needed to maintain their peak condition in order to cope with whatever they may encounter next.
Fortunately, there was not any obvious danger nearby, so Ni Guang simply led the group to the bottom of a ravine to conceal themselves.
The ravines here were quite deep and narrow, spreading out in all directions like a series of long canyons. After flying down and looking up, only a faint light could be seen, indicating they were at least a couple thousand metres below the surface.
At the bottom of the ravine, a chilly wind gusted continuously.
Yang Kai and Xue Yue were still at full strength, and although they were not Origin Kings, their strength wasn’t weak, so they were responsible for standing guard.
Ni Guang and Luo Lan each chose a location not far apart, took some pills, and sat down cross-legged to meditate.
Yang Kai guarded Luo Lan while Xue Yue guarded Ni Guang, each side performing their own duties.
The world seemed silent, with only the noise of the blustering wind echoing through the gully adding to the eerie stillness.
Xue Yue glanced around from time to time, seeming a little nervous.
Regardless of how high her cultivation was or how strong she was, she was still a woman. So, in such a gloomy environment, she instinctually became more vigilant.
Yang Kai wore an indifferent look as he simply closed his eyes and released his Divine Sense to monitor the surroundings to avoid any accidents.
Time passed slowly, and after an unknown period, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes…
He found himself lying on a bed, one that was wooden and quite uncomfortable. Looking up, he saw a simple roof which had holes in it and was leaking air everywhere. Turning around, the furnishings in this house were extremely sparse, with only a simple table and a chair, nothing else.
The scene felt quite familiar. Yang Kai could not help showing some doubt on his face as his mind felt hazy, making it impossible for him to think straight.
He instinctively felt that something was wrong, as if he had forgotten something important, and tried hard to remember, but this only caused a sharp pain in his head.
He could not even remember what he was doing before.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai got up from the simple wooden bed before opening the door and walking out. Standing in front of the small house, he took a look around…
Memories suddenly flooded back to him like a tide, and Yang Kai immediately recalled that he was currently a Trial Disciple of High Heaven Pavilion, but because he had been here for almost three years yet failed to meet the requirements of the Sect to become a formal disciple, he could only do odd jobs to earn a living while doing his best to cultivate at the same time.
There was a broom outside the house, and at this moment, the sky was not yet bright. It seemed to be the darkest hour before dawn.
Yang Kai could not help chuckling before stepping forward, picking up the broom, and beginning his day’s work.
The Sect had various roads which lead from the Contribution Hall, to the Training Hall, the Martial Skills Hall, and so on. All of which had the shadow of Yang Kai’s busy figure. All the roads were cleaned by him as he was the lowest-level disciple of High Heaven Pavilion, little more than a labourer.
As the sun rose and the day became light, many of Yang Kai’s fellow brothers gathered around, ready to challenge him.
In the end, a Junior Brother who only had a Fourth Stage Tempered Body cultivation won the right to challenge him, proceeded to trounce Yang Kai, then left.
Lying on the ground, breathing heavily, feeling his weakness and physical pain, Yang Kai slowly clenched his fists.
Subconsciously, his gaze shifted towards a big tree not far away.
Atop the big tree, there was a figure standing quietly, her face difficult to see because it was covered by a thin veil. Her figure was slim and there was a small sapphire which adorned her brow, giving her a pure and flawless appearance.
Yang Kai looked at her quietly, inexplicably feeling that this woman was incredibly important to him, but unable to understand why he felt this way.
Their eyes only met for a moment before the veiled woman’s body flickered and disappeared.
The disappearance of this woman caused Yang Kai to feel a little pain in his heart, as if it was being gripped by a strong hand, making it difficult for him to breath. Yang Kai shook his head and picked himself up off the ground with difficulty, collected his broom off the ground, then step by step returned to his little cabin.
In the end, he failed to meet the Sect’s requirements before the time limit and ultimately failed to become a true disciple of High Heaven Pavilion…
Having been expelled from High Heaven Pavilion, Yang Kai quietly packed up his things into a small sack then descended the mountain road he had walked countless times before.
Standing in front of the mountain gate, Yang Kai looked back at the plaque engraved with the three words ‘High Heaven Pavilion’ and paused, as his thoughts fluttered.
He was only fifteen years old now, but his future had already been lost.
At the base of the mountain, a group of Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were walking over, headed by a certain person holding a sword in her hand, her temperament as cold and clear as ice jade. She was like an ice fairy, exquisite and unblemished. She wore a pure white dress which was unstained by even the slightest bit of dust and was like the bright moon around which the stars gathered. Standing in the middle of her group, which was laughing and chatting, she soon arrived near Yang Kai.
Perceiving his abnormal state, the lead woman stopped, turned to Yang Kai, and lightly opened her lips, “Junior Brother, are you descending the mountain?”
Yang Kai turned his head and looked towards the source of the voice, but after seeing the other person’s face, he could not help feeling startled and blurting out, “Su Yan…”
As soon as he spoke this name though, Yang Kai became startled. Although he had been in High Heaven Pavilion for three years now and was familiar with this Eldest Senior Sister, even witnessing her heroic posture many times, the two of them had never exchanged a single word.
After all, the Eldest Senior Sister of High Heaven Pavilion was a lofty, aloof existence while Yang Kai was just a Trial Disciple, there was too much of a difference in strength and identity between them to simply casually chat.
He did not know why he would suddenly call out the other party’s name, and with such familiarity, as if he had called it countless times. It was as if he had done so in a state of dream-like reverie.
Su Yan’s brow furrowed, but her expression did not change much; however, the few Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters who were accompanying her, who were all not weak, immediately cast contemptuous eyes towards Yang Kai.
One of the more hot-tempered Senior Brothers even coldly snorted and without the slightest trace of politeness snapped, “Eldest Senior Sister’s name is not one you are qualified to call out!”
As soon as these words fell, a palm slapped towards Yang Kai.
A residual palm wind blew past him as Yang Kai was lifted up and thrown through the air, tumbling a few times before hitting the ground, blood overflowing from his mouth, his clothes covered in dust, making him look quite dishevelled.
Yang Kai was indifferent to the physical pain though and continued to frown as he fell to the ground, as if he had fallen into deep thought.
He did not understand why things were like this, all so familiar yet at the same time completely unfamiliar to him…
A fragrant wind brushed past Yang Kai’s nose in the next second as he saw a pair of jade feet land not far away. Looking up, he could see the beautiful and awe-inspiring image of Su Yan standing before him, like an immortal fairy.
“Eldest Senior Sister, don’t bother with him!” The Senior Brother who hit Yang Kai before coldly snorted with an unhappy look on his face.
Su Yan did not respond to him though and instead stretched out her hand to Yang Kai, as if she wanted to help him up.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before reaching out, taking Su Yan’s palm gently, and picking himself up.
The Senior Brother who already had a low opinion of Yang Kai now wore a twisted face as he glared at him with clear rage and hatred. Never had he expected that he had allowed Yang Kai to touch Eldest Senior Sister’s hand because of a simple beating.
Yang Kai stood dumbly on the spot while Su Yan stretched out her hand and patted the dust off his body, the seemingly eternal coldness on her face giving way to a slight warmth.
This gentle appearance stunned Yang Kai into a kind of trance.
“The outside world is extremely dangerous. After Junior Brother descends the mountain, he should set off as early as possible and be careful on the road. The sooner you depart, the earlier you will return,” Su Yan exhorted lightly before taking a deep look at Yang Kai then turning around and continuing on towards High Heaven Pavilion.
Yang Kai just stood in place and watched her leave, his heart feeling inexplicably empty as her figure slowly faded.
From the distance, the ridicule of the Senior Brother who had hit Yang Kai drifted over vaguely, “Eldest Senior Sister, that guy is just a Trial Disciple who was expelled from Sect and will never return, there’s no need to worry about him…”
“Is that so…” Su Yan’s voice sounded lightly. “He should be back.”
The beautiful woman’s figure continued into the distance until it finally disappeared.
Yang Kai’s gaze turned towards a different spot next, and in a remote corner, he saw another familiar Senior Sister wearing a green dress and a white veil covering her face standing there quietly.
A sudden gust of wind blew past at that moment, moving her veil and allowing Yang Kai to see her red lips moving slightly, as if she was saying something to him.
However, they were too far apart and Yang Kai was unable to hear what she said clearly. Before he could ask though, this Senior Sister disappeared.
In the end… all he ever learned about this Senior Sister was her name.
Xia Ning Chang!
For some reason, this was a name he felt he would remember for the rest of his life.
Yang Kai picked up his bag which had fallen to the ground, turned around, and strode away.
Yang Kai did not take part in the Yang Family Inheritance War in the Central Capital because he wasn’t strong enough and was unable to win over any support. Even participating would have been pointless.
His Eldest Brother Yang Wei successfully became the next candidate for Yang Family Patriarch with his own extraordinary strength and prestige, earning him the hopes of the family and their vigorous training.
Time flew by and soon, Yang Kai turned eighteen.
His father, Yang Ying Feng, and his mother, Dong Su Zhu, arranged a marriage for him. The other party was a woman from his mother’s family, and they were considered a good match.
Yang Kai did not have much choice in the matter of course. His persistent pursuit of the Martial Dao had yielded almost no gains, and as a member of the Yang Family, he had to at least contribute something to the Yang Family by leaving behind descendants.
He married the woman smoothly and fathered a few children.
During the day, he would work hard in one of the Yang Family’s businesses and at night he would return to his home and spend a pleasant time with his family. His wife and children were always obedient and respectful to him.
He lived a very happy family life.
But… somewhere in Yang Kai’s heart, he could not help feeling something was wrong.
He felt that his life shouldn’t be like this, that he should have had some kind of Heaven defying opportunity which set him on a completely different path.
He tried to dispel such absurd thoughts but found that, like wine, the longer they fermented, the stronger they became, not dispersing but instead threatening to burst out at any moment.
In addition, Yang Kai would occasionally see faces of people he was certain he never met before. There were men, women, old, and young among these people, all of whom he felt remarkably familiar with and could even call out their names.
Old Demon, Ling Tai Xu, Chu Ling Xiao, Fei Yu, Li Wan, Fei Jian, Cang Yan, Li Rong, Han Fei, Xue Yue, Wu Yi, Ye Xi Yun, Dai Yuan, Qian Tong…
These people were entrenched in Yang Kai’s subconscious mind, each of them seemingly calling out to him, constantly trying to tell him something, but Yang Kai was never able to hear what it was they were saying.
The days passed without surprise or danger, and Yang Kai soon entered the twilight years of his life…
At the age of seventy, with a house full of children and grandchildren, his parents having passed away long ago, everything around Yang Kai seemed to have changed. The only thing that remained constant was the strange faces which kept appearing in his dreams.
These faces were getting clearer and clearer, and their faint voices were now almost audible.
Soon, a serious illness overcame Yang Kai and severely damaged his vitality.
Lying on his bed, Yang Kai could hear loud cries coming from outside the room from his children and grandchildren, making him realize he had little time left.
The wife who had accompanied him all his life had also lost her beautiful face by now and was just an ordinary old woman, but in these last moments, she still remained by his side, taking care of him diligently.
[This life… was pretty good, right?] Yang Kai thought feebly, looking at his wife beside his bed with muddy eyes, the long years having turned her hair grey.
Yang Kai managed to squeeze out a smile at her after seeing this.
But to Yang Kai’s surprise, his wife who had always been deferential to him in the past, at this moment, only wore a cold expression on her face as she glared at him.
“You…” Yang Kai opened his mouth as he tried to speak.
The other party cut in though with a crisp and sweet voice, which should not belong to that of an old woman but rather a young one, “Finally, I’ll be free! I have been dragged down by you for an entire lifetime, but at long last, I can be liberated!”
“You… why would you say that?” Yang Kai looked at her sadly, his eyes full of pain and disappointment.
“Then what should I say?” The other party sneered, “Do you think I should be thankful to you? If it were not for your Yang Family’s overbearing strength, how could I have been forced to marry you all those years ago? You are just an ordinary, mediocre man, Yang Kai. If you were not born into the Yang Family, you wouldn’t even be as good as an ordinary mortal! Even so, you not only wasted your life but mine as well!”
“Is this what you truly feel in your heart?”
“Yes! Disappointed?” The other party sneered, her smile cruel like she wanted to pierce a sharp knife into Yang Kai’s heart.
Yang Kai, however, just chuckled and closed his eyes.
The old woman sitting by the bed smiled even colder.
At that moment though, Yang Kai suddenly muttered, “I am not delusional. To be honest, you did well these past few decades, but… I know, this is all just an illusion.”
“What?” The old woman’s face changed drastically as she stood up and stared at Yang Kai incredulously, “Do you know what you are saying?”
“At this time, you want to tear face with me and deliver a devastating blow to my mind at the moment I am most satisfied in order to plunge me into despair, right?” Yang Kai opened his eyes again, the murkiness in them having disappeared and been replaced with a sharp light. Sneering, he retorted, “Even those who are crying outside must be planning to rush in here soon and laugh at me as they watch me die, yes?”
“How could you…” The old woman’s complexion went blue.
“Why wouldn’t I have figured it out? I became aware of the truth more than thirty years ago, remembering everything that I should remember!”
“Since you knew, why did you still cooperate?” The old woman’s face turned grim.
“Haha…” Yang Kai smiled, sat up straight from the bed, and said, “Because I have never experienced this kind of life, and since you gave me an opportunity, I wanted to take advantage of it. This was a perfect way to hone my state of mind, after all.”
The familiar yet unfamiliar faces which kept flashing across Yang Kai’s mind, and the words they kept trying to convey to him, had finally made him remember everything all those years ago and allowed him to realize he had been caught in an elaborate illusion.
Yang Kai was shocked at that time!
He did not know when he had been ambushed, as he hadn’t noticed the presence of any enemies. He remembered that he was standing guard over Luo Lan and Ni Guang with Xue Yue, but there were no threats around them at that time.
The entire situation was too strange.
This only proved that this mysterious enemy had such powerful Spiritual Energy that it was able to invade his Knowledge Sea without his knowing and tamper with his memories, affecting his very thoughts and making him forget what he should remember. Everything about his life had been twisted and changed, almost beyond recognition.
When he realized this, Yang Kai did not rush to act.
For one thing, he did not know who the enemy was and taking action rashly might have unintended consequences. Secondly, as he said, this kind of life was something he had never experienced before, and it was indeed quite a wonderful experience. Of course… if his ‘wife’ who had accompanied him throughout his life had continued to play her part and had sent him off peacefully, that would have been for the best.
But at the last moment, she wanted to destroy Yang Kai’s rare and precious experience in order to plunge him into desperation.
In the end, a person will always have only one life.
Living a second, alternative life was nothing but an extravagant dream. As for the matter of reincarnation, that was an elusive and ethereal concept. Even if reincarnation was real, who could reincarnate with the memories of their previous life, or even guarantee they would be human again in their next?
Yang Kai, however, was able to experience something almost equivalent to that, although it was only for a short seventy years…
When his voice fell, the crying children and grandchildren outside also stopped their meaningless play and instead began letting out eerie howls which could terrify any who heard them.
The old woman sneered, “You think you can just sit back and relax after having seen through the illusion? You think too highly of yourself. If you had revealed it earlier, you might have been able to escape from this place, but after so much time has passed, it is now impossible for you to free yourself! Your Soul will forever be trapped here!”
“Really?” Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged for a moment before he smirked, “It looks like you can’t attack me directly and have to rely on manipulating my memories to influence me, right?”
With her abilities and their limitations so easily exposed, the old woman’s expression darkened noticeably.
After all, if she could directly attack, judging from the current situation, the old woman would not just stand by. In fact, it was her putting on a strong act and screaming that betrayed her lack of confidence.
“We should put an end to this now, but… I still must thank you. The experiences this life has given me have tempered my mind greatly, and I am much more confident about breaking through to the Origin King Realm now,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Yang Kai’s problem was that his strength had improved too quickly. Since he began cultivating until now, it had taken him less than forty years to reach the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm. But Great strength had to be matched with a strong mind and experience, otherwise, there was a great chance one would experience a dissonance in their cultivation.
This was Yang Kai’s greatest shortcoming.
But this time’s experience had made up for this deficiency, and no matter how much time or how little time had passed outside, in his mind, seventy years had passed, giving him the necessary psychological accumulation he needed to break through to the next realm.
He really wanted to thank this unknown party for giving him such an opportunity.
This alone was enough to make this trip to the Severed World worthwhile. Even if he obtained no gains during the following period here, it did not matter.
Yang Kai now intended to find a place to break through to the Origin King Realm after leaving the Severed World and already had one destination in mind.
He had great confidence in his ability to break through to the Origin King Realm, and with this experience, it was now almost a matter of course.
As soon as Yang Kai spoke these words of thanks, the anxious-looking old woman suddenly distorted greatly, changing into an ominous black entity that screamed and howled as it lunged at Yang Kai.
At the same time, a massive amount of black Qi flowed in from outside the room and rushed towards Yang Kai like a tide.
Yang Kai just snorted coldly, closed his eyes, then opened them again as he activated his Demon Eye of Annihilation.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation had the profound ability to see through all illusions.
As soon as the demon eye appeared, everything around Yang Kai began to collapse like a shattered mirror, beginning with the room, then the Yang Family Mansion, then the entire world.
The black shadows that rushed towards Yang Kai did not harm him at all. As he had suspected, these black shadows had no direct means of attack and could only target the negative emotions in one’s heart, causing them to fall into illusions.
The black shadows passed through Yang Kai’s body and disappeared.
In the next moment, the illusion was broken.
Yang Kai returned to the real world.
Before he could react though, a gust of cold wind hit him from behind so he hurriedly rolled forward to avoid the attack. Jumping to his feet and fixing his stance, Yang Kai turned back to confront his attacker.
What he saw was a kind of black shadow similar to the one in the illusion, but this mass of black shadows had the outline of a human, only lacking facial features but possessing arms and legs.
It seemed that the previous illusions were all caused by this black shadow.
And at this moment, it seemed this black shadow had suffered great damage. After all, it had used some kind of strange Secret Technique to drag Yang Kai into that illusion, so once the illusion broke it was inevitable it suffered a backlash.
Releasing a terrifying roar, the shadow pounced towards Yang Kai again.
Yang Kai waved his hand and sent out a Golden Blood Thread, cutting towards his opponent. But unexpectedly, the Golden Blood Thread did not affect the shadow, passing through it directly without causing any effective damage.
Yang Kai frowned, pushed his Saint Qi, and sent out a Heaven Covering Hand.
The huge palm covered the black shadow’s body but also failed to affect it in any way.
After only a brief delay, the shadow rushed forward again.
“The Golden Blood Thread is useless, as is Saint Qi Secret Techniques, it seems… only Spiritual Energy attacks are useful against you,” Yang Kai sneered as he stood in place without moving and a lotus bud appeared in his left eye.
Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique! Yang Kai’s most powerful Soul attack method.
In the face of such a weird shadow, he did not dare experiment anymore and immediately used his trump card.
The lotus pattern was fleeting, and in the next moment, it appeared around the black shadow’s body. The lotus bud began to bloom slowly, using the black shadows’ own power as a source of energy!
The black shadow suddenly stopped in place less than a meter from Yang Kai and collapsed to the ground, howling constantly.
By the time the lotus flower fully bloomed, the black shadow had already disappeared, leaving behind only a black lotus in its place which immediately collapsed and scattered to the wind.
Only now did Yang Kai have the time to investigate the situation of the others in his group.
Luo Lan was the closest to him, and when Yang Kai turned his head and looked towards her, he saw another human-shaped black shadow standing behind this First-Order Origin King. This black shadow was the same as the one he had eliminated just now and also strangely had no face.
At this moment, the black shadow was standing right behind Luo Lan and from its head, a tendril was protruding and had attached itself to the back of Luo Lan’s head.
A malevolent aura radiated from the black shadow’s body which was clearly affecting Luo Lan’s mind and pulling her Soul into an illusion.
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of illusion Luo Lan was seeing, but her tender body was constantly trembling, and her complexion was fluctuating rapidly. Beads of sweat were dripping down her forehead and her breathing had become somewhat erratic.
“There’s more than one of these things?!” Yang Kai was startled.
He thought that the enemy that attacked him and Luo Lan was the same entity, but now that he had a chance to observe the situation, he realized there were more than one of these strange creatures.
Glancing over towards Xue Yue and Ni Guang in the distance, Yang Kai discovered that their situation was the same as Luo Lan’s, black, faceless, human-like shadows lurking behind them, manipulating them through some kind of illusion.
Clearly, no one had noticed when these shadows attacked, because even Ni Guang had been affected.
Looking at them like this, Yang Kai was certain they were in similar situations to the one he was in earlier.
The whipping winds at the bottom of the ravine suddenly carried over several howling voices at that moment.
Yang Kai felt a chill hearing these voices and upon turning his head around, his complexion could not help paling.
Stunned, Yang Kai discovered that, in all directions, countless humanoid shadows were appearing from the cracks in the earth. As soon as these shadows manifested, they turned their faceless faces towards Yang Kai, and even though they lacked eyes, he could not help feeling as he was being stared at menacingly.
“There are so many of them!” Yang Kai’s expression truly changed now.
Without hesitating, he rushed towards Luo Lan, gathered his Spiritual Energy into a spike, and struck the black shadow behind her back.
Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy was incredibly powerful, not inferior to that of a master like Ni Guang’s, so just this attack was enough to damage the black shadow which was attacking Luo Lan. Shaking violently, the shadow dimmed greatly, as if it had suffered a serious injury.
With one more strike from his Divine Sense, Yang Kai was able to completely dislodge the black shadow which let out a miserable cry before dissipating.
Yang Kai calmed down after seeing this, realizing that these black shadows were not powerful and could easily be destroyed.
The problem, however, was there were too many of them.
Once the black shadow was extinguished, Luo Lan let out a cough as she finally broke free of the illusion, opened her eyes, and saw Yang Kai close at hand. Her eyes still showed some confusion though, indicating she was still suffering some aftereffects of the illusion.
Yang Kai quickly shouted at her, “Senior Luo, wake up quickly if you don’t want to die. Use your Spiritual Energy to deal with them.”
“Them?” Luo Lan frowned slightly, “Who?”
There was no need for Yang Kai to answer as, at that moment, many howling shadows rushed towards Luo Lan and Yang Kai.
Luo Lan let out a strange cry seeing this and finally reacted, stretching out her hand and summoning a hiltless dagger which released a radiating light from its blade. Under her control, the dagger flickered back and forth, cutting down any black shadow it impacted and scattering it to the wind.
When all was said and done, she was still an Origin King and this dazzling dagger was obviously a powerful Soul type artifact. Driven by her Spiritual Energy, it was the nemesis of these dark shadows.
Upon seeing this, Yang Kai composed himself and shouted, “Hold them back while I wake up Senior Ni and Xue Yue!”
“Hurry!” Cold sweat dripped from Luo Lan’s forehead as she urged. Even though she had only fought against these dark shadows for a short while, she already sensed how difficult it would be to withstand an attack from such a dense horde of them!
Luo Lan fought as she retreated towards the location where Ni Guang and Xue Yue were together with Yang Kai. As for the black shadows blocking the way, they were all defeated by Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy.
Although he didn’t have a Soul type artifact like Luo Lan, his Soul cultivation was extremely strong, so he didn’t have trouble clearing out a few of the black shadows.
Soon, Yang Kai arrived by Ni Guang’s side and sent a spike of his Spiritual Energy into the black humanoid figure attacking the latter.
After two strikes, Ni Guang was freed!
The moment the black shadow was defeated, Ni Guang opened his eyes suddenly and a terrible pressure burst from his body.
Standing up sharply, he shouted, “Evil creature, you dare try to disturb this old master’s mind? Damn, it almost succeeded too!”
Looking at his momentum, Yang Kai realized he was in much better condition than Luo Lan. At the very least, even if Ni Guang had been caught off guard, he realized the true nature of his situation. The reason he had not been able to wake himself up must have been because he didn’t have a way to break the illusion he was trapped inside of.
After receiving Yang Kai’s help, he immediately regained control of himself.
With a flick of his sleeve, Ni Guang sent out a powerful shockwave in all directions.
“Senior Ni, these things aren’t affected by Saint Qi or artifacts, they can only be damaged by Spiritual Energy attacks!” Yang Kai quickly informed him.
“So that’s how it is!” Ni Guang quickly understood and immediately opened his mouth to spit out a small round bead. As soon as this bead appeared, it released a burst of light that, while bright, was also extremely gentle, bathing the surrounding area in a warm glow like sunlight.
With the round bead as the centre, a ten-meter radius became a pure region.
All the black shadows that rushed into the light barrier distorted and while screaming, quickly faded into nothingness.
It was like watching snowflakes falling into a hot fire, evaporating without a trace in the blink of an eye!
Seeing this, Yang Kai felt relieved and hurried over to Xue Yue’s side and repeated the same process as before, killing the black shadow attacking her.
Xue Yue’s situation was undoubtedly the worst of the four. Although she was the Young Master of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and possessed Heaven defying aptitude, reaching the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm at a very young age, her foundation and life experiences were incomparable to the other three present.
When Luo Lan was rescued by Yang Kai, although she was somewhat confused for a moment, she quickly composed herself and realized what her situation was.
On the contrary, Xue Yue remained in an unconscious state after being rescued by Yang Kai.
However, the expression on her face was extremely strange. There was a smile at the corner of her lips, and her whole body seemed to be extremely relaxed, as if she was experiencing something incredibly pleasant in whatever fantasy world she was trapped.
“Xue Yue!” Yang Kai put his hands on her shoulders and shook her while shouting.
After calling her name two or three times, Xue Yue frowned and opened her eyes, showing a somewhat displeased expression, but the moment she saw Yang Kai standing in front of her, she suddenly smiled and lifted her hand to brush her hair back behind her ear. This was a common gesture for a woman but performing the act when she had the outward appearance of a man was really a bit disturbing. Fortunately, only Yang Kai saw this as Ni Guang and Luo Lan were both busy dealing with the black shadows.
Xue Yue suddenly asked softly, “Did you wake?”
“Huh, why would I be the one waking up?” Yang Kai was confused but quickly shouted sharply, “You’re the one who should wake up quickly!”
“Me?” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai blankly, her beautiful eyes filled with happiness and sweetness gradually becoming sober. After taking a moment to recover her wits, she began to look around.
At a glance, Xue Yue understood everything, and an obvious look of disappointment filled her face, as if she wished she had not woken up from the illusion just now.
“There are too many of these things. We can’t kill them all, so it’s best if we escape!” When Ni Guang saw Yang Kai successfully awaken Xue Yue, he hurriedly yelled and while speaking, he threw the round bead that was emitting soft light into the sky while chasing after it and shouting, “Follow me!”
“You go first, this Mistress will bring up the rear!” Luo Lan declared valiantly as she took the initiative to defend their retreat.
Yang Kai nodded, stretched out his hand to grab Xue Yue’s arm, and flew upwards together with her as Luo Lan followed behind.
The group of four people flew at an extremely fast speed trying to escape from this strange place.
But, the black shadows below chased after them, and from the many ravines nearby, more and more of them constantly poured out, each of them howling madly as they sent out a disturbing energy fluctuation similar to a Spiritual Energy attack. These attacks were invisible and intangible, and although one or two of them were not very powerful, with so many black shadows gathered together, the Soul Fluctuations they gave off shook the Knowledge Seas of the escaping four, threatening to drag them down in the bottomless abyss again.
However, under the power of Ni Guang and Luo Lan’s artifacts, the black shadows were unable to approach too close and were killed one after another.
Suddenly, Luo Lan, who was responsible for bringing up the rear, called out in alarm, “What is…”
In the next moment, she screamed out loudly, “Run!”
There was clear panic in her voice, as if she had just witnessed something terrifying.
Yang Kai stole a quick glance back across his shoulder and was shocked by what he saw.
The countless black shadows below had begun to fuse together while pursuing them. Like black raindrops all falling towards a single spot, in the blink of an eye, they merged together to form a single massive black shadow that continued to grow at a rapid pace as more and more of the smaller black shadows melted with it.
It was as if a pitch-black night sky had formed below them, giving off an incredibly strong sense of oppression.
After only three breaths, an enormous black shadow had taken shape.
As soon as the huge black shadow took shape, it extended two long arms from below like massive whips that flew fiercely through the air like bolts of black lightning.
Feeling the terrifying power contained in these two attacks, Luo Lan’s beautiful face paled, and without hesitation, she bit the tip of her tongue and spat out a mouthful of her Blood Essence towards her dagger before throwing it out in a powerful strike.
A silent collision occurred as the two black arms were temporarily stopped while Luo Lan’s dagger was sent flying.
The attacks that the black shadow could send out after its fusion were countless times stronger than those of its smaller, individual forms!
Soul type artifacts were driven by a cultivator’s Divine Sense, and although their power was immense, if they took damage, it would also damage the user’s Soul. Therefore, when her dagger was knocked through the air, Luo Lan’s pretty face went white and she could not help coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Even with her strong First-Order Origin King cultivation, it only took a single exchange for her to be injured.
At this moment, everyone clearly realized the power of these strange shadows.
Fortunately, the group of four had already managed to rush to the top of the ravine and flew high up into the sky. Not daring to remain, they continued to escape higher.
From the depths of the ravine, a terrifying roar sounded at that moment and two massive pitch black arms shot out and transformed into giant claws that grabbed towards the fleeing four.
However, it seemed that their reach wasn’t long enough, and the two giant claws only managed to catch the air a couple of dozen metres below Luo Lan, who was the closest to the ground.
The next moment, the two giant palms slowly retracted and the howling which had filled everyone’s ears until now gradually subsided, the entire world becoming peaceful again.
Ni Guang, who was leading the way, slowed down and finally came to a halt while staring down thoughtfully.
“These things… don’t seem to be capable of chasing after us,” Yang Kai also noticed the situation.
“It would seem so,” Ni Guang nodded, agreeing with Yang Kai’s assessment, “But it’s better not to make assumptions, we’d best leave here first.”
The other three nodded quickly and followed after Ni Guang.
A quarter of an hour later, the group of four settled down in a safe place again, and although their surroundings were still a deserted plain, at least there were no crisscrossing ravines. After confirming that there was no danger around them, the four stopped to rest and recover.
The crisis seemed to be resolved, but even now, everyone felt some lingering fear.
The attack they encountered this time was simply too unpredictable. Before entering the underground ravine, everyone had surveyed the surrounding area and even with two Origin Kings present they still had not been able to avoid being attacked, a truly shocking reality.
“Elder Luo, how are your injuries?” Ni Guang looked at the pale Luo Lan and asked.
“It’s fine, it only slightly damaged my Soul,” Luo Lan frowned and replied.
“That’s good,” Ni Guang felt relieved. He thought that with his cultivation at the Second-Order Origin King Realm, even if it would not be smooth sailing in this Severed World, it was impossible he would face a fatal threat, but after this experience, he didn’t dare think so anymore.
If it were not Yang Kai helping him break free, he didn’t know how long he would have been trapped in that illusion. Perhaps he wouldn’t have ever awoken, and his body would slowly have rotted away, leading to his death.
“Uncle Ni, what were those things?” Xue Yue asked with some lingering fear. The various things she experienced in the illusion before had felt completely real, and even after being awakened by Yang Kai, she still failed to adapt to the real world for some time.
“I don’t know, I’ve never heard of anything like them existing in the Severed World. Does Elder Luo know anything?” Ni Guang shook his head and turned to Luo Lan to ask.
“This Mistress doesn’t know much about the Severed World, but she is certain she has never heard of such strange creatures.”
“It seems that everyone who encountered these things died, so no information about them ever became known,” Ni Guang pondered thoughtfully, “But that’s not a surprise. Judging from the previous situation, those things are extremely proficient at concealing themselves; even this old master was unable to detect their existence. Fortunately, it seems they can only survive in that dark underground environment. As long as we don’t go underground, we should not encounter them again, and… we don’t seem to have been delayed by much. Inside that illusion, this old master felt like he lived many years, but judging from the condition of our bodies, I’d say only an hour or two has passed. The method those creatures possess is truly terrifying!”
Hearing what he said, the other three nodded slightly.
“Elder Luo, you should heal your injuries first, once you’ve recovered, we’ll set out again,” Ni Guang turned and said to Luo Lan.
“Then I shall be troubling you. This Mistress will try to be as fast as possible,” Luo Lan said gratefully.
She did not have any kind of friendship with Ni Guang, so, Ni Guang expressing his willingness to wait for her to recover at this time made her feel grateful. This also verified Ni Guang’s character and confirmed he was a good candidate to cooperate with.
Ni Guang was stronger than her, so cooperating with him was naturally in Luo Lan’s interest.
However, this may also have been related to her being willing to cover their retreat just now. Ni Guang’s attitude towards her had obviously become more amicable than it had been when they first set out.
Luo Lan’s luck was quite good. She had brought Yang Kai here to the Severed World because she wanted to rely on his achievements in the Dao of Space to make exploring this place safer, but as a result, she was also able to obtain cooperation from Ni Guang. If not for Yang Kai, Ni Guang wouldn’t have ever invited her to act together.
Taking out some healing pills, Luo Lan sat down and began to tend to the wound on her Soul.
As for Yang Kai, he was currently gazing towards a spot not far away.
He felt that somewhere in the sky over there, was a faint Space Force fluctuation. He could even infer from these energy fluctuations that there was a hidden Void Crack at that location!
It seemed that Luo Lan was right, this Severed World was filled with hidden danger with many Void Cracks floating about that were invisible to the naked eye.
If someone were to rush through rashly, there was a good chance they would be split in half by these The Void Cracks.
“What are you looking at?” Xue Yue suddenly leaned over and asked softly.
He did not know if he was imagining things, but Yang Kai felt that Xue Yue’s attitude towards him had changed slightly since earlier. Before, Xue Yue had only paid attention to him because of their strange entanglement, causing her attitude to be somewhat bitter and sweet at the same time.
But now, her gaze contained a gentleness that had not been there before. Even when they were escaping just now, Xue Yue held onto Yang Kai’s arm tightly and looked completely at ease.
“Nothing,” Yang Kai shook his head, “What happened to you? What did you experience in that illusion just now? With your mental fortitude, it should not have affected you so deeply, right?”
Yang Kai had only asked casually, but to his surprise, Xue Yue turned bright red, as if she was remembering something embarrassing, and snorted loudly, “None of your business!”
Yang Kai nearly choked seeing this and could not help sneering, “Forget it, just pretend I never asked. It definitely must have been nothing good.”
Xue Yue grit her teeth and glared at him, causing Yang Kai to immediately become uncomfortable and quickly look around for something to divert his attention.
It was then that he noticed that Ni Guang had taken out an animal skin map and was frowning as he stared at it. As if looking for something, he would release his Divine Sense from time to time while comparing his observations of the surrounding terrain with the map.
There did not seem to be any clear markings on the map, mostly just a series of intersecting lines as well as some specific locations marked with different symbols.
“Your chamber of commerce possesses a map of this place?” Yang Kai looked surprised.
Xue Yue grinned and said, “What’s so strange about that? It is not the first time that people from our chamber of commerce have come to this place, so having a map or two is nothing to fuss about. However, the Severed World is too big and it’s impossible to grasp its complete layout. Uncle Ni only has a map detailing a small portion of this place.”
“So that’s how it is,” Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, do you have a clear destination for this trip?”
“En, we planned to go to a medicine valley where there are spirit medicines and herbs that aren’t present in the Star Field. Legend has it that there are even herbs which are beyond the Origin King Grade and can bring back the dead, rejuvenate and prolong a person’s life, and some that can even increase the strength of a person directly…”
Listening to her talk, Yang Kai could not help staring at Xue Yue strangely.
“What?” Xue Yue asked suspiciously.
“You really don’t have any guard up against me at all. It’s not like you,” Yang Kai smiled. Although they were in a cooperative relationship right now, what Xue Yue revealed was undoubtedly extremely important information that should be kept confidential.
She was not the type of woman with a big chest but no brains, otherwise, she would never have been able to become the Young Master of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Her revealing so much to him for no apparent reason really surprised Yang Kai.
Hearing what he said, Xue Yue gawked for a moment before seeming to realize something and immediately turning her gaze aside and sneering, “What’s wrong with telling you? With Uncle Ni here, can you even snatch anything from us?”
The tone of her voice clearly indicated she wanted to move past this, so Yang Kai did not ask anymore.
However, upon thinking about it, Yang Kai realized that Luo Lan’s actions this time were a bit too rash. Ni Guang dared to enter this place because he had confidence in his tyrannical strength and because he had prepared thoroughly while Luo Lan, on the other hand, seemed to have simply come on a whim together with Yang Kai and didn’t understand much about the Severed World.
…..
In the underground ravine where Yang Kai and the others had just been, an hour after they left, a figure fell from the sky and landed nearby.
His whole body was wrapped in a black Qi, exuding an evil and violent aura. It was none other than the Origin King who had been paying attention to Yang Kai outside before.
After this person landed, he glanced around and, after taking a deep breath, began to cackle wickedly, “Very good, he had been here recently. Yang Boy, this is truly unexpected. Who could have imagined you’d grow to this level after not seeing you for only a few dozen years.”
If Yang Kai heard this, he would definitely be shocked since this unknown Origin King actually seemed to know him, and know him quite well at that.
“Oh…” The strange Origin King stopped suddenly, as if he had just discovered something, and turned towards the underground ravine, using his Divine Sense to survey it. After a while, he let out a burst of wicked laughter and muttered to himself, “There’s actually such a thing here. Although I do not know what you are, you’re useful to this old master.”
Saying so, he jumped directly into the ravine.
As soon as he landed, countless small black shadows sprang out from the crevices lining the ground in all directions and leapt towards him like starving beasts.
This man wasn’t afraid though and instead excitedly shouted, “Haha, good, good. Come!”
Saying so, he summoned a large black flag that immediately released a series of wailing howls. These howls drowned out the scattered cries of the dark shadows and from the flag, numerous twisted, phantom-like human faces appeared.
Forming a series of seals with his hands, the strange master poured his Saint Qi into the black flag and shouted, “Go!”
In the next moment, the black flag turned into a giant black curtain that shrouded the surrounding region and, as if they had encountered their nemesis, the small black shadows were easily suppressed and swallowed up.
As the black flag swallowed up these black shadows, the aura it emitted became stronger and stronger while the darkness became deeper and deeper.
It seemed capable of swallowing everything in existence, even light.
The horrible suction force of the black flag obviously made the black shadows panic and soon they began to merge together, just like when Yang Kai and the others fled, in an attempt to fight off the black flag’s influence.
Seeing this scene, the Origin King wrapped in black Qi wasn’t afraid and instead became exhilarated, calling out, “You even have such a skill, good, good, good. This King’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner is going to have a feast today, kahahaha!”
As he laughed, he stretched out his hand and the black curtain twisted and condensed into a massive, terrifying human-shaped face. This face, however, had countless eyes and radiated an ominous and powerful light.
In addition, blood seemed to be overflowing from this face as he released violent and feral roars.
As the strange mouth opened, it continued to grow until it spread across and the entire face’s surface while at the same time, a vague human-shaped phantom appeared behind it.
The massive black shadow formed by the fusion of countless small shadows naturally didn’t sit there waiting to die and quickly lashed out with its two black whip-like hands in an attempt to block the advance of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
A huge cloud of dust and debris was kicked up from the intense shockwaves of the exchange, shaking the ravine and the surrounding earth.
However, it was all in vain.
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner did not fear the huge black shadow’s attacks at all and simply charged forward and bit down on it before raising its head up like a bird which had caught its prey and attempted to swallow it whole.
Vaguely, a scream came out from inside the face.
The terrifying face of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner flashed a look of satisfaction at that moment and its countless eyes shined with excitement.
*Ge…*
It even vividly belched.
The moment the huge black shadow was swallowed, the remaining fish that slipped through the net fled into the surrounding crevices, not daring to appear again. They seemed to have noticed that this Ten Thousand Soul Banner was their natural enemy, and they were unable to resist it!
Upon seeing this, the Origin King, who was still wrapped in black Qi, stretched out his hand somewhat unconsciously and summoned the Ten Thousand Soul Banner back to him.
On the surface, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner had not changed much compared to before, but the potency of the wicked aura it exuded was obviously greater.
“Heh heh heh…” The Origin King cackled lightly as he examined his artifact, nodding repeatedly, “Not bad, not bad. I just came in and already had such a harvest, worthy of the famed Severed World. This King is very much looking forward to what comes next!”
Clearly a bit disturbed in the mind, after talking to himself for some time, the Origin King put away his Ten Thousand Soul Banner and with a loud laugh wrapped his black Qi around himself tightly and rushed out of the ravine, chasing in the direction Yang Kai and his group had left.
Elsewhere in the Severed World, Sword Union’s Elder Cui Hong was desperately urging his artifact to fight off a Monster Beast that was nearly a hundred metres in length and resembled a winged snake.
His luck had been quite poor. Just after entering the Severed World, he had accidentally entered the territory of this Monster Beast, and when he was discovered, a fight broke out.
The greatest danger in the Severed World was the invisible Void Cracks scattered about irregularly and undetectable to both sight and Divine Sense. Even an Origin King Realm who touched such a Void Crack would not escape unharmed.
The second most dangerous thing, however, was the Monster Beasts that lived here.
The Monster Beasts here had almost all inherited the bloodlines of ancient variant species, and affected by the strong World Principles, they had all grown incredibly powerful. Even if similar Monster Beasts existed in the Star Field, the ones in the Severed World would generally be at least thirty percent stronger.
The one Cui Hong encountered was a genuine Tenth-Order Monster Beast, and from the looks of it, it had obviously inherited the bloodline of the Flying Feathered Python, but as time had passed and the World Principles had changed, this Monster Beast’s bloodline had diluted, and it was no longer able to display the full might of its glorious ancestors. If it had, Cui Hong would have died upon meeting it.
However, it was none-the-less a Tenth-Order Monster Beast, meaning it was equivalent to an Origin King in strength. A rare existence.
Fortunately, this Monster Beast did not seem to have broken through to its current level long ago, and as a Sword Union Elder, Cui Hong’s Artifact Armour and artifacts were all extremely high grade, so, he did not suffer much damage over the course of his battle and instead gained the upper hand by relying on various Secret Techniques.
This winged python was over a hundred metres in length, bat-like wings on its back and a long, sharp tongue in its mouth. It flew about in an extremely flexible manner, dodging around Cui Hong while ejecting its tongue like a steel whip from time to time, bombarding Cui Hong and causing him significant difficulties each time it landed a hit.
After a full three hours of fierce fighting, in exchange for taking a rather serious injury, Cui Hong managed to behead the winged python.
Standing in place, breathing heavily, his whole body stained red with blood, Cui Hong cursed angrily. After a short rest, he used what little strength he had left to collect the winged snake’s body into his Space Ring.
At this moment, he did not have the time to properly process the corpse and could only wait until after leaving the Severed World to deal with it slowly. The value of the corpse of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast was almost unimaginable, especially its Monster Core which had a huge attraction to Origin Kings.
When a cultivator reached the Origin King Realm, it became extremely difficult to break through because of the limitations placed on them by the Star Field’s Principles. If a cultivator wished to stride upwards, besides tortuous cultivation for an extended time while comprehending the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, only rare treasures and powerful pills could enhance their strength.
An Origin King being unable to break through a single Minor Realm for centuries or even millennia was a very common occurrence.
Because of this, throughout the entire Star Field, Third-Order Origin Kings were extremely rare and almost all of them were old monsters who had long secluded themselves from the world…
After resting on the spot for a while, Cui Hong immediately left, afraid the smell of blood would attract other Monster Beasts. In his current state, he couldn’t fight another intense battle like just now.
In another place, Zi Long, the Sect Master of Purple Star, was bringing Zi Dong through the Severed World. He seemed to have a very clear goal and did not stop at any point along the way.
Their luck was also good, and they had not encountered any real danger since entering this place, so they proceeded with peace of mind.
“Father, does this Severed World really host an Immortal Tree?” Zi Dong, who was following Zi Long, suddenly asked.
Hearing the words ‘Immortal Tree’, Zi Long’s calm eyes suddenly burst with dazzling light and his long purple hair blew up even in the absence of wind. Nodding slightly, he replied, “Although your father cannot say for certain, the probability is at least eighty percent. After all, word of the Immoral Tree’s existence was sent back by your Grand Uncle. Two thousand years ago, your Grand Uncle once caught a glimpse of something very similar to the legendary Immoral Tree but when he attempted to obtain it, he was seriously injured by the Monster Beast that was guarding it and was forced to flee, ultimately dying from his wounds.”
Zi Dong’s face changed slightly as he whispered, “If I recall correctly, Grand Uncle was supposed to be a Second-Order Origin King, but he was still seriously injured by the guardian Monster Beast? What kind of Monster Beast was it?”
“A Divine Bird… an Ancient Peacock!” Zi Long took a deep breath.
“A Divine Bird!” Zi Dong couldn’t help paling slightly.
As long as a Monster Beast was classified as a Divine species, it was clear it was not to be provoked lightly. Every Divine beast had Heaven destroying and Earth-shattering means, as well as a vicious personality. If such a Monster Beast broke into the Star Field, it would likely destroy countless Cultivation Stars and become a disaster for the entire Star Field.
Zi Long then quickly followed up, “In the Star Field, the name ‘Three Great Divine Waters’ is widely known; one is Life Revitalizing Jade Cream, one is the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, and one is Immortal Source Liquid! Among these three, the Soul Cleansing Divine Water does occasionally appear, but not often, only once every few hundred or thousand years. As for the Life Revitalizing Jade Cream and Immortal Source Liquid, both are things of legend, lost to history, or at least your father here has never met anyone who succeeded in obtaining either of them. Each of the Three Great Divine Waters has its own unique effects which make them precious treasures that cultivators dream of. The Soul Cleansing Divine Water can wash the Soul, purifying and condensing one’s Spiritual Energy, the Life Revitalizing Jade Cream can enhance a cultivator’s physique and vitality, a single drop allowing a person to be reborn. However, neither of these two compare to the Immortal Source Liquid.”
“Father, does the Immortal Source Liquid have some kind of relation with the Immortal Tree?” Zi Dong asked curiously.
“Haha, naturally they are related,” Zi Long, as the master of one of the Star Field’s biggest forces, was normally a dignified man, but he became quite amiable when facing his son; after all, Zi Dong had never failed to live up to his expectations and was the successor he put his hopes on.
“Please enlighten me, Father!” Zi Dong put on a respectful look and showed an appearance of humility.
Zi Long pondered for a while before he continued, “En, the Immortal Source Liquid is the dew formed by the accumulation of essence over countless years on the leaves of the Immortal Tree. For the Immortal Source Liquid, regrowing lost limbs is simply a waste, it is a natural miracle elixir that can even bring people back to life!”
“Resurrecting the dead!?” Zi Dong looked shocked, “If just the trivial dew can have such a miraculous effect, then the Immortal Tree itself…”
“Hmph, if one can obtain the Immortal Tree and refine it, they can obtain an immortal and indestructible body, with longevity equal to the Heavens!”
“What?” Zi Dong was truly shocked when he heard this. Even as Purple Star’s Young Master, he could not help feeling astonished and would have dismissed it as nonsense if it weren’t his father who said it.
“If I can have an endless lifespan, your father will be able to achieve something no one has before. When that time comes, I will surpass the Origin King Realm and get a glimpse of the mysteries of the Great Emperor’s realm!” When Zi Long said this, his entire figure seemed to radiate excitement and fanaticism.
Zi Dong stared at his father in a daze, not having seen such an expression on his face for many, many years. One could only imagine how powerful the Immortal Tree’s temptation was to his father.
“Father, does only our Purple Star know about this?” Zi Dong asked again.
“No!” Zi Long shook his head, a look of frustration appearing on his face, “I’m not certain about others, but Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce must know about the existence of the Immortal Tree, because two thousand years ago, you Grand Uncle came here with the previous President of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. That’s why that old fart Ni Guang came this time. He must be aiming for the Immortal Tree as well.”
Zi Dong frowned and asked suspiciously, “If that’s the case, why didn’t father bring more masters along?”
Zi Long smiled lightly, “This kind of information can’t be known by too many people; after all, there is only one Immortal Tree. Even if gathering more people leads to successfully obtaining it, who will claim ownership in the end? In front of such a supreme treasure, one can only believe in themselves, all others…. are enemies.”
Zi Dong pondered thoughtfully before nodding, “This child understands.”
“En, you are still young and the road ahead of you is still long. Father’s purpose in bringing you here this time was to hone your will and expose you to some true dangers, which will be of great benefit to your future growth. I hope you don’t disappoint me.”
“This child will do his best!” Zi Dong quickly declared.
As the Sect Master of Purple Star, Zi Long had countless children, but Zi Dong was the one he liked the most. Among his countless children, only Zi Dong stood out and was thus the only one who received his nurturing.
Zi Dong also understood this well, so he had not dared to slack on his cultivation all these years.
Entering the Severed World this time was truly dangerous, but it was also a good test. As long as he passed this test, his position in Purple Star would become unshakable.
Zi Dong came to clench his fist secretly as he swore to perform well this time.
…..
At the same time, somewhere far away, Yang Kai and a group of four headed by Ni Guang were advancing through the Severed World.
They did not encounter much danger on their journey, but also did not gain many benefits, making the Severed World seem to not live up its reputation.
However, Ni Guang had taken out something that caught Yang Kai’s eye.
It was an artifact that resembled a communication artifact but was somewhat different because it had a pointer on it. Ni Guang had taken it out two hours ago and had yet to put it away, moving it from side to side as they travelled.
As he moved it around, the pointer would occasionally undergo some subtle changes, and each time it did, Ni Guang would slightly change direction.
Luo Lan was confused and wondered what kind of magical effect this artifact had, secretly guessing that Ni Guang was somehow using it to avoid dangers, but since this was related to another’s methods, she knew better than to ask and had to keep her curiosity to herself.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, was surprised because he noticed that this artifact was able to detect the location of some hidden Void Cracks.
Whenever the pointer on the artifact pointed towards a certain spot, Yang Kai would be able to sense some obscure Space Force fluctuations from that direction and Ni Guang would always avoid it in advance.
This was obviously a special artifact that was refined to cope with the Severed World’s environment, and whoever refined it had most likely also cultivated the Dao of Space!
Yang Kai was certain of his guess; after all, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was a massive super force so the number of talented people it possessed was immense. It was only natural to assume that some of these talents had cultivated Space Force.
However, Yang Kai also inferred from the sensitivity of this artifact that the person who refined it was far less accomplished in the Dao of Space than he was.
Because this artifact was not able to detect all the hidden Void Cracks in their surrounding!
There were some Void Cracks that the group passed within a few dozen metres, which Yang Kai was able to perceive clearly. Obviously, the artifact had given no response to these Void Cracks. When such occurrences happened, Yang Kai was put on the edge, for fear that Ni Guang would inadvertently run into one.
Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened along the way so there was no need for Yang Kai to reveal his secrets to warn Ni Guang to change their route.
Sometimes, there would be traces of tears in the air that were clearly Void Cracks which were visible to the naked eye.
These tears were like rips in the sky, permanent features, adding to the dangerous atmosphere of the Severed World.
And as the group forward, whether it was the visible Void Cracks or the ones that were hidden, their number was clearly increasing.
Yang Kai and the others even saw a few massive, sky crossing cracks that gave off terrifying fluctuations, making it impossible to determine what lay beyond it.
When he saw such Void Cracks, Yang Kai became quite eager to explore.
He clearly felt that this huge Void Crack very possibly had what he needed: Space Spirit Crystals bred from The Void itself. It also seemed to contain the insights he longed for regarding the Dao of Space. Either way, Yang Kai felt strongly that if he were to rush into it, he would definitely gain greatly.
Unfortunately, he was currently acting together with Ni Guang and the others, so he did not dare leave the team rashly. He could only pass by this Void Crack for now. In any case, in the Severed World, there were many opportunities like this, so he was not in a hurry.
“Hm…” Ni Guang, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped, turned his head to look in a certain direction, and called out in surprise.
Following his line of sight, the other three in the group soon saw a person lying on the ground about a thousand metres away.
“That’s…” Luo Lan whispered, “His clothes seem familiar, was it someone who came in with us before?”
“It seems so,” Ni Guang said solemnly, scanning the figure with his Divine Sense carefully before his face slightly changed. “But it seems he’s already dead.”
Luo Lan’s pretty face went pale hearing this. Among the cultivators who entered the Severed World before, besides Yang Kai, Xue Yue, and Zi Dong, the rest were all Origin Kings, none of them weaker than herself.
However, after just a few hours, they came across a dead body here.
It was hard to imagine what kind of attack this man suffered. With his powerful Origin King cultivation, he died here, and there were also no signs of struggle in the surroundings, as if there hadn’t been a fight at all. In order words, this man had been attacked by something so powerful that he had died without being able to resist.
If it had been her instead, Luo Lan imagined that her fate might not have been any better.
She began to rejoice that her luck had been so good.
“Should we investigate?” Xue Yue pondered for a moment before pointing in the direction of the corpse, “There seems to be something next to his body.”
Even without her reminder, everyone had noticed that there was indeed something besides the body of this fallen Origin King. It was a small cockscomb-like flower that was growing straight up from the ground, and even from a thousand metres away, everyone could smell its fragrant scent.
This aura was calming and refreshing, causing everyone’s tight nerves to relax slightly.
“What kind of spirit herb is that? Do any of you know?” Ni Guang turned his head and asked.
Luo Lan shook her head wryly while Xue Yue also indicated she did not know. In fact, even Yang Kai, who was an Origin King Grade Alchemist, was ignorant.
He had never seen this kind of spirit flower before. He had obtained the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture from the Emperor Garden, which not only recorded countless lost pill recipes, but also details about innumerable exotic flowers and plants. It was almost a comprehensive record of all herbs in existence, so in terms of pure knowledge, Yang Kai was confident no one in the Star Field was better than him.
However, Yang Kai had not seen anything like this flower in the many records of the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
Ni Guang frowned and after hesitating for a moment said, “I’ll go take a look, all of you stand here and don’t move.”
Confident in his great strength, he did not want to give up the opportunity in front of him, and regardless of what spirit flower this was, just the corpse of the Origin King next to it was a treasure trove. If he could obtain the other party’s Space Ring, it would be a good harvest.
“Do you want this Mistress to accompany you?” Luo Lan asked.
Ni Guang glanced at her and nodded, “Then, you should be careful.”
“This Mistress certainly will be,” Luo Lan responded with a smile before slowly approaching the spirit flower together with Ni Guang.
Yang Kai and Xue Yue stood back, paying attention to the movement ahead.
The two crossed the thousand-metre distance quickly, but to everyone’s surprise, even after Ni Guang and Luo Lan arrived next to the corpse, there were no signs of danger.
Ni Guang looked puzzled and scanned the corpse below him, soon whispering solemnly, “This person was attacked from behind by something and killed instantly. There are two bite marks on the back of his neck, similar to those of some snake-type Monster Beast, a venomous one at that!”
Luo Lan nodded as she also noticed this, because this corpse was lying face down and the back of his neck was clearly exposed.
It was conceivable that this person had been bitten in the back of the neck by something unsuspectingly, then fell to the ground, dying immediately, resulting in this kind of defenceless posture.
Obviously, the venom which entered him from his neck was something even an Origin King couldn’t resist.
“Elder Luo, please take this corpse with you, I’ll pick the spirit flower,” Ni Guang ordered.
“Understood,” Luo Lan nodded before proceeding with caution. Instead of touching the corpse with her hands directly, she used her Saint Qi to wrap it up before quickly retreating backwards.
Luo Lan acted carefully and swiftly, not daring to remain close while unaware of what dangers were lurking about.
While Luo Lan wrapped the Origin King Realm master’s body in her Saint Qi and retreated back, Ni Guang reached out to pick the cockscomb-like spirit flower.
However, the moment his hand touched the flower, a sudden change occurred.
From behind Ni Guang, the originally flat ground bulged up and a flat, triangular snake head shot out like lightning towards the back of his neck.
The entire process was dizzyingly fast and came with no prior warning signs. When the snake head drilled out from the ground and struck Ni Guang, Yue Xue’s beautiful face paled and she called out in alarm, “Uncle Ni, be careful.”
But before she could even finish her words, the snake head had bitten Ni Guang’s neck.
Xue Yue’s expression changed dramatically!
Seeing this scene, how could she not understand how the previous Origin King had died here? Obviously, like Ni Guang, the moment his attention was attracted to the cockscomb-like spirit flower, this snake-type Monster Beast had seized the opportunity to launch a fatal attack.
She was worried about if Ni Guang was safe; after all, he too had been focusing on the spirit flower at this moment.
However, Ni Guang was Ni Guang after all. Without even mentioning his powerful cultivation, just knowing that this place held hidden danger, how could he not be prepared? When he was preparing to pluck the spirit flower, he had maintained a high level of vigilance against accidents, especially paying attention to protecting the back of his neck, so this sneak attack was doomed to fail.
*Ding…*
A clinking sound rang out as a spark of light appeared on Ni Guang’s neck. Receiving this blow, Ni Guang’s whole body seemed to be hit by a strong force and he was knocked forward.
Releasing a low yell, while mid-air, Ni Guang forcibly twisted his body, waved his hand, and sent out a palm behind himself while using his other hand to grab the spirit flower.
The backhand blow of a Second-Order Origin King was not to be underestimated and a fierce strength slammed into the head of the snake that struck him in the next instant, rendering it unable to attack again.
However, when Ni Guang finally managed to grab hold of the spirit flower, his expression suddenly changed, “This is…”
He felt a different tactile sensation from this spirit flower, one that did not resemble that of a plant but rather something cold and slippery, just like a living creature.
Realizing this, he decisively let go!
At that moment, the spirit flower, which had been giving off a pleasant fragrance all along, suddenly flickered and released a green light that pierced towards Ni Guang’s palm.
Immediately, the surrounding air was filled with flying sand and rocks, while Ni Guang’s cold snorts and the hissing sounds of a snake rang out.
Soon after, Ni Guang leapt out of the engagement zone and stood mid-air, his expression extremely solemn.
When Yang Kai and the others looked over, they were all surprised.
As the dust gradually settled, they were finally able to clearly understand what this trap had been all about.
Where the cockscomb-like spirit flower had previously stood, there was now a ten-metre long snake as thick as a baby’s arm, constantly coughing up blood.
There was no discernible aura coming from this snake’s body, and if one wasn’t looking at it with their own eyes, they wouldn’t have been able to realize it existed. What’s more, there was a cockscomb-like protrusion on its tail.
The spirit flower that everyone had seen before was surprisingly the tip of this snake’s tail, the only part of itself it had revealed while its main body remained buried underground.
Anyone who attempted to pluck the ‘spirit flower’ would be attacked by it.
“Tail Crown Snake?” Ni Guang’s eyes lit up as he called out the name of this Monster Beast.
He had extensive personal knowledge and was a high-ranking member of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Thus, he had access to many ancient books, otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to identify this supposedly long-extinct Monster Beast.
“Tail Crown Snake?” Luo Lan frowned as she somewhat admiringly looked at Ni Guang, “This Mistress has never heard of such a beast, so it seems there are many long-forgotten existences in this Severed World.”
None of them could identify what the dark shadows they encountered before in the underground ravine were and simply figured they were existences similar to Yin Souls, but this was completely different. The other three present had never even heard of the Tail Crown Snake before.
The Severed World seemed like a vast, unexplored world to them.
Ni Guang smiled, “Don’t worry, while the Tail Crown Snake is dangerous, it’s not very strong. Its greatest advantages are its concealment and sneak attack abilities. Since its sneak attack has failed, it’s nothing more than prey for this old master.”
Saying so, he rushed straight at the Tail Crown Snake.
He did not use any powerful methods and instead simply approached the Tail Crown Snake and fought it barehanded.
Yang Kai observed silently and soon concluded that this Monster Beast only had Ninth-Order strength. At such a level, it was no match for Ni Guang, even if it possessed an ancient bloodline. From the time it leapt from the ground, trying to bite Ni Guang’s neck, until it was caught by him, the Tail Crown Snake only managed to struggle for about ten breaths. Once Ni Guang caught it, he flicked it fiercely, like a long whip, while pouring his powerful Saint Qi into its body.
Cracking sounds rang out from the Tail Crown Snake as it straightened out and then slumped to the ground, dead.
Ni Guang stretched out his forefinger and condensed his Saint Qi into a blade before cutting into the belly of the snake. Plucking out a small, pearl-sized snake gall, Ni Guang unceremoniously popped it into his mouth before chewing and swallowing then letting out a cheerful laugh.
It was unclear what kind of magical effects Tail Crown Snake’s gall had, but from how happy Ni Guang looked, it was probably of great benefit to him.
After finishing all this, Ni Guang left the body of Tail Crown Snake to the side and said lightly, “This Monster Beast doesn’t have a Monster Core so its most valuable part is its gall. In ancient times, cultivators who repeatedly consumed such snake galls were supposedly able to gain protection against all kinds of poisons. Unfortunately, there is only one here, but… better than nothing.”
Saying so, he then came over to Luo Lan’s side and examined the corpse, sighing a moment later, “So it was Tong Lei!”
He was obviously referring to the dead man in front of him.
“Senior Ni knows him?” Luo Lan asked.
Ni Guang nodded lightly, “We’ve met before. In the past, the two of us made a few transactions, but that was many years ago. I did not expect that he would be killed by a mere Ninth-Order Monster Beast. In this place, it seems even the slightest negligence can be fatal.”
In the outside world, how could an Origin King die from the attack of a Ninth-Order Monster Beast? Ninth-Order Monster Beasts were only equivalent to Origin Realm cultivators, so once an Origin King released their Domain, ordinary Ninth-Order Monster Beasts would not even be able to get close to them, but in this Severed World, even Ninth-Order Monster Beast couldn’t be taken lightly.
“Xue Yue, collect his ring,” Ni Guang ordered lightly.
Xue Yue nodded, bent down, and took the Space Ring from this Tong Lei’s hand, not even checking its content before storing it away.
Neither Yang Kai nor Luo Lan said anything.
Yang Kai’s strength was low and he did not contribute anything this time, so he was not qualified to receive any of the spoils. As for Luo Lan, Ni Guang had warned her earlier that even if she followed them, he would not guarantee she received any gains, so she had no right to accuse him of being unfair here.
“Let’s go, everyone must be extra careful from now on. Don’t approach anything that seems out of place carelessly,” Ni Guang exhorted and turned around to leave.
“Please wait a moment,” Yang Kai suddenly seemed to think of something and quickly released a Golden Blood Thread from his fingertip towards the corpse of the Tail Crown Snake.
The three others stopped and watched this scene curiously, wondering what Yang Kai was going to do.
They saw the Golden Blood Thread instantly submerge into the Tail Crown Snake’s body, and then, accompanied by some faint squirming movements, the Tail Crown Snake’s corpse was rapidly sucked dry, and its physique withered, leaving behind nothing but an empty skin.
After a short while, the Golden Blood Thread, which radiated a golden and red light, returned to Yang Kai’s hand.
Ni Guang looked at the Golden Blood Thread in Yang Kai’s hand thoughtfully and asked, “Kid, is that a Secret Technique… or an artifact?”
He felt strange and conflicting fluctuations from the Golden Blood Thread, and while it gave the appearance of an artifact, it also exuded a strong vitality which made it seem like a living thing, quite a strange combination.
“It’s something between a Secret Technique and an artifact,” Yang Kai smiled slightly and explained casually.
His Golden Blood Threads were condensed from the essence of his own Golden Blood, so strictly speaking, it was a type of Secret Technique, but it also had the characteristics of an artifact that could be refined and reused repeatedly, so it was difficult to classify.
“Strange!” Ni Guang slowly shook his head. He had lived for many years but had never seen such a weird Secret Technique. However, the world was vast, so it didn’t surprise him that much. In any case, it did not seem to pose any threat to him so there was no need to worry. After thinking about it for a moment, he asked again, “This thing can swallow the physical essence of the Tail Crown Snake, right? Does it undergo some kind of change after doing so?”
“En,” Yang Kai grinned before sending a command with his Divine Sense that caused the Golden Blood Thread floating above his palm to distort and transform into a Tail Crown Snake.
The Tail Crown Snake transformed from the Golden Blood Thread was exactly the same as the one that everyone had seen before, the only difference being its colour. The true Tail Crown Snake was a light brown colour while the one in front of Yang Kai was golden red, the two colours seemingly blending with one another.
“It can assume the form of the beast it absorbed?” Ni Guang’s eyes flashed, “Could it be that your Secret Technique is now equivalent to that Tail Crown Snake?”
“Almost,” Yang Kai nodded before recalling his Golden Blood Thread.
This was one of the Golden Blood Thread’s transformation techniques, the Blood Beast!
A Golden Blood Thread could swallow the essence of a Monster Beast and then transform into its appearance before its death while retaining all its abilities. The Blood Beast was a very powerful Secret Technique.
The cultivator who created the Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique was a true genius. Unfortunately, neither that cultivator nor the cultivators of Demon Blood Temple who carried his Secret Technique forward were able to condense that much Blood Essence in their bodies. Even the beautiful female Religion Master from Demon Blood Temple was only able to condense two Demon Blood Threads after spending a lifetime gathering Yang to supplement Yin to make up for her vital essence.
For this reason, it was difficult for the original version of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique, the Demon Blood Thread Secret Technique, to exert its full power in the hands of Demon Blood Temple, especially the myriad transformations technique that required a massive amount of Blood Essence to support it. No one from Demon Blood Temple was capable of meeting this requirement.
It could be said that the cultivator who created this Secret Technique only managed to envision a grand theory but was unable to perfect its practical use.
Yang Kai was different though; this Secret Technique was practically tailor-made for him! In a sense, as long as the amount of pure Golden Blood in Yang Kai’s body was large enough, he could infinitely use the Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique, a reality probably beyond even the technique’s creator’s wildest dreams.
As for the Blood Beast Secret Technique, so far, Yang Kai had only condensed two, namely the two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards of Mi Tian on Monster Emperor Star. Thunder Flame Flying Lizards were nothing more than Ninth-Order Monster Beasts, and for the current Yang Kai, they weren’t able to play much of a role, so when he fought, he never used them.
Only when the number of Blood Beasts reached a certain number could they show any use.
One or two Ninth-Order Blood Beasts would certainly not pose a threat to an Origin King, but if there were several dozen, or even hundreds of them… Even an Origin King would have to give way.
Ninth-Order Monster Beasts were hard to find, and Yang Kai had never paid too much attention to condensing Blood Beasts; however, in this Severed World, he felt like this objective might be easily achieved. This place was a paradise for high-level Monster Beasts, each of them also containing ancient bloodlines. It was truly the best place to condense Blood Beasts.
As such, Yang Kai did not bother concealing his cards and directly used a Golden Blood Thread to condense a Blood Beast.
In any case, this was not his strongest method, so even if it was exposed, it didn’t matter.
Seeing that Yang Kai had finished his business, Ni Guang nodded again without saying much, took out his artifact for detecting Void Cracks, and set off again.
The Severed World was filled with crisis, but also with opportunities.
There were many extinct spirits flowers and grasses here, as well as countless ancient Monster Beasts that had long ago disappeared from the Star Field. All of these extinct species thrived under the special World Principles of the Severed World.
Although there were two Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, which lowered the overall combat strength of their team, Yang Kai’s group of four was undoubtedly quite powerful.
As they travelled towards the medicine valley, the group of four would have some occasional harvests.
Just as Yang Kai expected, they encountered all kinds of high-end Monster Beasts, and although it wasn’t the extent that Ninth-Order Monster Beasts were everywhere, Yang Kai had not seen a beast below Eighth-Order since entering.
The group of four even encountered two Tenth-Order Monster Beasts, both of which exuded extremely powerful auras. One of them even made Ni Guang afraid, so they could only avoid it, not daring to provoke it. But the other one had the worst of luck and was killed by their group.
Whenever a Monster Beast was killed, its valuable parts such as its Monster Core, galls, claws, and teeth were all taken away by Ni Guang and Xue Yue. After all, the materials of a Ninth-Order or Tenth-Order Monster Beast were extremely valuable, so it would be strange if they simply let them off. Luo Lan was also allocated some Monster Beast materials as trophies.
Yang Kai asked for nothing and was instead satisfied with using his Golden Blood Threads to swallow the physical essence of these slain Monster Beasts and condense more Blood Beasts.
In just a few days, Yang Kai’s Blood Beast Army had grown to over a dozen in number, and even a Tenth-Order Steel-Flame Ghost Spider Monster Beast was among them, which the group of four had killed together!
This Monster Beast’s defences were extremely powerful, and his body was constantly surrounded by a pale white aura that burned anything it approached, even Origin Realm cultivators. If it were not for Ni Guang being with them, the other three would not have been able to kill this fearsome creature on their own.
This was undoubtedly Yang Kai’s greatest gain amongst his Blood Beasts.
In addition to the Steel-Flame Ghost Spider, Yang Kai also managed to refine Blood Beasts modelled after a Silent Vermillion Bird, Star King Turtle, Eight-Eyed Demon Toad, Purple-Thunderbolt Sky Leopard… all kinds of ancient Monster Beasts with peculiar and powerful bloodlines were now his to command.
On the surface, it looked as if Yang Kai obtained nothing, but on a fundamental level, he was the one who gained the most.
Because what he obtained was an enhancement to his own strength, while the others obtained nothing but treasures that needed to be processed before becoming useful to them.
After a few days of travelling together, both Ni Guang and Luo Lan also started to show some shock.
They quickly discovered that the Golden Blood Threads Yang Kai possessed seemed to be inexhaustible. When Yang Kai first processed the Tail Crown Snake’s corpse, Ni Guang did not care too much as one Blood Beast wasn’t worthy of his concern.
But the number of Blood Beasts Yang Kai had collected was now enough for him to take note of.
If these dozens or so Blood Beasts were all set upon him, even he would have a headache dealing with them.
And from the looks of it, this was far from Yang Kai’s limit.
It was hard for Ni Guang to imagine what it would be like when Yang Kai had collected a truly large number of these strange Blood Beasts.
He finally started to pay serious attention to Yang Kai!
Along the way, he occasionally used his Divine Sense to communicate with Xue Yue, wanting to probe Yang Kai’s details and inquire if it would be possible to recruit him into Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Unfortunately, Xue Yue did not know much about Yang Kai personally, so she was unable to give any definite answers; however, she too had the idea of recruiting Yang Kai for quite some time.
A few days later, the number of Blood Beasts Yang Kai had under his command had reached twenty, and a real Blood Beast Army had begun to take shape. Now, whenever the group of four encountered a Monster Beast, there was not even any need for Ni Guang and the others to act. After Yang Kai’s Blood Beast Army was dispatched, any enemy was soon beaten to death, creating a kind of snowball effect.
On this day, Ni Guang, who was still leading the way, suddenly stopped, frowned, and looked around while expanding his Divine Sense.
“Uncle Ni, what happened?” Xue Yue also looked around but found no signs of danger so she could not help asking.
“Someone’s approaching.” Ni Guang’s eyes suddenly flashed as he turned his gaze towards a certain direction, quickly saying, “And they are moving fast.”
Hearing this, the others could not help wearing serious expressions as they also turned their eyes.
Soon, Yang Kai and Luo Lan also noticed signs of movement. On the distant horizon, there was indeed the aura of a living person approaching rapidly, and judging from the other’s aura fluctuations, it was obviously an Origin King. What’s more, there wasn’t just one person, but two!
Not long after, two streaks of light appeared in everyone’s eyes.
Whether it was intentional or unintentional, the direction these two people were travelling was going to take them directly towards where Yang Kai and his group had stopped.
It was not long before the distance between the two sides narrowed.
At that time, Ni Guang recognized the identities of these two and said with a cold expression, “Hmph, it’s actually those two bastards!”
“It’s actually them!” Luo Lan also could not help furrowing her brow, seemingly quite wary of those who were approaching.
Yang Kai also frowned secretly. Before entering, Xue Yue had introduced him to the Origin Kings who were present at the time, so he also recognized the origins of these two ‘guests’ at this moment.
Of these two people, one was an old man while the other was a middle-aged man, but neither of them was anything good.
The old man’s name was Kong Fa, an Elder from Galaxy Ridge.
Galaxy Ridge was considered a great force in the Star Field, but like another great force, Abandoned Lair, it had a notorious reputation! These two great forces were essentially gangs of bandits who committed all kinds of evil acts, comprised of criminal cultivators who had escaped from their original Cultivation Stars and had desperately sought refuge with them.
The favourite activity of these two forces was to wander the Star Field, and when they encountered a lone Starship, plunder it.
They were the bandits of the Star Field! Whether it was Sword Union, Purple Star, or Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, all had suffered great losses to these two evil forces over the years. Many of these forces’ Starships had disappeared mysteriously over the millennia, their crews and supplies never to be seen again.
Although there was not much evidence that these two evil forces were responsible, everyone understood that only these lawless bandits would dare take such unscrupulous actions.
The people of Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair were universally hated by the rest of the Star Field.
Robbing Starships was not the worst of it though. These two evil forces even occasionally dispatched groups of people to Cultivation Stars that did not have Origin Kings protecting them to loot cultivation resources and cultivators, bringing them back to their headquarters for enslavement and wanton abuse.
It was not an exaggeration to say that Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair were plagues of the Star Field!
However, because their forces were not weak, it was impossible to eradicate them.
Before entering the Severed World, Xue Yue had warned Yang Kai that this Kong Fa from Galaxy Ridge was not anything good, and if he ever encountered him alone in the future, he had to be careful.
This old man normally wore a friendly, harmless smile, but was in fact renowned for his extreme cruelty.
The middle-aged man travelling with Kong Fa was another famous criminal in the Star Field: Xu Wei from Abandoned Lair. In Abandoned Lair, he was an Elder-level figure.
Rumour had it that Xu Wei used to be a cultivator from Purple Star, but for some unknown reason, he had betrayed them and joined Abandoned Lair.
When Xu Wei rebelled, he apparently slaughtered all the people under his command, leaving no survivors.
This incident had rocked all of Purple Star, and Purple Star even dispatched its masters to hunt him down, but Xu Wei actually managed to break through their siege with his powerful cultivation and escaped to Abandoned Lair.
This incident caused Purple Star’s face to fall sharply.
Many years later, he had established himself in Abandoned Lair and been promoted to the position of Elder!
These two were similarly notorious and heinous figures, but that still did not explain why they were travelling together, let alone why they would fly towards the direction of Ni Guang.
After recognizing these two, Ni Guang not only did not panic, but instead sneered viciously, “Good, it was not appropriate for this old master to act rashly outside, but, since they’ve willingly delivered themselves to die, this old master will oblige! Elder Luo, when the time comes, hold down one of them. This old master will kill the other, then come to assist you.”
“Of course!” Luo Lan’s pretty face became ice-cold, “My Sword Union has many grudges with these two as well. Since we have met them here, there’s no reason to let them go.”
“You two should withdraw and focus only on protecting yourselves!” Ni Guang commanded Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
Yang Kai and Xue Yue nodded at the same time and prepared to evacuate.
A battle between four Origin Kings was about to break out, an earth-shattering event that Yang Kai had no interest in being drawn into.
Just when Yang Kai and Xue Yue were about to withdraw quietly though, Kong Fa, who was flying over, shouted, “Is that Senior Ni of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce?”
He obviously recognized Ni Guang, but even so, he didn’t try to avoid him, instead taking the initiative to greet him. This scene was very unusual because both Kong Fa and Xu Wei’s past actions included spilling much blood from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Under normal circumstances, encountering Ni Guang would prompt them to immediately escape, so how could they suddenly call out to him and even rush over on their own?
Ni Guang froze for a moment and frowned slightly, thinking about whether the other party was plotting something. Silently signalling Luo Lan to act cautiously, he coldly snorted and called out, “You’re right, I’m Ni Guang!”
Kong Fa suddenly became overjoyed and immediately shouted, “Wonderful! If Senior Ni can offer his assistance, this Kong will certainly offer generous compensation in the future!”
“Assistance?” Ni Guang was stunned, but suddenly realizing something, his eyes shrank, and he turned his gaze to what was behind Kong Fa and Xu Wei. The next moment, his expression paled, and he called out in alarm, “Not good!”
He finally understood what had happened to Kong Fa and Xu Wei, and why they still dared to approach despite knowing he was here.
These two were being chased by a group of ancient beasts!
It was also at this moment that Yang Kai and the others noticed what was happening.
Since the appearance of Kong Fa and Xu Wei, they had not made any particularly alarming moves, but from the looks of it, they were quite dishevelled, as if they had just gone through a tough battle. The two of them were even slightly injured.
At first, Yang Kai was quite puzzled, wondering what could cause two Origin Kings to suffer such injuries, but when Kong Fa called out for help, Yang Kai finally noticed a strange multi-coloured light flashing about three kilometres behind the pair. This light was quite dazzling, and it was impossible to discover its true form at first glance, but as it drew closer, Yang Kai realized that it turned out to be a large swarm of butterfly-like insects.
The fluttering of their multi-coloured wings made their movements quite difficult to discern, and every time they flapped their wings, it was as if they teleported a short distance, slowly but surely shortening the distance between them and Kong Fa and Xu Wei.
From Yang Kai’s group’s perspective, Kong Fa and Xu Wei were being pursued by at least a thousand or so of these butterfly-like insects.
“What are those?” Luo Lan’s pretty face paled. Although she did not know what these strange butterflies were, she could tell from how distressed Kong Fa and Xu Wei were, that these insects weren’t to be provoked easily.
“Illusionary Void Butterflies!” Ni Guang replied quickly, “They are Exotic Ancient Insects that are born proficient in Space Force, their bodies are stronger than steel and they are extremely ferocious. Once they find prey, they swarm like locusts and never…”
Before he could finish his words, a broader region behind Kong Fa and Xu Wei filled with multi-coloured light as more and more Illusionary Void Butterflies appeared.
From the looks of it, there were several thousands, possibly several tens of thousands of them…
At least tens of thousands of Illusionary Void Butterfly were swiftly flying toward this side, a terrifying scene to behold. Every time these butterflies flapped their wings, the surrounding space would ripple slightly, as if it was being disturbed.
“Run!” Ni Guang shouted before promptly wrapping his Saint Qi around Xue Yue, turning in the opposite direction, and flew off.
He was different from Luo Lan in that he had done a lot of preparation before entering the Severed World, and thus knew about the existence of the Illusionary Void Butterflies. Knowing that these ferocious and unrelenting insects were chasing after Kong Fa and Xu Wei, Ni Guang did not hesitate to run.
Seeing Ni Guang behave like this, Yang Kai and Luo Lan deeply understood how serious the matter was and immediately used their own Movement Skills to flee.
Luo Lan was an Origin King Realm so her escaping speed was naturally not slow, and although Yang Kai’s cultivation was lower, he had unique advantages when it came to speed. In terms of physical strength and Saint Qi purity, Yang Kai was far above ordinary Origin Realm cultivators, so his pace was no slower than Luo Lan’s.
“Senior Ni!” Kong Fa shouted from the rear, “I hope that Senior Ni can help this Kong and Brother Xu escape this calamity!”
Ni Guang was furious when he heard this and as he fled shouted back without even looking, “Scram! If you dare to follow this old master, I’ll kill you!”
He had a stomach full of grievances encountering this kind of disaster through no fault of his own. What’s worse, the guilty party was now shamelessly chasing after him, clamouring on and on about helping them. If it were not for Ni Guang also dreading these Illusionary Void Butterflies, he would certainly turn around and kill Kong Fa.
This was undoubtedly a good chance to kill Kong Fa.
“Does Senior Ni insist on being so unkind?” Kong Fa’s voice suddenly became cold.
“This old master does not need to show you any kindness!” Ni Guang coldly snorted.
Kong Fa grinned strangely hearing this and said, “Since Senior Ni is so unkind, don’t blame this Kong and Brother Xu for being impolite.”
Saying so, he and Xu Wei exchanged a glance before each condensing their Saint Qi and releasing an attack towards Ni Guang.
Powerful fluctuations filled the air as two bright lights flashed across the sky like meteors, bombarding the path in front of Ni Guang. Facing this situation, Ni Guang had no choice but to slow down and alter his path, turning his head at the same time and angrily cursing, “Two bastards, this old master will remember this!”
“Despicable! Shameless!” Luo Lan also cursed.
These two Origin Kings belonged to the most hated forces in the Star Field and were now determined to drag Ni Guang and Luo Lan into this muddy water because that was the only way they could reduce the pressure these tens of thousands of Illusionary Void Butterflies gave them.
The short diversion allowed Kong Fa and Xu Wei to pull much closer, along with the Illusionary Void Butterflies behind them.
While continuing to curse, Ni Guang did not dare to remain or even fight back, simply continuing to flee forward with Xue Yue.
Yang Kai’s face also became gloomy as he realized that they had run into a difficult situation this time. Judging from how things were progressing, it was almost inevitable that Ni Guang and Luo Lan would become entangled with these Illusionary Void Butterflies, and from what Yang Kai could tell about the power these ancient Monster Beasts, he and Xue Yue would definitely be thrown into danger.
What’s more, there were also two insidious and cunning foxes, Kong Fa and Xu Wei, who were eager to stir up trouble, making the situation even more dangerous.
“Senior Ni, why act like this? Wouldn’t it be better to first join hands and take care of these Monster Beasts before discussing what to do next?” Seeing that his little trick had worked, Kong Fa put on a look of desperate entreaty and once again proposed cooperating with Ni Guang.
Ni Guang did not respond, his face extremely sullen, only sparing a moment to glance over at Xue Yue with a little worry. With his powerful Second-Order Origin King cultivation, he was not actually too worried about these Illusionary Void Butterflies. Even if he were to be surrounded by them, he had about eighty percent confidence he could escape, but with Xue Yue, the situation was different.
Realizing this, he quickly sent a Divine Sense Message to Xue Yue, “If we become separated, you must protect yourself well!”
Xue Yue nodded imperceptibly.
At that moment, Kong Fa and Xu Wei used their Secret Techniques again to further delay Ni Guang and Luo Lan. In order to draw in these two Origin King Realm helpers, both Kong Fa and Xu Wei used their full strength to launch their strongest attacks.
After Ni Guang and Luo Lan fended off these attacks, Kong Fa and Xu Wei were less than three hundred metres away with the swarm of Illusionary Void Butterfly not far behind.
“This old master swears, one day, he will grind you two bastards into dust!” Ni Guang saw that he could no longer escape, waved his hand, pushed Xue Yue out, turned, and roared.
“Why are you so angry, Senior Ni? We should be discussing how to overcome this calamity before us,” Kong Fa continued to call out, only to change complexion greatly in the next moment when he saw Ni Guang actually attack him.
Kong Fa let out a panicked cry as he stretched out his hand and summoned a blood-red shield for protection.
*Hong…*
There was a great explosion as the violent attack hit the shield. The shield flashed brightly, and although Ni Guang’s actions had been hasty, the impact of his strike had sent Kong Fa flying backwards.
With a horrified look in his eyes, Kong Fa fell directly into the encirclement of the Illusionary Void Butterflies.
The multi-coloured swarm of butterflies soon engulfed the area, completely shrouding Kong Fa. Only the strange screams and violent energy fluctuations which came from the swarm served as proof Kong Fa had not died.
Soon after, a figure shot into the sky as Kong Fa managed to escape.
However, in the few breaths of time he had been trapped, Kong Fa had suffered serious injuries and was covered in blood. Half of his nose had been sheared off and there were now pits in his face, as if something had melted parts of it away, giving him a terrifying appearance and illustrating just how dangerous these Illusionary Void Butterflies were.
Countless Illusionary Void Butterflies swarmed forward, their multi-coloured halos filling the sky as they ruthlessly pursued their prey.
Kong Fa reaped what he had sown and was instantly put into a bad situation while Ni Guang and Luo Lan, who had been dragged into this mess by him, also had nervous expressions, both summoning their defensive artifacts and mobilizing their Secret Techniques one after another to fiercely bombard the surrounding Illusionary Void Butterflies.
*Ding ding dang dang…*
The Origin King Realm masters’ attacks hitting the Illusionary Void Butterflies created clinking metallic sounds, as if they had struck some kind of metal. Swaths of Illusionary Void Butterflies fell from the sky to their death, but they were soon replaced by even more of their companions, forming an air-tight encirclement around them.
Xu Wei’s situation was not any better.
The four Origin Kings could only fight independently, striving to protect themselves.
As for Xue Yue, who had been forewarned by Ni Guang, she joined up with Yang Kai at this moment. She knew that in this scenario, only by joining hands with Yang Kai would she have a chance to survive.
A bracelet shaped artifact exuding a powerful energy fluctuation appeared in Xue Yue’s hand, and once she poured her Saint Qi into it, it rapidly transformed into two bracelets, then four, then eight. Soon there were hundreds of bracelets filling the sky.
This was obviously an Origin King Grade artifact!
With Xue Yue’s status and talent, it was only natural for her to have an Origin King Grade artifact. It would be strange if she did not possess one.
Unfortunately, because her cultivation was too low, even if she had an Origin King Grade artifact, it was only an Origin King Grade Low-Rank.
Under the urging of her Saint Qi, the phantom bracelets flickered before shooting off like arrows from a bow and the Illusionary Void Butterflies that were flying towards Yang Kai and Xue Yue at that moment were knocked flying.
Xue Yue frowned after her first attack failed to have the desired effect, muttering to herself, “These things have such strong defences!”
Origin King Grade artifacts were extremely powerful, and Xue Yue was not an ordinary cultivator. Her personal strength was extraordinary, but even this attack from her was unable to kill all the Illusionary Void Butterflies, which only showed how terrifying their resilience was.
At the same time Xue Yue took action, Yang Kai did as well.
With a single thought, more than twenty Golden Blood Threads exuding a golden red light shot out and transformed into the appearance of Blood Beasts.
Thunder-Flame Flying Lizard, Tail Crown Snake, Steel-Flame Ghost Spider, Silent Vermillion Bird, Star King Turtle, Eight-Eyed Demon Toad, Purple-Thunderbolt Sky Leopard, and many more. These Blood Beasts spread out as soon as they appeared, surrounding Yang Kai and Xue Yue in a strong protective circle. Soon, under the control of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, they used their own methods to attack to deal with the surrounding Illusionary Void Butterflies.
Blood Beasts inherited most of the abilities of these Monster Beasts they were condensed from, and although their actions were a bit dull compared to their living counterparts, they were undoubtedly an excellent boost at this time.
As soon as the twenty or so Blood Beasts of different sizes were dispatched, they immediately formed a solid defence, greatly reducing the pressure Yang Kai and Xue Yue were facing.
*Weng weng weng…*
The sound of fluttering Illusionary Void Butterfly wings was endless, and not only did they not seem to fear death, but they also seemed driven by some primal instinct to kill living creatures that weren’t part of their swarm.
The Blood Beasts, which exuded a strong Blood Qi, instantly became the most attractive targets for the Illusionary Void Butterflies.
As such, Yang Kai and Xue Yue, who were in the middle position, were temporarily safe.
Seeing this, Xue Yue could not help relaxing slightly and focused her attention on attacking, using her artifact to kill the surrounding Illusionary Void Butterflies.
Yang Kai was not idle either, using the dozens of remaining Golden Blood Threads to slash through the air, cutting one Illusionary Void Butterfly in half after another.
However, as time passed, he found that their situation was not improving. The four Origin Kings were still fighting on their own, surrounded by countless Illusionary Void Butterflies, and the corpses of Illusionary Void Butterflies had already formed a thick layer on the ground.
Yang Kai frowned deeply.
The situation around him made him realize that it was impossible to kill these Illusionary Void Butterflies completely, and if they continued to fight like this, everyone would eventually exhaust their strength and become food for these ancient insects.
On top of that, Yang Kai’s Blood Beasts had also taken damage. Although they were all transformed from his Golden Blood Threads and were not real living creatures, as the Illusionary Void Butterflies continued to attack, they wore down their energy and the vitality fluctuations emanating from the Blood Beasts were growing weaker and weaker.
“Xue Yue, we have to leave this place,” Yang Kai whispered to Xue Yue beside him.
“But Uncle Ni…” Xue Yue hesitantly looked towards Ni Guang but was unable to even see his figure as he was entirely wrapped in a multi-coloured cloud. Only the violent energy fluctuations radiating from there served as proof Ni Guang was still fighting.
“Senior Ni’s cultivation is profound, you don’t need to worry about him. As long as we can escape, he should be fine,” Yang Kai comforted.
“Then are you sure we can escape from here?” Xue Yue asked, turning her head.
Yang Kai quickly said, “Even if I’m not, we have to try. In any case, it’s better than just sitting here waiting to die.”
Hearing him say this, Xue Yue nodded, grit her teeth, and agreed, “Fine, I’ll follow you!”
She had received Ni Guang’s warning in advance and had a foreboding feeling at the time that this would happen, so she didn’t hesitate much.
“Then come with me,” Yang Kai declared solemnly, his thoughts flashing as he ordered the Blood Beasts to focus their attacks on a particular spot, instantly opening a gap in the Illusionary Void Butterflies besieging them.
“Go!” Yang Kai shouted in a low voice as his figure flickered and he pulled Xue Yue’s arm while rushing out from the gap.
In the next moment, the twenty or so Blood Beasts twisted and returned to their golden and red Golden Blood Threads before disappearing into Yang Kai’s body.
Suddenly losing their targets, the Illusionary Void Butterflies seemed to be taken aback for a moment, but soon they began flapping their wings and chasing after Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
At this time, Yang Kai did not have the liberty to conceal his strength anymore and pushed his Space Force, allowing him to race forward at an impressive speed.
Using his Space Force, his speed suddenly increased, and Xue Yue was stunned for a moment as she realized what moving as swiftly as the wind really meant.
But soon, Yang Kai frowned because he discovered that his Space Force was greatly restricted in this Severed World.
This damned place was filled with Void Cracks, causing the ambient space to be unstable. In addition, the Illusionary Void Butterflies interfered with the surrounding space when they moved, hindering his use of Space Force.
This discovery made Yang Kai’s face sink, but what made him truly angry was that after he escaped from the encirclement, someone else chased after him.
It was Elder Xu Wei from Abandoned Lair!
Xu Wei also seemed exhausted at the moment and was being chased by countless Illusionary Void Butterflies, but he didn’t pay any of this mind and instead desperately pursued Yang Kai and Xue Yue. Even if he was attacked by the butterflies, he did not try to fight back and instead focused on dodging.
“What’s he trying to do?” Xue Yue faintly realized what was wrong.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “He wants to overtake us then use us as bait while he runs away!”
There was a saying that when being chased by an invincible enemy, what matters most was not being the fastest among your companions, but instead not being the slowest!
Although Yang Kai and Xue Yue were not Xu Wei’s companions, he clearly intended to use them to his advantage. As long as he could use Yang Kai and Xue Yue to delay the Illusionary Void Butterflies chasing him, he would have a good chance to escape from these annoying ancient insects.
On the other hand, even though Ni Guang had discovered what Xu Wei was trying to do, he was unable to stop him. At this moment, Ni Guang had to focus on defending himself so he could only roar furiously towards Xu Wei’s back.
“Despicable and shameless!” After understanding Xu Wei’s intentions, Xue Yue ground her teeth and shouted, a fierce look filling her face.
Yang Kai, however, just sneered, “One’s actions will always be judged by the Heavens. If he wants to plot against us, he’ll need to have the ability first.”
Contrary to the others, Yang Kai was not concerned with Xu Wei’s actions.
In just a few breaths, Yang Kai and Xue Yue had rushed out several dozen kilometres, with Ni Guang and the others having long disappeared from their field of vision. Only a large swarm of Illusionary Void Butterflies and Xu Wei were following behind.
Xu Wei was also being pursued by more Illusionary Void Butterflies.
While fleeing, Yang Kai constantly scanned his surroundings with his Divine Sense.
Soon, he found what he was looking for and rushed towards a certain direction with Xue Yue.
In that direction, there was a Void Crack that was invisible to the naked eye and Yang Kai believed that Xu Wei would not be able to sense it even if he released his Divine Sense.
As long as he followed them closely, there was a chance Xu Wei would hit this hidden Void Crack and even if he didn’t die, he would certainly be wounded!
Yang Kai deliberately brought Xue Yue extremely close to the invisible Void Crack to interfere with Xu Wei’s judgment.
However, what Yang Kai had not anticipated was that the countless Illusionary Void Butterflies chasing them could also sense the existence of this Void Crack and flew around it.
This scene naturally was not missed by the pursuing Xu Wei.
Xu Wei was still an Origin King with extremely rich experience and a cautious personality. Although he could not detect the Void Crack himself, he could infer its existence from the behaviour of the Illusionary Void Butterflies.
As such, he followed the path the Illusionary Void Butterflies took and managed to avoid the Void Crack unscathed!
Yang Kai almost could not stop himself from cursing, never having imagined that Xu Wei would actually be saved by the Illusionary Void Butterflies in this situation.
As time passed, both the Illusionary Void Butterflies and Xu Wei behind them drew closer and closer, and the situation seemed to be verging on Yang Kai and Xue Yue being surrounded again.
By now, Xu Wei had relaxed a lot, because the Illusionary Void Butterflies, which had been chasing him and Kong Fa had now been dispersed into several smaller groups. At this moment, there were not many chasing behind him.
With his means, if he were to fight hard, he might even have a chance to kill off all the Illusionary Void Butterflies chasing him.
However, if he did that, he would consume a great deal of his strength and would likely suffer injuries. In this Severed World, he had to always maintain his peak condition to cope with possible dangers, so this was only an option of last resort.
As such, he came up with the idea of sacrificing Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
The speed of these two young men surprised him a bit, but when he recalled Xue Yue’s identity, he was not too concerned. He thought that the speed of Yang Kai and Xue Yue being so fast was all thanks to Xue Yue. Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Young Master certainly had to cultivate some incredible Secret Techniques.
But… that was all it was.
Looking at the two figures that were only a few kilometres ahead of him, Xu Wei’s eyes flashed a vicious light.
Immediately, he activated a Secret Technique by forming a series of mysterious seals with his hands.
In the next moment, Xu Wei’s body suddenly released a brilliant red light and a kind of blood mist burst from his pores. The moment this light appeared, Xu Wei’s speed suddenly increased to an incredible level.
The short distance of a few kilometres was closed in an instant and Xu Wei easily overtook Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
This was not the end of his plot though as Xu Wei condensed his Saint Qi and sent a palm towards Yang Kai and Xue Yue behind him.
There was no murderous intent in this palm because he didn’t want to take the lives of these two, instead planning on wounding them so they would be caught by the Illusionary Void Butterflies and delay them for him.
“Damn!” Xue Yue shouted angrily as she threw out her artifact to meet Xu Wei’s attack.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, and a fierce energy explosion, a shockwave struck Yang Kai and Xue Yue, forcing them to reduce their speed in order to stabilize themselves.
“Haha!” Xu Wei laughed wildly as he looked back at Yang Kai and Xue Yue jokingly, “Little brats, don’t die too easily!”
At this moment, he wore a victorious and treacherous grin on his face.
“You want to run?” Yang Kai’s expression became cold as his eyes fixed onto Xu Wei’s, his left eye suddenly becoming golden as a lotus bud appeared in its pupil!
Yang Kai held a deep animosity towards Xu Wei for trying to use him as bait to escape, so he certainly was not going to let him just go. Taking advantage of Xu Wei’s overconfidence, the moment he relaxed, Yang Kai used his Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique.
This was not the end though, as Yang Kai flicked his wrist and summoned out his Verdant Dragon Bone Sword. Together with a loud dragon roar, a giant dark green dragon appeared and pounced towards Xu Wei while spitting out a stream of extremely toxic and corrosive poison.
Xu Wei’s grin instantly stiffened on his face and his eyes shrank.
He never expected Yang Kai to launch such a fierce attack towards him, a genuine Origin King.
The next instant, Xu Wei noticed a stream of pure Spiritual Energy bombard his Knowledge Sea’s defences, and despite the difference in cultivation, the barrier around Xu Wei’s Knowledge Sea was instantly cracked open, a strange rotating lotus bud appeared inside it, and immediately began to bloom.
Instantly, Xu Wei’s head felt like it was being split apart and he could not help screaming as he hurriedly tried to stabilize his Soul by focusing the power of Knowledge Sea to suppress and expel this strange lotus flower.
Fortunately for him, his cultivation was not weak, and although he was caught completely off guard by Yang Kai and suffered an initial blow, once he mobilized the power of his Knowledge Sea, the slowly blooming lotus was quickly suppressed.
However, if he wanted to destroy or expel it, Xu Wei knew he would need to expend considerable effort.
Yet Xu Wei could not focus solely on the anomaly in his Knowledge Sea because the giant dark green dragon was about to crash into him, its giant maw wide open, ready to tear him apart. In front of the giant dragon, he seemed as small as an ant.
Seeing that the dragon was about to swallow him whole, Xu Wei grit his teeth and the crimson light surrounding his body glowed even brighter, allowing his speed to jump once more so he could dodge the dragon’s dangerous blow.
When he appeared again, he was already ten kilometres away, but his face was slightly pale, and his breathing was ragged.
First, he had been forced to flee with Kong Fa for a long time, then he fought with countless Illusionary Void Butterflies. After that, he used a Secret Technique that caused great consumption twice and suffered an attack from Yang Kai’s Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique…
Even if Xu Wei was an Origin King, such intense consumption had pushed his limits.
Turning back, he glared at Yang Kai and Xue Yue, who were now engulfed by the Illusionary Void Butterflies, and roared, “Boy, you’d best pray you die here. Otherwise, this King will make you regret being born in this world!”
As an Origin King Realm, being sneak attacked by a junior at the Origin Realm was a great shame. Fortunately, no one was here to witness the scene, so he was able to preserve his face. After leaving this threat though, Xu Wei immediately escaped.
Xu Wei did not think Yang Kai and Xue Yue would be able to survive against so many Illusionary Void Butterflies!
Even if it was him, under the current circumstances, he was not sure he would be able to escape with his life; if this wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have made such an effort to entrap these two juniors.
“Hmph!” Yang Kai coldly snorted before coming to a stop and not moving.
Being delayed by Xu Wei, he and Xue Yue now had no chance of escape.
The number of Illusionary Void Butterflies surrounding them was twice as large as before; after all, once Xu Wei had disappeared, the Illusionary Void Butterflies which were attacking him had changed targets.
The twenty Blood Beasts were released by Yang Kai once again to form a shield for him and Xue Yue while also attracting the attention of the Illusionary Void Butterflies. The giant dark green dragon also joined this lineup.
On the other hand, Xue Yue, who stood beside Yang Kai, wore a solemn expression on her face as sweat dripped down her forehead. Constantly using her Origin King grade artifact consumed a great deal of her Saint Qi, but she had no intention of simply giving up, popping pills into her mouth to restore herself as she continued to kill the enemy.
Even her Xie Zhi Symbiotic Monster Spirit was summoned.
This Symbiotic Monster Spirit was extremely powerful, not inferior to Xue Yue herself. In the Emperor Garden many years ago, Xue Yue had once used this Symbiotic Monster Spirit to compete with Shan Qing Luo’s Heavenly Moon Demon Spider evenly, so its strength was unquestionable.
Even so, this was undoubtedly a losing battle. The Blood Beasts continued to grow dimmer and were seemingly at risk of collapsing at any time, forcing Yang Kai to contract the defense circles repeatedly.
“Why aren’t you worried?” Xue Yue suddenly turned her head to look at Yang Kai and asked with an anxious expression while continuing to move her hands to launch powerful Secret Techniques to kill the Illusionary Void Butterflies in order to relieve pressure on the Blood Beasts.
It was not until this point that she noticed that Yang Kai still had a calm and relaxed expression, completely unlike what one should look like when facing a dead end.
“Why should I be worried?” Yang Kai chuckled while asking rhetorically, controlling his Golden Blood Threads to harvest the lives of numerous Illusionary Void Butterflies at once.
“Aren’t you afraid of death?” Xue Yue seemed to be affected by his demeanor and also became somewhat calmer.
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “Who isn’t afraid of death? But… there’s a saying that dying on a bed of flowers is the best way to go!”
Xue Yue was taken aback for a moment before she glared at Yang Kai and spat, “Even now, you have the mood to joke?”
Yang Kai laughed dryly but did not respond.
Although their current situation appeared extremely dangerous, it was actually quite simple for him to resolve. He had at least two ways to get escape from these Illusionary Void Butterflies.
The easiest was to enter the Sealed World Bead together with Xue Yue. Once the two of them disappeared, the Illusionary Void Butterflies would simply leave.
Alternatively, he could simply tear space and escape!
Although space here was somewhat chaotic and interfered with Yang Kai’s use of Space Force, it would not be a problem to cross one or two hundred kilometres.
Both methods were highly effective, and Yang Kai had full confidence he could succeed.
However, in both cases, he would expose some of his own cards, especially the Sealed World Bead, which was a whole independent world. This kind of treasure was too incredible, and Yang Kai did not dare to expose it in front of Xue Yue.
After all, she was the Young Master of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, and their relationship was not close enough for Yang Kai to be sharing such secrets with her.
As such, he was debating how to suffer the least losses before acting.
“Yang Kai…” Xue Yue suddenly called out to him again.
“What?” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at her, feeling that the tone of her voice seemed somewhat strange at the moment.
“Have you always hated me?” Xue Yue asked, her gaze darting back and forth, seemingly afraid to meet eyes with Yang Kai.
“Why would I hate you?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“Because I sent people to chase after and kill you… Also, I said some harsh words to you and tried to suppress you!” Xue Yue said softly.
“Haha!” Yang Kai laughed loudly.
“What are you laughing at?” Xue Yue frowned and stared at Yang Kai with displeasure. She wanted to have a serious talk with Yang Kai, but the other party acted so crass, causing her to feel like she was being mocked.
Yang Kai looked at her jokingly, grinned, and said, “The Young Master of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is so sentimental. Women will be women in the end!”
This sentence seemed to have hit a nerve as Xue Yue ground her teeth and screamed, “So what if I’m a woman? I was born a woman and never wanted to be a man! It has always been like this! After so many years, who even considers what I want or how I feel?”
As she screamed, she grabbed something on her chest and ripped it off.
In a brilliant flash of light, the Xue Yue standing in front of Yang Kai instantly changed appearance.
Now, she no longer looked like an extraordinarily brave and heroic man and had instead become a woman with world-destroying beauty. Long hair cascaded down her back and two great peaks towered beneath her robes. Her crystal-like eyes glared towards Yang Kai furiously as she ground her teeth in frustration.
Coupled with the male robes she wore, Xue Yue now gave off a completely different kind of temptation.
Yang Kai gawked for a moment before scratching his nose in amazement, “I was only making a casual remark, why did you have such an intense reaction?”
Xue Yue simply continued to glare, the light of love and hate that had become somewhat familiar to Yang Kai flashing across her eyes.
“Ha…” Yang Kai looked helpless, “Is it okay for you to be like this? If anyone saw you, it would not be good for your Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. If someone learned about your Special Constitution, they might try to abduct you.”
Xue Yue’s Special Constitution had great temptation, even to Origin Kings. The Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body was something that many could only dream of, and any man who was able to claim Xue Yue’s Primordial Yin would obtain a massive boost in strength without any hidden dangers.
Xue Yue’s Primordial Yin could be said to be the greatest cultivation treasure and had an unimaginable temptation to those Origin Kings who had been unable to increase their strength despite countless years of self-torture.
Even if she had the identity of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Young Master, there would always be some people who would be willing to take risks to obtain her.
There was never a lack of crazed people in this world.
Xue Yue sneered as she brushed her hair back behind her ear amorously, squinted at Yang Kai, and said leisurely, “Who else is here besides you and me? Besides, you already know I am a woman and you have known about my Special Constitution for a long time, yet you’ve never tried to make a move based on it! What’s wrong? Is this Young Master… Young Lady, not attractive to you at all?”
“What are you talking about?” Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became unnatural. Although he was well versed in the affairs between men and women, he still felt that certain women were impossible to understand.
In such a place and in such an environment, Xue Yue was even asking him if he thought she wasn’t attractive, a question he simply didn’t know how to answer.
“A shameless man like you actually knows how to feel shy?” Xue Yue also blushed but continued taunting Yang Kai none-the-less, “I really didn’t know that you had such thin face. When we were on that Dead Star, didn’t you simply know no shame?”
“That was an accident alright?” Yang Kai glared at her, “That happened so many years ago, why bring it up now? Didn’t we agree we should just forget about it altogether?”
“Who agreed to it? I’ll never be able to forget!” Xue Yue’s chest heaved as a wave of anger overcame her and she recklessly killed a big swath of Illusionary Void Butterflies on the spot.
“Fine, what do you want then?” Yang Kai looked down at her frustratedly, “Stop acting so confusing and just make it clear.”
“What do I want?!” Xue Yue ground her teeth and shouted, “What do you think I want!? What can I even do!?”
In a near hysteria, she screamed three times in succession, as if trying to release all the grievances in her heart at once.
Xue Yue’s unreasonable appearance angered Yang Kai.
Staring at her coldly for a moment, Yang Kai suddenly snorted and took a step towards her position with a fierce glow in his eyes, causing Xue Yue’s face to flicker with fear.
The next moment, Yang Kai stretched out his hands, seized Xue Yue’s soft, tender body, and under her stunned and terrified gaze, leaned over and forcefully kissed her luscious lips. At the same time, Yang Kai’s hands wantonly groped her body, his movements were extremely rough, without showing the slightest bit of tender affection.
“It hurts, you bastard!” Xue Yue exclaimed hurriedly as she pulled her lips away and tried to shove him off, but no matter how hard she pushed Yang Kai, she was unable to free herself, making her feel like she was trying to move a towering mountain.
But along with the pain, another strange feeling spread throughout her body…
Something between a groan and a moan leaked from her lips as Xue Yue’s struggling weakened and her body went limp.
The surrounding Illusionary Void Butterflies flapped their wings, creating a light humming sound and a glittering multi-coloured backdrop to the twos’ intimate activity.
The Blood Beasts fought and killed the enemy while the giant dark green dragon roared loudly…
Only after a long time did their lips finally separate.
Yang Kai shoved Xue Yue away, only giving her a passing glance as if she were some used pair of shoes to be abandoned.
Xue Yue’s cheeks were bright red, as was her white neck, and her body seemed to have lost all strength. After leaving Yang Kai’s arms, she staggered slightly, and her eyes darted back and forth, no longer carrying the same aggressive light from before.
“Satisfied?” Yang Kai snorted.
“You…” Xue Yue opened her mouth but did not know what to say.
“Damn it, what’s wrong with you!?” Yang Kai yelled angrily, “Pestering me endlessly with all this nonsense, just what is it you’re trying to achieve!?”
Xue Yue’s face instantly became aggrieved and her eyes became moist, as if she was about to cry, but she quickly adjusted her mood after taking a deep breath, then she grit her teeth and spat, “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you!? Hmph, in any case, I got what I wanted.”
“This is what you wanted?” Yang Kai looked at her sarcastically.
“What of it?” Xue Yue bit her red lips, “In this world, aside from my father and several of the chambers of commerce’s Elders, the only one who knows I am a woman is you. I don’t want to die before experiencing what it’s like to actually be a woman!”
“So, you thought we were going to die,” Yang Kai suddenly understood why this woman was acting so madly.
“En, you said that dying on a bed of flowers was the best way to go, so what does it matter if I act like this?” Xue Yue let out a peal of sweet laughter, “At least if I die here, I’ll die a woman, fulfilling one small wish of mine.”
“Sure enough, you’ve gone completely mad,” Yang Kai shook his head slightly.
Xue Yue snorted lightly as she turned away, “Think what you want.”
After saying so, Xue Yue seemed to relax a lot and became much more energetic, even her face filled with dazzling brilliance.
“Let me say this first: Everything I’ve done today was because you forced me to, I won’t take any responsibility,” Yang Kai pointed at Xue Yue and declared shamelessly.
“Who wants you to take responsibility?” Xue Yue pouted, “I know you have women, and more than one at that, but… as the saying goes, a wife is inferior to a concubine, so a concubine might as well steal…”
“Seems you know more than you let on,” Yang Kai chuckled before sighing and staring at Xue Yue solemnly. “It has not been easy for you.”
Xue Yue pursed her lips, “As long as you know.”
Saying so, she actively leaned towards Yang Kai and stretched out her jade white hand towards him.
Yang Kai held her hand in his and said with a smile, “What’s wrong? Are you planning on travelling to the Yellow Spring together with me?”
“The situation is what it is. If you have any other methods to get us out of this, you should use them now, otherwise, your women will become widows. In any case, I do not have the strength to fight anymore,” Xue Yue said indifferently, seemingly psychologically prepared for death.
Yang Kai nodded, stretched out his free hand, and wrapped it around Xue Yue’s waist.
Seeing his confident look, Xue Yue’s eyes could not help flashing.
She was truly prepared to die here, but from the looks of it, Yang Kai still had something up his sleeve, so she was looking forward to seeing what he would do next.
Yang Kai chuckled and was about to use his Space Force to flee together with Xue Yue when he suddenly remembered something.
Pausing for a moment, he summoned out a certain item.
It was an artifact that looked like a bracelet, but it appeared quite old and plain, with many mysterious runes carved onto its surface.
Staring at this bracelet, Yang Kai swept his eyes across the Illusionary Void Butterflies surrounding them and raised his brow as he poured his Saint Qi into it.
In the next instant, the bracelet radiated a faint light, and the runes began flowing it as a mysterious force propagated outwards!
An incredible scene happened next. When the strange energy fluctuations swept out, the Illusionary Void Butterflies that had been besieging the Blood Beasts without the slightest fear of death suddenly seemed to be paralyzed with terror and fell to the ground.
Look at the situation, it was obvious that this strange bracelet had an incredible suppressive effect on these Illusionary Void Butterflies.
“What is this?” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai’s bracelet in surprise.
Yang Kai did not reply immediately and instead continued pouring his Saint Qi into the bracelet.
Another wave of energy surged out and more Illusionary Void Butterflies fell down. In a short time, half of the Illusionary Void Butterflies which had surrounded the pair in an impenetrable swarm had lost the ability to move while the rest had fled quite a distance in terror.
“This thing can actually be used like this,” Yang Kai also wore a look of surprise.
“What is it?” Xue Yue asked again, looking at the bracelet in amazement. Even using her Divine Sense, she was unable to see what grade this artifact was.
“The Insect Enslavement Bracelet!” Yang Kai replied casually, “Someone told me that it could restrain all kinds of Exotic Insects. I only tried using it as an experiment, but I didn’t expect it to be this effective.”
The Insect Enslavement Bracelet was an Emperor Artifact, the primary one of the Insect Emperor. Numerous kinds of brutal Exotic Insects were sealed inside. After Yang Kai killed the Insect Emperor, the Insect Enslavement Bracelet had become his trophy, but because his cultivation was too low, Yang Kai didn’t dare to refine it, so it had been gathering dust inside his Space Ring until now.
Yang Yan told him that this Insect Enslavement Bracelet was a powerful treasure that the Insect Emperor had relied upon to become famous in the past. The aura it emitted had a natural suppressive effect on Exotic Insects and from the current situation, it was also effective against these Illusionary Void Butterflies.
Although Yang Kai had not yet refined the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and could only slightly inspire its effects by pouring his Saint Qi into it, the Insect Enslavement Bracelet was still able to immobilize these Illusionary Void Butterflies!
The power of an Emperor Artifact was easy to see.
However, Yang Kai could not exert all of this bracelet’s power, limiting what he could do to the Illusionary Void Butterflies. They instinctively feared the aura coming from the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and lost the ability to act or desire to attack, but none of them had truly died.
The ground was now covered in a thick layer of Illusionary Void Butterflies, many of whom were struggling, but none who were able to fly. More Illusionary Void Butterflies had fled to a safe distance, but they did not disperse, instead just creating a large encirclement.
Yang Kai laughed when he saw this, waved his hand, and took back his battle-weary Blood Beast Army and Dragon Bone Sword. Holding up the Insect Enslavement Bracelet, Yang Kai continuously poured his Saint Qi into it while walking slowly outwards together with Xue Yue.
Wherever he went, the Illusionary Void Butterflies would retreat from, always keeping a certain distance with him. Once, when the distance was shortened, the Illusionary Void Butterflies fell from the sky, unable to fly and pursue them again until he moved a certain distance away.
Xue Yue wore a look of pleasant surprise. Although she was ready to die just now, no one would just accept death when there was a chance to live, especially after she was finally able to express herself to Yang Kai, giving her hope once again for a happier future.
In this manner, the pair travelled a couple hundred kilometres without encountering any difficulties; however, the swarm of Illusionary Void Butterflies never dissipated and continued to surround Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
“These annoying bugs,” Yang Kai frowned, realizing how difficult it was to deal with Ancient Exotic Insects.
“Why don’t we just kill them all?” Xue Yue suggested, in any case, with the Insect Enslavement Bracelet’s suppression, these Illusionary Void Butterflies now posed no threat to her and Yang Kai so it would only take them some time to slowly eliminate them all.
“Too troublesome,” Yang Kai shook his head and looked around before fixing his eyes on a certain spot and pointing, “Let’s head there!”
Saying so, he brought Xue Yue over towards a certain spot.
“Hey… what are you trying to do?” Xue Yue was shocked because up ahead of them was a giant Void Crack. This Void Crack was visible to the naked eye and more than a thousand metres long, exuding a terrifying aura.
And the direction Yang Kai was heading was straight towards this Void Crack, as if he had no intention of avoiding it.
“What’s wrong? Just now, with teary eyes, you wanted to go to the Yellow Spring together with me. Are you afraid now?” Yang Kai looked at her with a grin, “If you’re scared, you still have time to leave.”
Xue Yue bit her red lips and snapped, “Who’s afraid? Don’t try to test my intentions!”
Saying so, she pushed her Saint Qi and dragged Yang Kai over to the Void Crack.
Yang Kai remained unmoved, letting her do what she wanted.
The pair approached the crack at an amazingly fast speed, but as soon as they got close, Yang Kai could clearly feel Xue Yue’s tension rising; after all, there was a massive Void Crack in front of her and no one knew what would happen if they broke into it or even if they could find their way back once inside.
Just as they were about to enter the Void Crack, Xue Yue turned her head and glanced at Yang Kai, as if wanting to make a final inquiry.
Failing to read anything from Yang Kai’s face, however, she grit her teeth and dragged him into the crack.
A light flashed and the pair disappeared.
The Illusionary Void Butterflies trailing behind began circling the area, and after confirming that there was no more prey for them here, they slowly flew off.
All around, there was nothing but chaos and emptiness, as if she had fallen into an endless abyss. Xue Yue was unable to help but squeeze Yang Kai’s hand tightly, her whole body clinging tightly to him, seeking a sense of security.
She had never had such a bizarre experience. Void Cracks were regarded by Origin Kings as terrifying existences, but this time, she had taken the initiative to rush into one.
She did not know what Yang Kai had to rely on, but under the circumstances, she could only take a leap of faith that this rude bastard who had assaulted her insensitively, would not put her in danger.
Yang Kai really did not let her down. Drifting through the endless darkness, Yang Kai showed no fear and instead just patted her hand.
Aware of Yang Kai’s comfort, Xue Yue’s mood immediately relaxed.
“What should we do now?” Xue Yue asked.
Turning around, she wanted to look for the entrance they had just stepped through, but she quickly discovered it was nowhere to be seen. Void Cracks were unpredictable, and the space here was not necessarily connected to the entrance they just went through. The entrance they just stepped through might be a few tens of thousands of kilometres away already, possibly even further, so naturally, it was impossible for them to simply go back the way they came.
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai’s tone carried with it a rare gentleness as he spoke and laughed, “Just leave everything here to me.”
Xue Yue gently nodded. Yang Kai’s words seemed to be a reassuring magic, allowing her to relax in both body and mind.
“Such rich Space Force fluctuations… En… there should be something extraordinary here. It seems I should have entered a long time ago,” Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and checked his surroundings, seeming a little annoyed.
With a serious expression, he spread out his Space Force and felt the unique fluctuations in The Void around him, thoroughly enjoying the sensation.
This experience was of great benefit to his cultivation of the Dao of Space, and he certainly did not want to miss it.
After a while, he turned his gaze towards a certain spot and said, “Follow me.”
Saying so, he pulled Xue Yue along as he flew towards that direction.
Inside the Void, there was nothing but chaos, almost as if the world itself didn’t exist. There was not anything living here, nor any aura, nothing, a complete emptiness that far exceeded that of even a Dead Star.
Xue Yue could not feel anything at all except for the touch and temperature coming from Yang Kai’s hand, which she held onto tightly, afraid she would become separated from him.
In this damned place, even the passage of time seemed to have become extremely slow, but once Xue Yue stabilized her mind, she began to enjoy it.
Holding a man’s hand while crossing through a perilous journey. That man keeping away all dangers in front of her, allowing her to follow behind him with peace of mind, was a luxurious experience she had never had before.
As Third Young Master Xue Yue, the future successor of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, she would be the one to charge ahead and bear all obstacles under normal circumstances! She needed to establish prestige in front of her subordinates to firmly establish her position in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce while hiding her gender, her voice, and even her mannerisms; an extremely exhausting way to live.
But here, she could put all of that aside and simply enjoy the feeling of being taken care of.
Yang Kai had said that it had not been easy for her, and perhaps he had simply said it casually, without thinking deeply, but these few words touched the softest part of Xue Yue’s heart, almost causing her to shed tears.
At this moment, her heart was warm, and she only hoped that this time would continue forever.
By now, if she still could not see that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, she wouldn’t have been worthy of her status as the Young Master of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
However, she did not comment on it. A smart woman knew when to speak and when to remain silent.
She did not know how long it was, but while Xue Yue was still immersed in the atmosphere that warmed her heart, a few faint points of light suddenly appeared up ahead. These lights were quite dim, like distant stars.
“Haha!” Yang Kai laughed, feeling extremely happy, “As I thought, there are Space Spirit Crystals here! Luo Lan didn’t lie to me!”
Xue Yue was stunned for a moment before asking, “Those are Space Spirit Crystals? You entered this place because you wanted to find Space Spirit Crystals?”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded, speeding up.
The stars seemed to be quite dim and far away, but it only took Yang Kai half a stick of incense to reach them.
The light might have been faint, but in The Void, where there was nothing but emptiness, it was the only source of illumination.
Looking closer, each of these Space Spirit Crystals was about the size of a fist and had a hexagonal shape. They were crystal clear but seemed to have numerous streaks inside of them out of which obvious Space Force fluctuations flowed.
“They’re quite different from the ones I’ve seen before,” Yang Kai was quite surprised and did not rush to collect these few Space Spirit Crystals, but instead observed them with interest. These few Space Spirit Crystals in front of him were indeed vastly different from the ones he had seen before whether it was their form, or the energy fluctuations coming from inside them. The fine streaks, which almost looked like cracks, were of particular note as Yang Kai had never seen such a feature in other Space Spirit Crystals.
“Of course they’re different,” Xue Yue glanced at him as if she knew something.
“Why do you say so?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“These are true Space Spirit Crystals which have formed by pure Space Force, while the Space Spirit Crystals in the outside world are always found as auxiliary materials in different mineral lodes. Space Spirit Crystals mined in the outside world contain many impurities, and although they are still Space Spirit Crystals, they are incomparable to these in terms of quality and grade,” Xue Yue reached out and grabbed a piece of Space Spirit Crystal. The whole process was extremely easy, as if these Space Spirit Crystal were simply discarded here at will by someone. There was no difficulty in obtaining them. Pointing at the faint streaks inside the crystal, Xue Yue continued, “Look at this, the power contained inside of it is strong enough to affect its internal space. If one refines these using a special Secret Technique, once this Space Spirit Crystal is detonated, it would be powerful enough to cause space to collapse across a wide area. At that time, no matter who’s involved, I’m afraid they would suffer greatly.”
“Space Spirit Crystals can even be used like that?” Yang Kai suddenly became interested as he turned to look at Xue Yue thoughtfully, “Does your chamber of commerce have such a Secret Technique?”
“It should,” Xue Yue nodded, “I have heard of it before, but I have never actually seen such a Secret Technique.”
While she was talking, she handed the Space Spirit Crystal to Yang Kai and said, “Moreover, a Space Ring refined from this kind of Space Spirit Crystal will have a massive internal space, far superior to an ordinary Space Ring, but… I suspect no Artifact Refiner would dare refine such a Space Ring. No one would treat their life so lightly.”
While they spoke, the four Space Spirit Crystals in this place were collected by Yang Kai.
Probing one of them slightly, Yang Kai found that the Space Force contained in these Space Spirit Crystals was far beyond what he imagined. If he could collect just twenty of these crystals, it would be enough for him to arrange a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, and the distance that array could cover would definitely be farther than those he arranged before.
“This kind of Space Spirit Crystal can’t be stored inside a Space Ring, so how are you planning on storing them?” Xue Yue asked while looking at Yang Kai.
There was no need for her to remind him as Yang Kai had also discovered this problem.
He had just tried to put the Space Spirit Crystal into his Space Ring but found that it was impossible. The power contained in this Space Spirit Crystal seemed to interfere with his Space Ring.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai tried the Sealed World Bead.
The next moment, the Space Spirit Crystals were thrown into the Sealed World Bead!
Yang Kai could not help breathing a sigh of relief. The Sealed World Bead was an extremely high tier existence; after all, it was an Emperor Artifact and sealed an entire world with its own World Principles, so it had no difficulty accepting these Space Spirit Crystals.
Xue Yue was surprised for a moment before she laughed lightly, “It looks like you still have a lot of secrets on you.”
“Are you more interested in me now?” Yang Kai asked.
“Don’t flatter yourself!” Xue Yue snorted at him.
“I have many secrets, en… I’ll tell you what I can, when I can,” Yang Kai’s expression became serious and he said quickly.
Xue Yue slowly shook her head, “I don’t need to know this, I just want to have someone who can treat me as a real woman, that’s enough.”
Hearing her say this with complete sincerity, Yang Kai looked at her for a while before smiling slightly, taking her hand again, and flying forward.
After an hour, in The Void, a few more stars appeared up ahead…
Repeating this process, a few days later, the number of Space Spirit Crystals that had entered Yang Kai’s pocket had reached almost a hundred. This Void Crack seemed to be a breeding ground for Space Spirit Crystals with its extremely rich Space Force.
Xue Yue had been silently following Yang Kai, helping him to collect Space Spirit Crystals without any complaints.
The dangers of the outside Severed World seemed to have become extremely remote to the two of them, as if they had entered their own world that was separate from all others.
On this day, Yang Kai was leading Xue Yue to continue searching for Space Spirit Crystal when Xue Yue suddenly called out, “Yang Kai, look over there!”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai stopped and turned his head in the direction Xue Yue indicated, but with just a single glance, his eyes bulged, and he called out in shock, “So many?”
In that direction, like there was a bright moon on a starless night, a dense collection of shimmering lights filled The Void, guiding them towards it.
After staying here for several days, Yang Kai naturally knew that each of these lights represented a Space Spirit Crystal bred from this place.
He had harvested about a hundred pieces up until now and was quite satisfied with that, but now, he realized that he had been far too conservative with his expectations.
This dense collection of lights numbered far more than a hundred.
A quick glance was enough to tell that there were hundreds, if not thousands!
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai could not help laughing as he dragged Xue Yue into his arms, hugged her, and planted a kiss on her face.
Being treated so roughly stunned Xue Yue for a moment before she bit her red lips and wiped her cheeks, angrily declaring, “You vulgar man!”
Yang Kai did not respond and simply dragged her over towards the cluster of lights as quick as lightning.
In the boundless void, a collection of Space Spirit Crystals had come together to form a spiral shape at the centre of which had a terrifying Space Force fluctuation.
Yang Kai and Xue Yue stood next to the massive Spatial Helix made up of countless Space Spirit Crystals, their expressions extremely solemn.
They had discovered that many Space Spirit Crystals here before, and the two of them had rushed over enthusiastically, but Yang Kai realized that something was off after they arrived.
There was nothing odd about the Space Spirit Crystals themselves, but he could not tell what force had drawn them together like this and caused them to assume this strange spiral formation!
Even Xue Yue, who was not proficient in Space Force, could feel the dangerous aura emanating from the centre of this spiral, as if it was a bottomless abyss that could swallow everything in existence.
They currently stood inside The Void, but the very centre of this spiral was a unique existence which could even swallow that.
“Yang Kai…” Xue Yue whispered in Yang Kai’s ear. “I’m worried.”
“Naturally, I am too,” Yang Kai comforted her. This was a kind of instinctive fear, no one could underestimate the power emanating from this helix, “But… this thing seems to be of great use to me. “
“What do you plan to do?” Xue Yue looked at him in amazement.
Yang Kai frowned and thought for a while before he patted Xue Yue’s hand and said, “Help me collect these Space Spirit Crystals first.”
Xue Yue took a deep look at him, her beautiful eyes flashing brilliantly, as if she could look directly into Yang Kai’s heart and understand his thoughts, a moment later nodding lightly, “En.”
As she spoke, she flew out and began collecting the scattered Space Spirit Crystals that did not belong to the helix.
Yang Kai stood in place, staring at the centre of the spiral, his expression extremely solemn.
After some time, he released his Divine Sense and probed towards the centre of the helix.
He wanted to probe what kind of mysteries were hidden in this helix, but when his Divine Sense contacted it, Yang Kai was shocked to discover that there was an astonishing and terrifying attractive force emanating from it.
This attraction was stronger than anything Yang Kai had ever experienced before, and his Divine Sense was instantly captured and drawn in by it.
Not only that, but his body which was standing far away also seemed to be grasped by an invisible hand that directly pulled him in. By the time Yang Kai reappeared, he was already in the centre of the helix.
“Yang Kai!” Xue Yue was shocked and hurriedly called out.
However, she did not get any response from Yang Kai.
From where she stood, she could see Yang Kai standing at the centre of the helix motionless, as if he had lost all awareness of the outside world and had no way to respond.
Xue Yue called out several times, but Yang Kai never responded.
She immediately knew Yang Kai must have encountered some kind of incident and did not dare to do anything rash. She could only stand on the spot, anxiously watching while secretly praying he was safe.
…..
Revolving, endless revolving, Yang Kai felt that his body and Soul were being torn apart, a kind of unbearable pain that made him want to open his mouth and shout, but try as he might, he was unable to move, much less make a sound.
As he was being pulled in by the helix, all Yang Kai could feel was the violent rotation. This feeling was like being caught in a violent vortex that he could only passively endure, unable to put up any form of resistance.
His Knowledge Sea tumbling, Yang Kai felt extremely dizzy, as if his Soul were being drawn out of his body by this rotating power.
Since he began cultivating, Yang Kai had rarely encountered situations that put him completely at a loss. Facing any crisis, he had always been able to quickly formulate reasonable countermeasures to resolve the dangers he encountered.
But this time, he found that he was powerless.
As he was drawn in by the helix, his mind was also thrown into chaos and he quickly discovered that his Knowledge Sea was rapidly drying up. Scanning the inside of his body, Yang Kai saw that even his intrepid physique was slowly beginning to be torn apart.
He desperately pushed his Saint Qi and his Spiritual Energy to try to resist the strange power of the helix.
Nothing worked! Despite his best efforts, Yang Kai still felt like he was falling into a quagmire, and the more he struggled, the deeper he sank.
In less than a dozen breaths of time, his Knowledge Sea had dried up!
With his Soul taking damage, Yang Kai felt a splitting headache.
Inside his Knowledge Sea, the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus played a vital role at this moment. When Yang Kai Knowledge Sea was exhausted, it immediately began to nourish his Soul and repair the damaged places.
The feedback and nourishment from the Soul Warming Lotus allowed Yang Kai’s head to clear for a moment.
It was at that moment that he suddenly noticed that there was another force inside the helix which was destroying his physical body and Soul.
Space Force!
This gave him a sudden epiphany into the mysteries of the Dao of Space.
Yang Kai was overjoyed and quickly endured the unbearable pain to immerse himself in this enlightenment.
He immediately gained some traces of understanding!
Feeling these gains, Yang Kai resolutely gave up his resistance and simply allowed the helix to throw his Soul and body into its spiralling torrent!
Suddenly, a different vision appeared before his eyes!
At this moment, it was as if his Soul had been drawn out of his body and spread out across a vast region, invisible but omnipresent.
He could clearly see his body still standing quietly in the centre of the helix, the countless Space Spirit Crystals emitting a faint light around him, and Xue Yue standing nearby, constantly calling out to him.
Her beautiful face, which could charm all living beings in existence, was now filled with anxiety, her beautiful eyes filled with panic as her face turned pale.
Yang Kai tried to send his Divine Sense to her, but Xue Yue did not notice at all and just continued to call out.
Yang Kai suddenly stopped because he knew that his Soul hadn’t truly left his body and it was only because of some strange resonance he had with the Space Force here that he was seeing from this perspective. Fundamentally, it was impossible in his state to communicate with Xue Yue.
With no other choice, Yang Kai returned his attention to the helix.
From this perspective, he was able to see more and comprehend more.
After a short while, he began condensing his Space Force and releasing it along the lines of the helix’s spiralling force.
Instantly, the pressure was greatly reduced! Whether it was his Soul or body, Yang Kai suddenly felt his situation was much more endurable.
He suddenly understood.
This spiralling force was a profound Space Force, countless times more complex than what he had currently comprehended, and because of this massive gap in quality, any resistance he put up was futile and would only increase the pain he felt.
Only by following the helix’s trajectory and comprehending its mysteries could Yang Kai enhance his understanding. This was like trying to drink an ocean in order to escape from it, a seemingly impossible task, but although he had only just begun, Yang Kai could feel some results, so if he were to persevere, he would eventually be able to reach enlightenment and escape.
After understanding this, Yang Kai did not hesitate anymore and began to push his Space Force wildly, trying to match the movements of the helix’s rotation.
This was an extremely difficult process, as well as one that was extremely time-consuming.
Numerous cracks began to appear in Yang Kai’s flesh, and his golden blood overflowed from his wounds, but it did not fly off. Instead, it squirmed like a living thing, repairing his wounds.
Yang Kai’s extremely tough physical body played a vital role at this time, allowing him to persist for much longer than an average cultivator would have been able to.
As time passed little by little, Yang Kai became completely immersed in this wonderful perception, completely forgetting everything around him.
The Space Force emanating from his body did not weaken over time and instead became stronger and more refined as it resonated with the helix’s movements more and more perfectly.
Yang Kai did not feel much pressure anymore.
His Space Force and the helix’s force began to overlap, and that rotation now had minimal impact on him.
Finally, the two forces overlapped perfectly!
The moment this happened, the entire Void seemed to resonate for a moment.
Yang Kai suddenly felt an extremely strange sensation, as if he had become a part of the massive helix, the two merging into one.
The surrounding lights blossomed in a dazzling display, and all the surrounding Space Spirit Crystals suddenly burst apart under the strange confluence of Yang Kai and the helix’s Space Force occurred.
The bursting Space Spirit Crystals did not collapse The Void but instead transformed into a pure type of energy that rushed towards the helix’s centre.
This energy condensed into countless dense, pitch-black lines.
And at the centre of the spiral was precisely where Yang Kai’s body was.
These black streaks of energy formed from the energy of the exploded Space Spirit Crystals all rushed into Yang Kai’s body and then disappeared.
The dazzling light gradually dissipated and the entire void returned to darkness, with no light to be seen and even the helix’s spiral force vanishing.
Only now did Yang Kai, who had been frozen in place for so long, have an opportunity to carefully examine his body.
After probing himself with his Divine Sense, he could not help frowning.
He found that his physical state was somewhat strange now, with black lines flitting across his figure. When these black lines appeared, they made it seem as if part of his body was missing, but after they moved on, the parts of his body that seemed to have disappeared would appear again, unharmed.
One’s physique naturally did not disappear for no reason, so this phenomenon was obviously the result of a visual disturbance caused by the extremely powerful Space Force flowing through Yang Kai’s body, causing his vision and Divine Sense to be unable to sense it.
Even Yang Kai himself could not stop this strange interference. Perhaps he would have to fully familiarize himself with this new power before he could stabilize his condition.
However, despite the strangeness of his state, Yang Kai was feeling better than ever. This time, through a series of accidents, he had managed to absorb almost all the spatial helix’s power and several thousand true Space Spirit Crystals worth of Space Force, causing his comprehension of the Dao of Space to soar to an incredible height.
Yang Kai joyously immersed himself in the changes he had just undergone.
The more he comprehended, the more he realized how superficial his previous understanding of the Dao of Space was, and the more he discovered just how terrifying the methods he could display would be if he continued to enhance his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
He was thoroughly shocked.
Unfortunately, now was not the best time for this. At this moment, Yang Kai felt as if he had the keys to a rich treasure trove, and that treasure trove was actually his body.
But he did not have time to check and handle his treasures!
Focusing himself, Yang Kai swept his surroundings looking for Xue Yue.
He had not forgotten that there was another person who was worried about him in this place, constantly calling his name and relying on him.
However, when he looked around, Yang Kai could not help frowning because there were no signs of Xue Yue anywhere.
Even spreading out his Divine Sense, Yang Kai was unable to locate Xue Yue.
[Where did she go?] Yang Kai frowned. He did not think Xue Yue had abandoned him when he fell into danger. Although he had not had much contact with Xue Yue, and didn’t know much about her, from the brief period he had spent with her, he could tell she wasn’t such a person.
On top of that, she would be like a headless fly in this Void Crack without any understanding of Space Force. Even if she spent thousands of years wandering about, there was no guarantee she would be able to escape.
Therefore, it was impossible that she had simply left on her own.
[Did she encounter some kind of danger?] Yang Kai’s heart clenched as he thought up a possibility; but in this Void Crack, what dangers could there be? Although this was a literal chaotic emptiness outside the Severed World, the two of them had not encountered any dangers during their entire time here.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai began taking action. No matter what, finding Xue Yue was the priority.
Taking a single step forward, Yang Kai travelled a hundred kilometres, his expression calm and composed, each step he took resonating with the surrounding space.
Previously, Yang Kai would need to tear space to travel a hundred kilometres in an instant, and although he recently learned to cross short distances in the blink of any eye with the increase in his comprehension of the Dao of Space, he could only leap across ten kilometres or so at a time, a truly insignificant distance.
Yet now, he was easily able to flicker across a hundred kilometres in one step, and this was far from his current limit.
While he was moving, Yang Kai began digesting the power and understanding he had obtained after swallowing the power of the helix, dramatically improving his comprehension and application of his Space Force.
If he was right, even if Xue Yue had left, she couldn’t have run far; after all, even if she wanted to run away, she wouldn’t be able to in this damned place.
Therefore, Yang Kai focused on searching the surrounding region.
Sure enough, half a stick of incense worth of time later, Yang Kai found Xue Yue’s figure!
However, at this moment, she was in quite a distressed state as she ran through the empty void, her long hair dishevelled and blood leaking from the corners of her mouth.
Behind her was a thirty-metre-long Monster Beast that somewhat resembled a seal. This Monster Beast’s body was fat and swollen, with a wide tail it flapped lightly as it followed after Xue Yue in an unhurried manner, letting out loud, piercing cries from time to time.
When he saw this Monster Beast, Yang Kai’s eyes shrank, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.
Because he clearly felt Space Force fluctuations coming from it!
Every movement this Monster Beast made resonated with the surrounding space, as if the space around it was what was moving it forward. Despite it seeming to flounder about awkwardly, it was easily able to follow Xue Yue, who was fleeing desperately.
In other words, it did not want to kill Xue Yue immediately, but was instead teasing her like a cat would a mouse, taking pleasure in chasing her.
Just as Yang Kai saw Xue Yue, this Monster Beast opened its stubby mouth and spurt out a burst of energy that was visible to the naked eye.
This mass of energy rapidly condensed into a sharp blade that easily cut across space and directly struck towards Xue Yue.
Perceiving the terrifying danger approaching from behind her, Xue Yue’s beautiful face changed colour and she quickly bit her tongue and spat out a mouthful of Blood Essence to forcefully summon her Xie Zhi Symbiotic Monster Spirit above her head. The Xie Zhi’s illusionary body was covered in dense black fur and a single long horn jutted out from its forehead, giving it an imposing image. As soon as it appeared, it roared and rushed towards the rear.
Her Xie Zhi Symbiotic Monster Spirit was comparable to Xue Yue in terms of combat power, so an average Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator would certainly not be its opponent.
But this phantom Xie Zhi was easily bisected by the Space Force blade.
With a miserable howl, the illusionary Xie Zhi vanished.
As for its host, Xue Yue was also severely injured. Opening her mouth, she coughed up another mouthful of blood as her tender body faltered and her escaping speed slowed dramatically.
Xue Yue did not dare to look back as her beautiful eyes grew dim.
At that moment, a figure fell from the sky and took her into his arms.
Struggling, Xue Yue managed to lift her head and immediately saw Yang Kai’s face before her. Even in the darkness, she felt that this face exuded endless light, as if it was a bright star guiding her on the dim road ahead.
“You finally came!” Xue Yue squeezed out a smile as she breathlessly said.
“En, it was an accident of sorts,” Yang Kai nodded and while talking used his Saint Qi to scan Xue Yue’s body, frowning slightly at what he found. Xue Yue’s situation was quite dire. Yang Kai could not tell how long she had been entangled with this Monster Beast, but her Saint Qi was essentially depleted and there was damage to both her body and meridians. If he had arrived an hour later, Xue Yue might have died from exhaustion, even if the Monster Beast did not kill her.
“How did you provoke it?” Yang Kai asked while glancing back at the Monster Beast suspended in the void.
“It appeared on its own,” Xue Yue leaned into Yang Kai’s arms and replied softly. “After waiting for you for a few days, without any response, this Monster Beast suddenly appeared. Perhaps it was nearby and sensed your presence. As soon as it appeared, it rushed towards you. I was afraid that you would be disturbed, so I…”
“So, you lead it away?” Yang Kai looked down at her.
Xue Yue hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Yang Kai sighed softly as his heart warmed.
“Your body… what happened?” Xue Yue suddenly cried out again as she finally noticed Yang Kai’s unusual state. The black lines which seemed to erase his physique as they flowed across his figure caused Xue Yue to think that something terrible had happened to Yang Kai, immediately putting her on edge.
“It’s just some of my powers running out of control, it’s not a big problem. As long as I completely refine and absorb it, the effects should pass.” Yang Kai explained, patting Xue Yue’s back as he said, “Don’t worry about it, what needs to be dealt with right now is this fellow.”
Saying so, he turned his attention to the strange Monster Beast in front of him with a solemn expression.
Xue Yue’s face changed slightly as she whispered, “Be careful, it’s very powerful, definitely not inferior to an Origin King. What’s more, it’s proficient in Space Force. If I am not mistaken, it should be…”
“A Shocking Void Beast!” Yang Kai grinned, “I know.”
Him following Luo Lan into the Severed World this time was primarily to hunt a Shocking Void Beast.
But Yang Kai had never expected to encounter such a Shocking Void Beast in this situation.
Able to wander The Void freely, proficient in the Dao of Space, what else could it be other than a Shocking Void Beast? So even if Yang Kai had never encountered this kind of Monster Beast before, he was instantly able to identify it.
“As long as you know,” Xue Yue put her heart at ease, adjusted herself into a comfortable position in Yang Kai’s arms, then whispered softly. “I’ll leave the rest up to you, my life is in your hands.”
Saying so, she activated some kind of Secret Technique without hesitation and fell unconscious.
She was already a dry oil lamp, so she needed to heal her injuries immediately; the Secret Technique she used allowed her to enter a state of deep sleep where all her energy could be devoted to healing.
“You trust me that much?” Yang Kai smiled slightly, feeling a heavy sense of responsibility and muttering to himself, “Then, I certainly can’t let you down.”
Saying so, he flipped Xue Yue onto his back and then condensed his Saint Qi to secure her to him, allowing him to freely move his hands and feet. After making sure Xue Yue wouldn’t be thrown off no matter how he moved, Yang Kai turned his attention to the Shocking Void Beast in a leisurely manner.
Since Yang Kai appeared, the Shocking Void Beast has fallen silent.
On its fat head, its two small eyes stared fixedly at Yang Kai, as if he was a delicious meal stimulating its appetite.
The Shocking Void Beast was innately proficient in the Dao of Space, and Yang Kai has just absorbed the entire spatial helix, greatly increasing his understanding of the Dao of Space. Moreover, the raw Space Force Yang Kai had just absorbed was leaking out from his body uncontrollably, drawing the Shocking Void Beast’s full attention.
Staring at each other, Yang Kai’s eyes filled with the same aggression as the Shocking Void Beast’s, neither of them flinching.
In this boundless void crack, one person and one beast felt their opponent’s fighting intent.
“Come!” After a long time, Yang Kai beckoned to the Shocking Void Beast, “I want your Monster Core, you want my body. Let’s see who obtains what they want and who becomes the other’s meal!”
Whether the Shocking Void Beast understood Yang Kai’s words or not was debatable, but it certainly realized it was being provoked, so it released a loud roar in the next moment and shot a barrage of pitch-black energy balls at Yang Kai.
The speed of these dark spheres was incredible; after all, they had been released by the Shocking Void Beast using its comprehension of the Dao of Space. The attacks instantly crossed the distance between them and bombarded Yang Kai.
The power of these attacks was enough to threaten an Origin King!
Yang Kai eyes flashed. Instead of retreating in the face of such an attack, his fighting spirit intent only soared higher as he swung his arms out freely.
Secret Technique, Space Blade!
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A series of crescent-shaped Space Blades shot out, precisely and perfectly meeting the Shocking Void Beast’s attacks.
Space Blade was the Space Force offensive Secret Technique that Yang Kai possessed and had always been one of his trump cards.
However, after swallowing and fusing with the spatial helix, the power of this Secret Technique had increased several times!
Although the size of the Space Blades Yang Kai released had not changed, his control over them, and the stability of their form had dramatically improved, together with their lethality.
Space Blades collided with the Shocking Void Beast’s void shots.
A faint rumbling rang out as violent Space Force fluctuations filled The Void. The space just ten metres in front of Yang Kai collapsed at that moment, shattering like a mirror as chaotic fluctuations burst forth.
From the collapsed space, the Shocking Void Beast’s huge body leapt out strangely and its opened mouth bit towards Yang Kai.
When Yang Kai’s attention had been diverted, it had managed to cross space and approach him.
Fortunately, Yang Kai seemed to have anticipated this a long time ago, so he didn’t appear flustered, instead just shifting his feet slightly while enveloping his body in Space Force, swiftly turning into a phantom.
The Shocking Void Beast bit down!
The next moment, Yang Kai appeared above the Shocking Void Beast’s body like a ghost and released a punch powered by his full strength towards its head.
*Hong…*
The fist shadow impacted the Shocking Void Beast and exploded it to pieces.
But Yang Kai did not show the slightest satisfaction after his attack landed, instead just frowning as he hurriedly withdrew from where he was standing. The moment he moved, the Shocking Void Beast that had supposedly shattered appeared behind him, its mouth still wide open.
The Shocking Void Beast that was shattered by Yang Kai was nothing more than an after-image!
One person and one beast had reached an astonishing level of speed, their respective use of Space Force disturbing each other’s vision and senses.
In a flash, Yang Kai appeared a thousand metres away while the Shocking Void Beast also came to halt, floating in the void, accurately finding Yang Kai’s location in the next instant and staring at him.
After this brief confrontation, both parties realized that the other was not some soft persimmon they could pinch at will.
“In that case…” Yang Kai murmured as he flashed a fierce grin, “Don’t blame me for being unkind!”
Saying so, he waved his hand.
In the next moment, Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao and Artifact Spirit Liu Yan appeared beside him!
Xiao Xiao carried the Heaven Shaking Pillar on his small shoulder, his eyes darting about, seemingly wondering where he was. Liu Yan on the other hand simply turned to Yang Kai and asked, “What are Master’s orders?”
“Kill it!” Yang Kai pointed his finger at the Shocking Void Beast a thousand metres away.
Liu Yan’s beautiful eyes turned towards the Shocking Void Beast and her expression became solemn as she quietly said, “It’s very strong.”
Yang Kai laughed, “If it wasn’t, I could have handled it alone. Why would I bother calling you two out? En, it’s proficient in using Space Force, which is why I need both of you to cooperate with me.”
“If that’s what Master commands!” Liu Yan nodded, a ball of red-purple flame filled with streaks of lightning and a violent, destructive force, appearing above her jade white palm.
“En,” Yang Kai grinned, his figure flickering as he rushed towards the Shocking Void Beast once again. There was no need for words between him and his two most trusted helpers, because whether it was Xiao Xiao or Liu Yan, both shared a Soul connection with Yang Kai, allowing them to share their thoughts perfectly and instantaneously, making their cooperation seamless.
As soon as Yang Kai moved, Liu Yan transformed into a giant ball of flame and rushed out right behind him.
Xiao Xiao transformed into his stone giant form and he stepped across The Void while dragging the thirty-metre-long Heaven Shaking Pillar, appearing slow and unhurried.
The Shocking Void Beast undoubtedly had high intelligence, so when it saw Yang Kai suddenly had two more helpers, its two small eyes could not help flashing an almost human look of suspicion.
Seeing Yang Kai and Liu Yan rushing up together, it leapt up before diving down, the space below it acting almost like the surface of a lake, swallowing its form as it dove into it.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he felt the changes in the surrounding space before swiftly instructing Xiao Xiao who was behind him on what to do.
Xiao Xiao did not even hesitate, letting out a thunderous roar as he swung the Heaven Shaking Pillar towards his left side.
The several-million-kilogram Heaven Shaking Pillar swung by Xiao Xiao’s earth-destroying strength was even able to shatter space, and the moment the Stone Puppet’s attack swept out, the Shocking Void Beast’s head appeared in its path.
It almost looked like the Shocking Void Beast had taken the initiative to get attacked by Xiao Xiao.
The Shocking Void Beast had obviously planned to attack Xiao Xiao first, but it had not expected its little scheme to be seen through so easily by Yang Kai and get used against it.
At such close range, the Shocking Void Beast was unable to dodge such a swift attack, even if it was proficient in using Space Force.
If this blow landed squarely, the Shocking Void Beast would definitely suffer a grievous wound despite its strength that was comparable to an Origin King’s. Xiao Xiao’s full-powered attack was no joke.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he secretly looked forward to a scene of splattered flesh and blood.
But what stunned him was that the Shocking Void Beast managed to twist its body forcibly at the last moment while at the same time unleashing a powerful Space Force fluctuation from its body, forming a kind of vortex that blocked Xiao Xiao’s attack.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar quickly smashed this vortex and smashed onto the Shocking Void Beast, drawing a huge splash of blood, and hurling it far, far away!
At the spot where the Shocking Void Beast’s head and neck were connected, there was now a deep red wound in which even bone was vaguely visible.
But in the end, it had survived, and the injuries it suffered were not too serious!
“I knew it wouldn’t be so easy!” Yang Kai grit his teeth and shouted, waving his hand to wrap Liu Yan in his Saint Qi before shuttling across space and instantly arriving in front of the injured Shocking Void Beast.
Immediately, the master-servant pair madly attacked the wounded beast.
Hundreds of Golden Blood Threads infused with Space Force were released by Yang Kai to form an inescapable net that completely sealed a massive region of space, cutting off any escape route the Shocking Void Beast had. At the same time, Yang Kai madly sent out his Space Blades to deal damage.
Liu Yan’s attack was far simpler, simply releasing a storm of red, petal-like flames wrapped in purple lightning towards the Shocking Void Beast. Each falling petal contained an extraordinary amount of double attribute power, and whenever any of them landed on the Shocking Void Beast, it would burn and scar its flesh while also delivering a potent shock that affected the smoothness of its movements.
For a moment, the Shocking Void Beast was only able to endure this beating, without any power to fight back, roaring constantly in pain and frustration.
*Deng deng deng deng…*
Xiao Xiao raced over, a cold aura wrapping his giant frame, and taking advantage of Yang Kai and Liu Yan restraining the Shocking Void Beast, he smashed his Heaven Shaking Pillar down again.
As soon as it saw this stick approach, the Shocking Void Beast’s eyes flashed with fright.
It did not dread the methods used by Yang Kai and Liu Yan, but this simple, brute-force attack from Xiao Xiao was something it feared. This was a perfect example of overwhelming force destroying all defences. Even its space transfer and solidification techniques could not fully stop the blow.
The Shocking Void Beast roared and struggled as it continuously spat out a dense bombardment of Space Force blasts towards Yang Kai and Liu Yan. At the same time, it projected a Space Force barrier around its body to resist Xiao Xiao’s attack.
In the next instant, the sound of broken bones rang out and the aura of the Shocking Void Beast diminished greatly.
It had taken too many attacks in too short a time, becoming severely wounded. Facing Yang Kai, Xiao Xiao, and Liu Yan all at once, it could felt helpless and realized that if it didn’t escape, it would soon die.
As such, it began desperately pushing its Space Force to disturb the surrounding space.
Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread net was affected by this disturbance and was unable to maintain its stability, flaws soon beginning to open in it.
Liu Yan also cried out in alarm as she pushed her flames and lightning to protect herself from the Shocking Void Beast’s counterattack.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Shocking Void Beast leapt out of its encirclement.
“Want to run?” Yang Kai snorted coldly, but just as he was about to give chase, he saw the Shocking Void Beast use its old trick once again and plunge into the void, disappearing in the next instant.
Yang Kai frowned and scanned the area around himself, pushing his Space Force to its limit, but was unable to detect any trace of the Shocking Void Beast’s aura nearby, muttering to himself, “It escaped!”
The Shocking Void Beast had obviously escaped from The Void, which was why Yang Kai was unable to perceive it anymore.
Not hesitating, Yang Kai immediately summoned Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan back before flying over to where the Shocking Void Beast disappeared and plunging his hands in The Void and ripping open a tear.
A Void Crack instantly appeared!
Yang Kai dove straight in.
In the next moment, he returned to the Severed World.
Yang Kai immediately began searching for the Shocking Void Beast. He would lose this strange Monster beast forever if he didn’t find it soon.
The roar of the Shocking Void Beast suddenly resounded, and a clear tone of panic could be heard in its voice, as if it had encountered something terrifying.
Yang Kai frowned, looked over in the direction the voice was coming from and saw a scene which caused his eyes to bulge.
Not far away, a giant black curtain covered a portion of the sky, and countless human faces were struggling and floating about inside this curtain, twisting and changing constantly. These human faces were like Yin Souls that had been gathered together on this black curtain, exuding cold and wicked aura.
Through this black curtain, Yang Kai could vaguely make out the huge figure of the Shocking Void Beast, but at this moment, it had been completely surrounded by countless Yin Soul like things that were biting into its physique.
The Shocking Void Beast’s body began to visibly shrink, as if its vitality was being sucked dry by these Yin Souls. No matter how hard the Shocking Void Beast struggled, it was unable to escape from this binding.
It was clearly at a dead end!
“Heh heh heh…” Strange laughter suddenly came from nearby.
Yang Kai’s complexion could not help but sink as he secretly began circulating his Saint Qi and turned to look at the place where the sound had come from.
Over there, a figure shrouded in darkness was standing quietly, and from the darkness, there seemed to be a pair of chilling eyes staring at Yang Kai.
“It’s you!” Yang Kai gasped as his expression became solemn.
Yang Kai could tell at a glance that this person covered in darkness was the Origin King Realm master who had been eyeing him before!
This guy seemed to be watching him before entering the Severed World, and Ni Guang had also said that this person was very dangerous, and it was best not to provoke him easily.
Yang Kai never expected to encounter this man here, or for the other party to have caught the prey he was after. The dark curtain which was currently trapping the Shocking Void Beast was obviously an artifact belonging to this unknown Origin King.
This artifact gave off a malevolent aura and was obviously the type that required a large number of living beings to be sacrificed in order to refine and enhance. It could be seen that the owner of this artifact was a vicious person who had killed countless people.
Yang Kai frowned.
The current situation was not favourable to him. Although Yang Kai did not need to fear this individual with his current strength, the Shocking Void Beast was now in the other party’s hand.
Yang Kai had worked hard to heavily injure this Shocking Void Beast, but it had now ended up in another person’s pocket, a reality Yang Kai could not swallow.
However, trying to snatch the Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core in this situation would not be appropriate either.
Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of this man, and was confident he could escape without too much difficulty, that didn’t mean he could break through his artifact and snatch the Shocking Void Beast from him. In fact, Yang Kai estimated that his fate would likely be the same as this Monster Beast’s if he were to charge in recklessly.
What was he supposed to do now?
How could he obtain the Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core without irritating this man? Yang Kai thought it over but was unable to come up with a suitable answer.
“Heh heh heh…” Just as Yang Kai’s thoughts were churning, the Origin King wrapped in darkness once again let out an intrigued laugh, as if he was in a good mood, and immediately said. “Yang Boy, you sure have your way with women. Having a beauty cling to you even in this kind of place, this old master is truly envious.”
As soon as these words came out, Yang Kai’s expression couldn’t help changing.
The other party had called his surname as soon as he spoke, so obviously he knew him, but… Yang Kai did not remember ever meeting such an Origin King Realm master before.
He had not met many Origin Kings, and his impression of every one of them was profound, but none resembled this man.
Yang Kai stared at the other party calmly and tentatively asked, “Senior recognizes me?”
“Of course this old master recognizes you! Hah, why, did you forget this old master?” The Origin King asked in a teasing tone.
Yang Kai looked at him and didn’t feel any malice coming from the other party, so after pondering for a moment, he cupped his fists and said, “Forgive this Junior for his lack of vision, but he truly does not remember Senior. Since Senior recognizes Junior, could you perhaps show your true face?”
“It’s only natural you don’t recognize this old master; after all, this old master has changed greatly compared to when we last met!” The other party did not seem to take offence and nodded lightly, “You take a closer look at who this old master is.”
Saying so, the black Qi which had been enveloping him dissipated slowly like a receding tide.
In the next moment, the face of the other party appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes.
“Huh?” Yang Kai was taken aback and stared at this man in a daze, muttering in amazement a moment later, “Senior Gui Zu, it’s you?”
When the black Qi disappeared, he immediately recognized who the other party was.
This Origin King was surprisingly the first Origin King Yang Kai had encountered when he entered the Star Field: A man who had been trapped on that floating continent for two thousand years and who called himself Gui Zu!
Gui Zu was inadvertently swallowed by the Domain Eruption in the Chaotic Abyss and had been imprisoned on the floating continent for two thousand years. During those two millennia, he had risen from the Saint King Realm all the way to the Origin King Realm, a near-legendary feat.
However… he had also spent almost two thousand years in isolation on that floating continent until Yang Kai and the others were stranded there as well.
At that time, Gui Zu had been trying to construct a Space Array that could send him out of the floating continent. Unfortunately, his efforts had failed. In the end, he had to rely on Yang Kai’s achievements in Space Force to allow him to escape.
A total of seven people escaped at that time. In addition to Gui Zu and Yang Kai, there was the Yue Xi Master and Disciple trio, Shen Tu, a son of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President Ai Ou, and another woman named Bi Ya.
Such events were now part of the distant past, but they still left a great impression on Yang Kai, as it was his first real experience after entering the Star Field. How could he possibly forget such an event?
Gui Zu was a First-Order Origin King when they met, and Yang Kai’s impression of him was also quite memorable.
Yang Kai had never imagined that they would meet again in this place.
Although Gui Zu was no doubt a cruel and violent man, he also clearly distinguished between gratitude and grievance. Back then, he accepted Yang Kai’s life-saving grace, and after escaping from the floating continent, besides not killing him, he even gifted Yang Kai the complete Star Emperor Token as thanks!
Without that Star Emperor Token, Yang Kai would never have been able to kill Luo Hai on Scarlet Wave Star.
So, after learning that the other party turned out to be Gui Zu, Yang Kai’s vigilance immediately relaxed and he smiled at this unexpected and happy reunion.
“It is indeed this old master!” Gui Zu was in a good mood and laughed heartily as he scanned Yang Kai up and down, nodding lightly as he commented, “Kid, you’re quite amazing. How long has it been since we separated? You are already a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator! This old master remembers you were just a Saint back then, right?”
“Second-Order Saint!” Yang Kai replied with a grin, “Senior Gui Zu has a good memory.”
Gui Zu nodded, “It seems that your opportunities these years have not been small! Otherwise, it would have been impossible to achieve such shocking growth.”
“Many thanks, Senior.” Yang Kai replied, “How has Senior been these years?”
“What can I say… not as good as you young kids apparently,” Gui Zu joked as he glanced towards Xue Yue, who was still sleeping on Yang Kai’s back, with a meaningful grin.
Yang Kai simply chuckled, “This was an accident of sorts.”
After thinking about it, Yang Kai suddenly asked, “By the way, Senior, have you managed to avenge your grievance?”
Back then, Gui Zu had said that after he escaped from the floating continent, he would seek vengeance for his past grudge. Before he became trapped, he seemed to have been framed by someone and plotted against, but his enemy’s power was too great and at that time he was unable to resist. After reaching the Origin King Realm, Gui Zu had sworn to wipe clean this stain on his past.
Now that several dozen years had passed, Yang Kai wondered if this wish had been fulfilled.
Gui Zu’s expression turned gloomy as he went silent for a while before shaking his head and saying, “This old master’s grudges are not so easy to repay. Why do you ask, Kid? Are you interested in helping this old master?”
“Senior must be joking,” Yang Kai waved his hand quickly, “Junior’s strength is low, so how could he offer any help to Senior? If Junior were to involve himself and become a burden instead, it would be an unforgivable sin towards Senior.”
Yang Kai did not dare to agree casually. Although he had some small friendship with Gui Zu, he naturally wouldn’t rush into such matters.
“Haha, don’t be so serious, I was only joking,” Gui Zu chuckled. “But you don’t need to improperly belittle yourself either. You were able to seriously wound this Shocking Void Beast, so this old master can somewhat estimate your true level of strength.”
Yang Kai scratched his nose but did not argue.
While the two were speaking, the Shocking Void Beast received brutal torment, the countless Yin Soul-like human faces gnawing away at it constantly. No matter how the Shocking Void Beast struggled, it was unable to escape the black curtain, and all its attempts to resist ended up in vain.
By now, the Shocking Void Beast’s cries had become somewhat weak and its struggles had become less violent.
Soon after, the Shocking Void Beast stopped moving, leaving only the countless Yin Soul-like human faces howling and shuttling back and forth inside the black curtain, a terrifying sight to behold.
Gui Zu stretched out his hand and the black curtain immediately condensed into a black banner that flew back to his hand.
Seeing this black banner, Yang Kai suddenly remembered!
This black banner-like artifact was used by Gui Zu when he was on the floating continent back then, but it did not have nearly this much power at that time. It was obvious that Gui Zu had sacrificed many to refine this artifact in recent years which in turn greatly enhanced its power.
The black banner flew back, leaving only the shrivelled up body of the Shocking Void Beast behind. When the wind blew, the last remaining traces of flesh on the Shocking Void Beast crumbled into dust, revealing its bones.
Soon after, even these bones, which appeared to have been drained of all essence, crumbled and collapsed into a pile of ash.
Amongst this pile of dust, only one round, fist-sized bead with a lustrous glow remained.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he stared at this thing fiercely.
Gui Zu gave a chuckle, stretched out his hand, and with a flick, the bead flew towards Yang Kai, “If you want it, just ask this old master. Why act so hesitant?”
Yang Kai was overjoyed and quickly caught the bead, looking it over for a while in order to confirm it was the unscathed Monster Core of the Shocking Void Beast. The energy contained in this Monster Core had not leaked out in the slightest. Smiling, he turned around and said, “Many thanks, Senior!”
“It was yours in the first place!” Gui Zu didn’t care, “This old master also knows you’re proficient in the Dao of Space, so of course he left this Monster Core behind. With it, your comprehension of the Dao of Space will advance quite a bit, yes?”
Yang Kai did not bother concealing anything and nodded, “Yeah, the purpose of me coming here is for this Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core, so now I’ve obtained what I wanted.”
“Kid, you’re as bold as ever, even daring to enter this kind of damned place,” Gui Zu looked at Yang Kai with a bit of amazement. “Since you got what you wanted, perhaps you can help this old master get what he wants now?”
“What does Senior need help with? If this Junior can be of assistance, he will certainly not refuse,” Yang Kai carefully put away the Shocking Void Beast Monster Core before turning to address Gui Zu with a solemn expression.
Although Gui Zu did not seem like a good thing, he had been quite good to Yang Kai, especially during this unexpected reunion of theirs. Gui Zu seemed very approachable and amiable, so Yang Kai naturally reciprocated in kind.
What’s more, Gui Zu was strong, to the point that even Ni Guang was wary of him, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to establish a good relationship with him. Perhaps there would come a time when Yang Kai would need help from Gui Zu in the future.
“There is a place in here that I will need to borrow your powers to explore,” Gui Zu pondered for a moment, “This old master doesn’t dare to enter that place on his own, but it will be fine if you are there.”
Gui Zu was a decisive character, so after reaching an agreement, he immediately led the way forward.
Yang Kai adjusted Xue Yue on his back, allowing her to lean on him more comfortably as he hurriedly kept up.
Along the way, through some idle chatter, Yang Kai learned that since Gui Zu saw him before entering the Severed World, he had been searching for him; after all, there were many Void Cracks in this Severed World, and only someone proficient in the Dao of Space could travel through here safely.
And Gui Zu happened to know that Yang Kai was quite accomplished in the Dao of Space.
Gui Zu originally intended to find a chance to snatch Yang Kai from under Ni Guang and Luo Lan’s noses and then take him to explore the Severed World, but after entering this place, he had been unable to track Yang Kai down and was only able to use some clues to chase after him.
But suddenly, an accident occurred, and he completely lost track of Yang Kai.
It was not until just now, when Yang Kai suddenly rushed out of The Void and appeared in front of Gui Zu that the latter picked up the former’s trail.
“It seems that Senior and I do indeed share some fate,” Yang Kai laughed after hearing his explanation.
The Void was connected to almost everywhere in the Severed World, yet the injured Shocking Void Beast had appeared right in front of Gui Zu with Yang Kai following close behind. It was a coincidence within a coincidence.
“This old master was also quite surprised, I was beginning to believe I’d lost my chance to meet up with you,” Gui Zu wrapped himself in his black Qi again, making it impossible for others to see his face, but from his tone, it was still obvious he felt quite pleasantly surprised.
“By the way, where are you taking me, Senior?”
“A medicine valley!” Gui Zu flew ahead and replied without looking back, “When this old master passed by there before, he spotted many rare spirit medicines. Unfortunately, that damned place was filled with Void Cracks, so this old master didn’t dare enter too deep and only collected a few Enlightenment Flowers which had bloomed around the periphery before having to withdraw.”
“Enlightenment Flowers!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
Enlightenment Flowers were Origin Grade Mid-Rank spirit flowers! They were extraordinarily rare in the Star Field because the current World Principles did not seem suitable to their growth. Only in places where an ancient environment persisted could Enlightenment Flowers survive.
Fortunately, the Severed World was just such an environment, so it wasn’t surprising that there were Enlightenment Flowers here.
This type of ancient spirit flower, whether it was used to refine the Enlightenment Pill or directly consumed, was of great help to Origin King Realm cultivators in improving their strength and state of mind!
It was no wonder even Gui Zu, with his profound cultivation, was so interested in that medicine valley. It turned out that he obtained a few Enlightenment Flowers there.
“Yeah, in addition to Enlightenment Flowers, there are many treasures there. Some of those herbs even I, an old master, can’t recognize, but I am certain it is a paradise for Origin Kings! If I can obtain enough benefits from there, this old master is confident he will be able to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm in this lifetime!” There was a hint of fanaticism in Gui Zu’s voice.
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly as he was able to speculate that Gui Zu was already a Second-Order Origin King Realm master, otherwise, he would not be speaking so confidently about the Third-Order!
It seemed like it was not unreasonable for Ni Guang to fear him.
“After this old master left that place, he was even more determined to search for you. If anyone here can safely enter that medicine valley, it would definitely be you! This old master didn’t hold out much hope, but… en, it seems this old master’s luck has not run out!” Gui Zu said.
“That should be the medicine valley that Uncle Ni spoke of.”
As soon as Gui Zu finished speaking, Xue Yue’s voice came from behind Yang Kai.
The voice was still weak, but it did not sound haggard or distressed like before.
“You woke up?” Yang Kai turned his head and glanced at her, quickly discovering that Xue Yue’s face had become quite ruddy. It seemed that her healing technique was quite extraordinary, allowing her to rapidly stabilize her injuries.
“En, things were blurry just now, but it seems I’m alright,” Xue Yue nodded, not showing any intention to get off Yang Kai’s back. Instead, she hugged him tighter, enjoying the warmth and care Yang Kai showed her with peace of mind. Glancing over at Gui Zu suspiciously though, she asked into Yang Kai’s ear warily, “This Senior is…”
“This is Senior Gui Zu,” Yang Kai chuckled. “Don’t worry, Senior and I are old acquaintances.”
“Jie Jie…” Gui Zu gave a weird laugh, “Little girl, your thoughts are quite scattered. If this old master really wanted to attack you, do you think you would still be alive? Rest assured, since your boyfriend is this old master’s acquaintance, you can be regarded as this old master’s acquaintance as well. This old master has no ill will towards you.”
Hearing the word ‘boyfriend’, Xue Yue could not help blushing a hint of pink, but a smile soon formed on her lips as she replied softly, “Senior is too kind. Unfortunately, this Junior is wounded and cannot offer a proper greeting, please forgive me.”
“It’s fine!” Gui Zu didn’t care, giving Xue Yue a thoughtful look before asking, “Little girl, you’re Xue Yue of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, right?”
Xue Yue’s expression cramped, but she quickly recovered and nodded, “How did Senior figure that out?”
She used an artifact to change her appearance and figure, making her normal look completely different from her natural one. Moreover, that artifact was refined by an Artifact Refining Grandmaster of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so unless it was a peak Third-Order Origin King, no one should have been able to notice any flaws.
Xue Yue didn’t know why Gui Zu had uncovered her identity at a glance.
“This old master is not a fool,” Gui Zu chuckled. “Only a few people entered the Severed World, and you’re wearing the same clothes as Xue Yue, and you just spoke about your ‘Uncle Ni’. If this old master is still unable to figure out who you were, he would have lived all these years in vain,” As Gui Zu spoke, he felt relaxed. He had been curious about the origins of the woman Yang Kai was carrying as he had not noticed such a woman upon entering the Severed World.
Later, he had managed to figure it out through various clues, and now he had confirmation.
“So that’s how it is!” Xue Yue nodded, realizing that Gui Zu recognizing her was not because of his strength but because she had shown too many flaws.
“The famous Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Third Young Master is actually a woman, simply astonishing,” Gui Zu expressed true surprise.
“Senior, Xue Yue has her secrets, so she doesn’t want others to know about her true identity as a woman. I hope Senior can keep it a secret,” Yang Kai asked. “You know, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is a super force, so if this matter were to spread out…”
“This old master isn’t loose-lipped,” Gui Zu snickered, “Whether she’s male or female has nothing to do with this old master.”
“Many thanks, Senior,” Xue Yue bit her red lips lightly and offered her thanks.
After thinking about it for a moment, she leaned over and whispered into Yang Kai’s ear, “I’d best change my appearance back, otherwise, if I meet someone again, they may also see through my identity.”
“If that’s what you think is best!” Yang Kai nodded.
Xue Yue tapped something on her chest and pushed her Saint Qi, activating the artifact which concealed her appearance and figure, quickly returning to her male image.
“Little girl, what did you mean just now? Does your Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce also know the location of that medicine valley?” Gui Zu asked.
“En,” Xue Yue gently nodded, “My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has long known about the existence of that medicine valley. Every time the Severed World opens, someone will come over and we will have some gains occasionally, but because that place is filled with so many Void Cracks, no one dares enter too deeply. Our previous goal was also that medicine valley, but after encountering that swarm of Illusionary Void Butterflies, we became separated from Uncle Ni.”
“It turns out that it’s not a secret,” Gui Zu expressed his disappointment. “Yang Boy, it looks like we need to speed up a bit; if others get there first, we may not even have soup to drink. Let this old master carry you for now!”
Saying so, Gui Zu formed a series of seals with his hands and summoned his Ten Thousand Soul Banner. The next moment, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner wrapped around the trio and transformed into a streak of black light that flashed across the sky, more than doubling their previous travelling speed.
It was only a coincidence that Gui Zu was able to discover the medicine valley. He did not have any special purpose in entering the Severed World. He had only heard that there were many good things inside that could help Origin Kings enhance their strength, so he decided to come and explore. Then, while tracking Yang Kai, he happened to pass not far from the medicine valley and found a few Enlightenment Flowers.
Unfortunately, even with his great strength, he did not dare to explore too deeply and could only reluctantly retreat.
Now that he was bringing Yang Kai with him, he could not wait to dive in and begin reaping as many rewards as possible.
The medicine valley was not too far away from the place where he and Yang Kai met, but it also was not close. It took a full day for the trio to reach their destination.
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner was withdrawn, and three figures appeared.
However, after Gui Zu released his Divine Sense to investigate the surroundings, his expression sank and he coldly muttered, “As I thought, many people came!”
Within a hundred-kilometre radius, Gui Zu sensed a number of Origin Kings, the only question was whether these people knew about this place beforehand or had discovered it by accident like he had.
Yang Kai swept his eyes around at random and saw the figures of Purple Star’s Sect Master Zi Long and Young Master Zi Dong, both of them sporting the same long, purple hair, making them stand out against the barren hillside they stood upon.
In addition to them, Xu Wei, who had previously plotted against Yang Kai, was also here. Even Kong Fa had come.
These two were quite dishevelled, with Kong Fa obviously injured and pale-faced. It seemed he had suffered greatly under the siege of the Illusionary Void Butterflies and had only barely made it out alive.
“Xue Yue!” Not far to the right, a nervous and delighted voice rang out.
Yang Kai turned his head and found that Ni Guang was rushing towards their side hurriedly while watching Gui Zu vigilantly. Behind him, Luo Lan followed closely.
“Uncle Ni!” Xue Yue called out in pleasant surprise from Yang Kai’s back.
In this damned place, there was nothing more pleasant than seeing familiar faces. Although she was at ease when she was with Yang Kai, she still worried about whether Ni Guang was safe or not, so seeing him here, in good condition, Xue Yue naturally let go of her last concerns.
“What happened?” Ni Guang did not approach too close and instead came to a halt about ten metres away from Yang Kai’s group, his eyes fixed vigilantly on Gui Zu.
He was worried that Yang Kai and Xue Yue had been captured by Gui Zu, and if this was the case, his actions needed to be restrained.
Ni Guang thinking this way was not him being overly cautious or pessimistic, but rather a necessary measure. Gui Zu was easily identified as a villain, so anyone with some common sense would treat him like this.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Ni. I was only slightly wounded, it’s not a problem,” Xue Yue slipped off Yang Kai’s back while answering.
Hearing what she said, Ni Guang’s expression brightened slightly as he glanced over Yang Kai and Xue Yue before returning his eyes to Gui Zu to make sure that this unknown party did not do anything to Xue Yue. After a slight pause, Ni Guang cupped his fists and spoke, “Dare I ask this friend…”
In any case, Gui Zu was clearly travelling with Xue Yue, so Ni Guang had to at least ask for his identity.
Gui Zu simply gave a strange, somewhat grating laughter as he waved his hand, “You don’t need to ask for this old master’s name and origin, this old master has no plans to join forces with you. Just take your Junior back and go about your business, no need to pay attention to this old master!”
His stand-offish tone clearly indicated he did not put Ni Guang in his eyes.
Yang Kai simply scratched his nose to the side.
Ni Guang’s face could not help sinking slightly as he snorted, his expression extremely unhappy.
He was amongst the highest-ranking members of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and a famous figure in the Star Field, anyone with lower cultivation would greet him with extreme respect, and even those in the same realm did not dare treat him rudely, except for a few like Zi Long. As such, Gui Zu’s words were somewhat off-putting.
Ni Guang immediately lost interest in chatting with the other party and coldly declared to Xue Yue, “Let’s go!”
Xue Yue opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find the words, simply glancing over at Yang Kai and entreating him, “Be careful!”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “You too!”
In this situation, he couldn’t remain with Xue Yue as she needed to stay by Ni Guang’s side, and he had to act with Gui Zu.
“Yang Kai, aren’t you coming?” Luo Lan asked in amazement.
Yang Kai shook his head, hesitated, then said, “I have something to do with this Senior, so I’m afraid I cannot fulfil our previous agreement, Senior Luo. If there is a chance in the future, this Junior will give you appropriate compensation.”
“That’s…” Luo Lan smiled, “It’s fine, I was not fully prepared and implicated you this time. Since you have agreed to assist this nobleman, then… Good luck!”
She was a reasonable individual and did not blame Yang Kai for not acting together with her.
“Kid, trying to take the skin from a tiger only leads to being eaten. Think about it clearly,” Ni Guang gave Yang Kai a stern look as he subtly warned him.
“Many thanks for Senior’s care, Junior understands well!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Gui Zu cackled to the side, seemingly intentionally worsening his image.
Ni Guang nodded towards Luo Lan before bringing Xue Yue back to the place where they had originally been waiting. On the way, Ni Guang naturally asked about what happened after they separated, but Xue Yue did not explain in detail, only telling Ni Guang that she and Yang Kai had expended a lot of effort to escape from the Illusionary Void Butterflies before coincidentally meeting Gui Zu.
As for what happened in the void crack, Xue Yue did not dare to explain.
“His name is Gui Zu?” Ni Guang frowned, “Why have I never heard of such a character in the Star Field? Elder Luo, have you ever heard of this person?”
“This Mistress is also ignorant of such a man,” Luo Lan shook her head.
“Strange, how could a Second-Order Origin King possibly be so unknown? Especially one with such obvious traits. Has he intentionally been secluding himself from the world…?” Ni Guang couldn’t understand why he had never heard of Gui Zu before. It was if he had suddenly leapt out from a stone without warning, surprising everyone around.
“Uncle Ni, what’s the situation right now?” Xue Yue asked, skillfully changing the subject.
“The situation isn’t optimistic,” Ni Guang glanced over towards a certain direction. “That bastard Kong Fa followed this old master and Elder Luo all the way to this medicine valley, and after he arrived, he used some kind of secret technique to call over Xue Wei. What’s more, before we even arrived, Zi Long was already here along with that old bastard Meng Tong, who somehow learned of this place.”
“Meng Tong?” Xue Yue frowned and glanced over at a certain spot where a short old man stood, his eyes narrowed tightly and shifting around frequently, like a guilty thief.
This short old man was a true Origin King, and although he was just a First-Order, he had reached the very peak of that realm!
It was rumoured that Meng Tong had reached the Origin King Realm more than a thousand years ago but had never had an opportunity to break through to the Second-Order. If he could obtain some kind of opportunity, breaking through was almost assured!
Meng Tong’s origins were also very mysterious. No one knew where he came from, and the man himself never joined any great force, always cultivating all on his own.
It was extremely difficult for a cultivator without a powerful background to reach great heights because there was no one to teach them, making it much more likely for them to stumble and make mistakes on the long road of cultivation, eventually falling short.
Also, a cultivator without a great force behind them would have limited access to resources. Any time such a lone cultivator wanted resources, they would need to acquire them personally, wasting a great deal of time.
Therefore, such lone cultivators generally did not have high achievements; simply reaching the Origin Realm was already quite impressive.
But Meng Tong was a genuine Origin King! It could be seen that his luck and opportunity in this life were quite good, and with his perseverance and effort, he was able to have his current achievements.
Therefore, although Meng Tong’s cultivation was not at the top of the Star Field, his reputation was quite loud.
Many cultivators without great forces backing them regarded Meng Tong as a role model as well as a goal they strove to match, making the number who looked up to and even worshipped him very large.
Purple Star, Sword Union, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce… All of the Star Field’s great forces had extended invitations to Meng Tong, hoping to win him over and even offering him honourable positions as an Elder. Unfortunately, Meng Tong had refused them all so far, preferring to remain alone and not even accepting disciples of his own.
In a sense, he was another legend in the Star Field.
He did not engage in evil or provoke any great force, nor did he get too close to any great force, simply living an unfettered life.
At times, even Ni Guang admired Meng Tong’s life and yearned for it, but even if he really abandoned everything and lived a life like Meng Tong’s, he might not be happy.
This time, among the cultivators who entered the Severed World, Meng Tong was also one of them. He had come here to seek treasures, and seeing how he found his way to this medicine garden, it was clear his good luck had not run out yet.
Counting Meng Tong and Gui Zu, who had just arrived, there were a total of seven Origin Kings present!
This accounted for about sixty percent of the people who entered the Severed World, and if one took into account those who had already died, the number of Origin Kings who had come to this medicine valley might be as high as eighty percent of the total number of people still alive!
“The spirit medicines and herbs outside the valley have already been divided up,” Ni Guang motioned towards the huge mountain valley in front of him.
“Divided up?” Xue Yue was astonished, “How was the harvest?”
Ni Guang smiled slightly, “Not bad; although there weren’t many, each one was a rare treasure.”
As the two spoke, Luo Lan also unconsciously stroked her Space Ring, as if she too had gained a lot.
“The remaining spirit medicines are hidden inside, but we can’t enter it for now!” Ni Guang continued.
Xue Yue stared at the huge mountain valley in front of her and saw that there was a dazzling seven-coloured light blanketing it, making it seem like the entire valley was filled with a vibrant tide.
What’s more, from this seemingly solid light, Xue Yue felt a deadly threat.
“Seven Coloured Radiant Light?” Xue Yue’s face sank as she uttered the name of this phenomenon.
Given her status, it was obvious she knew something about this medicine valley.
“Indeed!” Ni Guang gently nodded, “This is the Divine Bird’s – Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock’s – innate Seven Coloured Radiant Light. This aura completely ignores all forms of defence, whether they’re artifacts, Secret Techniques, or Divine Sense. Once shrouded in it, no matter how high one’s cultivation is, it will not take long for them to disintegrate and die. It’s extremely dangerous!”
“Then how are we supposed to enter?” Luo Lan asked with some worry. Although she had followed Ni Guang this entire time and gained some knowledge, she was still ignorant of this situation.
It was even her first time hearing about this Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock and its Seven Coloured Radiant Light. Against this dazzling light that even Ni Guang was powerless before, she felt a profound sense of weakness.
“We wait!” Ni Guang quickly said, “This radiant light is diffused when the Divine Bird exhales. When it inhales, it will take it back and we can then enter the medicine valley. Inside the valley, there are numerous Void Cracks that, while dangerous, can serve as natural barriers against the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. We only need to find an appropriate Void Crack to hide behind in order to protect ourselves when the Divine Bird exh…”
Hearing what he said, Luo Lan showed a look of understanding.
While explaining though, Ni Guang suddenly frowned and stared at Xue Yue gravely.
“What’s wrong?” Xue Yue gave a stunned expression.
Ni Guang didn’t speak, but instead focused on a certain spot on top of Xue Yue’s head for a moment before suddenly coldly snorting and shouting, “Despicable!”
Saying so, he condensed his Saint Qi onto his fingers and struck towards Xue Yue.
In the face of Ni Guang’s sudden attack, Xue Yue stood still and did not move. She believed that Ni Guang would not harm her and that her Uncle Ni must have his own reason for doing this.
*Xiu…*
A strong wind blew past the top of Xue Yue’s head and a strand of black Qi suddenly flew from her hair and hovered for a moment before flying over towards Gui Zu’s location like an arrow from a string.
This strand of black Qi escaped so fast that even Ni Guang could not stop it.
He could not clearly see what this strand of black Qi was, but it resembled a human figure with a distorted face, like a Yin Soul. It had been hidden in Xue Yue’s hair just now, and because both were black and it had completely restrained its aura, even Ni Guang had not been aware of it at first.
By the time he noticed, it was too late.
The strand of black Qi quickly flew over to Gui Zu, and as he let out a burst of wicked laughter, he opened his mouth and swallowed the black Qi into his belly.
“Don’t you feel ashamed of acting like that, Your Excellency?” Ni Guang looked over at Gui Zu and shouted coldly.
“Heh heh heh…” Gui Zu still just grinned strangely, “How this old master acts, there’s no need for others to comment on!”
Ni Guang’s face went gloomy as he glared at Gui Zu for a long time before waving his hand and saying, “This King cannot be bothered with you now, but he will certainly settle this account another day!”
Although he was displeased with the little trick Gui Zu had pulled on Xue Yue, it was obviously not the time to fight. Zi Long, who was not far away, was already watching with interest, seemingly eager to see the only two present who could rival him fight.
Naturally, Ni Guang wasn’t about to do what Zi Long wanted. What’s more, he could tell that Gui Zu hadn’t harmed Xue Yue in the slightest and was only trying to eavesdrop to obtain information.
With no other choice but to set the matter aside for now, Ni Guang snorted coldly and turned back towards the medicine valley.
“Yang Boy, did you hear what they said just now?” On the other side, Gui Zu whispered to Yang Kai.
“I heard,” Yang Kai looked surprised, “Senior, when did you leave that thing on Xue Yue?”
He had been carrying Xue Yue this whole time, yet he didn’t even notice when Gui Zu planted that strand of black Qi.
“When this old master handed over the Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core to you,” Gui Zu smiled triumphantly, “What’s wrong? Are you dissatisfied with this old master’s conduct?”
“Nothing of the sort…” Yang Kai chuckled. “I just felt that Senior really stands high and sees far.”
Gui Zu laughed, “Don’t try to flatter this old master, it’s just that this old master has always worked alone, so he needs to be vigilant of everything and take advantage of every opportunity! En, now that you’ve heard what they just said, this old master will be counting on you.”
“I’ll do my best!” Yang Kai nodded, not arguing.
Outside the medicine valley, there was silence for a time as all the gathered Origin Kings waiting patiently. Those like Zi Long and Ni Guang knew how they needed to act next, and while those like Kong Fa, Xu Wei, and Meng Tong may not have any idea about this place, they were still Origin Kings who possessed extraordinary observational skills and analysis capabilities. Even if they did not know how to enter the mountain valley safely right now, watching Ni Guang and Zi Long gave them enough clues.
Xu Wei would cast his eyes towards Yang Kai from time to time. He was very curious about how Yang Kai and Xue Yue survived after being surrounded by so many Illusionary Void Butterflies. At that time, he had used them as bait to delay the Illusionary Void Butterflies so he could escape and was certain these two Juniors would die.
He never thought that he would see both of them appear here a few days later, completely unscathed.
Xu Wei could only attribute their survival to Gui Zu who came with them, thinking it was Gui Zu who appeared and rescued them.
Time passed by.
After about an hour, a strange sound suddenly came from a certain location deep in the huge mountain valley ahead. This sound was almost like a great beast inhaling deeply in its sleep.
The sound was dull and rolling, like the mixture of drums and thunder pounding heavily on one’s soul.
Almost all the Origin Kings present wore solemn expressions upon hearing this sound.
On the other hand, Ni Guang, Luo Lan, Zi Long, and a few others wore eager looks as they secretly condensed their Saint Qi in preparation to move.
The next moment, a change suddenly occurred.
The peaceful mountain valley suddenly filled with a strong gust of wind that blew straight towards its deepest depths. At the same time, the inhalation sound became even more obvious.
As this inhalation continued, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light flooding the mountain valley seemed to receive an irresistible attraction and rapidly receded from the mountain valley like a tide. In the blink of an eye, the scenery inside the mountain valley was exposed to everyone.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
At that moment, three Origin Kings, Ni Guang, Luo Lan, and Zi Long, all moved, shooting out like arrows from the string and chasing after the ebbing Seven Coloured Radiant Light as they charged into the mountain valley!
Seeing this movement, Kong Fa, Xu Wei, and Meng Tong, who had been waiting and watching, no longer restrained themselves, each of them using their movement skills to turn into streaks of light that shot off in different directions.
Gui Zu let out riotous laughter, summoned his Ten Thousand Soul Banner, wrapped it around Yang Kai, and rushed forward.
His cultivation was profound, and among the Origin Kings present, only Ni Guang and Zi Long could match him, so his speed was naturally extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he crossed ten kilometres.
Inside the mountain valley were innumerable Void Cracks, some tiny, some massive, all scattered about randomly. These cracks were like scars in space that could never be repaired.
Many Void Cracks were also hidden, and while some could be located by Divine Sense, some were completely undetectable.
Both Ni Guang and Zi Long carried artifacts that were able to detect Void Cracks, and at this moment they relied on them to push forward while constantly changing directions to avoid these hidden dangers.
The other Origin Kings, who had not prepared for this in advance, had to release their Divine Senses to the greatest extent possible to avoid as many dangers as they could.
After only ten breaths of effort, everyone had settled into a steady pace, and although they had all rushed into the mountain valley at almost the same time, Ni Guang and Zi Long were undoubtedly much further ahead.
However, Gui Zu’s progress was even more exaggerated.
With Yang Kai showing him the way, he did not even need to worry about the threat of Void Cracks. He only needed to follow Yang Kai’s guidance and was easily able to surpass Ni Guang and Zi Long in a short time, leaving them in his dust as he disappeared into the valley.
“That bastard!” Zi Long looked at Gui Zu’s figure in the distance and could not help cursing.
He had spent so many years waiting for the Severed World to open so he could come here to harvest the rare ancient herbs that had long gone extinct in the greater Star Field. Every time the Severed World opened, many rare herbs were obtained from this medicine valley, and those who were faster naturally obtained more.
He thought that his biggest competitor here would be Ni Guang, but then the unanticipated variable, Gui Zu, had appeared halfway and caught him by surprise.
“Does that fool want to die?” Zi Dong, who was following Zi Long, also looked up ahead with a stunned expression, “Rushing in so quickly, once he touches a hidden Void Crack, even if he’s an Origin King, he’ll surely suffer greatly.”
“Don’t concern yourself with him!” Zi Long coldly snorted, “If he wants to court death, let him.”
“Yes!” Zi Dong thought about it and agreed. Even if one rushed in quickly, that did not guarantee good results and instead might lead to a quick death.
Thinking so, his mood became stable.
On the other side, Ni Guang, who was keeping pace with Zi Long, also shook his head and sighed, “Xue Yue, that boy is probably going to meet disaster. That guy named Gui Zu doesn’t know how dangerous this place is, how could their end be good?”
“I doubt that,” Xue Yue shook her head. She knew what Yang Kai and Gui Zu had to depend on, but she did not bother explaining.
Only Luo Lan sighed softly.
If Yang Kai was with them now, their situation would definitely be much better, but unfortunately, he wasn’t.
…..
“We’re here,” After releasing his Divine Sense, Gui Zu confirmed there was no one around for a dozen kilometres and suddenly slowed, allowing his and Yang Kai’s figures to be revealed.
“Hm? There’s a medicinal fragrance!” Yang Kai suddenly sniffed and said with shock.
“Heh heh, we’ve only just come in and we already have a harvest,” Gui Zu chuckled before his expression suddenly turned solemn. “Yang Boy, this old master will make this clear right now, whatever we find in this medicine valley, we’ll split evenly, this old master won’t take advantage of you. What do you think?”
“We’ll do as Senior proposes,” Yang Kai nodded readily.
In this kind of place, although Gui Zu had to rely heavily on Yang Kai’s expertise in Space Force, that did not mean he couldn’t act without Yang Kai, it’s just his speed would be much slower.
Therefore, Gui Zu’s proposal to split the gains evenly was actually a bit of a loss to him; so of course, Yang Kai wouldn’t object.
“Over there!” Yang Kai confirmed the source of the medicinal fragrance and pointed in a certain direction.
Saying so, he rushed over with Gui Zu following close behind.
Ten breaths later, the two arrived in front of a fruit tree about half a person tall. The branches of this fruit tree were a bit sparse and only a few scattered cone-shaped leaves adorned its branches.
On these branches, there were a total of four purple fist-sized fruits that gave off a light twinkling. Their skin was crystal clear and one could see the sweet flesh on their inside.
An indescribable aura lingered around these four fruits, making them stand out all on their own.
Gui Zu’s whole body was wrapped in black Qi, but the piercing fire in his eyes was still difficult to contain.
He could see just how extraordinary these four fruits were at a glance and that they were of great use to improve his strength!
“Divine Nirvana Fruits!” Yang Kai took a moment of observation to identify these fruits from his vast knowledge, and when he did, he could not help calling out in alarm.
“These are Divine Nirvana Fruits?” Gui Zu raised his brows and asked with pleasant surprise, “The ones that are used to refine the Great Nirvana Pill?”
He had obviously heard about the Divine Nirvana Fruit before and what pill it was used to refine.
“En, I’m certain this is the Divine Nirvana Fruit!” Yang Kai grinned, “In this world, there are many kinds of spirit flowers and grasses, but each one that has the descriptor ‘Divine’ in their name is an incredible treasure. Such herbs innately gather elements of the Heavenly Way, which makes them extremely difficult to mature and will easily perish if certain conditions are not met! However, once one does mature, they come to possess incredible effects, whether they are swallowed directly or refined into pills. These effects are even useful to Origin Kings! Senior, we’ve struck it lucky!”
“Heh heh heh… kid, it seems you know quite a bit about spirit medicines,” Gui Zu was in a good mood as he observed Yang Kai in surprise.
“I know a little something,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Good, there are exactly four, so as we agreed, we’ll each take two!” Gui Zu said as he stretched out his hand to grab the Divine Nirvana Fruit nearest him.
“Wait!” Yang Kai stopped him quickly.
“What’s wrong?” Gui Zu looked at him suspiciously.
“Senior, if you pick the Divine Nirvana Fruit like this, there won’t be any immediate problems, but if you don’t preserve it properly, the medicinal efficacies will quickly pass,” Yang Kai warned.
“Hm? Then how should they be preserved?” Gui Zu asked humbly. He knew that some exotic herbs needed to be preserved in special ways, otherwise, their medicinal efficacies would leak out. The Divine Nirvana Fruit was incredibly valuable, so if its medicinal efficacies were to deteriorate due to improper storage, it would be an unacceptable loss. Listening to Yang Kai’s tone, it was obvious he knew the proper preservation method though, so Gui Zu did not hesitate to ask.
“Simple, it only needs to be stored in a Metal Attribute container,” Yang Kai explained with a smile, “Senior, look, there is a rich Metal Attribute aura in the area around this Divine Nirvana Fruit. If my guess is right, down below this fruit tree, there is some kind of mineral lode. If we maintain a similar environment for the picked fruits, it would be best.”
“So that’s how it is!” Gui Zu lightly nodded.
Among the five elements, needing to store the picked Divine Nirvana Fruit in a Metal Attribute box wasn’t unreasonable, but… the fruit tree itself needing to grow atop a mineral lode was a bit strange.
Gui Zu naturally would not think too deeply about such things, though, and simply took out a dark red metal box from his Space Ring, turning to Yang Kai and asking, “Is this alright?”
“Oh… a box made from Profound Red Gold! Senior actually has such a treasure, of course there won’t be a problem with this. Storing the Divine Nirvana Fruit inside such a box will ensure its medicinal efficacies don’t leak for a thousand years or more!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Good, then this old master won’t delay any further,” Gui Zu laughed as he picked two Divine Nirvana Fruits first and placed them carefully into his box for storage.
Yang Kai picked the remaining two Divine Nirvana Fruits, and although he did not have a treasure like Gui Zu’s Profound Red Gold box, as an Alchemist himself, he was naturally well prepared and had an appropriate Metal Attribute box to store them in.
After splitting the four Divine Nirvana Fruits, the two happily moved on, avoiding the surrounding Void Cracks while searching for ancient herbs inside the medicine valley.
This medicine valley was enormous, so large that no one even knew its full extent, so no matter how Yang Kai and Gui Zu rushed about, they never encountered anyone else.
Moreover, it was extremely convenient to find spirit medicines in this kind of place because each one had an extremely high medicinal age and released a rich medicinal fragrance. As long as one followed these medicinal fragrances, they would definitely obtain something good.
After half an hour, the pair followed their noses to a palm-sized flower.
This flower was growing in a well-concealed crevice and was extremely difficult to spot. In fact, if it were not for it emitting such a potent medicinal fragrance, Yang Kai and Gui Zu might have missed it.
“Demon Melting Iris!” Upon seeing this flower, even without Yang Kai’s explanation, Gui Zu readily recognized it and could not help calling out in joy. “It’s really a Melting Iris! Hahaha, this old master’s luck is too good!”
“Congratulations Senior, this Demon Melting Iris seems to be at least two thousand years old and if it is used to refine a Demon Vanquishing Pill. It is imaginable that Origin Kings would go to war to snatch it!” Yang Kai cupped his fists with a smile.
Gui Zu glanced over at Yang Kai and said, “Good, this thing is of great use to this old master, so he will take it first. If there is anything we discover later, no matter what it is, you can freely take it. Yang Boy, is that agreeable?”
“Naturally,” Yang Kai replied boldly.
The primary function of the Demon Melting Iris was to melt heart demons. When a cultivator was cultivating or trying to break through, heart demons would occasionally appear. These heart demons were negative shadows hidden in a cultivator’s heart.
For example, witnessing the strong bully the weak and not drawing one’s sword to help may become a heart demon.
Being bullied and failing to obtain justice was another way a heart demon could form.
Being unable to save one’s beloved woman from death could also become the source of a heart demon.
Heart demons was a general term that encompassed all kinds of regrets and negative emotions that weighed on a cultivator’s heart.
Heart Demons were extremely harmful, and while they normally did not have much impact on a cultivator’s day to day life, as one’s strength grew, the degree of danger a heart demon posed would also grow stronger, especially when one was trying to break through. During the delicate period when a cultivator was trying to reach the next realm, the power of a heart demon would be infinitely magnified, and once the cultivator failed to suppress or overcome it, the breakthrough would fail, resulting in severe backlash or possibly even a dissonance in his or her cultivation, the ultimate result of which could be death.
Therefore, high-level cultivators would generally make many preparations before attempting to break through, especially when it came to preventing or resolving heart demons. The easiest way to do this was to take certain types of pills.
The Demon Vanquishing Pill, refined from a Demon Melting Iris, was the best Spirit Pill to suppress heart demons! Even if the Demon Melting Iris weren’t refined into a pill, just consuming one of its petals during a breakthrough would have a miraculous effect.
Gui Zu was now a Second-Order Origin King, but if he wanted to break through to the Third-Order, there would be many difficulties. Gui Zu’s life was filled with tragedies, and he had yet to obtain the vengeance he sought, so the power of his heart demons would not be small. In this world, only the Demon Melting Iris could suppress such a powerful heart demon.
That is why he made such a proposal.
Yang Kai certainly would not refuse.
Gui Zu treated the Demon Melting Iris like a supreme treasure, but Yang Kai didn’t actually care much about it.
High Heaven Sect’s Rising Dragon Hall had the precious Ten Thousand Year Incense which could also resolve heart demons, and its effects were even stronger than the Demon Vanquishing Pill. In other words, this Demon Melting Iris was useless to Yang Kai.
“This old master won’t forget the favour,” Gui Zu said solemnly before collecting the Demon Melting Iris. During the harvesting process, he also consulted Yang Kai about whether it needed to be preserved in a special way. After obtaining the appropriate information, the Demon Melting Iris quickly entered Gui Zu’s pocket.
After Gui Zu collected the Demon Melting Iris, Yang Kai, who had been standing next to him, suddenly frowned, and asked in a low voice, “Senior, do you hear something?”
Gui Zu was startled and quickly perked up his ears.
A moment later, both his and Yang Kai’s expressions changed drastically as they called out in alarm, “This is bad, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light!”
*Hu…*
The exhaling sound came from somewhere far away, and along with it, the medicine valley began to tremble slightly. Looking towards the source of the vibrations, a seven coloured light came crashing forward like a great tide.
“Where’s the nearest Void Crack?” Gui Zu immediately looked at Yang Kai and asked nervously.
There were countless Void Cracks nearby, but none of them were visible, so Gui Zu could only pin his hopes on Yang Kai.
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light was an innate ability of the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock Divine Bird, and was capable of rapidly disintegrating both a cultivator’s body and Soul while ignoring any kind of defence. Even Gui Zu had no confidence he could resist the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
The only way to survive was to hide behind one of the Void Cracks nearby!
“Here!” Yang Kai did not become flustered though and simply pointed towards a certain direction with confidence while rushing off.
Gui Zu’s figure flickered and followed close behind.
A moment later, the pair stood in a certain spot mid-air.
“Is there really a Void Crack here?” Gui Zu looked around as he watched the Seven Coloured Radiant Light diffuse towards them from the depths of the medicine valley. This tide was about to cover the spot they were standing in so he could not help feeling a little panicked.
“Of course,” Yang Kai smiled lightly and gestured, “Senior doesn’t need to be so nervous; this Junior would not play tricks with his life. En, this Void Crack is both tall and long!”
Seeing him speak with such confidence, Gui Zu relaxed somewhat.
Soon, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light swept past them!
Even with Yang Kai’s assurances, Gui Zu still leaked cold sweat as he watched the terrifying light flow over them.
Since breaking through to the Origin King Realm, he had not experienced such palpable fear.
Silence reigned…
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light swept over the location where the two stood as it continued to fill up the entire medicine valley at a rapid pace.
Yet where Yang Kai and Gui Zu stood, there was a ten-metre long patch that was not filled with Seven Coloured Radiant Light. The terrifying light in front of this narrow strip seemed to have flown into some kind of bottomless abyss, disappearing entirely while leaving a safe place behind.
Gui Zu finally let out a sigh of relief.
Yang Kai was right, there was indeed a Void Crack here, but Gui Zu was unable to sense it even though he was standing right beside it. However, now that the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was outlining its existence, Gui Zu could see that its size and shape were just as Yang Kai had described earlier.
Looking at Yang Kai beside him, Gui Zu’s eyes flashed a complicated light.
He too had studied the Dao of Space and understood just how difficult it was to cultivate this esoteric Dao. He had been trapped on that floating continent for two thousand years yet barely scratched the surface, while Yang Kai had such profound achievements in this domain, making Gui Zu feel like his aptitude was simply unsightly.
What’s more… when he met Yang Kai some thirty years ago, this boy was only a First-Order Saint, but he was now a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. This boy’s cultivation speed was simply too fast, quite likely faster than anyone in the entire Star Field.
This kid would definitely become the most dazzling star in the Star Field’s future, Gui Zu thought in his heart.
“By the way, Yang Boy,” While waiting for the Seven Coloured Radiant Light to retreat, Gui Zu casually asked, “This old master noticed you have quite a deep knowledge of spirit medicines and herbs. Have you studied Alchemy, perhaps?”
Although the pair had only harvested Divine Nirvana Fruits and a Demon Melting Iris so far, Yang Kai had been able to quickly identify these herbs, how to properly preserve them, and which pills could be refined from them, speaking about all of it clearly and confidently. Naturally, Gui Zu would become suspicious.
“En!” Yang Kai nodded, not trying to deny it.
“Oh?” Gui Zu looked at Yang Kai in amazement, “In this short thirty or forty year period, you managed to grow from the Saint Realm all the way to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm. That was surprising enough for this old master, but now you say you also had time to study Alchemy? Are you not afraid you will delay your cultivation by pursuing too many diverse fields?”
Yang Kai chuckled and replied, “My original intention of studying Alchemy was as an auxiliary to my cultivation, the pursuit of the peak of the Martial Dao has always been my priority.”
“Very good,” Gui Zu looked at him approvingly, “Alchemy, Artifact Refining, arranging Spirit Arrays, although each of these fields is of great importance, none are comparable to the Martial Dao. Cultivation should always be one’s priority, everything else can only serve as supplementals to it.”
Regarding Gui Zu’s opinion, Yang Kai naturally nodded in agreement.
“En, but that being said, if you can achieve something in any of these three domains, it is still a remarkable accomplishment,” Gui Zu was satisfied with Yang Kai’s attitude, smiled, and asked curiously, “Do you mind telling this old master what grade of pills you can refine now?”
Hearing his question, Yang Kai thought about it seriously before solemnly replying, “Since it is Senior asking, this Junior won’t conceal anything. En, this Junior can be regarded as an Origin King Grade Alchemist and can refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Gui Zu’s body shook violently as he stared straight at Yang Kai without speaking for quite some time.
“Senior?” Yang Kai gave a dry laugh when he saw the reaction he was expecting from Gui Zu. After all, how many Origin King Grade Alchemists were there in the entire Star Field? Which of those Alchemists was not grey-haired and extremely famous? At Yang Kai’s age, it should have simply been impossible to become an Origin King Grade Alchemist.
Gui Zu was silent for a long time before taking a deep breath and asking in a shaky voice, “Are you making a joke?”
He thought Yang Kai was playing a prank on him at first, but after observing him for some time and not seeing the slightest signs that Yang Kai was joking, he began to suspect that perhaps… he might be telling the truth.
“No!” Yang Kai shook his head.
“You’re really an Origin King Grade Alchemist!?” Gui Zu exclaimed and after speaking, immediately swept his eyes around, as if he was afraid someone might have heard him shout just now.
“How could this Junior joke about such a matter? En, although I have only refined a few Origin King Grade Spirit Pills, I have indeed refined some. According to the Star Field’s method of classifying Alchemists, this Junior should be regarded as an Origin King Grade Alchemist.”
Gui Zu took another deep breath as he stared at Yang Kai like some strange monster.
Yang Kai was not old, he possessed such high cultivation, and now he also seemed to be an Origin King Grade Alchemist! How did he do it? Even if he began cultivating in his mother’s womb, it should have been impossible to achieve this, right? Only if he had somehow managed to split himself into a dozen clones that could cultivate independently would something this absurdity be possible.
Gui Zu absolutely could not understand!
“There are very few people who know I am an Origin King Grade Alchemist. Besides my women and family, only Senior knows, so I hope Senior can keep it a secret for me,” Yang Kai grinned.
Yang Kai usually concealed his identity as an Alchemist because he lacked strength and had to worry about others trying to take advantage of him.
But now that his strength had reached such a height, exposing his identity as an Alchemist would not cause him any trouble; on the contrary, being known as an Origin King Grade Alchemist would bring huge benefits, so Yang Kai didn’t intend to hide it from his acquaintances if they asked.
Hearing this, Gui Zu nodded and said in a serious tone, “This old master knows what he should do, he won’t spread such information about. What’s more, this old master doesn’t have any associates, so how could he do something as dull as bragging to strangers about another’s accomplishments? However… Kid, why did you just tell this old master the truth? Aren’t you afraid this old master would act against you? You should know just how attractive an Origin King Grade Alchemist is to people like this old master. If one can capture such an Alchemist and force them to refine pills for them, improving one’s strength becomes easy.”
“Haha, Senior is not such a person,” Yang Kai touched his nose. “If I wasn’t confident in Senior’s character, I wouldn’t have told the truth. Besides, between offending an Origin King Grade Alchemist and befriending one, Senior surely understands which is the wiser choice. Even if you were to capture me and force me to perform Alchemy for you, you would constantly need to worry about poison being hidden in the pills I refined for you.”
Saying so, Yang Kai grinned at Gui Zu.
He had chosen to tell the truth to Gui Zu after some consideration, not on a whim.
Gui Zu stared at Yang Kai deeply for a long time before suddenly bursting into laughter, “Hahaha! This old master is deeply honoured. En, I never expected that a little brat this old master almost completely wrote off in the past would not only have such profound cultivation but also become an Origin King Grade Alchemist! If this kind of matter were to spread, it would only be giving this old master face.”
“Senior surely jests,” Yang Kai said modestly.
“En, then regarding that Great Nirvana Pill and Demon Vanquishing Pill you mentioned before, can you refine them?” Gui Zu asked nervously.
The Great Nirvana Pill could improve his cultivation while the Demon Vanquishing Pill could suppress his heart demons, both of which were of great use to him. He originally planned to go out to find an Origin King Grade Alchemist in the Star Field to request Alchemy from.
But this would undoubtedly cost him a huge price and would likely take many years; after all, which of these Alchemy Grandmasters wasn’t highly sought after? These were not masters one could simply take raw materials to and then expect a pill from, everything depended on the other party’s schedule.
Due to Gui Zu’s unique circumstances, he was not familiar with all the procedures around such things, but he at least understood common sense. With his cultivation, he may have to agree to some harsh conditions such as helping a certain Alchemy Grandmaster kill someone or take a huge risk to obtain some precious material before the other party would even consider accepting his request for Alchemy.
Even an Origin King like him may not necessarily be able to bear the price that these Grandmasters demanded.
But now, there was an Origin King Grade Alchemist in front of him, and one he had a good relationship with.
Gui Zu was so happy he wanted to shout!
He secretly rejoiced in his heart that he had not killed Yang Kai back then and even offered him thanks for his life-saving grace, forging a kind of friendship with him. Fortunately, in the Severed World this time, he had been genial with Yang Kai at every turn!
Gui Zu suddenly felt that befriending Yang Kai was the wisest decision he had ever made in his life.
“The Great Nirvana Pill and Demon Vanquishing Pill are both Origin King Grade Spirit Pills, so neither is easy to refine, but as long as you can obtain the other ingredients, I should be able to give it a try,” Yang Kai thought about it carefully before nodding.
“What chance do you have to succeed?” Gui Zu hurriedly asked.
“At least sixty percent.”
“Sixty percent!” Gui Zu drew a sharp breath as he realized he was still underestimating Yang Kai. Origin King Grade Spirit Pills were extremely difficult to refine, and the failure rate was surprisingly high. Even most famous Alchemy Grandmasters would not dare guarantee a sixty percent success rate.
Yang Kai was also not the kind to idly boast. Gui Zu was well acquainted with this boy’s stable temperament, so he did not doubt him. Since Yang Kai said he had a sixty percent chance to succeed, he meant sixty percent.
“But…” Yang Kai suddenly laughed.
“But what,” Gui Zu’s heart tightened once more.
“If Senior wants to refine the Great Nirvana Pill and Demon Vanquishing Pill, this Junior can recommend another person, she has far more exquisite skill in Alchemy. If she takes action, the success rate will be higher.”
*Si…*
Gui Zu audibly inhaled as he stared at Yang Kai incredulously, “Do you know another Origin King Grade Alchemist? Right, you should have been taught by some famous Grandmaster, could it be you’re referring to your Honoured Master?”
As Gui Zu spoke, his eyes flashed with brilliant light.
Yang Kai’s Honoured Master was definitely an Origin King Grade Alchemist, and definitely superior to Yang Kai. Gui Zu definitely wanted to befriend such a person. As long as he could form a friendship with such a Grandmaster, he would be able to ask for high-grade pills at any point in the future. At that point, how could he not benefit enormously?
Gui Zu had secretly made up his mind that after this trip to the Severed World, he needed to visit Yang Kai’s Honoured Master.
How many Origin King Grade masters wanted to meet with such an Alchemy Grandmaster but had no way to, yet now Gui Zu had a chance to meet two! Gui Zu almost felt his heart burst from his chest.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head, “The person I’m referring to is my Senior Sister!”
He was speaking about Xia Ning Chang!
Although her Alchemy skills were not as good as his when Yang Kai brought Xia Ning Chang out from Tong Xuan Realm, he was confident that her Alchemy skills had already surpassed his after practising for so many years with the near-unlimited supply of herbs High Heaven Sect provided her, as well as the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture guiding her, and the Special Constitution that allowed her to comprehend everything about Alchemy.
“Your Senior Sister is also an Origin King Grade Alchemist?” Gui Zu was shocked.
Didn’t that mean… that there were three Alchemy Grandmasters at this level in one single group? How Heaven defying was that!?
Gui Zu hardly dared to imagine what kind of Sect could possess three Origin King Grade Alchemists! With such powerful support, how could this Sect ever lack for high-grade pills?
If this kind of news were to spread, Gui Zu was certain it would set off great waves across the entire Star Field. Even giants such as the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union would definitely send people to win over the Sect Yang Kai belonged to.
After all, even these three great forces did not all have their own Origin King Grade Alchemist! Among the three, only Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and Purple Star had one each, while Sword Union did not have one in its employ.
“Little Senior Sister is indeed an Origin King Grade Alchemist,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Yang Kai!” Gui Zu suddenly took a deep breath and asked in a deep voice, “Which Cultivation Star is your Sect established on? Is your Sect recruiting? Do you need a high cultivation Elder or something? En, an Honoured Guest Elder would also be fine. No matter what it is, any title would be acceptable.”
Gui Zu could not calm down at all.
Although he had spent his years alone at ease, only he knew how sorrowful and difficult such isolation could be.
For example, he had no one to ask if he wanted a pill refined. If he wanted to enter retreat to cultivate some Secret Technique, no one would protect him. He even needed to acquire the resources to cultivate by himself.
All kinds of trivial matters put a great strain on him and wasted much of his time.
This was very different from Origin Kings who belonged to great forces. Each of these masters would have extraordinary status and if they needed anything, all they had to do was issue a command and countless disciples would rush around to fulfil their request. All those Origin Kings needed to do was cultivate with peace of mind.
As such, there were times when Gui Zu envied those Origin Kings who belonged to great forces.
However, if he really was asked to join a great force, he would definitely refuse; after all, he wasn’t willing to be restrained by others and did not want to tie himself to some force he had no connection with.
But if it was the Sect where Yang Kai was, it would be completely different!
This Sect had three Origin King Grade Alchemy Grandmasters! This alone was a fatal attraction to Gui Zu.
Furthermore, he felt Yang Kai was quite easy to get along with, and their relationship was amicable, so his feelings of rejection towards the Sect Yang Kai belonged to were comparably less.
Seeing Gui Zu offer himself up without him needing to take the initiative to invite him, Yang Kai was quite happy.
He had not expected that Gui Zu would suddenly propose joining High Heaven Sect, but it made sense to Yang Kai after some thought.
With both him and Xia Ning Chang being Origin King Grade Alchemy Grandmasters, it really was not too difficult to win over an Origin King. It was just that Yang Kai had not been too keen on doing this. Even if there was no Origin King in High Heaven Sect currently, that did not mean there would not be one or more in the future.
Ye Xi Yun could already be considered a quasi-Origin King, and given her aptitude and foundation, breaking through to the Origin King Realm in the future was basically a given, all she was lacking was an opportunity.
However, if Gui Zu wanted to join, that was not something he couldn’t accept. After this period of getting along, Yang Kai also understood that Gui Zu was not as sinister and vicious as he seemed.
His ghastly aura was simply because of the Secret Art he cultivated.
As various thoughts flashed across his mind, Yang Kai grinned, “Junior belongs to a force called High Heaven Sect that has its headquarters on Shadowed Star. Despite lacking in many places, this Junior also serves as High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master…”
He briefly explained the situation of High Heaven Sect to Gui Zu.
When he heard that High Heaven Sect was founded by Yang Kai himself, Gui Zu could not help admiring him greatly. When he learned that there was currently no Origin King in High Heaven Sect, and that across Shadowed Star there was only a single, newly promoted First-Order Origin King, Gui Zu was overjoyed.
He had thought that a great force which possessed several Origin King Grade Alchemy Grandmasters would not be weak, and perhaps already have many Origin Kings serving it. If that was the case, his joining would just be adding flowers to a bouquet, but now it seemed that he could directly become the strongest master of High Heaven Sect and Shadowed Star if he really joined!
The difference in status between these two situations was completely different from what he had expected before. He could become a supreme existence in one leap!
So Gui Zu was even more enthusiastic and could not wait to ask, “Yang Kai, this old master has wandered about all alone for most of his life, and ever since escaping that floating continent, he has drifted about without any place to stop and rest. What do you say to this old master calling your High Heaven Sect home? This old master doesn’t have many requirements. As long as he can hang the title of Honored Guest Elder next to his name and he can enjoy the care of those Origin King Grade Alchemists to occasionally refine a few pills, this old master will be satisfied, haha…”
He was very direct and honest.
Yang Kai laughed, “A master like Senior wishing to join High Heaven Sect. How could this Junior ask for anything more?”
“Then it’s settled?” Gui Zu’s eyes lit up. Although he knew that Yang Kai probably would not refuse him, Gui Zu was still happy when he heard Yang Kai agree.
This way, he could approach the Origin King Grade Alchemist Yang Kai spoke of, and as long as he found the appropriate herbs in the future, he wouldn’t need to worry about having someone to refine them into pills for him! How could his strength not improve rapidly at that point?
Gui Zu could already imagine a future where he broke through to the pinnacle of the Third-Order Origin King Realm and stood at the very peak of the entire Star Field.
“It’s settled!” Yang Kai nodded happily, “But the status of Honoured Guest Elder doesn’t fit Senior’s great strength, so instead… you shall be the Sect’s Supreme Elder.”
Gui Zu’s body shook violently as he stared deeply at Yang Kai, his heart unable to settle for quite some time.
Although he had never joined any great force before, he knew the difference between an Honoured Guest Elder and a Supreme Elder. An Honoured Guest Elder, although granting some rights and privileges, was really nothing more than an in-name position with no real power at all.
On the other hand, a Supreme Elder was completely different. Supreme Elders held real power. Strictly speaking, that power was so great it only ranked below that of the Sect Master. There were even some great forces where Supreme Elders were ranked higher than the Sect Master and were existences that could easily mobilize all the Sect’s resources and disciples with absolute authority.
However, being an Honoured Guest Elder also had its advantages. When the Sect encountered grave danger it could not resolve, an Honoured Guest Elder could choose to help or not according to their own situation, giving them a high degree of freedom, but a Supreme Elder had to advance and retreat together with the Sect, sharing life and death with it.
Supreme Elders were generally the highest in terms of seniority in a Sect, and only those with superb qualifications could hold such a post.
Gui Zu had not expected that Yang Kai would directly give him the title of Supreme Elder, and although the risks he would have to bear became greater if he accepted, the benefits and treatment he would receive would be proportionally better.
“Yang Boy, you treating this old master with such courtesy demands that this old master respond with equal sincerity. Alright, this old master does not speak empty words. When the time comes, this old master will not disgrace his title as a Supreme Elder!” Gui Zu quickly said.
Even though he was not a young man anymore, Yang Kai’s words had still made his blood boil, so he directly spoke these bold words.
“Senior is too serious. Since this Junior offered you the position of Supreme Elder, he does not doubt you,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“You still call me Senior?” Gui Zu asked with a grin.
“En… Junior greets Supreme Elder!” Yang Kai quickly cupped his fists and replied sincerely.
“Many thanks, Sect Master!” Gui Zu also replied, “From now on, this old master is a member of High Heaven Sect and will thus be troubling Sect Master. If Sect Master has any instructions, please don’t hesitate!”
After speaking, the two looked at each other and laughed loudly, as if they had made some kind of illicit deal just now…
“Good, after this trip to the Severed World is over, this old master will follow you back to the Sect,” Gui Zu said with a look of yearning. He was very curious about what kind of Sect could cultivate a monster like Yang Kai. Since he had chosen to join High Heaven Sect, he wanted to see it and determine its strength and prospects.
“A simple matter. I’ll be together with you so this news will reach the Sect promptly and without incident,” Yang Kai nodded.
Saying so, Yang Kai’s brow suddenly rose and he said, “Supreme Elder, I suddenly had a thought.”
“What?”
“We should act separately, that way our search range will greatly increase and the number of treasures we can collect will double. What do you think?”
Yang Kai had not made such a suggestion before primarily because although he had a good relationship with Gui Zu, they were not true allies, so such a proposal wasn’t appropriate as it may cause Gui Zu to misunderstand his intentions.
But now it was different. With Gui Zu joining High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai no longer had any scruples making this proposal.
Gui Zu thought for a while and said, “If we separate, we can indeed search a wider area and our gains will also increase, but there are too many Void Cracks here. Although this old master can discover most of them, there are some which are hidden so deeply that this old master cannot discover. Without you, this old master is not confident he can act freely.”
Just like the situation a moment ago, when the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was approaching, Gui Zu would have been engulfed by the multi-coloured light and the consequences would have been disastrous if Yang Kai had not found a place to escape.
“Heh heh, since I am suggesting this, I naturally have a method to allow Supreme Elder to discover those Void Cracks,” Yang Kai smiled confidently.
“Oh? Does Sect Master have some way to allow this old master to sense the surrounding Void Cracks?” Gui Zu asked in surprise.
Yang Kai grinned, “I can leave a Space Mark on you so that you can perceive those hidden cracks.”
“You can do that?”
“It should be possible. Come, let’s try,” Yang Kai wasn’t completely sure as he had never done this before, but after swallowing and fusing with the energy of the spatial helix, his understanding of the Dao of Space had reached a new height so he felt he could be able to accomplish this.
“If you can really do it, then it would undoubtedly be a boon,” Gui Zu nodded.
With Gui Zu’s consent, Yang Kai took a deep breath and pushed his Space Force to condense a small, swirling vortex at the tip of his finger.
The next moment, Yang Kai gently tapped towards Gui Zu’s chest.
This spiral suddenly exploded and transformed into a type of seal which remained on Gui Zu.
“Oh… this is Space Force?” Gui Zu muttered in surprise. Even though he was a Second-Order Origin King, he could not help marvelling at the profoundness of the Space Force mark on his chest. This mark seemed to send Space Force fluctuations into his surroundings, then feedback information to him.
There were a few places nearby where the feedback information was different, and when Gui Zu looked towards those places, he suddenly discovered that there were Void Cracks at each of them!
And one of them was the hidden crack he and Yang Kai were hiding behind! Before, he couldn’t sense this Void Crack at all, and only after its shape was outlined by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was he able to see it; but now, he could perceive it clearly.
It was as if a certain special perception had been added to his own.
“Is it useful?” Yang Kai asked. Although he felt that his idea should be feasible, using a Space Force mark to sense the existence of Void Cracks, in the end, was a newly formulated Secret Technique he was using on another person, so he was not completely confident.
“It’s useful, very useful!” Gui Zu nodded repeatedly, “This old master can feel all the surrounding Void Cracks now. There are three hidden cracks nearby, right?”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded and smiled, “It seems that there is nothing wrong with this idea.”
“Yeah, this old master won’t run into any problems anymore, but… are you sure you’ll have no problems on your own?” Gui Zu asked worriedly. Most of the people who entered here were Origin Kings, with only Xue Yue and Zi Dong being Origin Realm cultivators, but those two would definitely be following Ni Guang and Zi Long respectively. If Yang Kai was alone, he would need to bear some great risks to act here, and if he encountered any masters, he would be vulnerable to attack.
This made Gui Zu somewhat nervous.
“There’s no problem,” Yang Kai grinned, “Supreme Elder hasn’t forgotten what power I am proficient in, right? There are so many Void Cracks here that this place is simply tailored made for me. If I encounter some aggressive fool, even if I cannot defeat them, I can still run.”
Hearing what he said, Gui Zu also agreed and nodded, “Good, in that case, we’ll act separately, but you must still remain vigilant. En, I will leave something with you as well; as long as you and I are within a few thousand kilometres, I will be able to perceive your location if you stimulate it and I will rush over to assist.”
As Gui Zu spoke, he waved his Ten Thousand Soul Banner, reached into it, and pulled something out.
The next moment, a Yin Soul roared eerily as it was handled by Gui Zu.
This Yin Soul looked incredibly terrifying and had clear facial features while also exuding an extremely powerful aura. This aura was just as strong as an ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator’s.
“This is the vice-soul of this old master’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner and has a direct link to this old master’s Soul. For now, I’ll leave it with you!” Gui Zu stretched out his hand and placed the Yin Soul on Yang Kai’s shoulder.
The next moment, Yang Kai felt a hint of coldness coming from his shoulder, but it did not affect him much.
After a quick scan to confirm the Yin Soul was attached to his body, Yang Kai nodded slightly to indicate that everything was in order.
Now, all that was left to do was wait for the Seven Coloured Radiant Light to retreat so the two could set off.
While the seven coloured light covered the mountain valley, no one was able to move and could only hide behind nearby Void Cracks.
Yang Kai silently kept track of time.
Finally, the sound of a deep inhalation from the depths of the mountain valley sounded, and along with a slight rumbling, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light receded like a great tide.
“Sect Master, be careful,” Gui Zu entreated.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded before immediately setting off in the opposite direction Gui Zu took.
After separating from Gui Zu, Yang Kai’s speed became much faster. Even though he was much safer while acting with Gui Zu, Yang Kai still had to constantly warn Gui Zu when to change directions to avoid Void Cracks, slowing Yang Kai’s progress slightly. Now, this wasn’t a concern.
In the medicine valley, medicinal fragrances were everywhere, so it was quite simple to find these precious herbs; just by following the flow of medicinal fragrances, one could reap gains.
The only thing to worry about was the existence of Void Cracks and the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
But Yang Kai estimated that since the Seven Coloured Radiant Light had just retreated, it would not appear again for some time, so he acted boldly.
After a stick of incense, he squatted happily beside the roots of a towering tree to pluck a ginseng-like root.
This root did not appear any different from ordinary ginseng besides its glimmering red glow, making it look like a red starry sky that had been shrunk down countless times.
“Red Star Ginseng, this really is a good place,” Yang Kai muttered. All of the herbs he had acquired so far were Origin King Grade, and each was a rare, if not extinct treasure. These herbs could be used to refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills that even Origin Kings would desperately fight for.
Yang Kai was on the verge of another breakthrough, so these herbs were incredibly useful for his future cultivation.
This trip to the Severed World had provided him with such a rare opportunity to collect herbs so he certainly spared no effort.
After half a stick of incense worth of time, Yang Kai was already three hundred kilometres away as he frowned at a patch of spirit grass in front of him and some disturbed soil, cursing under his breath for being too late.
The spirit medicine which grew in this place had already been harvested.
The only spirit grass remaining was immature, so it would be useless even if it were to be collected.
It seemed that the cultivator who came here before followed the principle of not killing the chicken which laid the eggs. This person took away the mature spirit medicines while leaving behind the seedlings, a courtesy to future generations.
It was not clear who this person was, but after a moment of grumbling, Yang Kai simply shook his head and began tracing the next medicinal fragrance which stimulated his nose.
Another stick of incense worth of time passed before Yang Kai finally gained something, and although this herb was inferior to the Divine Nirvana Fruit and Demon Melting Iris, it was still an invaluable treasure one could not buy even if they had enough money.
“It should be time soon,” Yang Kai muttered to himself.
According to his previous estimates, the period of time between when the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock inhaled and exhaled was roughly half an hour. If this calculation was accurate, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light would soon flood the mountain valley again.
Yang Kai could not be sure about his speculation, though, as he had yet to verify it.
Just to be cautious, Yang Kai began paying attention to the locations of nearby Void Cracks as he continued his search.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look in one direction as he sensed something. He noticed that there was a life aura quickly approaching from about thirty kilometres away, and after some quick checking, he realized that this aura was quite familiar and muttered, “Oh, it’s her!”
Understanding this, Yang Kai did not try to avoid this newcomer and instead turned towards them in order to greet her.
A moment later, a figure appeared nearby.
Yang Kai raised his voice and called out, “Senior Luo!”
Luo Lan had also discovered Yang Kai some time ago, which was why she was flying over towards him, constantly releasing her Divine Sense in order to scan for Void Cracks in her path.
Luo Lan smiled when she heard Yang Kai’s voice and increased her speed.
“Wait!” Yang Kai shouted suddenly.
Luo Lan stopped immediately and asked, “What’s wrong? Is there a Void Crack in front of me?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes. If you go forward five steps, you’ll touch it.”
Luo Lan’s pretty face paled slightly as she felt some slight fear, staring towards the space in front of her as she asked, “Here?”
“En, you’ll be fine if you move a metre to either side,” Yang Kai instructed.
Luo Lan moved cautiously, following Yang Kai’s directions as she flew over to his side, saying when she arrived, “Many thanks. If you had not reminded me just now, I’m afraid I’d have already lost my head.”
“A minor matter, Senior doesn’t need to worry about it,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“By the way, why are you here alone?” Luo Lan looked at Yang Kai and asked curiously. She had clearly seen Yang Kai enter the medicine valley with Gui Zu before, but now, Gui Zu was nowhere to be seen.
“That’s what I was about to ask,” Yang Kai chuckled. “I acted separately from Senior Gui Zu so that we could have greater gains, but what about Senior Luo? Why aren’t you together with Senior Ni?”
“For the same reason,” Luo Lan said with a smile. “Following him, I was not able to obtain anything good, so I decided to take a chance and explore on my own. Although I have had some gains so far, it seems that the reason I haven’t gotten into trouble yet was merely luck.”
If it had not been for Yang Kai’s warning just now, she definitely would have struck that Void Crack head-on, and the consequences would have been disastrous.
Thinking she might have passed by countless invisible Void Cracks so far; Luo Lan broke out into a cold sweat.
As the two talked, the sound of a great exhalation came from the depths of the medicine valley. Yang Kai and Luo Lan, who had already experienced this phenomenon before obviously knew what it meant and what they had to do.
[Seems my estimates were right], Yang Kai thought secretly. Every time the Divine Bird breathed; it would take about half an hour to complete a cycle.
While he was thinking about this matter, Luo Lan turned her head around to try to find a place to hide. Unfortunately, there were no visible Void Cracks nearby, so with no other choice, she could only turn to Yang Kai.
She did not show any panic though; after all, she was certain there were hidden Void Cracks here that could be used to avoid the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, it’s just that she couldn’t find them.
“Senior, come here!” Yang Kai said without any hesitation, beckoning to Luo Lan as he stood behind a nearby Void Crack, but in the next moment, Yang Kai’s expression cramped up, “Ah…”
“What’s wrong?” Luo Lan stood in front of Yang Kai and asked as she saw an awkward look appear on his face.
“This Void Crack…” Yang Kai looked embarrassed, “It’s a bit small.”
“Small?” Luo Lan was confused at first but quickly realized what Yang Kai was trying to say.
Since the Void Crack was small, there would not be much room for the two of them to hide. If a man and a woman were forced into a small space, it was inevitable they would have some physical contact.
Considering this, Luo Lan’s expression also became a little awkward.
Although she was many times older than Yang Kai, she was still a woman, and a beautiful one who appeared no older than her thirties at that.
“It’s fine, we only need to hide here for a while,” Luo Lan calmed her mind and said she shuffled closer to Yang Kai, leaving only half a metre or so between them before she looked over at Yang Kai and asked, “Can I stand here?”
Yang Kai shook his head.
Luo Lan gave a dry laugh as she realized that this Void Crack was really quite small.
At that moment, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light suddenly flooded out, quickly blanketing the medicine valley.
In the blink of an eye, the wall of light rushed towards the Void Crack in front of Yang Kai and Luo Lan like a great flood.
“Senior, your position is still very dangerous. Forgive me!” Yang Kai called out sharply before rapidly grabbing Luo Lan’s waist and pulling her into his arms.
Caught off guard, Luo Lan had no time to resist and soon found herself nestled in Yang Kai’s embrace.
“Ah!” Letting out a yelp, her eyes bulged as she instinctively pushed her Saint Qi.
“Senior, check behind you!” Yang Kai spoke extremely fast before Luo Lan could act.
Luo Lan was startled and quickly released her Divine Sense to check the situation behind her.
In the next instant, her expression changed dramatically.
Less than a finger’s length behind her, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was freely flowing.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai pulling her in a moment ago, at least half her body would have been covered by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light body. With the terrifying power of this light, she could imagine how terrible her end would be.
Even now, her position was precarious as the light which washed around the Void Crack could touch her body at any time.
Quickly understanding her situation, Luo Lan felt some lingering fear.
She realized that Yang Kai was not trying to take advantage of her and had really just acted out of necessity. Dispersing her Saint Qi, she said with some embarrassment, “I apologize, I overreacted a bit.”
“It’s fine,” Yang Kai shook his head, frowning to himself as he felt his situation was quite difficult.
Although the safety zone created by this Void Crack was technically big enough to accommodate him and Luo Lan, their current state was quite uncomfortable for both of them. Right now, they were almost face-to-face and their bodies were close enough that Yang Kai could clearly feel two astonishingly soft and elastic peaks whenever Luo Lan leaned in closer.
On top of that, when Luo Lan spoke, the orchid scent and heat of her breath was directly transmitted to him…
If someone who did not know the truth saw this, they would likely think that Yang Kai and Luo Lan were doing something shameful, but in fact, both of them were stuck in an abyss of suffering.
Yang Kai was better off as he was a man. Although it was somewhat uncomfortable, he soon calmed down and after purging his heart of wicked impulses, he was not too uncomfortable. Thinking about Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang to dispel any distracting thoughts that surfaced in his mind, it did not take long for him to return to a state of calm.
On the contrary, Luo Lan’s face gradually became redder and redder, that blush soon spreading to her neck, her embarrassment and shy response giving her another layer of attraction. Her tender body which was being held by Yang Kai was extremely stiff but still shivered slightly due to her tension.
She never thought that a situation like this, where she would have such close contact with a young man like Yang Kai, would ever have happened to her!
This was something that had never happened before.
The feel of his solid chest, broad arms, and rich male aura flooded her senses, making it impossible for her to calm her mind.
Her cheeks felt like they were on fire and she was certain her face was completely red!
Blushing like this front of a junior… Luo Lan simply could not wait to find a hole to crawl into and never emerge from again.
But when she remembered that the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was less than a finger-length away from her back, and she had to maintain this position with Yang Kai for at least half an hour, Luo Lan became more and more uncomfortable.
Anxious, she began fidgeting involuntarily…
“Senior… please don’t move around,” Yang Kai smiled bitterly. He had just dispelled all the impulses in his heart and was able to reach a state of mental tranquillity, but Luo Lan had instantly nullified his previous efforts, especially when he felt two small bumps which were pressed up against his chest become slightly stiff…
Listening to Yang Kai’s words, Luo Lan became even more embarrassed, quickly lowering her head and burying it in his chest.
“I’ll turn around,” Luo Lan suddenly whispered.
It was too embarrassing for the two of them to continue facing each other, and she thought that if she turned around, the situation would become somewhat easier.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, letting go of his hands which had been holding Luo Lan’s waist.
Luo Lan turned around cautiously, lest she touch the Seven Coloured Radiant Light which was so close, but she eventually managed to put her back to Yang Kai’s chest.
“Uh…” Yang Kai immediately discovered a new problem though.
When they were facing each other, he could clearly feel Luo Lan’s incredible peaks, and while now he could no longer feel that amazing elasticity… now her perfectly round half-moons were pressing up against his lower half.
Luo Lan was also clearly aware of this. After turning around and settling into place, she instantly went stiff as if struck by lightning, no longer daring to move at will.
The two people felt like every breath that passed was an eternity.
“Senior…” Yang Kai suddenly spoke.
“Hm?” Luo Lan was taken aback and her whole body tensed. In this embarrassing atmosphere, Yang Kai suddenly calling out to her really shocked her, especially when she felt his breath right on her delicate ear, as if someone was gently stroking it.
“After thinking about it carefully, I think it’s best if I leave,” Yang Kai said.
“Leave?” Luo Lan was stunned, “Where can you go now?”
After forcefully stabilizing her mind, she quickly understood that Yang Kai’s proposal was made out of consideration for her innocence and reputation, and her heart couldn’t help warming. She felt that this young man was quite agreeable. Instead of taking this opportunity to take advantage of her, he was able to remain rational and composed, a commendable feat.
However, the entire medicine valley was currently covered in the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, so there was nowhere for Yang Kai to go.
“I can enter the Void Crack!” Yang Kai replied.
“Enter the Void Crack?” Luo Lan gawked. Although she knew that Yang Kai was proficient in Space Force, she did not know how profound his achievements were, so the instant she heard Yang Kai’s proposal, she immediately worried about him putting himself in danger. If he were to enter the Void Crack and become trapped, unable to find his way out, he might even wander about inside The Void until the day he died.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “This place is big enough for a single person to hide comfortably, but for two people… hehe, it’s a bit tight.”
“But… are you sure you can come out from there?”
“Leaving won’t be a problem,” Yang Kai nodded. He had already traversed the Void Crack here so he was not concerned about his safety, the only risky factor was that the place he re-emerged might not be this medicine valley but rather another place in the Severed World. If that were to happen, his loss would be great. The only way to guarantee that didn’t happen would be to not move once he entered The Void, so when he tore space again, he could return to the exact same spot.
But Yang Kai was not interested in explaining all of this to Luo Lan; after all, their relationship wasn’t so close he could share the secrets of his abilities with her.
Luo Lan went silent for a while before whispering, “Actually, you don’t need to take such risks. We… we can just stay like this for a while and wait for the Seven Coloured Radiant Light to disperse…”
Yang Kai being so considerate made her quite reluctant to let him take unnecessary risks.
“Many thanks, Senior, but I’ve already decided,” Yang Kai said with a smile and moved to dive into the Void Crack behind him when suddenly he thought of something and said, “That’s right. Senior, this Junior will give you a little gift.”
“A gift?” Luo Lan asked curiously.
As soon as she asked though, Yang Kai reached out and tapped her shoulder gently.
“Good luck, Senior!” Yang Kai called out before diving into the Void Crack and disappearing.
The space behind Luo Lan suddenly became empty, leaving her somewhat absent-minded, but soon, she stepped back once to improve her margin of safety.
Only after she stood firm did she have time to check what Yang Kai had given her.
Probing her shoulder with her Divine Sense slightly, in the next moment, Luo Lan exclaimed, “This is…”
She did not know how, but when her Divine Sense probed the spot where Yang Kai had just tapped her, she was suddenly able to clearly feel the Space Force fluctuations around her and perceive the hidden Void Cracks in her vicinity!
She immediately understood what kind of gift Yang Kai had given her!
With this gift, she could travel unimpeded through this Severed World without having to worry about running into hidden Void Cracks.
Luo Lan was ecstatic!
“Thank you!” Even though she knew that Yang Kai would not hear her thanks, Luo Lan still called out gratefully.
This encounter had made her thoroughly understand what kind of person Yang Kai really was, and just how great his potential was. It was no wonder Young Master Gu Jian Xin admired Yang Kai so much, it was because he has such charm and ability.
In the past, Luo Lan showing goodwill towards Yang Kai was almost entirely because of Gu Jian Xin and because she wanted to rely on his proficiency in the Dao of Space. But now, even without these factors, Luo Lan would not despise Yang Kai despite him only being an Origin Realm Junior.
This boy was an upright character full of potential and definitely someone who should be befriended. In the future, there may be many times she would want to draw on his support.
Thinking so, Luo Lan secretly made up her mind that after returning to Azure Tree Star, she would take good care of the Twin Shark Island Yang Kai now owned.
…..
Inside the Void, Yang Kai floated alone.
Leaving behind that Space Mark for Luo Lan so she could perceive the existence of Void Cracks around her was not something Yang Kai had done because blood had rushed to his head.
From beginning to end, he never had any improper thoughts about Luo Lan.
He just felt that if Luo Lan was safe and grew stronger, his residence on Azure Tree Star and the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array which was housed within it would be safer. What’s more, giving her that Space Mark didn’t take him any effort or cost him anything.
Since that was the case, why not?
After entering the Void, Yang Kai did not remain in place but instead began wandering around.
In any case, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light would not withdraw for the next half an hour, so he had some time to search for true Space Spirit Crystals in this Void Crack.
In this land filled with opportunities, Yang Kai did not want to waste any time. However, he also did not want to move about randomly and accidentally leave the scope of the medicine valley.
For this reason, he deliberately left behind some markers wherever he went. If his hypothesis was correct, he could follow these markers back to the place where he had separated from Luo Lan.
Yang Kai searched for Space Spirit Crystals in The Void while silently keeping track of the passage of time.
Just as he felt that half an hour was up, he stopped.
In less than half an hour, he had some gains, but it was not anything much, just five Space Spirit Crystals which had been bred by The Void.
At this moment, Yang Kai came to a stop and looked around his surroundings thoughtfully.
While he was moving through The Void, he noticed that there were several places where the Space Force fluctuations were very unstable.
If his guess was right, these unstable places were where the countless Void Cracks in the Severed World connected to The Void.
In other words, exiting through these unstable points would be equivalent to leaving through Void Cracks.
In order to verify his hypothesis, Yang Kai moved forward.
The next moment, he left The Void and returned to the Severed World again.
Looking around, there was no Seven Coloured Radiant Light while behind him there was a large Void Crack, visible to the naked eye, hovering mid-air.
Yang Kai had clearly walked out of this Void Crack just now.
Looking at the Void Crack behind, Yang Kai nodded slightly as he confirmed his guess was not wrong. Inside the Void, the unstable positions were connected to the Void Cracks spread throughout the Severed World.
It was just that… Yang Kai didn’t know if this place was still inside the medicine valley.
Yang Kai scanned the surrounding environment carefully, and after a short time, he wore a happy smile and muttered to himself, “Seems my luck is good.”
Obviously, he was still within the scope of the medicine valley, because various medicinal fragrances were lingering in the air and there was a short fruit tree with three pale yellow fruits hanging from its branches not far from him.
This was a location that had not been searched yet!
This was not surprising when he thought about it. The medicine valley was massive and only a few people had entered it. On top of that, with the interference of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, the amount of time people could search for herbs was greatly shortened. Therefore, there must be a large number of precious herbs still remaining in this medicine valley.
Yang Kai stepped out and arrived in front of the short fruit tree, leaned over slightly, and after a moment of inspection, smiled widely.
He recognized what spirit fruit these were.
They were Longevity Fruits!
These fruits had no effect on one’s cultivation, but they could prolong one’s life, and their efficacy was excellent.
With the increase in a cultivator’s strength, their lifespan would grow proportionally. If no accidents occurred, Origin Kings were capable of living for three to four thousand years, sometimes even longer; however, there was always a limit to a person’s lifespan and when they reached it, their physical body would wither away, and their vitality would scatter. At that time, there was no choice but to enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Generally, when their predestined time of death approached, masters would begin searching for precious treasures to extend their lives in the hopes that by living longer, they would achieve more breakthroughs and thus increase their lifespan.
However, ordinary treasures were of no use to powerful masters, only Spirit Pills at the Origin King Grade would be able to affect the lifespan of an Origin King. But in the Star Field, just how many Origin King Grade Spirit Pills were there that could increase one’s lifespan, and how many Grandmaster Alchemists could refine them?
Pills and herbs which could increase the lifespan of an Origin King were incredibly rare.
The Longevity Fruit in front of Yang Kai right now though could be used to refine the Longevity Pill, a Spirit Pill which could increase the lifespan of an Origin King by at least one hundred years! Unfortunately, a person could only take three such pills before they no longer had any effect, and with each pill they took, the effects would grow weaker. If one took three pills, increasing their lifespan by less each time, a two hundred year increase in lifespan wasn’t unreasonable to expect.
Two hundred years was enough for Origin Kings to do many things.
If they were able to make a breakthrough again during those two hundred years, their lifespan would be greatly increased.
It could be said that if a Longevity Pill was refined and sold to the right person, it would garner a sky-high price!
Everyone only had one life, who would not cherish it?
Even if an Origin King’s lifespan was nowhere near its end, who would not prepare for emergencies? On top of that, such a Spirit Pill could be passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom.
Yang Kai recalled all kinds of information about the Longevity Fruit and Longevity Pill while carefully collecting the three fruits in front of him carefully to ensure that none of their medicinal efficacies would leak. Storing these fruits into a Wood Attribute container, Yang Kai carefully sealed the box before placing it in his Space Ring.
After this harvest, Yang Kai was in a good mood and continued to explore around.
Just as he suspected, no one had come here before, so during the next period of time, Yang Kai reaped significant gains.
After half an hour passed, when the Seven Coloured Radiant Light struck again, Yang Kai found a Void Crack to escape into and search for Space Spirit Crystals while he waited.
Keeping track of time again, Yang Kai returned to the medicine valley from The Void just at the right moment.
And so, he repeated this process many times…
Yang Kai truly did not waste any time. Not only was he harvesting spirit medicines from the medicine valley, but he was also gathering true Space Spirit Crystals from The Void. Alternating between the two, Yang Kai’s harvest was definitely greater than anyone else’s.
[As I thought, it was more convenient to explore on my own rather than with others!] Yang Kai secretly sighed to himself as he thought about what would have happened if he had not chosen to prioritize Luo Lan’s reputation at that time and not dived into the Void Crack to escape.
If he had simply waited out the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, he wouldn’t have discovered such an efficient way to use time.
An unintentional good deed had yielded him this huge return.
Time passed by and Yang Kai eventually lost track of how long he had been searching through the medicine valley. Travelling back and forth between The Void and the medicine valley, Yang Kai managed to collect more than two hundred Space Spirit Crystals and nearly one hundred precious herbs.
This was an incredible harvest.
The value of both these Space Spirit Crystals and the rare herbs was extremely high, and Yang Kai was certain that others had not gained as much as he had.
However, since he separated from Luo Lan, he had not met anyone else, which Yang Kai found strange.
At one point though, as Yang Kai was following a strange medicinal fragrance, his brow suddenly furrowed.
His Divine Sense had picked up the presence of other people nearby, and it was not just one person, but three.
Two of them were together, with one being a Second-Order Origin King and the other a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator! The third person was alone.
Yang Kai and these three currently formed a kind of triangle and were all heading in the same direction, which obviously indicated that all of them were attracted by the same medicinal fragrance.
Because there were not many people who entered the medicine valley, Yang Kai immediately identified these three.
The pair was the easiest to identify because the only Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators here apart from himself were Zi Dong and Xue Yue, and seeing how this aura did not belong to Xue Yue, it was obviously Zi Dong.
The one together with Zi Dong was undoubtedly Zi Long, the Sect Master of Purple Star! This father and son pair obviously would not separate in this medicine valley.
As for the lone Origin King, Yang Kai was familiar with his aura so was able to identify him as well: It was none other than Xu Wei!
Xu Wei was an Elder of Abandoned Lair and the one who had tried to use Yang Kai and Xue Yue as bait to distract the Illusionary Void Butterfly swarm.
Since Yang Kai was able to detect them with his Divine Sense, naturally the others had discovered Yang Kai as well.
As such, the instant they found there was competition, Zi Long and Zi Dong’s speed soared. Undoubtedly, they wanted to rush to the source of the medicinal fragrance before Yang Kai or Xu Wei could snatch this unknown treasure!
Zi Long acting so boldly was due to his confidence in his great strength.
As a Second-Order Origin King, in this mountain valley, only Gui Zu and Ni Guang were worthy to be his enemy. As for everyone else, Zi Long did not put any of them in his eyes, especially a junior like Yang Kai who he figured he could kill with a single finger.
On the other side, after Xu Wei hesitated for a moment, he too rushed forward.
Facing the temptation of these precious herbs, he was not willing to retreat, even if the opponent was Zi Long. On top of that, as an Elder of Abandoned Lair, Xu Wei did not need to give Zi Long any face as they were already enemies.
As the speed of both his competitors increased, Yang Kai also made his move.
A total of four people began racing towards a single central position at top speed.
“Hmph, courting death!” Zi Long thought that his presence alone would be enough to deter Yang Kai and Xu Wei and make them turn around and flee, but it now seemed these two were set on competing with him for this unknown herb.
This annoyed Zi Long greatly as he felt he was being underestimated.
Xu Wei was one thing. Although his strength was not as high, he was at least an Origin King. Killing Xu Wei here would take quite a bit of effort, and in this place, Zi Long did not want to waste time on such a fruitless endeavour.
But what was this little Third-Order Origin Returning Realm brat? Daring to challenge him despite his pitiful strength, did this boy not know how to write the word ‘death’?
“Father, do you want me to…” Zi Dong asked with a cold light in his eyes.
He too had felt uncomfortable with Yang Kai’s presence.
As the Young Master of Purple Star, him being able to enter this place was entirely because Zi Long had brought him here. Xue Yue was also a young genius comparable to him, so naturally ‘he’ too had the qualifications to appear here.
But what was this thing called Yang Kai? Zi Dong had never seen Yang Kai before, nor had he heard his name at all.
But this unknown boy had unexpectedly come to this precious place just like he and Xue Yue had.
Zi Dong felt that this place’s majesty was tainted just because Yang Kai had entered it!
Entering the same place with a random nobody was an insult to Zi Dong! Only by killing him could this humiliation be washed away.
As such, when he noticed the existence of Yang Kai, Zi Dong became eager to fight, wanting to show Yang Kai just how great the gap was in their strength and let him know that not everyone was qualified to enter the Severed World, and the price for daring to enter without the qualifications was death!
“A pitiful weakling, why bother with him!?” Zi Long coldly snorted, “If he dares to appear in front of you, you can act as you please.”
“Understood!” Zi Dong nodded when he heard the words and said with a sneer, “I’m afraid he doesn’t have the guts though.”
As soon as these words came out though, Zi Dong was stunned again because in his perception, instead of shrinking away from danger, Yang Kai increased his speed again.
“Interesting, it seems there are people who are eager to die in this world!” Zi Dong smiled viciously as he turned his eyes towards Yang Kai’s direction, as if he could not wait for Yang Kai to appear soon.
While Zi Long and Zi Dong were speaking, Yang Kai had already identified the location of the spirit medicines from the richness of the surrounding medicinal fragrances.
This was not difficult as he had already stayed in this medicine valley for a long time and collected many different herbs. On top of that, Yang Kai himself was an Alchemist, so he was experienced in this area.
Fortunately, the unknown herbs were closest to him, and for some unknown reason, the region up ahead was filled with many Void Cracks that happened to be in Zi Long and Xu Wei’s ways. As such, while Yang Kai had an almost clear path to the herbs, the other two would have to spend some time to avoid these Void Cracks.
Thinking so, Yang Kai sped up again.
Suddenly, Yang Kai sniffed the air again as a look of surprise appeared on his face, “More than one kind?”
At this moment, he was able to identify several different medicinal fragrances, which was why previously the fragrance itself had seemed a bit turbid and indistinguishable.
Yang Kai gazed up ahead and saw that a few thousand metres away, on a small hillside, five small lavender flowers were blowing in the wind. Each of these flowers was about the size of a palm and had nine petals that were releasing an inexplicable charm.
Behind these flowers, there was also a huge Void Crack that seemed like a giant beast’s mouth that was just waiting to swallow up these five strange flowers.
“Those are…” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, but in the next moment he recognized what they were and shouted, “Enlightenment Flowers!”
These were the Enlightenment Flowers mentioned by Gui Zu before!
Gui Zu had previously stumbled upon this medicine valley and managed to collect a few Enlightenment Flowers that were growing on its periphery. It was at that point Gui Zu realized the value of this medicine valley, but because of several scruples, he couldn’t explore its depths. Even so, he had been quite satisfied with his harvest because Enlightenment Flowers were able to help a cultivator perceive the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao and improve their realm. This was an incredibly attractive treasure for Origin Kings.
When cultivating, a petal of Enlightenment Flower in one’s mouth could offer miraculous effects.
Enlightenment Flowers also had different appearances depending on their medicinal age, and as they grew older, their medicinal efficacies also increased. An Enlightenment Flower would not bloom until it was at least three hundred years old, and when it first blossomed it would only have three petals. Every hundred years thereafter, one more petal would be added until it reached a maximum of nine petals.
Nine was the highest! An Enlightenment Flower with nine petals would have a medicinal age of at least nine hundred years.
From that point on, although the number of petals would not increase, the Enlightenment Flower’s colour would slowly change, from its original white to bright red, blood red, then eventually purple.
Each transformation would take many years and be much harder than the growth of its petals.
The five Enlightenment Flowers in front of Yang Kai were already a deep lavender colour; in other words, the medicinal age of these Enlightenment Flowers was at least three thousand years!
This kind of treasure had incalculable value to an Origin King. If an Origin King was able to collect these five Enlightenment Flowers, they wouldn’t even need any other kinds of auxiliaries to assist them in their future cultivation. As long as they digested a single petal at appropriate times in their secluded meditation, they would be able to steadily improve their cultivation.
So as soon as Yang Kai discovered these five Enlightenment Flowers, he realized their great value.
Of all the precious treasures Yang Kai had collected up until now, only the two Divine Nirvana Fruits were comparable in value to these Enlightenment Flowers!
Yang Kai’s blood boiled as he prepared to rush up and snatch these five Enlightenment Flowers.
But just as he moved, his whole body suddenly tightened as a chill shot up his spine. At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a purple streak of light fly towards him like an all-piercing sword.
This purple light contained an indescribable and extremely terrifying aura.
This was definitely not the attack of an Origin Returning Realm cultivator, but rather one from an Origin King. On top of that, the Origin King who released this strike was definitely not weak.
Zi Long!
Yang Kai immediately knew who had attacked him!
Yang Kai had heard from Xue Yue that Zi Long and Zi Dong cultivated a special technique called the Purple Qi Eternal River Secret Art. This Secret Art was famous throughout the Star Field and belonged exclusively to Zi Long’s family. Zi Long being able to rise to the Second-Order Origin King Realm was entirely because of this Secret Art.
In order to cultivate this Secret Art, one needed to rise every morning to absorb the special purple qi that was generated while the sun rose. Once cultivated to the extreme, this purple qi could transform into great rivers and oceans that could easily destroy a million kilometres of land.
Under normal circumstances, a master like Zi Long would prioritize his face, and even if he had a blood enmity with Yang Kai, he would not have launched a sneak attack against such a junior. If Zi Long wanted to kill Yang Kai, he would do so in an upfront manner with absolute strength.
After all, he was fully capable of acting in such a dignified manner.
But the situation now was a little different. Zi Long had undoubtedly discovered the five Enlightenment Flowers and knew how precious and rare they were, possibly even being the key to his breakthrough to the Third-Order Origin King Realm. In the face of such benefits, how could Zi Long care about face?
Yang Kai was obviously the closest to the Enlightenment Flower, with him and Zi Dong being in second place while Xu Wei was still more than five kilometres away.
If Zi Long did not delay Yang Kai somehow and allowed this boy to reach the Enlightenment Flowers, Zi Long would then have to steal from a dead rat.
So, when he discovered the Enlightenment Flower and Yang Kai, Zi Long didn’t even think about it and directly made a move. Although this was just a casual blow, coming from a Second-Order Origin King, it was still quite terrifying, not something an Origin Realm junior could resolve.
After making one move, Zi Long’s speed increased sharply, not even sparing another glance towards Yang Kai. In his eyes were only the five lavender flowers.
As for whether Yang Kai was dead or alive, that was not his concern.
Why should he care about if an ant lived or died?
On the other side, Yang Kai roared as he waved his hand and summoned a hundred Golden Blood Threads and condensed them into a giant shield in front of him.
Not finished yet, with a solemn expression, Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi madly as he sent dozens of punches around his golden shield to intercept the incoming blow.
*Peng peng peng peng…*
Saint Qi burst forth as a violent explosion erupted mid-air.
Punches impacted the purple light, each one of them diminishing the purple light’s radiance slightly.
Next, the Golden Blood Thread shield was struck and rapidly dimmed until it burst apart into its individual Golden Blood Threads; however, the purple light had still not been dispersed and struck towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai snorted as his body involuntarily flew backwards, his face paling slightly.
Although he had not taken any serious injuries, he had still suffered a slight loss! Staring at Zi Long, who was quickly approaching the Enlightenment Flowers, a look of astonishment appeared on Yang Kai’s face.
This was not the first time he had competed against a Second-Order Origin King. Luo Hai was also a Second-Order Origin King.
But the pressure Yang Kai felt from Zi Long was much stronger than the one he felt from Luo Hai.
This person had definitely reached the peak of the Second-Order Origin King Realm! Perhaps, as long as he had some kind of opportunity, Zi Long could break through to the Third-Order.
The Sect Master of Purple Star deserved his reputation!
“Hm?” Zi Long also let out a call of surprise, and as he dashed towards the Enlightenment Flowers, he turned his head and glanced at where Yang Kai was in disbelief.
He had not expected that Yang Kai would actually be able to block his attack. Although Yang Kai looked somewhat dishevelled, and Zi Long had only struck at him casually rather than using his full strength, an Origin Realm boy being able to achieve this was still quite amazing.
[This boy… is strange!]
Zi Long estimated that if his son, Zi Dong, was the one who had been attacked just now, at the very least, he would have been seriously injured, yet Yang Kai actually only had a slightly pale face and nothing else.
[Is this boy actually stronger than my son? When did such an astonishing young man appear in the Star Field? Is this boy the disciple of some old monster who had secluded himself from the world?]
In that instant, many thoughts crossed Zi Long’s mind and the expression on his face as he stared towards Yang Kai grew solemn.
Suddenly, at that moment, an exhaling sound appeared from the depths of the medicine valley.
“Father!” Zi Dong, who had been following behind Zi Long, exclaimed loudly as a look of fear appeared on his face.
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light was coming!
Judging from past experiences, the speed at which the Seven Coloured Radiant Light flooded the medicine valley was extremely terrifying and if they did not find a place to hide in time, they would swiftly be engulfed by it.
So Zi Dong could not help but panic.
At this time, Zi Long was less than a thousand metres away from the Enlightenment Flower, closer than Yang Kai, so victory was practically within his grasp.
However, this distance was still too great. A look of struggle and hesitation flashed across Zi Long’s face, but in the end, he did not dare take the risk. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed Zi Dong and swiftly moved behind a nearby Void Crack to take shelter.
Not far away, Xu Wei, who had been rushing towards this side, also stopped quickly and hid behind a Void Crack.
Yang Kai did the same!
Fortunately, there were many Void Cracks in this area. Otherwise, the three parties would have had no choice but to risk rushing towards the Enlightenment Flowers to hide behind the giant Void Crack overlooking them.
At this moment, the three parties stood motionless, almost equidistant from their target, forming a triangle with the Enlightenment Flower in the middle.
Silently, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light flooded the medicine valley.
The whole world seemed to go quiet at this moment, with only the faint sound of breathing to be heard.
Yang Kai took a deep breath, glanced coldly towards the spots where Xu Wei and Zi Long were, then sat down cross-legged and threw a healing pill into his mouth.
Although he had blocked Zi Long’s attack just now, his Saint Qi flow had become somewhat turbulent, so he needed to stabilize it quickly.
Fortunately, this was not difficult, and Yang Kai’s condition stabilized after a few breaths. Now, all he needed to do was rest until the medicinal efficacies from his healing pill took effect.
Zi Long’s face had become extremely gloomy as he cast a fiery gaze towards the five Enlightenment Flowers. But behind Zi Long, Zi Dong was now directing a contemptuous look towards Yang Kai, a sneer clearly displayed on his lips.
As for Xu Wei, his gaze was shifty, glancing back and forth, as if he was hatching some kind of wicked scheme.
“Heh heh heh…” When the three parties were locked into a temporary stalemate, Yang Kai suddenly let out a muffled laugh.
Zi Long frowned, turned his gaze, and asked in a disgruntled tone, “Boy, what are you laughing at?”
Yang Kai just shot him a side-long glance without making a sound.
Zi Long narrowed his eyes as a cold light flashed across their depths.
A trivial Origin Realm Junior dared ignore him, it was the epitome of not knowing how high the sky was and how thick the earth was.
Although he was annoyed in his heart, Zi Long was still able to endure it, but Zi Dong who was next to him immediately called out in response to Yang Kai’s disrespectful conduct, “Brat, did you not hear my father ask you a question? Are you deaf?”
Yang Kai shifted his eyes, pretended to clean his ear, then scoffed towards Zi Long and Zi Dong, “If he asks something, I have to answer? What thing is he? What thing are you?”
Yang Kai had neither grievance nor grudge with Zi Long and Zi Dong, but Zi Long had still launched a sneak attack against him just now. If it were not for his strength being out of the ordinary, Yang Kai would already be dead.
The other party was a Second-Order Origin King but still disregarded his status and launched a sneak attack against him!
This annoyed Yang Kai greatly, and seeing Zi Dong’s domineering and arrogant attitude did nothing to improve his mood.
As such, Yang Kai did not bother being polite with this father and son duo.
Hearing his rude words, Zi Long’s murderous intent flared up momentarily while Zi Dong angrily sneered, “You’re finished! This Young Master hasn’t met anyone as crazy as you in a long time, just you wait, in half an hour, this Young Master will personally take your life!”
“Your name is Zi Dong, right?” Yang Kai squinted at him with an expression of disdain, “I wonder if you’ve heard a certain saying.”
“And what’s that?” Zi Dong came to look at Yang Kai with a sneer.
“Dogs that can bite… don’t bark. Dogs like you who can only yell can’t bite!” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
“You dare curse me?” Zi Dong Lai’s face suddenly became cold as his tone dropped noticeably.
“So what if I cursed you!?” Yang Kai laughed as a look of madness filled his face and he continued to taunt, “Hit me then! Come on, hit me! If you’re not a lame dog come over here and kill me!”
Zi Dong’s lungs almost exploded when he heard this.
He was the Young Master of Purple Star, a noble existence with incredible cultivation for his age. No matter where he went, he would receive lavish praise and anyone whom he found unpleasant to the eye would be dead before the next sunrise.
When had he ever been forced to endure such humiliation?
Under any other circumstance, he would have rushed out to teach Yang Kai a harsh lesson long ago, but in this damned place, this medicine valley covered in Seven Coloured Radiant Light. No matter how much he wanted to torture and kill Yang Kai, he could not.
He did not have the ability to rush through the Seven Coloured Radiant Light to where Yang Kai stood.
He had never encountered such a suffocating situation before and was extremely angered by it, wishing he could rush out and beat Yang Kai to a pulp immediately.
Zi Dong glared towards Yang Kai viciously, his eyes practically spraying hatred and anger.
“Idiot!” Yang Kai snorted coldly as he snorted towards Zi Dong and Zi Long with a look of disdain.
“Just you wait, in half an hour, I’ll let you know the consequences of provoking this Young Master!” Zi Dong shouted viciously.
“Did you just bark again?” Yang Kai looked at him mockingly.
Zi Dong fumed and was about to say something more, but Zi Long glared at him and said flatly, “Why waste time arguing with him? In half an hour, he’ll be dead. Is there any reason to speak so much with a dead person?”
Zi Dong’s heart clenched as he realized his father was a little dissatisfied with his performance. Humbling accepting his lesson, Zi Dong nodded and although he no longer spoke to Yang Kai, his expression only became more sullen. Obviously, he was concocting how to shame Yang Kai after half an hour was up.
“Hahahaha!” On the other side, Xu Wei laughed loudly and clapped, “Interesting, interesting, really interesting. Kid, you’re too amusing, this old master has suddenly become interested in you.”
He had been standing nearby, watching silently as Yang Kai unscrupulously offended both Zi Long and Zi Dong. Seeing such a display of recklessness, Xu Wei could not help feeling Yang Kai wasn’t quite right in the head.
Didn’t this boy know he would definitely die after the Seven Coloured Radiant Light retreated? And judging from how this kid had provoked Zi Long, the latter would definitely not make his death quick.
This brat was simply looking for trouble at this point. If he could choke down his anger and then flee the instant the Seven Coloured Radiant Light retreated, he might still have been able to survive, but now…
Xu Wei looked at Yang Kai as if he was looking at a dead person.
“How about it boy, are you interested in joining hands with this old master?” Xu Wei smiled and suggested.
“Cooperate with you?” Yang Kai looked at Xu Wei and curled his lips into a grin, “Not interested, this Young Master hasn’t forgotten what happened between us before.”
“Kid, you’d best speak more politely,” Xu Wei’s expression became cold when he heard Yang Kai refer to himself as ‘Young Master’ in front of him, it was nothing short of an insult.
“Is there a need to be polite with someone like you?” Yang Kai sneered.
Seeing that Yang Kai and Xu Wei also had friction between them, Zi Dong suddenly snickered. At this moment, he also felt that Yang Kai’s head was messed up. Among the three parties present, Yang Kai had the lowest strength, but instead of trying to keep a low profile and concealing his abilities, he openly acted defiantly and extremely arrogantly. After offending one party, he chose to offend the other as well. It was nothing less than courting death.
How had a person with such poor judgement managed to cultivate to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm?
“Elder Xu, this kid seems to be looking down on you,” Zi Dong sneered and provoked discord.
Xu Wei frowned and ignored Zi Dong’s provocations; after all, Zi Long’s existence put a great deal of pressure on him and he did not want to snap back at Zi Dong lest it cause him further trouble.
Moreover, if he wanted to obtain the Enlightenment Flowers later, his personal strength definitely would not suffice. Although Yang Kai seemed like a fool, it was a fact that he had resolved Zi Long’s attack just now, so there was no question about his strength. Perhaps there was a chance this boy could stall Zi Long, even if just for a moment, which would give Xu Wei an opening to snatch the Enlightenment Flowers and immediately escape.
He could not beat Zi Long, but there shouldn’t be any problem with just running away.
“It’s fine, this old master won’t lower himself to deal with you,” Xu Wei waved his hand magnanimously as he continued to look at Yang Kai, “Actually, this old master didn’t have much of a grievance with you, everything before was just a small misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?” Yang Kai chuckled lightly, “Then the misunderstanding must have been quite big.”
Xu Wei frowned and said sincerely, “Boy, in this place, people die all the time, that’s only normal. This old master was indeed in the wrong though, so if you insist on pursuing the matter, this old master can compensate you.”
Mentioning this in passing, Xu Wei didn’t explain how he would compensate Yang Kai before continuing, “But let us not mention this for now. This old master wants to cooperate with you. What do you think?”
“Cooperate how?” Yang Kai asked casually while refining the medicinal efficacies in his body.
“Simple, you and I join forces to exchange moves with this pair from Purple Star. You should know how precious these Enlightenment Flowers are, and if you and I don’t join forces, neither of us will obtain any of them,” Xu Wei said solemnly.
Yang Kai raised his brow but did not answer immediately, as if he was considering this proposal.
On the other side though, Zi Long’s eyes flashed as he stared at Xu Wei faintly and said, “Xu Wei, you’re far too presumptuous! Do you really think you can snatch these Enlightenment Flowers from this King’s hand just by joining forces with this boy!?”
Xu Wei laughed, “Whether I can snatch them or not, you’ll have to wait and find out. There are five Enlightenment Flowers right in front of us, and this Xu does not want to miss out on them. These are treasures this Xu is willing to risk his life to obtain!”
“In that case, this King will wait and see if you and this little brat can achieve what you want,” Zi Long’s expression remained indifferent, and after speaking, he closed his eyes lightly.
“Kid, have you considered it clearly?” Xu Wei urged Yang Kai, “Take a look around, there are many spirit flowers and grasses here. Besides the Enlightenment Flowers, there are also some stalks of Heavenly Infant Grass. Do you know how precious Heavenly Infant Grass is? It is a main ingredient in the Origin King Pill. If you can obtain such a pill, breaking through to the Origin King Realm in the future will be assured. There are also several Seeking Heart Lotus over there. These are treasures that can discipline one’s state of mind. You being able to have such achievements at such a young age must mean you need to temper your mind. The Seeking Heart Lotus are perfectly suited to you. If we can succeed later, this old master only wants those Enlightenment Flowers, everything else is yours for the taking. Is this old master’s sincerity enough for you?”
“It’s enough!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Then you agree?” Xu Wei smiled.
Yang Kai shook his head.
Xu Wei’s face sank as he shouted angrily, “Brat, are you mocking me?”
Yang Kai snickered, “Old dog, do you think this Young Master is a fool? You offer nothing but a few honeyed words and expect me to work to the death for you? Are you stupid? This Young Master has never met such an idiot before!”
Saying so, Yang Kai simply shook his head and sighed, looking distressed.
After being scolded by Yang Kai, Xu Wei’s face became gloomy to the extreme and his eyes burned with anger. At this moment, he was not any different from Zi Dong, wishing he could rush out to beat Yang Kai to a pulp to relieve his hatred!
Now it was Zi Dong’s turn to laugh, “Elder Xu, this boy is clearly messed up in the head, you’d be better off not wasting your breath on him.”
“Is barking all you can do?” Yang Kai turned his head to stare at Zi Dong again, flicking his poisonous tongue freely, “A toothless dog that can only run its mouth and can’t even remember when it’s taught a lesson. If I were your father, I’d have choked you to death the moment you were born, but it seems your father must be just as stupid if he sired such an idiot son.”
The smile on Zi Dong’s face instantly stiffened and his brow twitched vigorously.
Even Zi Long suddenly opened his eyes and stared deeply at Yang Kai.
Even though his mental discipline was strong, he could not help becoming irritated by Yang Kai. If it were not for the Seven Coloured Radiant Light that could even corrode Spiritual Energy, Zi Long would definitely have used a Soul Skill to turn Yang Kai into a true idiot in order to shut his mouth permanently.
But now, even if he couldn’t wait to strangle Yang Kai, he could only endure his anger.
He believed that Yang Kai had seen this too, which was why he was acting so unscrupulous.
“I, Zi Dong, swear here: I will make you taste the most brutal torture in the whole world!” Zi Dong ground his teeth as he shouted with extreme hatred.
He was completely enraged now. He had been humiliated by Yang Kai three times in front of his father and even implicated his father in that abuse. How could he bear such a thing? Yang Kai had to suffer immensely to soothe the hatred in Zi Dong’s heart.
“I’m so scared!” Yang Kai looked at Zi Dong coldly, “But little doggy, swearing a vow isn’t something you should just do at random. If you fail to follow through, you will be condemned by the Heavens!”
Zi Dong glared bitterly at Yang Kai without saying a word.
He could see that he was not Yang Kai’s opponent when it came to trading insults; after all, he had almost no experience in this field before. After being provoked by Yang Kai several times, he was completely unable to stabilize his mood and his face twisted in a mixture of hatred and gloominess.
To the side, however, Zi Long frowned.
Zi Dong was blinded by his anger at the moment and might not be aware of the insidiousness of Yang Kai’s words just now, but as an established Origin King with immense life experience, how could Zi Long not understand the hidden implications of what had just transpired?
Yang Kai’s words sounded plain on the surface, as if he was just having a meaningless argument with Zi Dong.
But if one thought about it carefully, they were extremely vicious.
Because once Zi Dong failed to uphold his oath, Yang Kai’s existence would definitely become a heart demon to him!
Zi Dong was now a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator and his next breakthrough would be to the next Great Realm, the Origin King Realm. This was an extremely critical and dangerous juncture, and if a heart demon were to disturb Zi Dong during his breakthrough, it would cause his breakthrough to fail at best, and his Soul being extinguished at worst.
So, when Zi Long heard Yang Kai say this, he realized just how shrewd and vindictive the latter was.
This boy was clearly not a fool; but if that was the case, why had he intentionally angered him and Xu Wei over and over again? What exactly was this young man trying to do?
Did he have complete confidence that he could escape from under the nose of himself and Xu Wei?
Despite his immense cultivation and wealth of knowledge, Zi Long really could not understand what Yang Kai was thinking.
However, judging from the current situation, it was absolutely impossible to simply let this boy off. As long as he was alive, he would become a heart demon that interfered with Zi Dong’s rise. As such… he had to die!
Zi Long secretly made up his mind that, he would do his utmost to suppress Yang Kai once the Seven Coloured Radiant Light retreated and allow Zi Dong to complete his vow. After suppressing Yang Kai, he would snatch the Enlightenment Flowers from Xu Wei.
Zi Long was confident that with his great strength, he would not have any difficulty accomplishing these tasks.
“Boy!” Xu Wei called out again, his tone impatient, “This old master will ask you one last time, will you cooperate with this old master or not?”
“Scram!” Yang Kai turned his head towards Xu Wei’s direction and spat with a disdainful expression, “What the hell do you count for? Do I need to cooperate with you?”
“Good, good, good!” Xu Wei was also livid at Yang Kai and coldly declared, “Then, this old master will watch to see how you die!”
There was no doubt that Yang Kai would die here. Xu Wei was confident that even if he didn’t take action, Zi Long would not let Yang Kai go, so he didn’t bother trying to win over Yang Kai anymore and was simply preparing to sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight.
“You don’t need to worry about that!” Yang Kai chuckled lightly as he began to stretch, cracking his neck and rotating his shoulders, seemingly loosening himself up. Speaking to himself, while at the same time jabbing at Zi Long and Xu Wei, “It’s almost time, this Young Master won’t waste any more words on you.”
He put up the appearance of a man about to do something special.
The other three watched fixedly, not knowing what Yang Kai was up to.
But in the next instant, three pairs of eyes bulged as they observed Yang Kai’s movements in a daze, looks of shock covering their faces.
On the other side, Yang Kai took a step forward with an indifferent expression, then another, then another, and another…
After only a few steps, he arrived at the edge of the safe zone the Void Crack provided for him and as long as he proceeded another step, he would enter the glowing Seven Coloured Radiant Light, putting himself in an extremely precarious position.
“What’s wrong? Are you so certain you’ll die you want to commit suicide now?” Zi Dong sneered.
He could not think of any other possibilities, even though he felt it was highly unlikely.
Yang Kai glanced over at him faintly before ignoring him altogether and simply lifting his foot once more to take another step forward!
“Haha!” Zi Dong’s laughter rang out as he felt there was no need for him to even take action to vent the anger in his heart.
But his laughter stopped just as abruptly as it began.
Right before his eyes, Yang Kai suddenly disappeared, as if he had never been there in the first place!
At that exact same moment, a strange and mysterious force seemed to emanate from Yang Kai and shroud his body in obscurity.
“Where did he go?” Zi Dong was stunned, but in the next moment, he caught sight of a figure abruptly appearing nearby out of the corner of his eye.
Zi Dong could not help exclaiming in surprise.
The figure that appeared suddenly was none other than Yang Kai who had just disappeared a moment ago, but now, he had actually arrived at another safe zone, and this safe zone happened to be the one where the five Enlightenment Flowers were growing!
At the base of the small hill, where the five Enlightenment Flowers grew, there was a large Void Crack that prevented the Seven Coloured Radiant Light from washing away.
When Yang Kai reappeared, he was standing beside the Enlightenment Flowers.
Zi Dong stared at him in a daze before glancing back to the spot where Yang Kai had once stood, unable to figure out what kind of shocking Secret Technique he had used to leap over space and instantly appear a thousand metres away.
Beside him, Zi Long’s eyes shrank as a profound light flashed across their depths, as if he had just witnessed something terrifying.
“Space Force!” Xu Wei exclaimed as he pointed at Yang Kai, calling out in alarm, “Kid, you’re proficient in Space Force? How is that possible?!”
Xu Wei looked like he had just seen a ghost.
“Space Force?” Zi Dong was taken aback for a moment but soon realized what Xu Wei was talking about.
In that instant, his eyes filled with incredible envy as he stared at Yang Kai.
The Dao of Space was extremely esoteric, difficult to comprehend and even harder to master. In the entire Star Field, there were trillions upon trillions of cultivators, but how many of them could use Space Force? The number was certainly less than a thousand.
And among these thousand people, how many could use Space Force proficiently?
Zi Dong did not know, but he was certain there were fewer such people than there were Origin King Grade Alchemists.
Purple Star also had few masters who cultivated the Dao of Space, but none of them could achieve what Yang Kai had just displayed, crossing a thousand metres instantaneously. This was a true instant movement, not an illusion created by incredible speed.
The few cultivators in Purple Star who comprehended the Dao of Space only knew how to patch Space Arrays and could not use their Space Force to do anything else.
Even so, their status in Purple Star was extremely high, each of them receiving treatment better than the average Foreign Elder.
Those few people were regarded as treasures by Purple Star!
But compared to this unknown young man, those people were nothing but trash!
If Yang Kai’s accomplishments in Space Force were at a level of a master, then those people who belonged to Purple Star were just apprentices who had barely entered the Martial Dao. Even with Zi Dong’s inexperienced eyes, he could see that the two were completely incomparable.
What kind of opportunity did this little brat have that allowed him to cultivate the Dao of Space and reach such astonishing achievements in it? Zi Dong’s eyes nearly burned with jealousy as he glared towards Yang Kai, his heart extremely disturbed.
He was the Young Master of Purple Star, an honoured and lofty position, so why was he unable to comprehend the Dao of Space?
If he could master this power, it would absolutely make him stronger than he was now!
Zi Dong clenched his fists, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
“So, that’s how it is!” Zi Long took a deep breath and spoke, the confident expression on his face being replaced with an extremely solemn one, “It turns out that this is what you were relying on. No wonder you dared to speak so wildly before.”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully and did not deny the charge.
Him being proficient in the Dao of Space was not known to many people, and he had taken great pains to hide this fact, but Yang Kai had no choice but to expose his cards when facing the attraction of these five Enlightenment Flowers.
Enlightenment Flowers were extremely rare, especially ones that were lavender like the ones in front of him. The medicinal ages of these five flowers were extremely high, and if Yang Kai missed them this time, he would find it difficult to ever find similar ones in the future.
As such, Yang Kai made his choice.
“Young man, your name is Yang Kai, right?” Zi Long’s temperament was undoubtedly better than his sons, and after learning that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, he quickly composed himself despite his shock and asked.
Although he had not paid much attention to Yang Kai before, he has vaguely recalled hearing Xue Yue call Yang Kai’s name before, so he had taken note of it at the time.
“What about it?” Yang Kai looked at Zi Long flatly.
Zi Long chuckled, not angered by Yang Kai’s attitude and instead saying in a pleasant tone, “This King attacking you before, was this King’s mistake!”
He wore a sincere look when he spoke.
“Father…” Zi Dong gawked at Zi Long in astonishment, his face filled with shock.
His father was the Sect Master of Purple Star, one of the most powerful people in the entire Star Field, a man who could stomp his foot and cause the Star Field to shake, yet he had actually apologized to a Junior who had repeatedly insulted and provoked him? Zi Dong could hardly believe his ears and secretly began to wonder if everything he was seeing now was some kind of elaborate illusion.
“You shut up!” Zi Long glanced at him faintly while releasing a thick majesty. Seeing the sharp light in his father’s eyes, Zi Dong did not dare to say anything again.
“You’re apologizing?” Yang Kai grinned.
Zi Long frowned, and said lightly, “If that’s how you want to take it, so be it.”
“En… since it is an apology, then I’ll reluctantly accept.”
Reluctantly…
Zi Dong was so mad he nearly coughed up blood!
After the Sect Master of Purple Star took the initiative to apologize, this little brat did not even show the slightest gratitude and instead pretended like it was some kind of burden for him to accept? Didn’t he know how much of an honour this was? This bastard… was simply unforgivable!
“However… what are you really trying to say?” Yang Kai ignored Zi Dong’s glares and focused on Zi Long, a meaningful grin filling his face.
This kind of apology was nothing more than a few bits of spit that could be casually thrown out, so Yang Kai naturally did not take Zi Long’s words to heart; however, the other party’s attitude had raised his suspicions.
He did not believe that Zi Long couldn’t see the heart demon he had planted for Zi Dong just now, nor did he believe that Zi Long was really so magnanimous that he would forgive all the provocations and insults he had made a moment ago.
The Sect Master of Purple Star was not to be underestimated!
“This King doesn’t have any hidden intentions. This King simply wants to ask if you are interested in joining my Purple Star?” Zi Long looked at Yang Kai solemnly and asked while sending out an invitation.
“Join Purple Star?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“En, although your cultivation hasn’t reached the Origin King Realm, this King can offer you the position of Honoured Guest Elder based on your performance just now!”
“Honoured Guest Elder!” Zi Dong could not hold his silence anymore when he heard this.
Being an Honoured Guest Elder of Purple Star was far different from being one of some other random Sect or family. This was not just an immense status, it also represented incredible strength!
Currently, there were only seven Honored Guest Elders of Purple Star, each one of them an Origin King. What’s more, Honored Guest Elders of Purple Star had always been Origin Kings, none had ever been an Origin Realm cultivator.
But now, the Sect Master of Purple Star was personally inviting a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm youth to join Purple Star while offering him such an identity.
If words of this spread, it would likely rock the entire Star Field.
“Honoured Guest Elder…” Yang Kai snickered, showing the slightest interest as he shook his head, “No thanks, I’ve always been a lone wanderer and don’t like being restricted, so I’ll have to decline your generous offer of an Honoured Guest Elder post.”
[Is this kid an idiot?] Zi Dong looked at Yang Kai like he was some kind of fool. Didn’t he know how much weight the words Honoured Guest Elder represented? How could he refuse without the slightest hesitation?
Zi Dong’s mind was in chaos.
“Honoured Guest Elders are not restricted by my Purple Star in any way, they maintain complete independence. Little friend seems to have misunderstood my proposal…” Zi Long explained patiently.
Before he could finish what he was saying though, Yang Kai interrupted him, “No need to explain, I know what an Honoured Guest Elder is, it’s just… I don’t plan on joining any great force.”
Zi Long narrowed his eyes and said with a faint smile on his face, “Little friend, are you sure you won’t reconsider?”
“You talk too much,” Yang Kai looked at him contemptuously, without giving him any face.
Zi Long’s face immediately sank.
“Haha, kid, you were right to refuse!” Xu Wei called out, clearly taking pleasure in Zi Long’s misfortune, “Don’t believe his rhetoric, if you really agree to his proposal, your future will definitely be miserable. However, this old master very much appreciates your attitude, so why not consider joining my Abandoned Lair? You’ve offended this guy now, so it will be difficult for you to mix into the Star Field in the future, but my Abandoned Lair does not fear his Purple Star. This master guarantees that there won’t be any problems with you joining, and with your abilities, you will quickly become one of Abandoned Lair’s leading characters!”
“You’re also too long-winded!” Yang Kai turned to look at Xu Wei and sneered, “Old dogs, do you think I don’t know what you’re trying to do? You think you can stall me with these cheap antics?”
As soon as this remark came out, both Xu Wei and Zi Long’s expressions changed slightly; obviously, Yang Kai had exposed their true intentions.
Although Xu Wei and Zi Long were by no means friends, and could even be considered enemies, seeing Yang Kai’s performance just now and watching him approach the treasures they coveted, they naturally felt a sense of crisis. With their sharp wits, without even needing to discuss the matter, these two old masters knew that their best option in this situation was to try to stall Yang Kai until the Seven Coloured Radiant Light retreated.
After being exposed by Yang Kai, Zi Long’s face suddenly became ugly and he declared coldly, “Boy, being too smart is not a good thing. Don’t think your paltry mastery of Space Force is enough for you to escape this King’s palm! You are just an Origin Realm junior who does not understand the horrors of the Origin King Realm, and this King is a master even amongst the Origin Kings. If you think you can rely on your Space Force to escape, you could not be more wrong. This King will give you one last chance: Pick those Enlightenment Flowers and deliver them to this King and this King will spare your life!”
With everything else having failed, he finally tore all face with Yang Kai.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai laughed, “How terrifying are those in Origin King Realm? I’ve killed more than one of you ‘terrifying’ Origin Kings.”
“Madman!” Zi Dong muttered to the side.
Even a genius like him, who could fight opponents above his realm, could not pose any threat to an Origin King despite his peak Origin Realm cultivation. On the contrary, such a master would easily be able to kill him.
Between the Origin Returning Realm and the Origin King Realm, there was an uncrossable gap!
As such, he subconsciously thought Yang Kai was talking nonsense.
But what Zi Dong did not know was that Yang Kai had really killed more than one Origin King. One of them had even been a Second-Order Origin King, and although Yang Kai achieved that with the help of a Star Emperor Token, it was still his experience.
If Zi Dong came to know the truth, he would definitely feel crushed.
“Forget it, I don’t have time to care about you,” Yang Kai said dully and turned around. Although he had been verbally sparring with Xu Wei and Zi Long, Yang Kai had not lost track of time either.
There was about a stick of incense worth of time before the Seven Coloured Radiant Light retreated, which was more than enough!
“Wow, such rich medicinal fragrance!” Yang Kai exclaimed exaggeratedly as he breathed in the scent of the five Enlightenment Flowers in front of him, putting on an intoxicated expression as he commented out loud, “Good, as expected of Enlightenment Flowers, the efficacy is really extraordinary. I can even feel my bottleneck loosening somewhat, could this be my chance?”
While saying so, he scratched his head and wore an awkward appearance.
It was obvious he was bluffing, like a seller bragging about the quality of his wares, but that did not stop Zi Dong’s eyes from going red.
A single breath of this medicinal fragrance was all it took to loosen a bottleneck?
Yang Kai had the same cultivation as him, peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, only one step away from breaking through to the Origin King Realm, and now… Yang Kai had seemingly seized this opportunity.
But now, Zi Dong could only stare blankly at him from a mere thousand metres away, powerless to do anything.
This situation caused Zi Dong to suffer both physically and mentally and he could not wait to rush forward and take Yang Kai’s place, his fists clenched so tightly they began to crack.
“Not good, not good, breaking through in this damned place is tantamount to seeking death, I need to quickly suppress this feeling and only breakthrough when it is safe!” Yang Kai shouted again.
Zi Dong really wanted to cough up blood.
A chance he sought for more than anything else was placed in front of Yang Kai but the latter actually abruptly suppressed it, was there anything more frustrating to see in this world?
Zi Dong began to believe that encountering Yang Kai in this Severed World was his life’s biggest nightmare! He had to make sure Yang Kai died without a complete corpse…
“Little brat, enough!” Zi Long saw what was happening to his son and could not help shouting at Yang Kai.
“Heh heh…” Yang Kai glanced at him lightly before turning back and rubbing his hands like a pervert standing before a naked beauty, saliva almost leaking from his lips, his image completely unsightly as he stretched out his claws towards an Enlightenment Flower.
With just a light pull, the Enlightenment Flower was plucked by Yang Kai directly, roots and all.
Generally, when one picked extremely precious herbs, they would only harvest the usable parts while trying to leave the plant itself undamaged, this way they could obtain the maximum benefits without destroying this opportunity for future generations. As long as the roots of the Enlightenment Flowers were left here, they may bloom again after enough time had passed.
Alchemists would be especially careful to adhere to this principle when collecting herbs.
However, Yang Kai felt that leaving behind any trace of these Enlightenment Flowers would only benefit Zi Long and Xu Wei, so he decided to literally pull out the problem at its roots so these two old foxes didn’t gain anything.
“En, so this is the legendary Enlightenment Flower, not bad! Not bad at all. Nine petals and a lavender colour, it seems to be at least three thousand years old! With such a rich medicinal age, once I break through to the Origin King, using this it will certainly provide a great boost when cultivating. Even if I do not use it myself, I’ll definitely be able to exchange it for many good things!” Yang Kai said as he took out a jade box from his Space Ring and stored the Enlightenment Flower carefully inside.
His movements were slow and exaggerated, making the whole process visible to Zi Long and Xu Wei.
Watching this display, the two Origin Kings felt like their hearts were leaking blood.
This bastard was definitely doing this on purpose!
Xu Wei and Zi Long had such a thought in their hearts at the same time, and their hatred for Yang Kai only grew more intense as a result.
This was like two starving men who had not had food or drink for days suddenly coming across a table filled with delicacies, but not only could they not eat, they had to sit there and endure watching another stuff their face. It was nothing short of torture.
Yang Kai was undoubtedly the one sitting at the table, eating his fill, blabbering on and on about just how delicious the food was…
“Now for the second, hahaha…” Yang Kai picked another Enlightenment Flower and continued talking to himself as he placed it in another jade box.
His actions were the same as before, painfully slow and deliberate!
Zi Long took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He no longer wanted to watch, simply thinking that ‘what the eyes do not see, the heart does not grieve.’
Zi Long really could not stand seeing Yang Kai’s shameless antics anymore, so he decisively closed his eyes to not allow the scenes taking place less than a thousand meters away to disturb his mind.
However, Yang Kai had no intention of letting things end here.
His voice continued to flow into Zi Long’s ears, “Oh, why is this Enlightenment Flower not as big as the first two? The petals are a little thin and wilted as well. It must have been malnourished. The medicinal efficacies of this one are definitely not as good, but… well, it’s better than nothing. I might as well collect it.”
Zi Long’s body shook slightly as his Saint Qi almost burst out involuntarily.
On the other side, Xu Wei’s forehead was also covered with bulging veins, an obvious sign of how irritated he was by Yang Kai.
But instead of closing his eyes like Zi Long, he stared stubbornly at Yang Kai’s movements, praying that Yang Kai would at least leave some soup for him to drink after Yang Kai ate this large piece of meat.
It was not long though until he noticed something wrong.
This little brat was simply too vicious. When collecting the Enlightenment Flowers, he was pulling them out roots and all, leaving nothing behind.
Xu Wei sighed in exasperation, knowing that no part of these five Enlightenment Flowers were destined to belong to him. Taking a hard breath, he followed Zi Long’s lead and closed his eyes.
“Ah!” Yang Kai suddenly cried out, as if he had discovered something astonishing, his voice filled with surprise and excitement.
Xu Wei, who had just closed his eyes, opened them again as he stared over towards Yang Kai, trying to figure out what had just happened.
Even Zi Long could not hold back his curiosity and opened his eyes slightly…
But the sight that greeted them was just Yang Kai laughing happily as he put the third Enlightenment Flower into a jade box as he muttered to himself, “That was close, I almost put it into the wrong box and wasted its medicinal efficacies.”
Xu Wei opened his mouth as if he wanted to scream, but he somehow held his tongue in the end and just cast his cold glare to the side.
Next, the fourth flower, then the fifth flower…
Yang Kai acted like a complete countryside hick who had never seen the world before, shouting and cheering about every little detail as he picked the Enlightenment Flowers one by one. The elaborate praises and long, drawn-out descriptions sounded like the most grating screeches in Xu Wei and Zi Long’s ears.
Those words were like sharp sticks poking their hearts, making both of them feel incredibly uncomfortable.
After Yang Kai finished collecting all five Enlightenment Flowers, Xu Wei and Zi Long actually couldn’t help letting out sighs of relief, inexplicably feeling like some kind of torture had finally ended…
At that moment, it seemed like the world itself had become a lot brighter.
“A good harvest indeed!” Yang Kai patted his Space Ring and smiled.
Xu Wei grinned wickedly hearing this and quipped, “You should wait until you carry those things off before celebrating.”
Although he knew Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space and could even teleport a thousand meters in an instant, Yang Kai was still just an Origin Realm cultivator. He and Zi Long were both Origin Kings, so there was a massive gap in strength between them. Xu Wei would not let Yang Kai leave here easily, and he was certain Zi Long wouldn’t either.
When the Seven Coloured Radiant Light dissipated, both he and Zi Long would immediately attack Yang Kai!
Only at that time could it really be determined who the Enlightenment Flowers would belong to.
Right now… This little brat was only holding onto them, he did not own them yet.
“Carry them off? Just wait and see,” Yang Kai replied lightly, not showing the slightest worry about the coming crisis. Immediately, he straightened himself up and turned his attention to a spot not far away and declared loudly, “En, those Seeking Heart Lotuses are also good things, I can’t just ignore them.”
Yang Kai did not know what was special about this particular area to not only have so many Void Cracks but also to nurture so many rare and precious herbs.
When the three parties entered a stalemate just now, all of them had already noticed this peculiarity and taken note of the Seeking Heart Lotuses and Heavenly Infant Grass which also grew here in addition to the Enlightenment Flowers.
Seeking Heart Lotuses could be used to steady the mental state of a cultivator and hone their state of mind, while the Heavenly Infant Grass was one of the main ingredients in the Origin King Pill. Taking an Origin King Pill could increase the chance of one successfully breaking through to the Origin King Realm. It was an incredibly valuable pill.
However, among these three precious herbs, the Enlightenment Flowers were undoubtedly the most valuable, so everyone’s attention had been focused on them before and not much focus had been placed on the Seeking Heart Lotuses and Heavenly Infant Grass.
But now that the Enlightenment Flowers had entered Yang Kai’s pocket, the targets of everyone’s attention naturally shifted.
Fortunately, the Seeking Heart Lotuses, like the Enlightenment Flowers, were growing behind a certain Void Crack, so it was not currently covered by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. Only the Heavenly Infant Grass was now submerged in the seven coloured tide.
When Yang Kai spoke these words, Xu Wei’s heart could not help clenching.
It seemed the Seeking Heart Lotuses would not be able to escape this little brat’s poisonous hands! Realizing this, Xu Wei’s face went dark.
The situation played out exactly as Xu Wei feared. After Yang Kai finished speaking, he pushed his Space Force and directly arrived at the spot where the Seeking Heart Lotuses were growing.
Just like when he appeared next to the Enlightenment Flowers, Yang Kai leapt over the barrier of space, moving a few dozen meters in an instant.
Zi Long has been staring at Yang Kai, seemingly wanting to discover some clues about how he was moving, but he quickly gave up as he realized the Dao of Space was simply too elusive for him, making it impossible for him to tell how Yang Kai moved.
Zi Long only felt a strange force enveloping Yang Kai before the latter disappeared. By the time Yang Kai reappeared, that strange force had disappeared.
[Has Space Force always been this unfathomable?] Zi Long frowned deeply as a feeling of weakness gripped his heart.
However, his determination to kill Yang Kai was stronger than ever. Without even mentioning the fact that he would be a heart demon for Zi Long’s son as long as this boy lived, just this brief interaction had forged a deep grudge between them. If this boy really grew up and broke through to the Origin King Realm, he would certainly pose a great risk to Purple Star.
An Origin King who was proficient in Space Force, how terrible would that be? Zi Long could not even imagine it.
This danger had to be nipped in the bud!
“Hello.”
While Zi Long was lost in thought, Yang Kai actually called out to taunt him and Zi Dong with a grin.
The Seeking Heart Lotuses were only forty meters away from where Zi Long and Zi Dong were standing, so Yang Kai was relatively close at the moment.
“Boy, act rampantly all you’d like for now. This Young Master will definitely torture you brutally in a moment,” Zi Dong glared at Yang Kai and ground his teeth.
After being humiliated so many times by Yang Kai, he seemed to completely lose his ability to think and could only keep mouthing off, putting his own powerlessness on display.
“Haha!” After Yang Kai let out a burst of grating laughter, he ignored Zi Dong entirely and squatted down to carefully collect the Seeking Heart Lotuses.
What made Zi Long and Xu Wei breathe a sigh of relief secretly at the same time though was that Yang Kai did not continue his harassment this time and simply completed the harvesting process in silence.
It seemed that as time passed, this little brat was gradually beginning to feel uneasy! This was the assumption these two made.
Shortly after, the few Seeking Heart Lotuses were properly preserved by Yang Kai and stored in his Space Ring.
“Haha, giving up on the Heavenly Infant Grass, Kid?” Xu Wei stood in the distance and laughed. He had been irritated by Yang Kai just now and finally found a way to hit back, so he was not going to pass up the opportunity. Staring at Yang Kai triumphantly, he mocked, “Is that all there is to your skill, boy? If you have the ability, why not pick those Heavenly Infant Grass as well?”
Whether it was the Enlightenment Flowers or the Seeking Heart Lotuses, both were growing in spots that weren’t covered by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, so Yang Kai was able to use his Space Secret Technique to easily collect them.
But the Heavenly Infant Grasses were different and were currently completely shrouded in Seven Coloured Radiant Light. Even if Yang Kai had astonishing talent, he should not be able to collect these spirit grasses.
Xu Wei’s provocation was obviously just trying to annoy Yang Kai as a way of soothing his own hatred.
Zi Long smiled faintly and joined in, “Why must Brother Xu embarrass this boy now? How could he possibly achieve such a feat?”
“If he can do it, this Young Master will immediately waste his meridians!” Zi Dong was even more arrogant and boldly declared.
Hearing what he said, Zi Long could not help frowning. He secretly felt that his idiot son was looking for trouble for no reason. Mocking and ridiculing Yang Kai was one thing, but going so far as to say he’d waste his own meridians just to make a point was highly improper.
Such words should never be spoken so casually.
But… Zi Long did not reprimand him, because Yang Kai was truly incapable of collecting the Heavenly Infant Grass, in his opinion.
All three of them taunting like this only showed how eager they were to see Yang Kai’s frustrated face.
Yang Kai, however, just stood in place and glanced between Xu Wei, Zi Long, and Zi Dong before chuckling, “It looks like you all haven’t learned your lesson yet. Seems like I’ve been too soft-hearted.”
When collecting the Seeking Heart Lotuses just now, Yang Kai did not bother provoking them anymore mainly because he didn’t feel interested in doing so anymore. After repeating the same thing once or twice, it lost its appeal and became boring, but Yang Kai had not expected that these three would actually try to provoke him again.
Since that was the case, Yang Kai coldly snorted and decided they needed to pay the price.
“Say whatever you’d like, Brat. It won’t change the fact that you can’t collect those Heavenly Infant Grasses,” Xu Wei shouted.
“And if I can collect them?” Yang Kai looked at him coldly.
Xu Wei was startled, but quickly laughed even louder, “Such craziness! Go on then, show this old master how you plan to pick them.”
Yang Kai spat disdainfully and shook his head, “Old dog, if you want this Young Master to collect those Heavenly Infant Grasses, you’ll have to pay an appropriate price. After all, entering this Seven Coloured Radiant Light isn’t something that can be done for free.”
Xu Wei snickered and declared, “If you can really take them away, this old master will call you grandpa!”
Yang Kai was stunned, never having expected Xu Wei to go to such an extent just to provoke him. Apparently, this old dog hated him to the bone and whole-heartedly wished for him to rush into the Seven Coloured Radiant Light to seek death.
Recovering quickly, Yang Kai chuckled as he looked at Xu Wei, “You said it yourself.”
“So what if this old master said it?” Xu Wei snorted defiantly.
“In that case, I’ll look forward to you calling me Grandpa!” Yang Kai laughed loudly before his figure flickered and appeared behind the Void Crack nearest to the Heavenly Infant Grass.
This Void Crack was less than twenty metres away from the Heavenly Infant Grasses.
After Yang Kai stood firm, the eyes of Xu Wei, Zi Long, and Zi Dong fixed on him, waiting for the show to begin.
None of them believed Yang Kai could succeed.
Standing still and thinking for a while, Yang Kai eventually waved his hand and sent out a Golden Blood Thread.
He had never tested the power of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light and had only heard from Ni Guang that it was extremely dangerous, so he did not know whether his Golden Blood Threads would be useful here.
A golden light flashed, and under Yang Kai’s careful control, the Golden Blood Thread penetrated the Seven Coloured Radiant Light slightly.
But in the next moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed dramatically.
Because the moment the tip of his Golden Blood Thread touched the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, it began to sizzle and melt away.
Things did not end there though as the corrosive force continued to eat away at the Golden Blood Thread and rapidly moved up it towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly disconnected the Golden Blood Thread from his hand, discarding it on the ground just in time to see it completely melt away.
Yang Kai could not help showing a look of shock.
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light really deserved its terrifying reputation.
Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Threads were condensed from his own pure Golden Blood, and since condensing them, aside from the ones he had intentionally detonated, none had ever been destroyed, but now, under the corrosion of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, one of them had almost instantly disintegrated.
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light ignored any form of defence and not only had the ability to corrode physical forms but could also annihilate one’s Soul. These characteristics perfectly restrained Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Threads.
According to Yang Kai’s observations, as long as it was a flesh and blood living creature, once it was contaminated by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, the consequences would be disastrous.
On the other side, Xu Wei and Zi Long, who were carefully monitoring Yang Kai’s movements, were also secretly shocked.
This was also their first time witnessing the power of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. Having seen it firsthand, the two Origin Kings both concluded that if they were accidentally contaminated by this strange light, they wouldn’t be able to resist its corrosion.
But soon, Xu Wei sneered loudly and called out, “Boy, is that all you’ve got? Come on, try again.”
Yang Kai glanced over at him and sneered.
The reason why he had used a Golden Blood Thread just now was mainly because he wanted to test whether the power of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was really as rumoured, and now that he had his answer, he wouldn’t experiment any further.
Yang Kai had figured out how to harvest the Heavenly Infant Grass a while ago. In any case, the Heavenly Infant Grass was very valuable, and Yang Kai never planned on letting it off, much less let it fall into Xu Wei or Zi Long’s hands.
Ignoring Xu Wei’s ridicule, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged directly.
Immediately, he reached out and waved his hand, summoning a small, somewhat stupid-looking stone.
Stone Puppet number two!
The second Stone Puppet was Yang Kai’s Embodiment. When this Stone Puppet was born in High Heaven Sect, its sentience had failed to form properly, and although it had survived, it did not possess its own consciousness. Unable to act on its own, it was essentially brain dead, so Yang Kai had used it as a body for his Soul Clone to create an Embodiment.
And because Yang Kai had injected a lot of his Golden Blood into it when it was born, it had turned golden, a bit different from Xiao Xiao.
For a long time, this Embodiment had not played any role. When fighting against his enemies, Yang Kai had Firebird Liu Yan and Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao to rely on, so he had always kept the existence of his Embodiment a secret.
But now was the perfect opportunity to put it to use.
Yang Kai did not dare to release Xiao Xiao; after all, Xiao Xiao was one of his biggest helpers, and if something were to happen to him in the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, the loss would be immense.
The Stone Puppet’s physique was not composed of flesh and blood, so it should not be affected by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. It also lacked its own sentience, so it should not fear the Seven Coloured Radiant Light’s ability to corrode Spiritual Energy. The only thing to worry about was whether it could protect Yang Kai’s Soul Clone.
In order for the Stone Puppet Embodiment to act, Yang Kai had to infuse his Soul Clone into it, which he normally kept inside his Knowledge Sea. This way, Yang Kai could directly manipulate it.
Yang Kai did not know whether the Seven Coloured Radiant Light would destroy his Soul Clone inside the Embodiment’s form.
However, the only way to find out was to try, so Yang Kai steeled himself, reached out his hand, and tapped the head of his Embodiment.
The Soul Clone which had been resting inside his Knowledge Sea immediately poured into the Embodiment and the sluggish eyes of the Golden Stone Puppet quickly became bright and agile.
As for Yang Kai, he felt as if his consciousness had been split in two at this moment. Not only could he see and perceive everything from his own perspective, but also from the perspective of his Embodiment, a truly strange and wonderful feeling.
Controlling the Embodiment, Yang Kai’s Soul Clone moved its hands and feet slightly, adapting to this new body.
“What is that?” On the other side, Zi Dong stared with a stunned expression towards the Golden Stone Puppet.
He had never seen such a peculiar existence. This stone man looked more like a living creature rather than a puppet, but it also did not appear to be alive, a peculiar sight indeed.
Although the aura from this stone body was not very strong, it was still something he had never seen before, so he turned to his father for answers.
He thought that, with his father’s experience and knowledge, Zi Long would definitely know something, but what he didn’t expect was that after a long silence, his father muttered, “Your father also doesn’t know what that is.”
Zi Dong was shocked.
[There are still existences in the Star Field that Father is unaware of?] Zi Dong looked towards Xu Wei, hoping he would know something, but he soon discovered that this Abandoned Lair Elder was staring at this strange stone creature with a frown on his face and uncertainty in his eyes.
He too did not know anything!
Where did this brat named Yang Kai find this thing, and why did two Origin Kings have no idea what it was? Zi Dong could not help feeling stunned.
However, in the next moment, Zi Dong’s heart clenched, and he subconsciously whispered, “This thing, it couldn’t…”
Although he could not recognize what the Stone Puppet was, Zi Dong could tell that it did not have a flesh and blood body, so it shouldn’t be a problem for it to enter the Seven Coloured Radiant Light; and if that was the case, could Yang Kai really obtain the remaining Heavenly Infant Grass?
Realizing this, Zi Dong’s face sank as he recalled he would waste his meridians if Yang Kai achieved this, his mood instantly becoming gloomy.
Xu Wei also felt rotten.
Zi Dong had said he would waste his meridians while he had said he would call Yang Kai Grandpa; if Yang Kai really managed to obtain the Heavenly Infant Grass…
[Damn it, why has the Seven Coloured Radiant Light not withdrawn yet!] Xu Wei cursed constantly in his heart, wishing he had some Secret Technique that could disperse the Seven Coloured Radiant Light and allow him to attack Yang Kai.
Under the piercing gazes of these three, Yang Kai controlled his Embodiment to step forward and enter the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
As soon as the Embodiment stepped into the flowing light, Yang Kai felt his entire body sink, as if a hundred thousand kilogram boulder was pressing down on him, on par with the Domain of an Origin King. The Seven Coloured Radiant Light made the surrounding space extremely thick and difficult to move through.
Fortunately, after a quick observation, Yang Kai found that his Soul Clone inside the Embodiment was not taking any damage. It seemed the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was completely isolated by his Embodiment’s body.
This discovery made Yang Kai incredibly happy, as it confirmed his previous guess. The Seven Coloured Radiant Light ignored all forms of defence, not by aiming at a physical body but at the existence of flesh and blood, so the Stone Puppet’s physique was not restrained by it.
Now, if Yang Kai found any precious treasures here later and he was unable to collect them himself, he could simply dispatch his Embodiment.
Taking note of this option, Yang Kai continued to control his Embodiment to move forward.
His Soul Clone had inherited his will and understanding of cultivation, so although Embodiment itself was not that powerful, it could still use Space Force.
The Embodiment began emitting a field of Space Force around itself in the next instant, greatly reducing the pressure it felt and increasing its speed significantly.
The distance of twenty metres was crossed by the Embodiment at an extremely quick rate.
Xu Wei’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
He was now certain the few stalks of Heavenly Infant Grass would be unable to escape Yang Kai’s clutches, but this was not the biggest problem; that lay with the words he had spoken just now.
Naturally, it was impossible for him to really call Yang Kai, a mere Junior, Grandpa. If Xu Wei were to do this, he would not be able to show his face in the future, and he would need to scram back to Abandoned Lair to hide for the rest of his life.
But if he did not honour his word, he would surely be ridiculed by Yang Kai again. Xu Wei was quite familiar now with how poisonous this brat’s tongue was.
He felt a headache coming on as his expression turned ugly.
After just ten breaths of time, the Embodiment arrived in front of the Heavenly Infant Grass, and although the hands of the Stone Puppet were quite large and thick, under Yang Kai’s delicate control, it was still able to skillfully harvest the Heavenly Infant Grass. Finished with its task, the Embodiment got up, turned around, and walked back over to where Yang Kai sat.
Once his Embodiment returned, Yang Kai collected the Heavenly Infant Grass, stored them into a box he had prepared ahead of time and put them into his Space Ring before taking back his Soul Clone and Embodiment with a smile.
Immediately, he turned his head and glanced towards Xu Wei.
Xu Wei’s eyes avoided his…
“What? Refusing to admit your loss?” Yang Kai sneered, “Didn’t you say you’d call me Grandpa?”
Xu Wei suddenly became angry out of shame and with a stern face glared towards Yang Kai, as if warning him to keep his mouth shut or he would immediately attack.
He had decided to act shamelessly as there was nothing Yang Kai could do to him regardless.
Yang Kai sneered and turned to Zi Dong next, “Didn’t you say you’d waste your meridians?”
Zi Dong roared angrily, “What thing are you? You dare ask this Young Master to waste his meridians?”
Yang Kai stroked his chin and grinned as he nodded, “So your words are as meaningless as farts.”
Zi Long coldly snorted, “Boy, this old master will give you some advice. Act according to your station or you will suffer in the future. Why do you insist on going so far?”
“Act according to my station?” Yang Kai sneered, “Do I need to show any respect to trash like you?”
“Boy, pay attention to your words. Don’t forget, this Seven Coloured Radiant Light will soon retreat, and once it does, you should know what your end will be,” Zi Long glared Yang Kai coldly.
“That’s right boy, obediently take out all the things you’ve collected, throw them on the ground, kneel down and kowtow a few times to admit your mistakes and this old master swears that once this damned light dissipates, he will spare your life!” Xu Wei also yelled from the side.
The two Origin Kings had lost a great deal of face this time, so their hatred for Yang Kai ran very deep, but fortunately for the two of them, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was about to withdraw. After enduring half an hour of taunting from Yang Kai, they would finally be able to make him pay the price, causing both to feel jovial.
Once the Seven Coloured Radiant Light retreated, what did it matter if Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space or not?
As soon they used their Domains to lock him down, he could not escape no matter what!
As long as they captured Yang Kai, not only could they solve the hatred in their hearts, they could also obtain the Enlightenment Flowers, Seeking Heart Lotus, and Heavenly Infant Grass that had been collected by Yang Kai.
They had both been secretly looking forward to this moment.
“You think you’ve won already?” Yang Kai looked at Zi Long and Xu Wei with disdain, not showing any signs of panic, shocking the two Origin Kings. On the contrary, his expression was one of gloating, as if victory was in his hand.
Zi Long frowned, wondering if Yang Kai was bluffing or he really had something to rely on still.
“Little brat, what are you up to now? This old master advises you to obediently cooperate while you still have a chance to survive.” Xu Wei shouted in a deep voice.
“Laughable, there’s actually such an ignorant fool like you in this world,” Yang Kai laughed before suddenly saying in a bored tone. “Forget it. I have no more time to play with you. This Seven Coloured Radiant Light should retreat soon so I’ll be going on ahead, enjoy waiting here!”
Saying so, Yang Kai waved his hand goodbye.
“Go on ahead?” Zi Long frowned deeply, but soon he thought up a frightening possibility. Could this boy actually…
Before he finished his thoughts, his eyes bulged as he watched Yang Kai’s movements in shock, an expression of complete disbelief covering his face.
Zi Long saw Yang Kai turn around and step into the Void Crack behind him, disappearing from sight.
This boy entered the Void Crack!
Zi Long could not help drawing a sharp breath!
On the other side, Xu Wei’s jaw dropped. He seemed to be trying to say something, but no matter what, the words would not form. The look of shock on his face was no better than the one on Zi Long’s.
“He, he, he…” Zi Dong also called out incoherently, pointing in the direction of where Yang Kai disappeared, unable to form a complete sentence for quite some time.
“Brother Xu!” After a long time, Zi Long took a deep breath and with a gloomy expression called out, “It seems we’ve all underestimated his accomplishments in the Dao of Space.”
Xu Wei nodded and said with a serious expression, “En, unscrupulously rushing into a Void Crack, this brat’s attainments in the Dao of Space are simply unprecedented.”
“Brother Xu, you don’t need me to remind you how terrifying a cultivator who has mastered Space Force is. Right now, he is just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm boy, but if he manages to break through to the Origin King Realm in the future…”
“He won’t have a future. This old master won’t let him leave this place alive!” Xu Wei’s face filled with a sullen expression.
Zi Long nodded with satisfaction, “In that case, we’ll put aside our grievances for now and cooperate. This King will also try his best to find him and eliminate him here in this Severed World.”
Both were aware of just how terrifying Yang Kai’s future potential was and were rightfully frightened by it. They did not dare allow Yang Kai to continue to grow and made up their minds to kill him here in the Severed World.
A few words were all they needed to negotiate a temporary alliance.
At that moment, Zi Dong, who had not been able to calm his mind, suddenly exclaimed as he pointed behind Xu Wei and shouted, “He, he…”
Zi Long was startled, turned his head, and looked towards Xu Wei. In the next moment, his eyes shrunk as he shouted, “Watch out!”
Hearing this shout, Xu Wei rapidly reacted, but before he could turn to look back, a familiar voice that filled his heart with disgust called out, “Hahahaha, little grandson, grandpa is here to teach you a lesson!”
It was Yang Kai!
Xu Wei’s expression changed drastically. He had never imagined Yang Kai would appear from the Void Crack behind him and launch a sneak attack.
A scorching force struck at him from behind, accompanied by a strong wind.
Xu Wei roared as he furiously condensed his Saint Qi on his back, forming a thick protective layer while at the same time he hurriedly tried to turn around and face.
His movements were quick, but Yang Kai was faster.
Just as his Saint Qi began to condense, Xu Wei felt a fist impact his back with such terrifying force it almost shredded his Saint Qi defences.
Fortunately, his cultivation was higher than Yang Kai’s, otherwise, this punch alone would have been enough to render him powerless.
Even so, this punch was not easy to withstand. Xu Wei felt his blood roil and his face could not help turning pale as his body staggered forward involuntarily.
What’s more, right in front of him was the Seven Coloured Radiant Light that everyone present dreaded!
“Not good!” Xu Wei exclaimed as cold sweat leaked from his forehead. Instinctively, Xu Wei released his Domain and bit his tongue before spitting out a mouthful of Blood Essence as he stamped his feet hard on the ground.
In an instant, his legs sank all the way to his knees into the ground and his body stopped lurching forward.
*Chi chi…*
A harsh cracking sound rang out as a look of desperation filled Xu Wei’s face.
Although his response was not slow, and his actions had been well executed, he still couldn’t completely stop his forward momentum, and one of his arms entered the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. In an instant, a stinging pain filled his arm and looking down, Xu Wei clearly saw his flesh being corroded at an extremely frightening speed, exposing his meridians and bones.
Things had not ended yet though as Yang Kai, who was standing behind him, was already preparing to launch a second blow.
Feeling Yang Kai’s thick murderous intent, Xu Wei was furious and grit his teeth while roaring, “Little Brat, don’t look down on this old master!”
Saying so, a dazzling light burst from his body and, together with a grating sound, terrifying waves of energy burst from his figure and spread out in all directions.
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became dignified as he realized that Xu Wei had become desperate and was going all out. Quickly withdrawing his attack, Yang Kai rapidly retreated while at the same time summoning his Golden Blood Threads to condense a golden shield in front of himself.
*Dang dang dang dang…*
A series of metallic noises rang out as Yang Kai’s golden shield trembled.
Looking at Xu Wei, who was only a few steps in front of him, Yang Kai sneered slightly and did not continue his assault, instead choosing to jump back into the Void Crack.
The moment his figure was about to disappear, cold words entered the ears of Zi Long and Zi Dong, “I’ll be hiding in The Void and accompanying you from now on so you won’t be lonely.”
Hearing this, Zi Dong felt a chill fill him from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. In a flurry, he turned around and stared at the Void Crack behind him, his eyes wide.
He was terrified Yang Kai would appear suddenly and try to kill him.
Yang Kai’s existence had become a nightmare to him!
“Ahhh!” On the other side, Xu Wei’s screams rang out. At this moment, the terrifying Seven Coloured Radiant Light had eroded half of his arm and was rapidly spreading towards his shoulder.
Grinding his teeth, a savage look appeared on Xu Wei’s face as he desperately urged his Saint Qi to resist the damage caused by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
But no matter how he tried, everything was futile.
Seeing that the situation was getting worse and worse, Xu Wei mercilessly chopped at his shoulder.
What remained of his arm fell to the ground as blood splashed from the fresh wound.
As the pain hit, Xu Wei’s face went as pale as paper and his figure staggered slightly. Hurriedly using his Saint Qi to staunch the flow of blood, Xu Wei took out a few high-grade healing pills from his Space Ring and stuffed them into his mouth.
But he did not even dare to sit down cross-legged to refine these pills and immediately turned around and stared vigilantly at the Void Crack to guard against Yang Kai, just like Zi Dong.
Although Yang Kai’s sneak attack failed to kill him, it had cost Xu Wei an arm.
The atmosphere became extremely solemn, and whether it was Xu Wei or Zi Dong, none of them dared to even breathe heavily, their nerves as tight as could be.
Even Zi Long did not dare relax his guard, focusing his Divine Sense on the Void Crack behind him…
Time passed slowly.
When the sound of inhalation came from the depths of the medicine valley, and the Seven Coloured Radiant Light dissipated like a tide, Zi Dong gasped for breath, as if he had just been saved from death, and he immediately fled from the Void Crack to a relatively safe place.
The same was true for Xu Wei.
He had been bitten by a snake once and was now frightened of even ropes. Every time he glanced towards a Void Crack, it was as if he saw that bastard just waiting to leap out and attack him.
However, even if Seven Coloured Radiant Light had withdrawn, and there was now no need to worry about Yang Kai’s sneak attack, Xu Wei’s crisis had not ended.
With a pale face, he stood on the spot, watching Zi Long not far away vigilantly, his Saint Qi condensed as he stood ready to escape at any time.
Although he and Zi Long had reached a kind of agreement just now to deal with Yang Kai together, Xu Wei was well aware of the hatred between Abandoned Lair and Purple Star as well as the gap in status and strength between him and Zi Long.
If Zi Long acted against him now, Xu Wei was certain it would be disastrous for him.
At his peak, he might have been able to escape from Zi Long’s clutches, but in his current state… it would be nearly impossible!
“Brother Xu, this King advises you not to think about running away!” Zi Long looked at him faintly, “You should know something about this King’s Purple Qi Eternal River Secret Art. With this King’s means, you have no hope of escaping.”
Xu Wei smiled miserably while cursing in his heart how his worst fears had come true.
Zi Long obviously intended to add insult to injury here and had no intentions of letting him go. If he tried to escape now, Zi Long would attack.
“Brother Zi, why must you be this way!” Xu Wei squeezed out an ugly smile, “This Xu was not your opponent from the beginning, if you really wanted to kill me, this Xu would have no ability to resist. But Brother Zi, do not forget, that little brat said he will be hiding in the cracks, following us around. Young Lord Dong is only a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, if that boy were to launch a successful sneak attack, what would the consequences be? Brother Zi should be clear.”
“Naturally, this King understands,” Zi Long’s expression remained indifferent. “But what does this have to do with you? If my son is in danger, this King will notice.”
“You can’t say that for certain,” Xu Wei shook his head, “If this old master is still around though, that boy will have to split his attention, improving everyone’s safety, right?”
Zi Long frowned, as if he was thinking for a while before raising his brow slightly a moment later, “What Brother Xu says is correct.”
Xu Wei secretly let out a sigh of relief.
“But… Brother Xu, your situation isn’t optimistic now. Even if you can divert a part of that boy’s attention, just how much is debatable. This King would be happy to take this opportunity to kill you and avenge the many Purple Star cultivators who suffered at your hands,” Zi Long squinted slightly, a murderous intent flashing across his eyes.
Xu Wei’s heart, which had just relaxed, clenched tightly as he secretly cried to himself while cursing Yang Kai again and again in his heart. If it were not for the attack by Yang Kai just now, how could he have fallen into this predicament?
Zi Long coldly snorted, “Brother Xu, don’t say this King didn’t give you a chance. This King will now give you two choices: First, I kill you. Death ends all troubles!”
Xu Wei bit his lip and asked in a deep voice, “And the second option?”
“Hand over your Soul Brand and obey this King’s orders from now on!” Zi Long crossed his hands behind his back and stared down at Xu Wei in an imposing manner, “You are a worldly man who has experienced great winds and waves, you should know what decision to make!”
“Hand over my Soul Brand?!” Xu Wei’s face became cold as he thought about attacking Zi Long on the spot; however, considering the consequences of such actions, he forcefully suppressed his anger.
If he handed over his Soul Brand, he would have to obey Zi Long’s orders in the future, if not, Zi Long could make his life a living hell with a single thought!
However, if he refused, he would definitely die!
Xu Wei surprisingly discovered that Zi Long disgusted him even more than Yang Kai!
Yang Kai taunted him, played some cheap tricks, and sneak attacked him, but Zi Long, as the revered Sect Master of Purple Star, a famous figure throughout the entire Star Field, was actually shameless enough to add insult to injury at this moment!
“Time is short and this King’s patience is also limited. Think quickly, Brother Xu.” Although Zi Long’s words were light, they were nothing less than thunderous in Xu Wei’s ears, causing him great suffering.
A look of struggle filled Xu Wei’s face for a moment before he grit his teeth and said, “Fine, this old master accepts. If you want the Soul Brand of this old master, then this old master will hand it over to you! However, I hope Brother Zi won’t make things too difficult for this old master in the future!”
Zi Long nodded with satisfaction, and said, “This King will naturally not embarrass you, because… It won’t be this King who is in charge of your Soul Brand, but my son!”
“What? Zi Dong?” Xu Wei shouted as he turned to look at Zi Dong, a look of rage appearing on his face.
Zi Dong was also startled when he heard this, but in the next moment, he turned an ecstatic look towards his father, one filled with gratitude.
Even if he was the Young Master of Purple Star, and had some rights to mobilize the Origin King Realm masters of Purple Star to do things for him, this power was extremely limited; after all, which Origin King did not have great power and authority as well?
Any time Zi Dong asked these masters for something, he would have to pay them handsomely for their services.
Now there was a chance for him to completely control an Origin King. This was nothing short of a treasure falling from the sky into his lap, causing Zi Dong great happiness.
His thoughts quickly turning, Zi Dong’s face sank as he glared towards Xu Wei, “What, does Elder Xu think that this Young Master is not qualified to control your Soul Brand? If that is the case, then this Young Master doesn’t want it either. This Young Master has no interest in forcing a man to act against his will.”
While this rhetoric seemed upright and appropriate for a Young Master of Purple Star on the surface, Xu Wei could not help cursing violently in his heart.
Right now, he was nothing more than a fish on the block, so how could he dare to resist? What’s more, he had already made a concession before, so even though he knew the situation would be quite different from what he had imagined, his unwillingness had decreased noticeably.
There were many cases where, after one made a concession, it became easier to make a second concession… and then a third concession…
After thinking about it, Xu Wei squeezed out a smile and said, “Young Master misunderstands. Young Master is a dragon among men, and his future achievements will certainly be higher than this old master’s, so how could this old master have such thoughts? Being able to serve Young Master is this old master’s honour.”
“En, it is indeed as you say!” Zi Dong smiled widely, the gloom which had clouded his mood thanks to Yang Kai being quickly wiped away. Zi Dong’s mood was extremely happy right now and, in his heart, he swore that if he were to ever see Yang Kai again, he would make Xu Wei kill him to soothe the hate he felt.
Although Xu Wei was missing an arm due to the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, this damage had little effect on his strength as an Origin King. As long as he recuperated well, Xu Wei would still be a powerful master.
“Brother Xu, if you’d please!” Zi Long urged to avoid complications due to delay.
Even though Xu Wei was unwilling, he had to condense his Soul Brand, walk over to Zi Dong, and transfer it to him.
During this whole process, Zi Long was watching him vigilantly, so he had no chance to play any tricks.
After completing this, Xu Wei felt a deep sense of loss.
From this moment on, he was no longer an Elder of Abandoned Lair, but a servant, a thug… he no longer had his freedom.
As he was thinking so though, Xu Wei’s expression suddenly changed dramatically as he felt his Knowledge Sea churn and a splitting, almost unbearable pain assaulted his head.
Even though he was an Origin King, Xu Wei could not resist this kind of pain and suffering.
He could not help screaming and instantly collapsed to the ground, holding his head in his hands as he writhed in agony.
He quickly realized what was going on, and bracing his spirit, he grit his teeth and called out, “Young Master, why are you…”
“En… it’s really effective,” Zi Dong looked down at Xu Wei, who had fallen to the ground howling, without the slightest pity on his face. Instead, he watched with great interest as he continued to apply pressure to the Soul Brand he had just acquired.
Xu Wei’s cries grew more desolate and more violent by the moment as he continued to wail, “Young Master, stop quickly. If this continues, this old master’s Soul will be extinguished!”
“This old master?” Zi Dong’s eyes flashed coldly, “In front of whom are you daring to call yourself old master? Who gave you such gall?”
“Aaah! Old… Old Servant was wrong! Young Master, please stop, Old Servant won’t dare act presumptuously again!”
“Hahaha, you’re quite clever. It seems you’ll make a good dog in the future!” Zi Dong laughed as a wicked, ferocious grin filled his face. Tormenting an Origin King like this gave him immense satisfaction.
Yang Kai had repeatedly insulted him as a dog that could only bark and not bite, so Zi Dong was now venting this resentment on Xu Wei.
“Enough, despite everything else, Elder Xu is still in some sense your Senior. You cannot treat him like this in the future!” Zi Long looked at his son and indifferently ordered.
“Yes!” Zi Dong replied and immediately ceased.
The intense pain in Xu Wei’s Knowledge Sea disappeared at that moment, but even so, he was still unable to get up and was forced to lay on the ground for a long time before struggling to his feet, keeping his head lowered to conceal the hatred which was flashing across his eyes.
A moment ago, he was an Origin King Realm Elder of Abandoned Lair, but now his Soul Brand was controlled by another and he had also been humiliated and tortured by a mere Junior. How could he not feel resentful?
But people under the eaves have to bow their heads, and Xu Wei was naturally not stupid enough to show open hostility here.
He had to hide everything well now if only to find an opportunity in the future to make Zi Long and his bastard son pay.
“Does Elder Xu have any objections to this Young Master’s conduct? Just now, this Young Master was simply experimenting a bit to determine the usefulness of this thing; after all, this Young Master has never controlled an Origin King’s Soul Brand before. It was a novel experience,” Zi Dong stared at Xu Wei and asked with a faint smile on his lips.
“I wouldn’t dare!” Xu Wei gasped as he lowered his head deeply, “Young Master should address Old Servant by his name directly in the future. Old Servant does not dare claim to be an Elder before Young Master. As for what happened just now, Old Servant naturally does not mind.”
“Great!” Zi Dong nodded with satisfaction, “Follow this Young Master carefully and protect his safety. When this Young Master becomes stronger in the future, it will naturally benefit you.”
“Yes!” Xu Wei nodded respectfully.
“By the way, what have you gained since entering this medicine valley? Bring out everything you have for this Young Master to inspect,” Zi Dong seemed to think of something again and asked brightly.
Xu Wei’s face twitched slightly, and his heart stung, but he didn’t dare to resist in the slightest. Quickly removing his Space Ring from his hand, Xu Wei handed it to Zi Dong and said with a flattering smile, “All of Old Servant’s possessions are inside, please have a look Young Master, if there is anything you like, feel free to take it.”
He had to do this; after all, his life was now no longer his to control, so he would not be able to control his possessions either.
Zi Dong did not act polite and after taking the Space Ring, he released his Divine Sense to investigate it. After a while, an expression of joy appeared on his face as he began removing all the valuable treasures from Xu Wei’s ring.
These things not only included everything Xu Wei harvested in the medicine valley, but also the treasures he had collected over the many years of his life.
Abandoned Lair was a gathering place for people who committed all kinds of evil, and as an Elder, Xu Wei had killed many and robbed them of their possessions, so there were truly a lot of good things in his Space Ring.
Each of these treasures was worth a great deal, even to someone like Zi Dong, so he was not planning on letting anything off.
As he watched his possessions being taken out and put into Zi Dong’s Space Ring, Xu Wei felt like his heart was bleeding, but he did not dare to show any dissatisfaction, simply standing to the side and squeezing out a smile.
“Huh…” Zi Dong suddenly let out a cry of surprise as he took out a token-like object from Xu Wei’s ring.
The material of this token was quite strange, being neither wood nor metal, and even with Zi Dong’s eyesight, he was unable to identify it. The token was black in colour and simple in design, with only the character for ‘Emperor’ engraved on its front.
A profound aura radiated from this character though, and as Zi Dong glanced at it, and felt that his very soul was being bathed in this aura, causing him to fall into a state of astonishment.
“A Star Emperor Token!” After seeing this token, Zi Long, who had been standing to the side silently, snatched it from Zi Dong’s hand and his eyes burst with red hot light, releasing his Divine Sense to carefully investigate it.
This was indeed a Star Emperor Token!
Star Emperor Tokens were relics the Great Emperor had personally refined millennia ago and were legendary existences that few in the entire Star Field had ever seen. However, as the Sect Master of Purple Star, Zi Long stood at the pinnacle of the Star Field’s hierarchy so he was naturally familiar with the secrets of the Star Emperor Tokens.
What’s more, there was also a Star Emperor Token in Purple Star’s possession, which was personally kept by the Supreme Elder, a Third-Order Origin King. The Supreme Elder used the light Emperor Pressure which radiated from the Star Emperor Token to cultivate while he was in retreat, trying to use it to comprehend the mysteries of the Martial Dao and break through to the next realm.
“A used Star Emperor Token…” After scanning it for a while, Zi Long found that the Great Emperor’s Divine Ability which had been sealed in this Star Emperor Token had already been used, causing a faint trace of disappointment to appear on his face.
“This thing is something this old servant managed to obtain after braving many dangers…” Xu Wei explained with a smile on the side, feeling extremely distressed. If it had not been for this Star Emperor Token being already used, how could he have fallen into his current miserable state?
It was rumoured that the Great Emperor refined nine Star Emperor Tokens in total, each one containing one of his supreme Divine Abilities.
No one knew how strong the Great Emperor truly was, but Xu Wei was certain that with the help of the Great Emperor’s Divine Ability, killing Zi Long and his son would have been a breeze.
If the Divine Ability sealed in this Star Emperor Token still existed, Xu Wei would have used it rather than turning over his Soul Brand and accepting the humiliation of becoming a slave.
“Father, I’ve heard that there is a shocking secret hidden within the Star Emperor Tokens, is that true?” Zi Dong asked curiously as he stared at the Star Emperor Token held by Zi Long. He was Purple Star’s Young Master, but this was his first time seeing a real Star Emperor Token. Until now, Zi Dong had at most read some ancient records regarding the Star Emperor Tokens.
“There are indeed such rumours, but I don’t know if there is any earth-shattering mystery hidden within them,” Zi Long replied faintly, “Even if there was some kind of earth-shattering mystery, it’s not something that would be revealed with just one or two Star Emperor Tokens. One would need to gather all nine before they could try to discover this secret.”
“Gather all nine?” Zi Dong was stunned for a moment but soon laughed, “I’m afraid no one is capable of that. The Star Emperor Tokens are ancient, and many have been lost in the Star Field. The only one I know of for certain is the one that Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce holds…”
“Not just Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Sword Union also has one!”
“Sword Union has one too?” Zi Dong was a little surprised.
“Don’t underestimate Sword Union. Although Sword Union is the weakest among the three super forces of the Star Field, it is by no means weak. In the age when the Great Emperor lived, our three forces were able to provide the Great Emperor with some small assistance, and in return, we were each granted a Star Emperor Token that had one of his Divine Abilities sealed inside as compensation. Purple Star, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, and Sword Union all came to possess Star Emperor Tokens this way.”
“Something like that happened?” Zi Dong was shocked, and even Xu Wei showed a dumbfounded look.
Although he was an Elder of Abandoned Lair, he still knew nothing about such a secret.
“It happened a long time ago,” Zi Long sighed slightly. “After over ten thousand years, the Star Emperor Tokens owned by our three forces have already been used when respective disasters struck. If it had not been for those Star Emperor Tokens, our three forces might not have survived to this day. The rise and fall of great forces are like the ebb and flow of the tide, nothing is infinite and immutable, so great forces can fall at any time. Only individual strength is real strength, remember this well.”
“Yes, Father, I will remember!” Zi Dong nodded respectfully, secretly making up his mind that he needed to enter seclusion after returning from this expedition and not leave until he broke through to the Origin King Realm! If he could reach the same realm as the Great Emperor one day, he would become the new legend of the Star Field and assume the Great Emperor’s lauded mantle. Just how glorious would that be?
While lecturing his son, Zi Long stored the Star Emperor Token into his Space Ring.
Although this Star Emperor Token had already been used, its value was still enormous.
Zi Dong also returned Xu Wei’s Space Ring to him, but everything of value had already been looted. When Xu Wei used his Divine Sense to investigate, he nearly coughed up blood from distress, feeling as if a good chunk of his flesh had been flayed off.
“Let’s go, but be careful of the surrounding Void Cracks. That boy may really be hiding nearby, looking for opportunities to launch sneak attacks!” Zi Long swept the surrounding Void Cracks with his eyes before leading the way forward.
Zi Dong quickly followed while Xu Wei, pale and helpless, brought up the rear.
Inside The Void, Yang Kai wandered freely.
After attacking Xu Wei, he returned to the extremely safe Void and began happily searching for Space Spirit Crystals.
The words he left behind just before disappearing were only meant to intimidate the enemy, he was not really interested in following after Zi Long and the others. A single successful sneak attack was likely the most he could get away with in any case; now, his enemies would be taking precautions, so Yang Kai did not plan to linger around any longer.
There were so many good things here, how could Yang Kai bother wasting time with those three anymore?
Therefore, after uttering that threat, Yang Kai immediately left.
His choice of a target last time was also something Yang Kai carefully considered. Zi Long was a Second-Order Origin King, so Yang Kai was not certain he could successfully sneak attack him or Zi Dong, who was standing beside him. As such, Yang Kai had to settle on targeting Xu Wei. Although he did not manage to kill Xu Wei, he did cost the latter an arm, collecting a little interest in advance.
Yang Kai estimated that Xu Wei would have to cut off his arm in order to save himself which would result in a serious injury and a massive temporary drop in strength. Once that happened, Zi Long likely would not let him off, quite possibly killing him on the spot!
What Yang Kai did not anticipate was that Zi Long did not kill Xu Wei but instead allowed his son to collect Xu Wei’s Soul Brand…
With the Seven Coloured Radiant Light having just receded, there was plenty of time to hunt for treasure, so after Yang Kai shuttled The Void for half a cup of tea’s time, he found a random weak spot and returned to the medicine valley.
The surroundings were quiet, without a single person, so Yang Kai enthusiastically began to search for more precious herbs.
After half an hour, he returned to The Void again.
Repeating this process over and over again, Yang Kai’s gains continued to pile up.
At the same time, he was silently keeping track of time.
Before entering, Ni Guang mentioned to him that the longest one could remain in the Severed World was a month, after which they needed to return to the Star Field; otherwise the consequences would be extremely serious.
Because the ancient aura here was too rich, it was not suitable for modern-day cultivators to remain for too long. If they did, they would encounter suppression and rejection by the World Principles here.
Similar to how Qian Tong was repelled by Shadowed Star’s World Principles, the world itself would begin imposing punishments that no cultivator could resist for long.
However, Yang Kai estimated that from entering the Severed World until now, only eleven or twelve days had passed, so even if it would take him some time to return to the entrance, he should have at least ten more days to continue exploring.
As such, he wandered around the medicine valley with peace of mind.
In the blink of an eye, another few days passed.
As time went on, the number of precious herbs that could be found in the medicine valley gradually reduced, but that was not surprising; after all, no matter how large this medicine valley was, it still had a limit. Even if the number of cultivators who entered this place was not large, after so many days of searching, most of the good things here had already been collected.
Even Yang Kai’s gains in terms of Space Spirit Crystals had shrunk dramatically.
On this day, Yang Kai spent half a day inside The Void and only managed to harvest a total of three Space Spirit Crystals and one somewhat valuable herb.
Compared to the first day he entered the medicine valley, it was quite a shabby result.
“It’s time to rendezvous with Gui Zu!” Yang Kai stood in place, stored the herb into his Space Ring, and muttered to himself.
Now that the harvest had started to become thin, it did not matter if he acted separately from Gui Zu or not. If they joined up though, they could assist one another if need be.
Thinking so, Yang Kai poured a bit of his Saint Qi into the mark left by Gui Zu on his shoulder.
Yang Kai stood in place for quite some time but did not see any trace of Gui Zu.
It seemed that Gui Zu was not within a thousand kilometres of him or he would have sensed his call.
Yang Kai was not in a hurry though and simply decided to change position before trying again, but at that moment, a deep rumbling suddenly rang out from the depths of the medicine valley.
The moment he heard this sound, Yang Kai instinctively thought that the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was about to appear, but he realized that something was wrong in the next moment.
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light’s cycle was incredibly regular, allowing Yang Kai to grasp the time when it would appear and disappear with near-perfect accuracy, yet according to his calculations, the Seven Coloured Radiant Light should not appear for another cup of tea worth of time.
Not only that, but the sound he heard was wrong somehow.
Every time the Seven Coloured Radiant Light appeared; the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock Divine Bird would release a loud exhalation sound from where it roosted in the depths of the medicine valley.
The sound that reached Yang Kai’s ear now though was vastly different from a breathing beast, but rather like… the sound of wings flapping, stirring up the air.
Thinking so, Yang Kai’s complexion changed abruptly as he gazed off in the direction the sound was coming from.
At that moment, a piercing cry rang out.
This cry sounded similar to the call of a cat, but many, many times louder as it pierced the sky like a sharp sword, seemingly wanting to penetrate the Severed World itself.
Yang Kai Knowledge Sea even shook slightly from the impact of this sound.
Immediately afterwards, high up in the air, a seven coloured light appeared and blanketed half the sky!
“What’s going on?” Yang Kai exclaimed, standing on the spot, looking at the horizon with trembling eyes.
That was the place where the sound came from every time the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock breathed, where the Divine Bird lived!
Yang Kai had always been curious about how strong this Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock Divine Bird was, but until now, he remained clueless.
However, judging from the power of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light it breathed out, this Divine Bird was at least as strong as a Third-Order Origin King! Perhaps it was even stronger than that.
He had thought about going to see what this Divine Bird looked like, but had not acted on this impulse; however, now it seemed something had changed with the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock.
[Could some blind fool have provoked it?]
Yang Kai thought this might be the case and paid silent tribute to this poor soul. Anyone who provoked the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock would definitely die without burial.
“No, that’s not right!” Yang Kai’s expression changed once again because he noticed that although the movements coming from the depths of the medicine valley were obvious, there was not any fallout from combat. Clearly, the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock had not been provoked. As a brilliant light covered the sky, a massive figure flew up from the ground and blended into seven coloured radiance before soaring off into the distance!
“It flew away?” Yang Kai frowned, making a guess.
The next moment though, excitement filled his face!
The Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock had always occupied a certain location deep inside the medicine valley, so there was no doubt some incredible treasure there which had attracted its attention. In other words, the greatest treasure of this medicine valley should be located there!
Now that the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock had left, wouldn’t it be the perfect opportunity to go search its nest?
Once he had this thought, Yang Kai could not suppress it and his desire to go explore grew stronger rapidly. After struggling with himself for a moment, Yang Kai grit his teeth and flew off quickly.
At the same time, in a certain place in the medicine valley, Zi Long stood in place, his eyes flashing with fanaticism as he stared towards the disappearing seven coloured streak of light, shouting in an excited voice soon after, “The time has come. I did not expect we’d be so lucky! Just ten days after our arrival, the Divine Bird has decided to leave its nest. Hahahaha, what a Heaven-sent opportunity!”
Zi Long had always been very calm and composed, but now he couldn’t contain his excitement, as if he had encountered a once-in-a-million-year opportunity.
Xu Wei wore a confused expression.
However, Zi Dong immediately understood and asked joyfully, “Can we obtain the Immortal Tree now?”
“Immortal Tree?” Xu Wei’s eyes bulged instantly as he stared at Zi Dong in amazement, asking with shock, “Young Master, did you just say Immortal Tree?”
He obviously also knew about the existence of the Immortal Tree, and what the Immortal Tree represented; however, he had only heard of it in rumours and was not even certain a supreme treasure like the Immortal Tree really did exist.
However, just now, he was certain he heard the words ‘Immortal Tree’ from Zi Dong’s mouth.
Combining all he knew, Xu Wei immediately deduced that the place where the Divine Bird made its nest was also where a supreme treasure like the Immortal Tree would be growing.
“What does it matter to you?” Zi Dong casually glanced over at Xu Wei coldly. His mood had been disturbed just now and he had accidentally exposed some important information, but that did not matter much now. In any case, all three of their group would be travelling together, so even if Zi Dong did not say anything about the Immortal Tree, Xu Wei would figure it out himself soon enough.
Xu Wei looked at him and did not dare to ask more.
“I don’t know if I can obtain it, but this is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity!” Zi Long took a deep breath, “Let’s go. If my guess is right, others will also be rushing over.”
“Then, they’re courting death!” Zi Dong coldly snorted.
The Immortal Tree was a Heaven defying treasure that only Purple Star was qualified to possess, and only he and his father were qualified to refine. Sharing the benefits together, this father and son duo would become immortal and indestructible. In time, they would cultivate to the peak of the Martial Dao and dominate the Star Field. How glorious would that be?
Anyone who dared try to snatch the Immortal Tree from them deserved to be damned!
Elsewhere, Ni Guang and Xue Yue were also flying towards the Divine Bird’s nest.
“Uncle Ni, how long will the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock be gone?” Xue Yue asked as she followed Ni Guang.
“I don’t know,” Ni Guang shook his head. “The Divine Bird will leave its nest every once in a while, but as for how long it is gone, it all depends on its mood; nevertheless, this is a rare opportunity. Even if we cannot obtain the Immortal Tree, we must take away the Immortal Source Liquid! Although it is not as precious as the Immortal Tree itself, it is still one of the Three Great Divine Waters, a true miracle medicine!”
“Will Zi Long also appear?” Xue Yue frowned.
“He will definitely not let this opportunity pass. We are prepared to collect the Immortal Source Liquid, so how could Zi Long not be prepared as well? However, when we reach that place, who can obtain what will depend on their own ability. At that time, you must be careful as I may not have the spare capacity to look after you.”
“I understand, Uncle Ni. You can rest assured,” Xue Yue nodded and looked ahead, wondering if that guy would also be attracted by this movement. If they could converge, it would increase their odds of success.
Two thousand kilometres away from where Ni Guang and Xue Yue were, Gui Zu was wrapped in his black Qi as he stared towards the direction of the Divine Bird’s nest. After a long silence, he grinned with interest and muttered, “Good, let us go take a look. Yang Boy definitely won’t miss this kind of chance to join in the fun, and it’s about time I met up with him. The treasures that can be collected in this place are becoming fewer and fewer anyways.”
The three Second-Order Origin Kings were attracted by the Divine Bird’s movement and flew towards the direction of its nest one after another. At the same time, many First-Order Origin Kings became interested and also planned to participate in this treasure hunt.
Although most people did not know about the existence of the Immortal Tree and the Immortal Source Liquid, their thinking was the same as Yang Kai. They all felt that the place where the Divine Bird nested must contain extraordinary treasures, so none of them were willing to miss such a rare opportunity.
Suddenly, all the people in the medicine valley began converging towards a single point.
At the centre of the medicine valley, there was a large flat piece of land where no trees or weeds grew. There was only a one-metre tall, verdant sapling, with leaves blowing in the wind.
This young sapling looked weak and frail, but its leaves and trunk seemed to contain an infinite vitality. This vitality was so strong that it was visible to the naked eye, forming a visible halo around its frame.
Only seven leaves grew on the saplings, and on a few of them was a drop of dew. These drops of dew were round and flawless, showing a creamy white colour while exuding a refreshing fragrance.
There were only three drops of dew in total.
These drops were the rumoured Immortal Source Liquid, an incredibly rare and precious treasure that formed on the leaves of the Immortal Tree! It was rumoured that the Immortal Source Liquid had Heaven defying properties that could even save someone from the brink of death. As long as a person had not truly died and their body had not been damaged beyond repair, they only needed to take a single drop of Immortal Source Liquid and they could completely recover.
Among the Three Great Divine Waters, Immortal Source Liquid could be considered the most valuable because it was a life-saving treasure.
Suddenly, a figure appeared on the horizon and soon landed on an empty part of the flat ground. Judging from the speed of this man and the Saint Qi fluctuations coming from his body, he was a First-Order Origin King.
Meng Tong!
The Origin King with no deep background and had cultivated by himself to this point!
“There’s no one here yet!” Meng Tong glanced around and realized that he was the first to arrive, feeling slightly ecstatic as his small eyes scanned the surroundings and quickly landed on the Immortal Tree not far away.
“What’s this?” Meng Tong stared at the Immortal Tree in amazement, unable to identify it.
Although he could not recognize the Immortal Tree, he could tell how extraordinary this young sapling was. Not only was this sapling clearly a priceless treasure, but even its leaves and the drops of dew on them were treasures!
“Damn it, why is it surrounded by Seven Coloured Radiant Light? How vexing!” Meng Tong cursed in anger.
The Divine Bird had indeed left, and Meng Tong was the first to arrive here, but a ten-metre radius around the Immortal Tree was still covered in a dome of Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
Anyone who wanted to obtain this treasure would have to pass through this Seven Coloured Radiant Light barrier.
Meng Tong did not dare to take risks with his life and scratched his head in frustration as he couldn’t come up with any good ideas.
*Shua shua…*
The sound of strong wind came from nearby and Meng Tong’s face sank as he realized that someone else was approaching. Turning his head, he saw three streaks of light flying over, and a moment later, the figures of Zi Long, Zi Dong, and Xu Wei appeared.
Meng Tong frowned as he put some distance between himself and Zi Long’s group before his eyes landed on Xu Wei’s severed arm and his eyes shrank as a tinge of regret filled his heart.
He did not know what happened to Xu Wei to cause him to lose an arm, or why Xu Wei would act together with Zi Long and his son, but he knew that he wasn’t this group’s opponent.
It seemed he had missed this Heaven-sent opportunity, causing Meng Tong to sigh heavily while cursing the existence of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light dome.
If not for this barrier, he would have snatched the Immortal Tree away rather than just stand here in a daze.
“What an excellent opportunity!” Zi Long landed and his eyes lit up as he shouted.
He had not expected that when he arrived, only Meng Tong would be here, and from the look on Meng Tong’s face, it was obvious he didn’t know what to do.
Since he was basically the first one here, Zi Long would naturally not waste time and immediately tried to approach the Immortal Tree.
“Brother Zi, you’re quite quick!” At that moment though, a voice that caused Zi Long to frown rang out and he couldn’t help freezing in place. Glancing over, Zi Long quickly spotted Ni Guang with Xue Yue, who had landed not far away.
“Brother Ni isn’t slow either!” Zi Long snorted, feeling extremely upset. If Ni Guang had come just a little later, he may have been able to pocket this treasure without opposition.
“Haha, I’m still no match for Brother Zi,” Ni Guang laughed while taking a casual glance around to understand the current situation, continuing immediately after. “While there still aren’t many people, you and I should decide how to divvy up the spoils here. There are three drops of Immortal Source Liquid, each of us will take one while the last drop…”
Before Ni Guang could finish, a voice came from afar, “Oh? So, this is Immortal Source Liquid and the rumoured Immortal Tree? Heh heh heh, it seems that this old master’s luck has still not run out. The last drop of Immortal Source Liquid belongs to this old master!”
As soon as these words fell, a cloud of black Qi rushed over, one that seemed capable of swallowing all light, and instead the cloud, Gui Zu’s figure was vaguely visible.
Ni Guang and Zi Long’s expression both turned serious as they glanced over towards Gui Zu.
Gui Zu just stood in place, meeting eyes with Ni Guang and Zi Long as he asked with a chuckle, “You two shouldn’t have any objections, right?”
Zi Long and Ni Guang glanced at each other for a moment and seemed to be discussing something, but soon, Zi Long nodded, “With Your Excellency’s cultivation, it is enough for you to be treated as an equal by this King and Brother Ni. Very well, the third drop of Immortal Source Liquid is yours for the taking.”
“I have no objections,” Ni Guang nodded and agreed.
“In that case… shall we begin?” Gui Zu grinned meaningfully.
Although both Ni Guang and Zi Long had been forced to compromise due to Gui Zu’s strength, Gui Zu himself was at a loss about how to obtain the Immortal Source Liquid, so he was in no hurry to start. Instead, he planned to observe Zi Long and Ni Guang’s movements first before coming up with a plan.
Knowing it wouldn’t be long before other Origin Kings appeared, Zi Long didn’t dare to delay and immediately took action.
Waving his hand, Zi Long summoned out a giant glowing bronze python-like object and began pouring his Saint Qi into it. The two eyes of this python lit up a moment later, as if it was coming to life.
“A puppet?” Gui Zu narrowed his eyes and immediately understood that Zi Long had prepared for this long ago. Since this puppet was not refined from flesh and blood, it shouldn’t fear the terrifying Seven Coloured Radiant Light, which made it the best way to enter the barrier and extract the Immortal Source Liquid.
But… could it really be that easy? Gui Zu was suspicious as he outwardly portrayed calm, turning his eyes to Ni Guang next.
Ni Guang also released a puppet, but rather than a giant python, this one was human-shaped. This puppet had clearly been refined by a Grandmaster and was quite lifelike. At first glance, one might even mistake this puppet for a real person and only after carefully examining it would they discover that it had no life aura.
As soon as the two puppets with different shapes appeared, they rushed towards the Immortal Tree under the control of Ni Guang and Zi Long.
The python slithered across the ground while the humanoid rang forward.
A moment later, both puppets rushed into the Seven Coloured Radiant Light and immediately slowed down, as if they had become stuck in the mud and were struggling to free themselves.
That was not all though as clear creaking sounds rang out from the two puppets. It seemed that they were under intense pressure, making movement quite difficult.
The faces of Ni Guang and Zi Long became solemn.
Although they had prepared beforehand and brought along the best puppets they could, it appeared like they had still underestimated the terrifying power of the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. While a puppet without flesh or blood did not fear being corroded by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light which could ignore all forms of defence, that didn’t mean these puppets were immune to the innate pressure the Seven Coloured Radiant Light gave off.
If this continued for too long, it was likely that these puppets would be crushed into dust by the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
Realizing this, Zi Long did not dare to neglect and hurriedly urged his giant python puppet forward.
Instantly, the python’s speed increased and after a great deal of effort, it managed to reach the Immortal Tree.
At the same time, Ni Guang’s humanoid puppet also arrived.
The eyes of the two men burst into fiery light as the same thought occurred to both of them and they issued the same instructions to their respective puppets.
In the next moment, the giant python’s body wrapped around the entire Immortal Tree and then fiercely pulled upon it, as if trying to uproot the Immortal Tree!
The humanoid puppet’s approach was even more direct as it grabbed hold of the Immortal Tree’s roots with both hands and pulled up!
The two Second-Order Origin Kings obviously had the same plan.
As a result, the giant python puppet was being hindered by the humanoid puppet while the humanoid puppet interfered with the giant python, making it impossible for the two puppets to exert their full strength as more and more cracking sounds rang out from both of them.
When Gui Zu saw this, his eyes widened and a disgruntled look appeared on his face.
After all, one of the three drops of Immortal Source Liquid had been promised to him, so Ni Guang and Zi Long acting like this without any warning, essentially killing the chicken which laid the precious eggs, naturally made Gui Zu unhappy.
But soon, Gui Zu began to snicker because he found that rather than cooperating, the two puppets were blocking each other while the seemingly thin and weak Immortal Tree took absolutely no damage from their struggle.
“Brother Ni, you should stop your puppet first,” Zi Long suddenly called out, “This King promises that if he can obtain the Immortal Tree, you will get a fair share!”
Saying so, Zi Long continued to urge his giant python puppet.
Ni Guang simply sneered and shot back, “Brother Zi, why not let your puppet quit first? This old master can also guarantee that if he can obtain the Immortal Tree, you will get a share!”
The two men looked at each other and saw clear distrust in each other’s eyes, snorting in unison as they then proceeded to ignore one another.
The situation instantly became a stalemate.
At this time, Kong Fa from Galaxy Ridge also rushed over, and when he saw the situation in front of him, he could not help feeling a bit stunned. But after noticing Xu Wei, Kong Fa grinned happily and moved to join him.
After all, these two were both scoundrels, so them allying at times like this was only natural.
However, he only moved slightly before Xu Wei shook his head at him stealthily.
Kong Fa stopped immediately and observed Xu Wei thoughtfully before turning his gaze to Zi Dong next to him with a dignified expression.
He also discovered that Xu Wei had lost an arm and was now standing together with the people of Purple Star for some unknown reason.
Before Kong Fa understood the situation, he did not dare act rashly. Instead, he observed his surroundings and flew over to Meng Tong’s side a moment later, cupping his fists, “Brother Meng, could you explain what’s going on here?”
Meng Tong glanced over at him and after a brief pause informed him of the situation without trying to conceal anything.
Meng Tong had always been a loner, so he had no hatred for Galaxy Ridge and would sometimes even patronize Abandoned Lair and Galaxy Ridge to look for the cultivation resources he needed. He had some past dealings with Kong Fa, so they could be considered acquaintances.
Therefore, facing Kong Fa’s inquiry, Meng Tong didn’t feel compelled to conceal anything.
“That’s really the legendary Immortal Tree and Immortal Source Liquid?” Kong Fa’s body shook as fanaticism filled his face, his eyes turning towards the centre of the field as many thoughts seem to be churning in his head.
“It would be best if Brother Kong calms down. There are three Second-Order Origin Kings here, and if you act rashly, the consequences will be serious,” Meng Tong reminded him with a smile.
Kong Fa heard this, and his enthusiasm immediately deflated as he nodded lightly, “What Brother Meng says is true, but… from the looks of the situation, it seems none of them will be able to easily succeed.”
“This is an opportunity,” Meng Tong said in a low voice, “We should wait, and when things become more chaotic, perhaps we’ll have a chance to obtain something.”
Kong Fa thought about it and nodded, immediately falling silent while continuing to observe intently.
On the other side, Zi Dong stared at Ni Guang, who was in a stalemate with his father for the Immortal Tree, and his face grew sullen. He felt that if it were not for Ni Guang’s obstruction, his father would have already obtained the Immortal Tree. Because of Ni Guang, his father was locked in a stalemate, it was simply too hateful.
Suddenly, he saw Xue Yue standing alone not far away and could not help grinning as he thought up a good idea.
“Xu Wei.” Using his Divine Sense, Zi Dong signalled to Xu Wei.
“What are Young Master’s orders?” Xu Wei shivered slightly, seemingly somewhat alarmed, and quickly replied.
“Do you see Xue Yue?”
“Old servant naturally sees him.”
“Good, go and kill him!” Zi Dong ordered lightly.
“What?” Xu Wei’s face changed wildly, “Kill… Kill him? But Young Master, he’s…”
Xue Yue was the future successor of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so not even a desperado like Xu Wei would dare attack Xue Yue easily. Otherwise, even if he hid inside Abandoned Lair’s headquarters, President Ai Ou would find a way to get to him and make him experience a fate worse than death!
“What’s wrong? Do you dare disobey your Young Master’s orders?” Zi Dong’s face sank.
“Old servant wouldn’t dare! Please forgive me, Young Master!” Xu Wei quickly admitted his mistake, his face extremely pale.
“Good,” Zi Dong coldly snorted, thought about it, and followed up. “Actually, I don’t want you to kill him; after all, with his background and heritage, you may not even be able to! All you have to do is act aggressively.”
Xu Wei heard this, and suddenly understood, “What Young Master means is… to attack Xue Yue to interfere with Ni Guang’s concentration so he cannot focus on fighting for the Immortal Tree?”
“En, exactly,” Zi Dong nodded lightly.
“Old servant understands,” Xu Wei calmed down and acknowledged the order. As long as he didn’t really have to kill Xue Yue, it was a simple matter. Xu Wei even remembered to add some flattery, “Young Master is wise!”
“Alright already, go now.” Zi Dong urged impatiently.
Xu Wei nodded faintly before turning his eyes towards Xue Yue and released his Domain without saying a word.
Xue Yue never imagined that someone would sneak attack her in this kind of place and at this time, much less an Origin King. Caught off guard, she was instantly engulfed by Xu Wei’s Domain and could not help gasping from the pressure.
Although Xu Wei’s sneak attack caught Xue Yue a bit by surprise, her reaction was extremely fast. Pushing her Shi as soon as she noticed something was wrong, she managed to alleviate some of the pressure she felt. At the same time, a bright flash emerged from her figure as she summoned a jade-like artifact that created a light barrier around her body.
This light curtain greatly reduced the impact of Xu Wei’s Domain on her.
The jade pendant in her hand was obviously a powerful artifact that could offset the power of an Origin King’s Domain, similar to the Bright Sea Domain Dividing Mirror worn by Sword Union’s Young Master Gu Jian Xin.
Such artifacts were impossible for ordinary people to obtain as they were extremely difficult to refine and the materials required to make them were incredibly rare and expensive. An ordinary cultivator simply could not afford something like this.
But for characters like Xue Yue and Gu Jian Xin, carrying one or two such artifacts was necessary, in case of emergencies.
After all, they were just Origin Realm cultivators, and if an Origin Returning Realm cultivator wanted to contend with an Origin King, the greatest difficulty would be the suppression of their Shi by a Domain. As long as this difficulty was relieved though, an Origin Realm cultivator would have a much greater chance to survive the assault of an Origin King.
This kind of artifact was a life-saving treasure for them.
As soon as the jade pendant came out, the pressure Xue Yue felt was greatly reduced and she straightened herself up again, turned her head, and glared coldly towards her attacker.
“Xu Wei!” Xue Yue shouted as a look of surprise appeared on her face. She did not understand what Xu Wei was thinking, attacking her at this time.
After all, this was of no benefit to him at all and would thoroughly offend Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Had something gone wrong with Xu Wei’s head?
“Third Young Master, pardon my offence!” Although Xu Wei was unwilling in his heart, under Zi Dong’s despotic power, he had no choice but to obey and rushed out towards Xue Yue. Since his Domain was unable to completely suppress Xue Yue, he had to personally take action. Waving his hand, Xu Wei summoned a dagger artifact and poured his Saint Qi into it, causing it to tremble slightly.
“Go!” Xu Wei flicked his wrist and the dagger in his hand shot out like a stream of light towards Xue Yue.
Xue Yue’s beautiful face changed colour. Facing the blow of an Origin King, she did not dare to resist head-on. Twisting her body quickly, she hurriedly dodged while at the same time she summoned her own bracelet artifact, transforming it into two copies of itself, then four, then eight…
In an instant, the sky was filled with phantom clones of her bracelet, making it impossible to tell which was the original and which ones were immaterial.
The countless bracelets floated around Xue Yue, forming an airtight protective net.
*Ding ding dang dang…*
A series of crisp metallic impacts sounded as the bracelet shadows were impacted by the dagger light. Many of the illusionary bracelets were destroyed and dispersed but the dagger’s power was also slowly being consumed.
“Xu Wei, you court death!” Ni Guang also noticed this movement and could not help becoming enraged.
Xu Wei grit his teeth and held his tongue as an extremely bitter taste filled his mouth and heart.
He knew that he would be in serious trouble after this incident.
“Brother Ni, this King’s previous proposal is still valid. You might as well reconsider it,” Zi Long’s call came out in an unhurried manner, as if he was completely confident of grasping victory.
Others did not understand why Xu Wei attacked Xue Yue, but Zi Long understood that it was his son’s idea. Only Zi Dong could force Xu Wei to take action here.
Zi Long felt very satisfied with Zi Dong’s decision.
Ni Guang’s expression sank greatly as he controlled the humanoid puppet to compete with Zi Long for the Immortal Tree while also paying attention to Xue Yue’s situation. Soon, he ground his teeth and shouted, “If this old master cannot obtain it, neither will you!”
“What are you trying to do?” Zi Long’s expression changed after hearing this.
Ni Guang did not answer with words but with action and in the next moment, the humanoid puppet released a dazzling light, lifted its arms, and fiercely attacked the giant python puppet.
A loud cracking sound rang out as sparks flew from the spot where the python was struck.
“Ni Guang!” Zi Long roared, his expression turning savage. Inside the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, his puppet was already under great pressure and had suffered significant damage, so now that it had been attacked by Ni Guang’s humanoid puppet, that damage only became more serious; to the point where the python puppet began to show signs of failing.
“Hahahaha!” Ni Guang laughed loudly as he took advantage of the moment when the giant python puppet was repelled by having his humanoid puppet grasp a leaf that had a drop of Immortal Source Liquid on it and violently pull it down.
The next moment, the humanoid puppet rushed out without looking back.
However, as the humanoid puppet was returning, cracks echoed from its body and some pieces even fell off it.
The puppet had obviously reached its limit!
Its speed was getting slower and slower and it seemed it might collapse at any moment.
At the same time, Zi Long’s giant python puppet was not doing much better. After being fiercely attacked by Ni Guang’s humanoid puppet, the python’s body had been deformed and it was unable to move freely; there were even pieces of beginning to break off.
Seeing this situation, Zi Long immediately understood that he would not be able to complete his primary objective and could only back down. After controlling his giant python puppet to bite a leaf with a drop of Immortal Source Liquid on it, Zi Long hurriedly had it return.
In the end, the two puppets each brought back a leaf from the Immortal Tree, as well as a drop of Immortal Source Liquid.
Ni Guang and Zi Long rushed forward, not daring to take the situation lightly.
If Gui Zu suddenly struck at this time and robbed them, everything they had just fought over would become meaningless.
On the other hand, Xue Yue’s situation was gradually becoming precarious. Ni Guang was unwilling to give up the Immortal Source Liquid and the Immortal Tree’s leaf that he would soon obtain though, so he could only have Xue Yue hold on for a moment longer.
Ni Guang believed that because of Xue Yue’s background, Xu Wei would not easily kill her.
And Xue Yue did not fail to live up to his expectations. Powerful artifacts and various Secret Techniques emerged in an endless stream, and even her Symbiotic Monster Spirit Xie Zhi was summoned, but the gap between Great Realms was not something that could easily be overcome.
“Boy, using your strength to bully the weak? Utterly shameful!” Gui Zu, who had been standing to the side silently, suddenly snorted, stretched out his hand, and struck towards Xu Wei.
A mass of black Qi swiftly condensed above Xu Wei’s head as countless Yin Souls converged into a giant palm print that released a terrifying howl.
Gui Zu suddenly making a move nearly caused Xu Wei’s soul to leave his body. Screaming in terror, he did not dare attack Xue Yue and quickly summoned all his defensive artifacts while pushing his Saint Qi towards the sky.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, the giant black hand trembled slightly under Xu Wei’s counterattack, but it soon continued its descent and directly covered its target.
The ground shook and Xu Wei let out a pitiful snort. After the giant black hand vanished, Xu Wei remained standing, pale-faced and with blood leaking from his lips.
He had obviously been injured by that blow.
The gap between Second-Order Origin King and First-Order was clear!
After one blow, Gui Zu did not continue; after all, although he was stronger than Xu Wei, it was not easy to kill an Origin King. What’s more, there were more important things waiting for him to deal with, so how could he bother with Xu Wei any longer?
The entire reason he took action was because of Yang Kai.
In his opinion, Xue Yue was Yang Kai’s woman, and as High Heaven Sect’s Supreme Elder, how could he just sit back and watch while Xue Yue was bullied by an Origin King? If he had feigned ignorance here, he would not have been able to explain himself to Yang Kai later.
“If you dare act any further, this old master will kill you!” Gui Zu gave Xu Wei a vicious look as he threatened.
Xu Wei broke out in a cold sweat.
Xue Yue panted heavily as she glanced over at Gui Zu and nodded slightly to express her gratitude, while Zi Dong wore an angry expression mixed with a bit of confusion on the other side, extremely upset with Gui Zu’s interference.
He did not understand why someone like Gui Zu would help Xue Yue.
After such a delay, Ni Guang and Zi Long had already collected their respective Immortal Tree leaf and drop of Immortal Source Liquid. Both took out pre-prepared containers as quickly as possible and sealed these treasures inside before stuffing them into their Space Rings. Only once this was completed did the two masters breathe a sigh of relief.
Regardless of anything else, being able to obtain a leaf from the Immortal Tree and a drop of Immortal Source Liquid had made this trip worthwhile. As for the Immortal Tree itself…
Both of their puppets had essentially been destroyed so they had no method to penetrate the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
“Hey, Little Yang Kai is here!” Gui Zu suddenly looked over in one direction as he sensed something.
Hearing this, Xue Yue smiled happily and followed Gui Zu’s gaze to see a ray of light flying over rapidly. From that ray of light, Xue Yue felt an aura that filled her with warmth.
A moment later, Yang Kai appeared and was shocked to see so many people gathered already.
He had rushed over as fast as he could but now it seems he was late.
Glancing over at Xue Yue, he nodded lightly before rushing over to Gui Zu’s side and asking in a low voice, “Supreme Elder, am I late?”
“En, a bit,” Gui Zu nodded, “But it doesn’t matter, the biggest treasure is still here and none of them can take it away, hahahaha.”
Yang Kai heard this, and his gaze immediately fell upon the Immortal Tree, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed it before a look of shock gradually appeared on his face.
He could feel that there was an unimaginable vitality radiating from this weak-looking sapling and the milky white drop of dew on one of its leaves was definitely an invaluable treasure as well.
“Immortal Tree, Immortal Source Liquid?” Yang Kai called out in shock.
“Oh, you recognize this thing?” Gui Zu looked at him in surprise.
If it had not been for Ni Guang and Zi Long speaking about it just now, Gui Zu would not have recognized the Immortal Tree, but it seemed Yang Kai was able to identify it at a glance.
“Only the Immortal Tree could possibly possess such astonishing vitality,” Yang Kai’s face was filled with delight. “There is actually an Immortal Tree! No wonder the Divine Bird made its nest here…”
The Immortal Tree was a supreme treasure that was even higher in value than Yang Kai’s Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus. After all, while the Soul Warming Lotus could nourish one’s Soul, the Immortal Tree could grant a cultivator an immortal and indestructible body. Which was more valuable was apparent.
“En, this is indeed the Immortal Tree, and that drop of Immortal Source Liquid on that leaf belongs to this old master. It was an agreement between Ni Guang and Zi Long just now. They each took a drop. Yang Kai, this old master has no way to get that Immortal Source Liquid from the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. Do you have a solution?” Gui Zu turned to Yang Kai and asked.
Although Yang Kai was only a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, Gui Zu always felt astonished by his myriad of abilities, so at this critical time, he could only ask Yang Kai.
After all, what if this boy had a way?
Yang Kai really did have a way. He had already experimented with this method when collecting the Heavenly Infant Grass before, discovering that the Stone Puppet could move about inside the Seven Coloured Radiant Light. Although it was also affected to a certain extent, the impact was not too great.
So, when Gui Zu asked, Yang Kai couldn’t help grinning, “Of course I have one!”
“Quickly, stop him! We absolutely cannot let him act!” Zi Long’s face changed drastically as he pointed in the direction of Yang Kai and shouted. Since Yang Kai appeared, Zi Long’s expression had turned extremely ugly, and now seeing him stand and communicate with Gui Zu, he immediately realized that the situation was not good.
The puppets brought by him and Ni Guang had already been damaged and could not be used again, so while they had no way to penetrate the Seven Coloured Radiant Light, the stone man Yang Kai previously showed him had become the key existence that could determine ownership of the Immortal Tree.
So, when Zi Long saw that Yang Kai intended to act, he couldn’t hold his silence anymore and called out to Ni Guang, “Brother Ni, we need to set aside our grievances for the moment. We need to cooperate to stop this brat; he has a rare treasure in his hand that can withstand the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.”
“What?” Ni Guang was taken aback and turned to look at Yang Kai.
Although he was not very familiar with Yang Kai, he had at least travelled with him for several days, but during that time, he hadn’t noticed anything particularly special about Yang Kai. Now that Zi Long was calling out so anxiously though, Ni Guang could not help feeling surprised, wondering just what kind of rare treasure Yang Kai possessed that could withstand the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
After all, he and Zi Long had brought puppets which were especially refined for this task, and whether it was Purple Star or Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, they only managed to create one such puppet.
However, even those two puppets could not remain inside the Seven Coloured Radiant Light for too long, and although some of the damage they suffered was due to mutual attacks, the biggest reason was the Radiant Light’s suppression.
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light’s pressure was simply too terrifying.
Could this rare treasure in Yang Kai’s hand be stronger than their two puppets?
“Brother Ni, do you want to watch this treasure fall into the hands of another? Why don’t you and I join forces and seize that treasure from him first? Then, we can use it to obtain the Immortal Tree. After we obtain it, we can share it equally!” Zi Long spoke out loud and extremely quickly, showing no scruples about Yang Kai hearing him.
Ni Guang frowned and glanced towards Xue Yue.
He needed to ask Xue Yue for her opinion.
Xue Yue slowly shook her head with a serious expression on her face.
Ni Guang understood and said lightly, “Brother Zi, your proposal is somewhat inappropriate, so forgive this Ni for not being able to agree.”
“Fool!” Zi Long was incensed. In this situation, he wanted to obtain the Immortal Tree and could only rely on the stone man in Yang Kai’s possession, but it was obvious at a glance that Yang Kai and Gui Zu were working together. Gui Zu was a master on Zi Long’s level, so his only option was to draw Ni Guang into the fight, but Ni Guang had refused!
Didn’t Ni Guang realize that if the situation continued like this, he would lose all hope of obtaining the Immortal Tree?
The Divine Bird leaving its nest was a rare opportunity, and if this chance was missed, the Immortal Tree would surely slip through his fingers, and he would never be able to obtain an immortal and indestructible body.
Zi Long quickly became as anxious as an ant on a hot wok…
“Jie Jie…” Gui Zu cackled wickedly as the black Qi outside his body churned, showcasing his displeasure, “You’re the Sect Master of Purple Star? One truly cannot know a person until they meet them personally. Your performance here really disappoints this old master. Hmph, if you wish to deal with my Sect’s Sect Master, you’ll have to pass this old master first!”
Saying so, a wailing howl rang out from Gui Zu’s figure, causing everyone nearby to shudder. With a wave of his hand, Gui Zu summoned his Ten Thousand Soul Banner and transformed it into a giant ghastly face that seemed able to swallow the world itself and floated it above his head.
The ghost head exuded a strong, cold aura, and its giant mouth opened and closed menacingly, occasionally revealing a terrifying darkness inside of it, like a bottomless abyss.
Zi Long’s expression could not help darkening.
“Uncle Ni, we should support Yang Kai as well,” Xue Yue said softly.
Ni Guang was taken aback but soon nodded, wrapping his Saint Qi around Xue Yue and flying over towards Yang Kai and Gui Zu’s side.
When he first entered the Severed World, Ni Guang had a bad impression of Gui Zu, feeling that the latter was a vicious and troublesome individual who cultivated some kind of evil Secret Art. But just now, when Xu Wei was attacking Xue Yue, Gui Zu had intervened to help her, a fact Ni Guang had not missed.
As such, Ni Guang felt incredibly grateful to Gui Zu.
So, he did not reject Xue Yue’s proposal. He did not know what the relationship between Xue Yue and Yang Kai was, but since Xue Yue had spoken, it was obvious she wanted to support him in this matter.
After landing, Ni Guang nodded lightly to Gui Zu, the latter simply responding with a chuckle.
The two Second-Order Origin Kings had instantly formed a kind of alliance.
Zi Long’s face turned even uglier.
Standing there, he stared coldly at Gui Zu and Ni Guang, his heart unsettled.
Zi Long knew that this Immortal Tree would slip through his grasp if nothing changed. With two Second-Order Origin Kings, the other party had absolute superiority.
But even so… he could not make it that easy for them!
Zi Long quickly composed himself and sent a Divine Sense Message to Xu Wei. After Xu Wei heard it, he quickly raised his head and beckoned to Kong Fa who was standing not far away, “Brother Kong, come here!”
Kong Fa’s eyes narrowed as he glanced over at Zi Long with a worried look.
Xu Wei chuckled, “Brother Kong, this Xu wouldn’t harm you, you can rest assured and come over.”
Kong Fa pondered for a moment before nodding and quickly walking over.
Xu Wei turned his attention to Meng Tong next.
But before he could speak, Meng Tong grinned meaningfully, “This Meng will take his leave first. May we meet again if there is a chance!”
Saying so, he turned around and left at an extremely fast speed.
He obviously did not want to get drawn into this muddy water; after all, the situation was quite tense right now, with the top masters opposing one another and two factions clearly forming. Meng Tong had managed to reach the Origin King Realm without any help from a powerful great force and had entered the Severed World simply to search for some opportunities. Getting caught up in this precarious fight was clearly not something he was interested in.
So, he made a decisive decision and immediately left.
He was the first to come and was the first to leave. It could be seen that Meng Tong was an extremely cautious individual and it was not just luck that he managed to reach the Origin King Realm.
“Coward!” Zi Long coldly snorted, rather scornful of Meng Tong’s timidity.
With Meng Tong gone, Zi Long only had two First-Order Origin Kings, Xu Wei and Kong Fa, on his side, while the other side had two Second-Order Origin Kings. Although there was technically one more Origin King on his side, Zi Long did not think he had the advantage.
The key to everything was Yang Kai!
As long as he could capture Yang Kai and snatch his rare treasure, victory would be his!
“Interesting.” Seeing Zi Long’s movements, Gui Zu gave a gloomy smile, “Yang Kai, act freely. With this old master here, no one can touch a hair on your head!”
“Yang Kai, don’t worry, Uncle Ni will also support you,” Xue Yue said as she stood next to him.
Ni Guang heard this and nodded without hesitation, “En.”
Since Xue Yue had already declared so, how could he refuse? While verbally agreeing, he muttered secretly in his heart that the relationship between Xue Yue and Yang Kai was much closer than he first imagined.
If that weren’t the case, Xue Yue wouldn’t have offered his support.
“Then, I’ll have to trouble you two!” Yang Kai laughed loudly then without any delay summoned his Embodiment.
As soon as the golden stone puppet Embodiment appeared, it attracted everyone’s attention.
Zi Long, Xu Wei, and Zi Dong had already seen Yang Kai’s Embodiment before, so they knew that Yang Kai would definitely use this rare treasure to try to obtain the Immortal Tree, but it was the first time that Gui Zu, Ni Guang, and the others saw it.
Everyone seemed a little surprised.
None of them knew what the Stone Puppet was.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and sent his Soul Clone into the Embodiment before controlling it to walk towards the Immortal Tree.
“In your dreams!” Zi Long could not contain his anxiety and shouted as he stepped forward, releasing the terrifying coercion of an Origin Kings towards Yang Kai.
“Hahaha, Brother Zi, this Ni would like to exchange pointers with you!” Ni Guang laughed and took a step forward to meet the pressure with own.
*Hong…*
The ground cracked as the invisible pressure from two Second-Order Origin Kings collided, causing the surrounding space to tremble for a moment.
The two snorted at the same time and their bodies shook slightly.
In this confrontation, they came out evenly matched.
Ni Guang’s eyes brightened as a burning fighting intent flashed across them. On the other side, Zi Long ground his teeth and shouted, “Ni Guang, are you willing to see the Immortal Tree taken away by an outsider? It’s not too late to collaborate with me to obtain it!”
Ni Guang curled his lips into a grin, “Join hands with you? Stop sleep talking. Even if I cannot get the Immortal Tree for the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, your Purple Star shouldn’t even dream of obtaining it.”
“Fine! You’ve forced my hand,” Zi Long was angry and his entire body burst with dazzling purple light. This purple light was so dense that it almost seemed tangible. At the same time, a crashing sound rang out from Zi Long’s figure, like a raging ocean.
“Purple Qi Eternal River Secret Art!” Ni Guang’s face sank as he realized that Zi Long had really become impatient and was planning on seriously fighting him. As such, Ni Guang did not dare hold back and also pushed his Secret Art to the limit. A golden aura burst from his body, one that was both majestic and imposing.
The surrounding aura became turbulent as the Domains of two Origin Kings crashed against one another…
With a loud roar, Zi Long transformed into a streak of purple light and rushed straight towards Ni Guang.
Ni Guang released a similar growl as his figure flickered and shot out like a blast of golden lightning to meet the enemy.
The world shook as the purple and golden lights collided mid-air and powerful Saint Qi explosions filled the sky.
The battle between Zi Long and Ni Guang started instantly.
Xu Wei and Kong Fa looked up at the terrifying scene in the sky and trembled, deeply feeling their own weakness.
As Origin Kings, they always had eyes atop their heads, but they were just First-Order after all. Now that they had a chance to witness an all-out battle between Second-Order masters, they immediately understood the gap between them.
Both Ni Guang and Zi Long were so strong, what about Gui Zu, who was at the same level as them?
The two people had the same thoughts as they glanced over towards Gui Zu.
Gui Zu had not moved to attack them and was instead standing next to Yang Kai to guard him. Gui Zu understood the priority at this moment and naturally placed Yang Kai’s safety above defeating Xu Wei and Kong Fa. As long as these two people didn’t move, Gui Zu wouldn’t bother with them.
However, Gui Zu did not expect that Xu Wei’s life was not his to control, and was actually clenched in Zi Dong’s hands.
Seeing that his father and Ni Guang were already fighting, Zi Dong wanted to contribute as well and immediately sent a message to Xu Wei, telling him to attack Gui Zu.
Xu Wei’s face was extremely ugly as he cursed Zi Dong vehemently in his heart.
However, with his Soul Brand in Zi Dong’s hands, he did not dare refuse and could only try to rope his old friend into this turbid water. Thinking quickly on his feet, Xu Wei calmed himself and whispered to Kong Fa, “Brother Kong, our opportunity is here.”
Kong Fa frowned, “Brother Xu, by opportunity you mean… we should attack that little brat now?”
“Exactly.”
“Are you trying to kill yourself? That old monster next to that boy is not affable. Even if you and I team up, we will not necessarily be his opponents,” Kong Fa was taken aback.
“Brother Kong, riches and danger always appear together! Since you and I reached the Origin King Realm, have we ever had any opportunities to reach another breakthrough? Do you want to remain a First-Order forever? The Immortal Tree is a supreme treasure that few will ever see in their lifetimes. If we miss this opportunity this time, this Xu will not be able to accept it. Hence, this Xu is willing to fight. So what if we end up losing our lives?” Xu Wei earnestly spun his words, trying to drag Kong Fa down with him as there was no way he would challenge Gui Zu on his own.
Kong Fa’s face could not help becoming solemn, as if he was considering his options.
Seeing this, Xu Wei struck while the iron was hot and said, “You and I don’t have to defeat that old man. Now that Ni Guang is entangled by Zi Long, we just need to distract that old man while one of us seizes the opportunity to attack that boy. As long as we can catch that brat, it will surely tie that old man’s hands.”
“That may be so, but…” Kong Fa was still hesitant.
“Brother Kong, this Xu is willing to be the one distracting that old man while you take the opportunity to deal with that boy,” Xu Wei did not have the option to refuse, so he immediately offered to take on the more dangerous role.
Kong Fa trembled slightly as he stared at Xu Wei in amazement, truly somewhat moved as he said, “Brother Xu, you…”
The Xu Wei that Kong Fa knew was not such a bold and daring individual, so seeing him willingly take on danger surprised Kong Fa somewhat.
Xu Wei simply laughed, however, and said, “I just hope that if Brother Kong succeeds, he won’t forget this Xu’s contributions!”
“Naturally!” Kong Fa was finally moved by Xu Wei and quickly said, “Brother Xu, since you are willing to go so far, it would be unreasonable for this Kong to refuse. Let us do this! If this Kong really succeeds, we will split the Immortal Tree evenly between us!”
“En!” Xu Wei was overjoyed and thought to himself that he had finally managed to drag his old friend into this mess.
After the two finished their negotiations, they did not delay and began condensing their Saint Qi as they directed menacing gazes towards Yang Kai.
“Heh heh heh…” Gui Zu grinned strangely, “Can’t hold yourselves back anymore? It just so happens that this old master was getting bored standing here like this. You two brats, come entertain this old master.”
As Gui Zu finished speaking, the huge ghost head suspended midair suddenly roared, opened its black mouth, and bit towards Kong Fa and Xu Wei.
The pair were taken aback and dispersed quickly, summoning their artifacts and using their Secret Techniques to bombard the ghost head as they fled.
Gui Zu was not hurried and simply waved his hand lightly, causing the ghost head to split in half, causing the two men’s attacks to miss. The divided ghost head halves distorted and transformed into two smaller ghost heads then that pursued their respective targets.
Both Xu Wei and Kong Fa’s faces sank, only now realizing they had still underestimated Gui Zu. It would not be easy for either of them to escape the chase of these ghost heads, let alone get close enough to Yang Kai to attack him.
For a time, the Divine Bird’s nest became extremely active and lively, with fierce battles raging in the sky and on the ground
Yang Kai, under the protection of Xue Yue and Gui Zu, safely controlled his Embodiment to advance into the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
Soon, the Embodiment arrived at the Immortal Tree.
Through the Embodiment, Yang Kai was able to see this Immortal Tree clearly, and when he got up close to it, he could truly feel just how dense and rich the vitality contained within it was.
He had heard the rumours about the Immortal Tree before and knew that it was supposedly a relic of antiquity that had long ago disappeared in the river of history, but now, he was actually seeing one in this Severed World.
This was a supreme treasure that could grant one an immortal and indestructible body! It was even more valuable than Yang Kai’s Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, and it is now in front of his eyes!
Yang Kai could not help feeling a bit agitated and had to forcefully calm himself down before controlling the Embodiment to uproot the Immortal Tree.
The two palms of the Stone Puppet Embodiment gripped tightly to the roots of the Immortal Tree and then began pulling up with some slight force.
What surprised Yang Kai though was that the Immortal Tree did not move at all! This small sapling seemed to be permanently rooted in the ground.
He could not help increasing his strength…
Still no improvement.
Yang Kai did not believe he couldn’t succeed and further increased the force he used…
Repeating this process a few times, Yang Kai only became more shocked.
Although his Stone Puppet Embodiment had not swallowed too many rare ores and had thus not grown its strength greatly, as a Stone Puppet it was born with great innate power. However, Yang Kai was now controlling his Embodiment to use all its strength, but it was still unable to even shake the Immortal Tree.
This Immortal Tree simply could not be pulled out!
However, what shocked Yang Kai even more was that the Immortal Tree remained undamaged despite such great force!
If it were any normal tree, it would likely have been crushed to splinters already.
It seemed that Ni Guang and Zi Long’s puppets failing to obtain the Immortal Tree before was not because they were interfering with each other, but because the two puppets themselves were not strong enough to pull this sapling out.
At that time, even if they worked together, there was no hope they could obtain the Immortal Tree!
“Is it still not enough?” Yang Kai muttered to himself and his eyes flashed, the next moment waving his hand and summoning out Xiao Xiao!
If one Stone Puppet weren’t strong enough, perhaps two would be. Yang Kai knew of the potential risk, but the reward was too much to not attempt it.
Moreover, Xiao Xiao had swallowed countless rare ores and was many, many times stronger than Yang Kai’s Embodiment.
As soon as Xiao Xiao appeared, he received instructions from Yang Kai and immediately rushed towards the Immortal Tree.
Soon, Xiao Xiao charged into the Seven Coloured Radiant Light!
The suppression from the Seven Coloured Radiant Light pressed from all directions towards Xiao Xiao’s body, but before he could even stumble, he released a profound energy fluctuation from his figure which completely offset it.
Xiao Xiao only paused slightly before he ran forward again unimpeded, moving through the Seven Coloured Radiant Light as if it were nothing but air.
“This is… Principal Strength?” Yang Kai was taken aback. Although his Soul Clone was controlling the Embodiment, his own senses were not personally affected, so he could still clearly perceive the changes around Xiao Xiao.
Just now, the strange power fluctuations that emerged from Xiao Xiao’s body were similar to World Principles!
Yang Kai was quite familiar with this kind of aura as he was the Star Master of Shadowed Star and had experienced its World Principles multiple times. Although the Principal Strength coming from Xiao Xiao’s body was extremely weak, it was no doubt real.
[Since when had Xiao Xiao been able to manifest such power?] Yang Kai frowned as he thought about it. The sentience of Stone Puppets wasn’t high, and Xiao Xiao couldn’t have simply comprehended Principal Strength on his own. The only possibility was that some Xiao Xiao had obtained this ability from some external source.
But when did such an event happen?
Reasoning through this scenario, Yang Kai quickly came up with a hypothesis.
On the Ore Star, Xiao Xiao had once swallowed the remnants of its Star Source and then fallen into a deep slumber for a time. Back then, Yang Kai had thought that Xiao Xiao would become stronger after waking up.
But when Xiao Xiao re-awakened, he had not experienced any kind of change, causing Yang Kai to be a little disappointed.
Now, it appeared that Xiao Xiao had experienced a significant change, it was just that it had yet to manifest at the time!
After devouring the Ore Star’s remnant Star Source, Xiao Xiao had clearly obtained some slight traces of Principal Strength, and although this power was quite weak, it was more than enough to counter the Seven Coloured Radiant Light.
Principal Strength was an extremely profound power!
While Yang Kai was distracted, Xiao Xiao arrived beside the Embodiment, stood on the opposite side of the Immortal Tree, and grabbed hold of its roots.
The next moment, a deep roar came from Xiao Xiao’s throat and his two small eyes narrowed, a clear sign he was exerting a great deal of strength.
*Kacha…*
From underground, a vague cracking sound rang out.
The Immortal Tree, which had so far been motionless, was finally shaken by the force being applied to it and the tiny sapling was clearly being pulled out at a subtle speed, causing the surrounding ground to crack as a result.
As the Immortal Tree was being pulled out, the aura in the surrounding region began to fluctuate wildly, setting off an incredible chain reaction.
“This is…” Gui Zu stopped his battle with Xu Wei and Kong Fa to concentrate on the changes occurring around him, his expression extremely solemn as he quickly discovered that, within the surrounding several-thousand-kilometre radii his Divine Sense could cover, the ambient World Energy and aura was rapidly gathering towards the Immortal Tree. In just a short period of time, the aura inside the medicine valley had been greatly reduced.
If this continued, it would likely be difficult to grow any valuable medicinal herbs here in the future.
“This Immortal Tree is actually closely connected with the vitality of the entire medicine valley?!” Gui Zu realized what was happening and his eyes bulged in shock.
At that moment, a piercing cry rang out from the far horizon, one that contained clear and extreme anger, causing Gui Zu’s face to pale.
On the horizon, a brilliant seven coloured streak of light with a massive hazy figure inside of it was rapidly approaching.
“This is bad!” Gui Zu shouted, no longer having any mind to tease Xu Wei and Kong Fa. Using his full strength, Gui Zu repelled the two First-Order Origin Kings and shouted to Yang Kai, “The Divine Bird is returning. Yang Kai, hurry up!”
There was no need for his reminder, of course, as the thunderous cry just now was more than enough for Yang Kai to realize what was happening.
Yang Kai’s face became extremely solemn.
He did not know what kind of abilities the Divine Bird possessed, but it could clearly sense the changes happening to the Immortal Tree. It had been alerted to someone tampering with the Immortal Tree and was now returning rapidly. Before it arrived, everyone here had to quickly escape.
Sitting down cross-legged on the spot, while controlling his Embodiment to use all its strength, Yang Kai also gave similar instructions to Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao sensed Yang Kai’s anxiety and released a fierce roar, causing a ripple of sound waves visible to the naked eye to propagate from his mouth. The next moment, Xiao Xiao’s body swelled up!
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Xiao’s size had quadrupled.
Although this was not Xiao Xiao’s limit, the power added to his figure was still impressive.
The Immortal Tree was now being pulled up at a far greater speed…
Yang Kai took this opportunity to glance over in the direction the Divine Bird was approaching from, but what he witnessed caused his expression to pale.
The seven coloured light was now about a hundred kilometres away, which might seem like a great distance, but with the Divine Bird’s speed and strength, it could likely cross that distance with just two flaps of its wings.
At this moment, not only was Yang Kai panicking, but everyone else was as well.
Ni Guang and Zi Long had ceased their fight and withdrawn without a hint of hesitation. The former urged his Saint Qi to wrap up Xue Yue then fly off in the opposite direction the Divine Bird was approaching from. Before she was dragged away, Xue Yue called out Yang Kai’s name loudly, imploring him to escape quickly…
Zi Long similarly did not dare to remain and swiftly brought Zi Dong with him to escape.
“Brother Kong, run!” Xu Wei’s blood froze as he called out and formed a series of seals with his hands before a brilliant light burst from his body and he shot off faster than anyone else.
Kong Fa followed closely behind.
A group of powerful Origin Kings were now running away like frightened dogs, an extremely unusual sight.
In an instant, everyone around the Immortal Tree had evacuated, leaving only Gui Zu to guard Yang Kai.
Even with Gui Zu’s strength, he was still dripping sweat from his forehead as the black Qi surrounding his body became turbulent.
“Supreme Elder, you evacuate first!” Yang Kai called out anxiously.
“This old master isn’t going to just leave you here.” At the critical moment, Gui Zu proved his reliability and did not try to flee alone and abandon Yang Kai. This made Yang Kai affirm that his decision to invite Gui Zu to High Heaven Sect was the right one.
One had to know, Gui Zu choosing to remain at this time was a huge risk to his life.
Only at such moments could one truly see a person’s character, so Gui Zu’s conduct undoubtedly won Yang Kai respect and approval.
“I’m certain I can escape, you don’t need to worry about me,” Yang Kai replied very quickly.
Gui Zu was stunned before immediately realizing that Yang Kai was able to rely on his Space Force to flee, only saying in a solemn voice, “Then you must be careful, this old master will go on ahead.”
As his words fell, his body flickered as the Ten Thousand Soul Banner wrapped around him and he transformed into a black streak that flew away.
In the time it took for all this to happen, the Divine Bird had already closed more than half the distance and would likely arrive within the next breath. At such a close distance, Yang Kai was able to see exactly what the Divine Bird looked like.
It was an enormous peacock with bright, colourful wings and a beautifully arranged fan of tail feathers.
Besides the legendary phoenixes, it was likely there was no more beautiful existence than the Divine Bird in front of him.
But this beautiful visage was completely overshadowed by the monstrous murderous intent it was emitting!
There was another loud cry as the Seven Coloured Radiant Light around the Divine Bird condensed and then shot out in an intense beam.
Yang Kai leapt up from the spot and rushed forward.
At the same time, Xiao Xiao and Yang Kai’s Embodiment had already succeeded in extracting the Immortal Tree.
The moment the Immortal Tree was pulled out of the ground, the aura in the entire medicine valley became turbulent. Xiao Xiao grabbed the Embodiment with one hand, held the Immortal Tree in the other, and stamped the ground hard as he rushed towards Yang Kai.
The two sides met halfway.
Yang Kai directly stuffed the two Stone Puppets into his Sealed World Bead before immediately stretching out his hands, pushing his Space Force and fiercely tearing about the space in front of him!
A Void Crack appeared immediately.
Yang Kai dove in!
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light beam shrouded Yang Kai’s previous location in the next instant and surrounded the newly formed Void Crack, but Yang Kai was no longer there.
The Divine Bird seemed to be aware of this fact, and its huge body dived slightly before it charged towards the Void Crack.
Inside the Void, Yang Kai exhaled slowly with a look of lingering fear on his face.
If he had been just a bit slower a moment ago, the Divine Bird’s attack would highly likely have hit him. Fortunately, Xiao Xiao had lived up to his expectations and successfully pulled out the Immortal Tree.
Thinking of the Immortal Tree, Yang Kai’s blood began to boil again.
[Did a supreme treasure like this really just fall into my hands?]
Yang Kai had not expected that this trip to the Severed World would result in such earth-shattering gains. His original intention in coming here was simply to hunt for a Shocking Void Beast to obtain its Monster Core, but everything that had happened since went far beyond his expectations.
Whether it was the many precious herbs he had collected in the medicine valley or the Immortal Tree, they were far greater gains than Yang Kai had imagined possible.
Yang Kai could barely keep himself calm…
At that moment though, a terrifying energy fluctuation suddenly appeared behind him.
Frowning deeply and looking back, Yang Kai saw something which could not help shocking him, causing his eyes to bulge.
The Void Crack he had just torn open to escape now had a giant claw stuck through it, and judging from its shape, it undoubtedly belonged to the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock Divine Bird.
[It can break through space and accurately find where I am hiding?] Yang Kai’s face suddenly sank.
Immediately afterwards, a second claw broke through the crack, piercing it like a sharp sword.
Staring at it, it was as if the two claws had been inserted into a door and was prying it open to make way for a terrifying existence to enter.
In the next moment, these two claws moved fiercely to the side and the Void Crack torn out by Yang Kai immediately became bigger.
Through the Void Crack, Yang Kai could vaguely see a bit of the situation on the other side, but the view was not clear.
The Divine Bird’s head quickly poked through the crack and its two scarlet eyeballs instantly locked onto Yang Kai’s figure.
There was a clear and unforgiving hatred in that gaze.
The Divine Bird opened its mouth with an angry cry and a dazzling seven coloured light quickly condensed in its throat.
“Damn it!” Yang Kai was nearly frightened to death. How could he dare remain? The Seven Coloured Radiant Light was something even Ni Guang and Zi Long did not dare to touch, so although Yang Kai considered himself quite talented, he knew he did not currently compare to these two masters. Naturally, at this moment, his only option was to escape.
As soon as he moved, a beam of Seven Coloured Radiant Light sprayed out of the Divine Bird’s mouth at a frightening speed and shot straight into the depths of The Void.
As this beam travelled forth, the surrounding void shuddered.
“Hm?” Yang Kai frowned. Although he managed to avoid the Seven Coloured Radiant Light and suffered no harm, at this moment, he was keenly aware that the regions of The Void around where the Seven Coloured Radiant Light had passed had become somewhat unstable and showed initial signs of collapse.
This discovery caused cold sweat to pour down Yang Kai’s back.
He never expected that the Divine Bird would have such a shocking method.
Another beam of seven coloured light was soon spat out, and although Yang Kai had escaped far from the Divine Bird already, and his opponent clearly did not intend to pursue him into the depths of The Void, when the second ray of light poured in, the surrounding space destabilized further.
“This guy… could he be trying to destroy this region of The Void and force me out?” Yang Kai thought up a possibility and his mood became extremely gloomy.
If that was really the case, his situation was incredibly grave.
Yang Kai had thought that he would be safe hiding inside The Void after obtaining the Immortal Tree, but it appeared his opponent was not so easily avoided. Even hiding in the Void was not safe from the Divine Bird’s wrath.
A third beam of Seven Coloured Radiant Light poured in…
The fourth…
The Divine Bird seemed to be tireless and constantly spat its powerful light into The Void, causing the surrounding space to become more and more unstable.
When the Divine Bird released its ninth blast of light, a massive crack split open as it passed through.
It was almost as if the Divine Bird’s light had managed to tear open The Void itself.
At the same time, the entire surrounding space began to collapse, and the ambient Space Force became extremely chaotic, with numerous Void Cracks forming before collapsing towards a central point.
It was conceivable that after these cracks had completely condensed, this region of the Void would no longer exist and Yang Kai would be crushed into oblivion by the resulting force.
Yang Kai could not help cursing and without thinking about it, he flew directly towards the crack the Divine Bird had ripped open.
Now, if he wanted to escape from this place, Yang Kai had a few options.
He could return to the Severed World from where he came or through another weak point. However, that was not safe, as once the Divine Bird caught his scent, it would surely hunt him down.
Thus, Yang Kai could only hope that the new Void Crack created by the Divine Bird’s attack connected to some safe place.
With his comprehension of the Dao of Space, Yang Kai was not worried about becoming lost in The Void, so no matter where this tear was connected, it was better than returning to the Severed World.
As such, Yang Kai did not hesitate.
It only took a few breaths before Yang Kai arrived at the tear and dove into it.
After his figure disappeared, the Divine Bird coldly glared in the direction Yang Kai left and retracted its head and claws.
In front of the Divine Bird, the power of The Void fluctuated wildly before collapsing inwards into a single point. A moment later, this collapsed space exploded outwards, crushing a large region of the Severed World’s Void.
However, after exploding, this Void Crack did not disappear and instead was replaced by a massive rotating vortex that was translucent, like a cloudy piece of glass.
Through this vortex, one could vaguely see what was on the opposite scene.
There, a figure was turning its head and looking around, seemingly a bit dazed. Naturally, it was Yang Kai.
The Divine Bird saw him and let out a fierce cry as it flapped its wings and dove into the vortex without hesitation, its figure appearing on the other side a moment later.
When the Divine Bird left the Severed World, the monstrous aura it was radiating also disappeared.
The Origin Kings who had fled before also appeared one after another, gathering not far from the vortex and staring at the situation on the other side with strange expressions.
Over there, Yang Kai was clearly being chased by the Divine Bird, fleeing madly as his figure rapidly drifted away.
And the space he and the Divine Bird were now in seemed quite familiar.
“The Star Field?” Ni Guang raised his brow, recognizing this area as the place where he and the other masters had entered the Severed World before.
“How is this possible?” Gui Zu was also at a loss and could not figure out what had happened.
Not far away, Zi Long’s expression changed as he seemed to be contemplating something, but he swiftly made a decision, silently wrapped Zi Dong in his Saint Qi and diving towards the vortex.
Xu Wei, who was under Zi Dong’s control, quickly kept up.
After these three rushed into the vortex and appeared on the other side, they chased after Yang Kai stealthily. Obviously, Zi Long was unwilling to simply let this matter drop, but that was expected as the Immortal Tree was currently in Yang Kai’s hands. As long as he could catch up with Yang Kai, there was still a chance he could snatch the Immortal Tree from him.
“Uncle Ni, let’s go too,” Xue Yue said in a hurry.
Ni Guang nodded, “It looks like the Star Field is really on the other side of this vortex, and it’s not dangerous to pass through. There aren’t many benefits left in this place anyways, so… En. let’s go!”
Saying so, he turned to look at Gui Zu again, “Friend, do you plan to…”
Gui Zu snorted, “My Sect Master is being pursued! This old master certainly cannot just stand by and do nothing!”
“Understood, then this Ni will accompany you.”
The two reached a consensus quickly and rushed towards the vortex.
The remaining Kong Fa thought for a while before also hurriedly following.
As Ni Guang had said, there were not many benefits left in this place, so there was not anything to gain by remaining, only dangers. However, if they were lucky, chasing Yang Kai might yield some benefits.
A moment later, everyone had disappeared.
Soon after, a figure appeared sneakily and swept its eyes around. It was none other than Meng Tong who had left early.
It was impossible to know where he had been hiding but having detected that the situation had become calm again, he had decided to show up.
*Xiu xiu…*
A whooshing sound soon filled the air and grew louder, clearly indicating that someone or something was approaching.
“There’s still someone here?” Meng Tong was taken aback for a moment and turned towards the direction the sound was coming from. A moment later, a beautiful figure appeared in his field of vision.
After seeing this person’s appearance, Meng Tong smiled lightly nodded in greeting.
“Huh, Brother Meng?” The visitor recognized Meng Tong and called out.
“Elder Luo!” Meng Tong greeted, also recognizing this individual. It was none other than Luo Lan of Sword Union. Although the pair were not familiar with each other, they had at least met a few times before. Meng Tong was like this, having neither deep hatred nor friendship with other Origin Kings, always insisting on acting alone.
“What happened here? This Mistress was in the distance just now and thought she saw the Divine Bird,” Luo Lan asked curiously. She had seen the Divine Bird leave its nest, but at that time she was quite a distance away, so by the time she arrived here, everything had been settled so she was at a loss about what had transpired.
“It’s a long story.” Meng Tong gave a wry smile, “But now, there is a chance to leave this place, so would Elder Luo like to exit first?”
Luo Lan was taken aback, looked at the vortex thoughtfully, and lightly opened her lips to ask, “Leave through this vortex?”
“Yes. Everyone else has left already. Only you and I remain in this Severed World, and this Meng was planning to leave just now,” Meng Tong nodded.
“Everyone left?” Luo Lan was surprised, but after thinking about it, she nodded, “In that case, this Mistress will leave with you.”
“Is that so,” Meng Tong smiled lightly before taking the lead and diving into the vortex.
After he and Luo Lan left the Severed World and returned to Star Field, Meng Tong briefly explained to her what had happened before.
When she learned that the Immortal Tree had ultimately fallen into Yang Kai’s hands, Luo Lan was shocked!
After all, there were so many masters present, with three powerful Second-Order Origin Kings, but the one who won the prize turned out to be Yang Kai, an Origin Realm junior. It was truly an unexpected outcome.
Luo Lan could not help feeling that Yang Kai’s luck was too good.
However, the Divine Bird obviously would not give up easily and had actually chased Yang Kai out of the Severed World and into the Star Field. At this moment, Yang Kai’s situation was likely extremely perilous.
“Yeah, and that’s what happened,” After Meng Tong finished speaking, he went silent.
Luo Lan looked into the distance with some worry, uncertain if Yang Kai could escape this disaster. Her impression of Yang Kai was quite good, and she knew that Gu Jian Xin wanted to make friends with him, so she didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.
But now, the scope of this situation had exceeded the boundary she could interfere in, leaving Luo Lan with a deep feeling of powerlessness.
“Elder Luo, this Meng will take his leave here. May we meet again in the future!” Meng Tong was a cautious individual, so although the Immortal Tree held great attraction to him, he did not think his luck was Heaven-defying enough to snatch it, so he didn’t plan on wading into the muddy waters. After exiting the Severed World, he had decided to return to his secluded home immediately.
His gains from this trip were not small, so after entering retreat for some time, if he was fortunate enough, even if he couldn’t break through, his strength would certainly increase noticeably.
“Many thanks for dispelling my doubts, Brother Meng. Have a safe journey!” Luo Lan gently nodded.
“Farewell!” Meng Tong cupped his fists, turned around, and flew off.
After Meng Tong left, Luo Lan could not help sighing but did not attempt to pursue Yang Kai, instead adjusting her bearings and flying off in the direction of Azure Tree Star.
At the same time, Yang Kai was fleeing wildly through the Star Field!
Behind him, the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock pursued as swiftly as the wind, depressing him greatly.
He did not know exactly how strong the Divine Bird was or what realm it was equivalent to, but judging from how it was doggedly pursuing him, Yang Kai was certain it wasn’t weaker than a Third-Order Origin King.
Because even if he used the Space Secret Technique and was moving extremely fast, he still could not escape its pursuit.
With each beat of its wings, the Divine Bird would instantly cross dozens of kilometres.
Yang Kai almost spat blood in depression.
The Divine Bird seemed consumed with hatred on the level of him killing its father or taking its wife, following behind him relentlessly. The distance between the two sometimes widened and sometimes narrowed, with no signs of the situation changing for the better.
What frightened Yang Kai the most was when the Divine Bird occasionally spat out blasts of Seven Coloured Radiant Light. When that happened, he had to focus all his attention on dodging as he did not dare allow himself to be contaminated.
This kind of fleeing through the Star Field from a powerful being brought back memories for Yang Kai…
When Yang Kai escaped from Green Mountains Star, Luo Hai had chased him like this, following him for an entire half a year until Yang Kai arrived on Scarlet Wave Star. After hiding in the Sealed World Bead, Luo Hai completely lost his trail.
Now, the Divine Bird was doing the same thing again, but it was undoubtedly much stronger than Luo Hai.
If it were not for Yang Kai’s accomplishments in the Dao of Space increasing dramatically during this time, he would definitely be doomed.
After mobilizing his Space Force repeatedly and avoiding the Seven Coloured Radiant Light again and again, the situation became even more dangerous.
After a countless number of its attacks had failed, the Divine Bird seemed to become incensed.
No longer spitting its beams of light towards Yang Kai, the Divine Bird concentrated its power onto one of its feathers and shot it towards its fleeing prey.
This attack was extremely difficult to dodge or defend against.
Yang Kai had been in a state of crisis for some time now.
Of the twenty Blood Beasts he had managed to condense in the Severed World, several had already been destroyed in order to protect him from danger.
Each Blood Beast represented a Golden Blood Thread, so each destroyed Blood Beast meant a destroyed Golden Blood Thread.
Yang Kai’s heart felt like it was bleeding.
*Xiu…*
A splitting sound suddenly rang out from behind, causing Yang Kai’s complexion to change dramatically, but just as he was about to evade as usual, Yang Kai realized that the Divine Bird’s attack this time was a bit different, not only faster but also stronger.
Not daring to be negligent, Yang Kai turned around in a hurry and thrust out his hands.
The space in front of him was disturbed by his Space Force and a large circular Void Crack was suddenly opened.
As soon as this Void Crack took shape, a streak of light impacted it.
With a bang, Yang Kai’s heart clenched as he saw the circular Void Crack he just opened shatter and a fierce attack pierced towards his chest.
Pain assaulted Yang Kai as he felt his body was about to explode as he felt something penetrate straight through his chest, causing a blowout of his Golden Blood in the process.
He had suffered a heavy blow this time causing his aura to deflate significantly.
Under the huge inertia, his body was sent flying like a sack.
As he was tumbling, Yang Kai looked down and after seeing his injury clearly, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Sure enough, something had penetrated through his chest, but fortunately, it had missed his heart, piercing through the right side of his body instead.
This kind of injury was not fatal, but it was quite serious, even for Yang Kai.
*Chi chi…*
A sound that caused Yang Kai to tremble rang out next, and when he looked up, he saw the Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock closing in on him with several feathers floating around it.
These feathers were the Divine Bird’s true feathers and each possessed some of its Blood Essence. Under normal circumstances, the Divine Bird would only use its feathers as a last resort.
This only proved how strong the Divine Bird’s determination to kill Yang Kai was.
Obviously, what had just pierced his chest was the Divine Bird’s feather!
Yang Kai realized this, and his expression became extremely solemn. While circulating his Saint Qi to forcefully suppress his injury, he pushed his Golden Blood Threads to weave a Golden Blood Shield behind him.
At the same time, he activated his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s radiated a five coloured light as countless tiny wisps of Sword Qi began swirling around his body, causing a faint grating sound to echo through the space around him.
His physical body had been unable to resist the attack of just one of the Divine Bird’s feathers, resulting in his chest being penetrated straight through, so how could Yang Kai dare hold back when facing so many of the Divine Bird’s feathers,?
At that moment, Yang Kai used every last means of defence he had to protect himself.
Just as he finished his preparations, the terrifying sound of something slicing through space rang out behind him.
Right now, Yang Kai felt like he was aboard a small boat sailing on a stormy sea, drifting back and forth wildly, at risk of sinking at any moment, his life hanging by a thread.
In this great crisis though, Yang Kai felt surprisingly calm, his perception becoming even more acute than usual.
Dodging rapidly, Yang Kai did his best to avoid the onslaught of the Divine Bird’s Feathers.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A series of attacks shot past him, some of them missing, others grazing his body and causing the glow of his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art to rapidly dim.
Time had never passed so slowly, but everything also seemed to end in the blink of an eye. When the slicing sounds around him disappeared, Yang Kai nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai’s eyes caught sight of a seven coloured glow at that moment which was rapidly streaming towards him.
Seven Coloured Radiant Light!
Yang Kai’s complexion sank as he realized he was unable to avoid this beam of light in time. In order to dodge the Divine Bird’s Feathers, he had spent an enormous amount of his energy and focus, but at this vulnerable moment, the Divine Bird spat out a stream of Seven Coloured Radiant Light that was absolutely impossible for him to evade.
Facing this crisis, Yang Kai hurriedly summoned his Sealed World Bead and disappeared with a single thought.
He dove directly into the Sealed World Bead!
The Seven Coloured Radiant Light enveloped the Sealed World Bead in the next moment! But although this seven-coloured light was incredibly powerful, how could it possibly damage an Emperor Artifact? The Sealed World Bead did not suffer any harm and was only shot off into the distance like an arrow from the string.
As for the Divine Bird that had been closely pursuing Yang Kai, it showed an almost human-like expression of shock at this moment.
No matter how Yang Kai escaped before, or how he used his Space Force, it had been able to accurately grasp the direction he fled and easily chase him down, but this time, it completely lost all trace of him.
Nevertheless, the Divine Bird was not to be underestimated. With its high sentience and intelligence, although it did not understand what the Sealed World Bead was exactly, it knew Yang Kai’s sudden disappearance must be related to it.
Letting out a piercing cry, it flew forward extremely quickly and tried to swallow the Sealed World Bead.
How could Yang Kai allow this to happen though? After evading the Seven Coloured Radiant Light by entering the Sealed World Bead, he quickly exited, grabbed the Emperor Artifact, and continued to escape!
Being teased like this, the Divine Bird was furious, and its feathers bristled, as if it was swearing to rip Yang Kai’s corpse into ten thousand pieces in the next moment.
But right then, a sudden change occurred.
In the surrounding Star Field, an extremely mysterious power quickly condensed and pressed down onto the Divine Bird like a great weight, one it was incapable of freeing itself from. Yang Kai on the other hand, who was close by, was not affected in the slightest by this strange force.
This peculiar power increased in intensity at an extremely fast speed.
In less than ten breaths, a giant purple thundercloud appeared above the Divine Bird’s head, one filled with purple arcs of lightning that swam about unpredictably like snakes. The purple thundercloud hovered strangely above the Divine Bird’s head like a shadow, and no matter how it tried to move, it was unable to escape it, just like how Yang Kai was unable to avoid the Divine Bird.
The Divine Bird showed a look of fear for the first time and released a piercing cry.
Although Yang Kai did not know what was going on behind him, he also noticed that something was wrong. Regrettably, he didn’t have any spare capacity to look back as fleeing was the best he could achieve.
*Kacha…*
A thunderous sound echoed through the Star Field a moment later and washed over Yang Kai, causing his very Soul to become turbulent, his face to pale, and blood to spray from his mouth.
The Divine Bird cried out in anger as a giant purple thunderbolt fell from above and struck its body.
A scorched smell spread as the powerful Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock Divine Bird trembled after being struck by this purple lightning, several of its beautiful feathers falling off after being charred.
Its speed also dropped noticeably!
*Kacha…*
A second explosion sounded as a second bolt of purple lightning fell.
The Divine Bird was struck again and cried out even louder this time, still unable to resist this purple lightning despite flapping its wings wildly in fury.
*Kacha…*
A third bolt struck…
Yang Kai flew out several thousand kilometres until he felt like he had opened up a safe distance from the Divine Bird before turning back to see what was happening. A single glance brought Yang Kai great joy.
He clearly saw that the Divine Bird, which had been chasing him so doggedly and he had no power to resist, was now being pinned down by a terrifying Heavenly Lightning.
“A breakthrough?” Yang Kai’s first thought was that this Divine Bird had broken through its shackles at this time and reached a new level; after all, the purple thundercloud condensed above its head was extremely similar to a World Energy baptism.
“No, that isn’t it!” Yang Kai quickly denied this guess though.
The Divine Bird was incredibly powerful and had reached an extremely high realm, so it was no simple matter for it to break through once more. Perhaps its realm would not improve even after thousands of years, so it made no sense for it to reach a breakthrough at this time.
Moreover, Yang Kai did not feel that the Divine Bird’s aura was becoming stronger, even though it was already plenty strong.
But if this wasn’t a breakthrough, what was it?
After pondering for a moment though, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he thought of another possibility, one that drew a burst of great laughter from his throat as he took pleasure in the Divine Bird’s misfortune. The previous, depressing helplessness he felt was wiped out and replaced with jubilation.
“If I’m not mistaken, it’s being rejected by the Star Field’s Principles!” Yang Kai stared brightly in the direction where the Divine Bird was and watched as it struggled beneath the purple thundercloud. It was almost as if the Heavens themselves were protecting him now, delivering a crisis to the Divine Bird which had been pursuing him.
World Principles were a peculiar power that was both profound and mysterious. Even Origin Kings could not normally touch upon Principal Strength. One would need to become a Star Master of a Cultivation Star before vaguely being able to feel the World Principals of that particular Cultivation Star and gain the ability to slightly manipulate them, but even that was enough to enjoy plenty of conveniences.
World Principles would reject all existences that did not conform to them.
For example, Shadowed Star’s World Principals rejected the existence of Origin Kings!
After Qian Tong broke through to the Origin King Realm, he had returned to Shadowed Star and thought that he could become the greatest cultivator there, but what he had not anticipated was that Shadowed Star itself would reject his presence. From time to time, Heavenly Thunder or Earth Fire would strike him, causing him to be unable to enter secluded retreat and cultivate.
Moreover, this repulsive force became stronger as time passed, and if Qian Tong did not leave Shadowed Star in time, he would sooner or later be tormented to death.
As a last resort, he could only beg Yang Kai to take him away from Shadowed Star.
Qian Tong’s situation was similar to that of the Divine Bird’s right now.
The Divine Bird did not belong to the Star Field and its mere existence was an affront to the Star Field’s Principals, so it was fiercely rejected. The purple thundercloud was a manifestation of the Star Field’s Principals trying to expel the Divine Bird.
The Divine Bird could temporarily resist this repulsive force, but it could not do so forever.
Because this rejection came from the entire Star Field, it was not in any way subtle like Qian Tong’s case on Shadowed Star; as a result, the repulsive force here towards the Divine Bird was incomparably stronger than what Qian Tong had encountered.
Yang Kai had a clear memory of Qian Tong’s situation, so he was able to make some inferences about the scene before him.
Although he could not be sure, Yang Kai was about eighty percent certain this was what was happening.
Looking at the scene in the distance, Yang Kai finally relaxed.
Without the Divine Bird chasing him, he had no need to panic and simply stood in the void, took out a few healing pills from his Space Ring, and swallowed them as he continued to observe.
A few thousand kilometres away, purple bolts of lightning continued to crash down from above, and no matter how the Divine Bird tried to dodge or defend itself, the lightning would strike it accurately, each time causing it some visible damage.
After being struck a few dozen times in succession, the Divine Bird began to grow anxious.
It could perceive that these purple lightning bolts were steadily becoming more powerful, and although it could still resist them now, if this continued, there was a chance it would fall here.
Although the Immortal Tree was precious, compared with its own life, it was nothing more than a foreign object.
It naturally knew what decision to make.
Resisting another bolt of purple lightning, the Divine Bird no longer dared to remain, quickly turned around, and flew back the way it came.
It could feel the repulsion coming from the Star Field and knew that in order to save itself it needed to return to its nest immediately!
“Hey, the Divine Bird is returning!” In front, two streaks of light were rushing over. It was Xu Wei and Zi Long, who was carrying Zi Dong with him.
When Zi Dong saw the Divine Bird’s massive body approaching, he exclaimed, “Could that brat have been killed by the Divine Bird?”
Zi Long did not answer but instead focused on the purple thundercloud above the Divine Bird. When he felt the terrifying power contained in that thundercloud, his expression paled and he quickly changed direction, wanting to avoid the Divine Bird.
But the Divine Bird was completely angered, so how could it simply let Zi Long leave?
Opening its giant beak, the Divine Bird spat out a stream of Seven Coloured Radiant Light towards Zi Long’s trio.
Zi Dong’s face went as pale as paper as he screamed in fright.
Zi Long and Xu Wei also wore solemn expressions as they both used their own methods to quickly evade this blow, appearing extremely dishevelled.
By the time the two Origin Kings managed to avoid the Seven Coloured Radiant Light blast, the Divine Bird had already flown a thousand kilometres past them.
“The Divine Bird…” Xu Wei looked confused, unable to understand why the Divine Bird was currently fleeing like a stray dog.
“It looks like it’s having a breakthrough,” Zi Long pondered out loud.
It was not that Zi Long wasn’t knowledgeable enough, it was simply that matters relating to World Principles and Principal Strength were beyond his realm of comprehension.
“Look over there!” Zi Dong suddenly shouted, as if he had discovered something astonishing and pointed in a certain direction. “It’s definitely that little bastard! He’s not dead!”
A few thousand kilometres away, a dazzling light flickered and although it was too far away for Zi Dong to clearly see Yang Kai’s face, he was certain it was him.
After all, at this time, who else could it be besides Yang Kai?
“It’s good he hasn’t died yet!” Zi Long’s eyes flashed, “It seems the heavens are helping me.”
He was quite worried that Yang Kai would be killed by the Divine Bird and the Immortal Tree would be snatched back, but now that he saw Yang Kai was safe and sound, his mood lifted.
As long as the Immortal Tree was still in Yang Kai’s hands, he still had a chance to obtain it!
Without hesitation, Zi Long wrapped Zi Dong in his Saint Qi and hurriedly chased after Yang Kai’s trail.
Not far behind Zi Long’s trio, Ni Guang, Gui Zu and a few others also encountered the Divine Bird that was rushing back to its nest and had to deal with beams of Seven Coloured Radiant Light themselves.
“If the Divine Bird is returning to its nest… then Yang Kai…” After Xue Yue managed to stabilize her footing, her face could not help turning white as she thought of a possibility that she couldn’t accept, her body trembling violently.
In the end, she was still a woman. Many years ago, on that Dead Star, her entire body had been touched by Yang Kai and although she had deeply hated him at the time, it was still the first time a man had ever touched her intimately, so his image was firmly ingrained in her heart. Later, when she was poisoned by the Profound Yin Sunflower Water and her life was hanging by a thread, it was Yang Kai who refined the pill that saved her life.
At that time, she had wanted to win over Yang Kai and keep him by her side, but he had rejected her, saddening and frustrating Xue Yue greatly.
So, over the years, Xue Yue had been brooding over Yang Kai… never once forgetting him.
However, she still had her pride and with her usual manner of conduct, it was simply impossible for her to approach Yang Kai like a normal woman or say the things she felt were shameful. As the next successor of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, she needed to place the chamber of commerce’s prosperity above all else. As for her own happiness and desires, they were nothing but illusions, the moon reflecting in the water.
In the Emperor Garden, Xue Yue was extremely happy to meet Yang Kai for a second time and wanted to have a good talk with him, but when she saw Yang Kai acting so intimately with that enchantress Shan Qing Luo, she lost her temper.
Their reunion did not end well by any measure.
Xue Yue regretted what happened after that for a long time and blamed herself for being impulsive. She secretly made up her mind that, she would be sure to speak to Yang Kai clearly if she had another chance to see him.
But she also knew that the Star Field was incredibly vast, so it was almost impossible for two unrelated people to encounter each other over and over again.
What stunned her was that another reunion really came.
Outside the entrance to the Severed World, Xue Yue could not believe her eyes when he saw Yang Kai arrive.
She wasn’t a naïve little girl who believed in superstitions and had always baulked at the very idea of fate, but she began to believe in it slightly after seeing Yang Kai again.
In the Severed World, facing a life or death crisis, Xue Yue finally put aside everything and forced Yang Kai to take a stand using a reckless and shameless method which ultimately resulted in her achieving her wish.
As she said at the time, her request was not complicated, as long as there was a man in this world who would treat her as a woman, allowing her to experience all the joys of being a woman, she would be satisfied.
But now… that person might very well be dead!
Xue Yue could not accept it and felt as if she had been struck by lightning, standing dumbfounded in place, her pretty face pale and bloodless.
“Yang Boy isn’t dead!” Gui Zu stared forward and said confidently, “Zi Long is still pursuing someone, so he must have found Yang Boy’s trail. We need to chase after them as well, he won’t be able to resist Zi Long if he gets caught!”
Hearing what he said, Xue Yue’s tender body shook, and she turned to look at Ni Guang and cried out, “Uncle Ni!”
Ni Guang remained silent as his Saint Qi enveloped Xue Yue and he flew off together with Gui Zu.
After flying for a while, Ni Guang suddenly said, “Third Young Master, you can be friends with that boy Yang Kai, but don’t get too close. You should know what kind of mission you bear.”
He obviously saw the issue. Whether it was Xue Yue’s performance in the Severed World before or her current behaviour, Ni Guang was able to tell just how much weight Yang Kai held in Xue Yue’s heart.
Xue Yue’s face turned stiff when she heard this, but she soon nodded almost imperceptibly, “I know, Uncle Ni.”
But Gui Zu cut in at that moment with a burst of wicked laughter, “Young love between a man and woman is only natural, what does it have to do with whatever mission she carries? Hahaha, the way you Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce people handle things is quite pitiable.”
Ni Guang’s face changed drastically as he turned his head to stare at Gui Zu in amazement.
“What are you staring at? This old master knows very well this little girl is a woman! I believe you also know,” Gui Zu coldly snorted. “Trying to act all mysterious.”
Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce daring to allow Ni Guang to take Xue Yue out alone for life experience in such a dangerous place was an obvious indicator of his trustworthiness. Moreover, Ni Guang had a Second-Order Origin King cultivation and was absolutely qualified to have access to the top secrets of the chamber of commerce.
As such, Gui Zu was not worried he had let any secrets slip.
In fact, just as Gui Zu expected, only a few throughout Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce knew that Xue Yue was a woman, and Ni Guang was among them.
Ni Guang and President Ai Ou were life and death friends that had known each other since they were young. Over the years, they both made great contributions to the development of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, and it could be said that Ni Guang ranked second only to Ai Ou himself and the Supreme Elders who no longer concerned themselves with worldly affairs.
“How did you learn about this?” Ni Guang was shocked and asked.
“What’s so hard to figure out?” Gui Zu sneered, “This old master not only knows that she’s a woman but also that her physique is unusual. Although I do not know which Special Constitution she possesses, it’s obviously the reason you’ve all gone so far to hide her true gender. En, let this old master guess, a Special Constitution that requires one to conceal their gender, there’s only the rumoured Wonderful Furnace Divine Body and Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body. Looking at this little girl’s appearance, she appears more valiant and heroic than seductive, so she should not be a Wonderful Furnace Divine Body. So, it’s the Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body then? Tsk… this kind of physique is one not seen in ten thousand years.”
Ni Guang was really horrified this time as he glowered at Gui Zu. He had never expected that this old ghost’s eyes were so sharp, only needing a few clues to pinpoint Xue Yue’s Special Constitution.
Xue Yue was also shocked as she looked at Gui Zu in surprise.
She did not believe that Yang Kai told Gui Zu about this as he wasn’t someone with loose lips.
“You…” Ni Guang opened his mouth.
“Relax!” Gui Zu smiled and patted Ni Guang’s shoulder heartily, acting extremely friendly.
Ni Guang was a little wary at first, but soon realized that Gui Zu had no malicious intent, so he simply allowed him to pat his shoulder.
“This old master won’t do anything to this little girl, after all, she is my Sect Master’s woman. Jie Jie Jie Jie… seems like we will all be one big family after this. En, but Sect Master is really blessed, all these two need to do is combine their yin and yang and his strength will increase greatly once more,” Gui Zu laughed wickedly.
“Senior!” Xue Yue was so ashamed her face flushed, and she glared at Gui Zu angrily, blaming him for being so unreserved and disrespectful.
Ni Guang’s head was muddled for a moment as he simply could not keep up with Gui Zu’s pace and instead turned to Xue Yue for answers.
Yet Xue Yue just lowered her head, not daring to say anything.
“Haa…” Ni Guang sighed deeply, “Yue’er, this matter… don’t let your father know about it or he’ll definitely explode. Your Uncle Ni has neither a wife nor children, so you are like a daughter to me. This matter… I’ll find a chance to talk to your father and see what position he takes.”
“Thank you, Uncle Ni!” Xue Yue bit her red lips lightly and whispered.
“Don’t thank me yet, you also know what your father’s temper is like. This will be… difficult,” Ni Guang sighed again before glaring at Gui Zu, “You shameless old bastard, aren’t you embarrassed saying such things in front of a Junior?”
“Heh heh!” Gui Zu smiled weirdly and snorted indifferently.
“But…” Ni Guang looked solemn towards Gui Zu, “You just called that boy your Sect Master, so you two belong to the same Sect? What Sect is that? Why have I never heard of you before?”
Obviously, in Ni Guang’s opinion, a powerful cultivator like Gui Zu could not be unknown, nor could the Sect he belonged to.
But he had never met Gui Zu before, or even heard of him for that matter.
“This old master and Yang Boy do indeed belong to the same Sect, but… it was in the Severed World that this old master decided to join. So, this old master hasn’t actually seen the Sect before.”
Ni Guang stared at Gui Zu in disbelief as he asked in amazement, “You just decided to join? What does that boy’s Sect have that could attract a character like you?”
There must be something extraordinary about Yang Kai’s Sect, otherwise, how could it have won over a Second-Order Origin King? Ni Guang was now very curious what exactly Yang Kai’s Sect possessed that was of such interest to Gui Zu.
“Heh heh!” Gui Zu just grinned and held his tongue, acting mysterious.
[Hmph, if this old master told you there were three Origin King Grade Alchemists in the Sect, wouldn’t your heart stop? This isn’t something this old master will show off easily.]
“Never mind,” Ni Guang waved his hand with disinterest, “If you do not want to explain, that’s fine, but since you belong to it now, that boy’s Sect is certainly not to be looked down on. En, that boy’s aptitude and character are also commendable. It seems Yue’er’s vision isn’t bad. He might be a decent match for her.”
Xue Yue smiled sweetly hearing Ni Guang complimenting Yang Kai, seemingly happier than if that praise had been directed at her.
Ni Guang saw this and could not help sighing once more. Yue’er was normally so shrewd and sharp, so how could she suddenly act like an ordinary love-struck woman?
Yang Kai flew through the Star Field with all his strength.
Although the Divine Bird had been rejected by the Star Field’s Principles and been forced to retreat, Yang Kai knew that his crisis had not been resolved.
Because there was a dazzling purple light pursuing him now.
Zi Long!
There was no need to think about who it was since Yang Kai was certain who this purple light belonged to. With such a conspicuous colour, who besides Zi Long, who cultivated the Purple Qi Eternal River Secret Art, could it be?
Since Zi Long was after him, Xu Wei was certainly with him.
With his current strength, if he was at his peak, Yang Kai might be able to put up a fight against a First-Order Origin King, but against a master like Zi Long, he was doubtful.
What’s more, while he was escaping from the Divine Bird before, Yang Kai had frequently used his Space Force, causing him a great deal of expenditure. The Divine Bird’s Feather had also pierced his body, and he now had severe wounds. At this moment, Yang Kai simply wanted to run as far away as he could.
However, even if he was skilled in Space Force, he was near exhaustion after fleeing desperately just now, so escaping was currently a great challenge.
Even using his Space Force, Yang Kai could only cross a dozen kilometres in a single leap. Such a distance was nothing to a Second-Order Origin King, and even if Zi Long was not proficient in the Dao of Space, he could cross such a distance in the blink of an eye with his great strength.
Out of desperation, Yang Kai could only summon his Star Shuttle, sit cross-legged on it, and use it to fly forward while also unfurling his Wind and Thunder Wings to boost his speed.
The sound of wind and thunder erupted from Yang Kai’s back as two semi-transparent wings appeared, the left one comprised of Wind Attribute Energy while the right half was filled with Thunder Attribute power. In the next instant, Yang Kai rapidly accelerated.
Looking back and observing silently for a moment, Yang Kai found that his current speed could almost match Zi Long’s pursuit speed, allowing him to relax slightly.
As long as he could gain enough time, he would be able to restore himself.
However, where to flee now was a difficult question.
The attraction of the Immortal Tree was too great, and Yang Kai was certain Zi Long would never give it up, so he had to find an absolutely safe place to flee to!
In the Star Field, the only Cultivation Stars Yang Kai was familiar with were Shadowed Star and Tong Xuan Realm; however, these two places were too far away from his current location. Even at his current speed, it would take a year or two to reach them. What’s more, neither of these places could be considered safe.
If Zi Long was brought to either of these places, it would only result in disaster. Neither Tong Xuan Realm nor Shadowed Star could resist a master on Zi Long’s level.
With Tong Xuan Realm and Shadowed Star not being options, where was he supposed to go?
Yang Kai suddenly found himself at a loss.
He had spent many years in the Star Field now, but the number of places he had been to was quite limited. Now that his life was in danger, he had no idea where to go.
Not giving up, Yang Kai sank his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea, condensed his Soul Avatar, and looked up for inspiration.
In the sky above his Knowledge Sea, a sea of stars flickered brightly.
It was the Star Chart which Yang Kai had refined dozens of years ago, a miniature model of the entire Star Field!
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense quickly wandered through the Star Chart, looking for a place to escape to.
Unfortunately, every time his eyes landed on a spot, he could only slowly shake his head in rejection…
For a time, he could not find any good options.
Suddenly though, he saw a certain place and his eyes lit up, muttering to himself, “That’s right, I can go there!”
Yang Kai silently scolded himself for getting too anxious and forgetting that place. If he could escape there, what would it matter if Zi Long was a Second-Order Origin King? Forget about Zi Long, even if those old monsters who had secluded themselves from the world came, they wouldn’t be able to catch him.
That place was an absolute safe-haven!
Moreover, he could take the opportunity to consolidate his gains in that place, and if the opportunity was right, he might even be able to break through to the Origin King Realm.
What held Yang Kai back from entering the Origin King Realm now was only his comprehension of his own realm, the Heavenly Way, and the Martial Dao. Both his physical body and his Soul already greatly exceeded those of an ordinary Origin King.
As long as he could break through to the Origin King Realm, Yang Kai wouldn’t need to fear Zi Long anymore.
“En, it’s decided: I’ll go there!” Yang Kai muttered to himself before sending his consciousness back to his body.
The next moment, he opened his eyes with a flicker, turned around to glance at Zi Long who was chasing behind him, and snickered, “Chase me, come and chase me! One day, you’ll regret it, haha!”
Pushing his Saint Qi, his Star Shuttle’s speed suddenly increased.
“That bastard!” A few thousand kilometres away, Zi Dong cursed, “What kind of Secret Technique did he use to achieve such speed?”
Zi Long also had a gloomy face and was in a bad mood.
Originally, he thought that it would be an easy task to capture Yang Kai without the Divine Bird’s interference, but he had not expected that, after chasing Yang Kai through the Star Field for quite some time, he was unable to even pull closer.
This little brat’s speed was on par with his own!
“Young Master is correct, that boy must have used some kind of powerful Secret Technique to achieve his current speed, but Young Master may rest assured. When he can no longer support that Secret Technique, his speed will definitely drop. At that point, the boy will easily be captured, considering Senior Zi Long’s ability,” Xu Wei saw Zi Dong losing his temper and immediately tried to placate him.
He did not care if Zi Dong was angry or frustrated, but in his current position, he had no choice but to try to calm him down. If Zi Dong became enraged and had no other place to vent his hatred, would Xu Wei have to suffer in Yang Kai’s place?
Xu Wei would not allow such a stupid scenario to play out.
He just wanted to remain safe, nothing more, nothing less.
Zi Dong gave a sidelong glance towards Xu Wei, causing the latter’s heart to clench. He didn’t know what his new Young Master was thinking, so he could only put on a flattering smile and laugh awkwardly.
“Are you sure he used some kind of forbidden Secret Technique? Are you sure his Secret Technique will soon fail?” Zi Dong asked.
“Uh, this…” Xu Wei was speechless.
[Damn it, how am I supposed to know? Wasn’t it you who suggested this in the first place? This old master was just following your words but now you’re trying to blame this old master? You stupid pig!]
Xu Wei slandered mercilessly in his heart as his anger raged, but he did not dare show any defiance on his face, making him extremely uncomfortable.
“Waste!” Zi Dong cursed, turning his head away from Xu Wei in disgust.
Xu Wei nodded with an ugly smile, “Yes, yes, Old Servant is useless!”
[This old master will make you pay for this one day…] Xu Wei ruthlessly swore to himself!
While the two were talking, Zi Long kept gazing towards the front.
His Divine Sense was much stronger than Zi Dong’s or Xu Wei’s, and his eyesight was also sharper, so even though they were separated by a few thousand kilometres, he could still see some of Yang Kai’s situation.
Yang Kai had indeed used some kind of Secret Technique, one that formed wings on his back.
Although Zi Long had never seen such a Secret Technique before, he could tell that it wasn’t one that greatly consumed a cultivator’s strength, so it was simply impossible for it to fail from overdraft.
Turning his gaze back, Zi Long’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Unsurprisingly, Ni Guang and that black ghastly fellow were chasing them, separated again by a few thousand kilometres.
The longer the delay, the more complications arise! If Yang Kai were to join up with the two masters behind him, even Zi Long would find the situation troublesome.
Realizing this, Zi Long made up his mind and quickly stretched out his hand.
In front of him, a tiny shuttle-like artifact appeared.
“This is…” Zi Dong seemed to recognize this artifact and his eyes quickly lit up.
Xu Wei, on the other hand, frowned. Even with his vast experiences, he could not identify what this artifact was.
If Yang Kai were here though, he would be surprised.
Because this shuttle artifact looked remarkably similar to High Heaven Sect’s Flying Shark Battle Shuttle.
In addition to refining an Origin King Grade Starship, Yang Yan also refined a much smaller Starship that had a shuttle shape.
“Shattering Void Shuttle!” Zi Long said flatly, “My Purple Star’s ancestors received the method to refine this ship from the Great Emperor himself over ten thousand years ago, but their abilities were limited so they could only refine one, and… there are still some flaws with it. Nevertheless, it should be more than enough to catch up with that brat. Quickly get on board!”
Saying so, Zi Long waved his hand and the Shattering Void Shuttle instantly grew to more than a dozen metres in length.
A hatch opened and the trio flew inside.
Upon entering, Xu Wei and Zi Dong both looked around in surprise, noticing the many complex and mysterious Spirit Arrays engraved inside the Shattering Void Shuttle. There were also many High-Rank Saint Crystals inlaid in these Spirit Arrays powering them.
“Xu Wei, take charge of this Spirit Array!” Zi Long pointed to a place and ordered Xu Wei.
“If I may be so bold as to ask… Senior Zi Long, what exactly should this Old Servant do…”
“Sit on the Spirit Array and pour your Saint Qi into it,” Zi Long explained.
“Old Servant understands,” Xu Wei quickly sat down cross-legged on the Spirit Array, but before he could even begin pouring his Saint Qi into it, he let out a stuffy snort.
Because at that moment, the Spirit Array was actively drawing out his Saint Qi, and the rate at which it was doing so was frightening.
This made his face change drastically.
He instinctively wanted to jump up, but when he saw Zi Long’s stern gaze, his head shrank, and he sat back down again.
A dragon gives birth to a dragon, a phoenix gives birth to a phoenix, and a rat’s father will definitely be a rat…
This father and son were both bad news! Xu Wei’s heart was filled with indignation and grief…
No wonder Zi Long said that this Shattering Void Shuttle had some flaws, it turns out it needed to extract Saint Qi from a cultivator to operate, and judging from the draw rate of this Spirit Array, ordinary cultivators couldn’t bear such consumption. Even an Origin King like Xu Wei would not have enough Saint Qi to persist for long.
“Dong, you sit here,” Zi Long pointed to another Spirit Array and said to Zi Dong.
“Yes, father,” Zi Dong did not hesitate to sit on another Spirit Array.
Zi Long then sat on the third Spirit Array.
When the three finished sitting down, the Spirit Arrays inside the Shattering Void Shuttle fully activated and after a brief hum it shot off.
The shuttle’s speed was much faster than Zi Long’s own, almost appearing to break through the void, hence its name.
“Haha, let’s see you try to run now, Boy!” Zi Dong laughed wildly. After sitting on the Spirit Array and pouring his Saint Qi into it, he found that he became closely connected to the Shattering Void Shuttle. Through this connection, he could sense Yang Kai’s position and situation clearly and could not help rejoicing. This way, he would be able to spectate Yang Kai’s desperate but futile attempts to escape.
Back in the medicine valley, Zi Dong had been humiliated by Yang Kai three times, but Zi Dong had nowhere to vent his anger because the Seven Coloured Radiant Light everywhere.
Anger, however, was just like wine: The more it fermented over time, the stronger it became…
Zi Dong could not wait to drink Yang Kai’s blood and eat Yang Kai’s flesh…
Sitting in the Shattering Void Shuttle, Zi Dong was already imagining the wonderful scene where he caught Yang Kai and tortured him to death. Just thinking about it caused a peal of low laughter to leak from his lips and a crazy light to flash across his eyes.
When this laughter entered Xu Wei’s ears, he could not help but shiver. He did not know what this idiot Zi Dong was thinking to cause him to make such a disgusting laugh, and he didn’t dare to ask, simply turning his head away and focusing on pouring his Saint Qi into the Spirit Array below him.
“What the hell is that?” Yang Kai, who had been fleeing a few thousand kilometres ahead, also noticed the anomaly behind him at this moment.
Although he could not see the Shattering Void Shuttle itself, it was obvious that his pursuer’s purple light had disappeared, but the distance between them was closing!
Less than ten breaths later, the gap had narrowed a thousand kilometres!
If things continued like this, it would not take less than a stick of incense before he was caught. Yang Kai was startled, and a gloomy look appeared on his face.
In this situation, he could only rely on his Space Force, but Space Force was not inexhaustible, it was similar to Saint Qi and Divine Sense, needing time to restore after being overdrawn.
At this moment, Yang Kai was still trying to restore himself.
But seeing Zi Long quickly catching up, how could Yang Kai just sit and do nothing? Gritting his teeth, Yang Kai took a Space Spirit Crystal out of the Sealed World Bead, held it in his hand, and began to draw energy madly from it.
This Space Spirit Crystal was one of the ones he found in The Void of the Severed World, a true Space Spirit Crystal. It was the product of The Void and completely different from the ones found in mineral lodes.
A stream of pure and profound power poured into Yang Kai’s body, giving him a sense of euphoria.
His Space Force, which had originally been used up, was replenished at an extremely rapid speed.
“Trying to compete with me in speed? Eat my dust!” Yang Kai felt that there was nothing wrong with him besides his chest wound, which would take some time to restore, so he quickly pushed his Space Force and flickered forward a few hundred kilometres.
Repeating the process, he teleported another few hundred kilometres.
Now that his understanding of Space Force had reached a new high, the distance he could cross instantly was countless times higher than before.
After mobilizing his Space Force several times, the distance between the two parties had increased once again.
“What?” Inside the Shattering Void Shuttle, Zi Dong, who had been soothing his rage by thinking of how he would torture Yang Kai, was taken aback and almost bit his tongue as he was shocked to find the distance between them had pulled apart again.
“Even the Shattering Void Shuttle can’t keep up with his speed?” Zi Long was also shocked.
The refining method of the Shattering Void Shuttle was obtained by an Ancestor of Purple Star from the Great Emperor personally, and although their skills in Artifact Refining weren’t high enough to complete this shuttle properly, it was still one of the Great Emperor’s designs. How could it possibly be inferior?
Zi Long was certain that the Shattering Void Shuttle was the fastest artifact in the entire Star Field, nothing else should be comparable.
But now, reality had slapped him in the face.
In front of Yang Kai, who was proficient in the Dao of Space, even if they used the Shattering Void Shuttle, they could still only eat his dust from afar…
No, they may not even be able to east his dust.
“This boy must be killed as soon as possible! Otherwise, he will only bring us endless troubles!” Zi Long’s heart shook as a determined look appeared on his face.
The next moment, he shouted at Xu Wei, “Xu Wei, why are you still holding back? Why aren’t you using your full strength?”
Xu Wei’s face twitched as his heart filled with bitterness.
Just sitting on this Spirit Array made him feel as if his life was being drawn away, that his Saint Qi was flowing from his body like a raging river.
But now, Zi Long actually told him to pour all his strength out; how was that different from killing him?
“Xu Wei, so you’ve been holding back this whole time. Do you want to die!?” Zi Dong roared furiously as he glared at Xu Wei.
“Mercy, Young Master! Mercy! Old Servant will go all out!” Xu Wei caught the look in Zi Dong’s eyes and began leaking cold sweat. He knew that he would really lose his life if he dared to talk back.
This little bastard was not someone who could be reasoned with.
Not daring to hesitate, Xu Wei pushed his Saint Qi madly into the Spirit Array.
With a hum, the Shattering Void Shuttle’s speed increased sharply.
“Hah, so quick! Let’s see that little bastard escape this time!” Zi Dong madly shouted.
A few thousand kilometres ahead, Yang Kai frowned, “It can actually speed up? Interesting, if that is the case, it might actually be able to keep up with me. Hm, looking at it from up close though, it looks somewhat familiar… like the small Starship refined by Yang Yan.”
Deep down in his heart, he was puzzled, obviously not knowing that the refinement method for the Shattering Void Shuttle really did stem from Yang Yan’s hand.
However, Purple Star’s ability really was far inferior to Yang Yan’s, making the Shattering Void Shuttle incomparable to the Flying Shark Battle Shuttle.
The Starships refined by Yang Yan could truly shatter The Void after all.
For a time, a grand chase played out across the Star Field.
As time passed, Yang Kai’s injuries gradually healed.
His physique was already extremely powerful, and his Golden Blood had a terrifying restorative ability, so even if he did not do anything, the wounds he suffered from the Divine Bird slowly repaired themselves.
Yang Kai was a unique case in this sense. If it had been any other cultivator, even if they did not lose their life, such injuries would have left them at least half-crippled.
After his injuries healed, Yang Kai became more relaxed. He used his Star Shuttle in an unhurried manner, and when he noticed the Shattering Void Shuttle drawing too close, he would simply skip across space a few times to open some distance before using his Star Shuttle again, slowing down and allowing his pursuers to catch up.
This obvious fishing behaviour almost caused Zi Long and Zi Dong to cough up blood in anger.
After so many days of pursuit, both father and son had blue veins throbbing on their foreheads.
As for Xu Wei, his figure now barely looked like a living human!
Only after some time did he realize that what was being extracted by the Spirit Array was not just his Saint Qi, but also his very essence!
A cultivator’s essence was similar to a Cultivation Star’s Source. Once this essence was consumed, their vitality drained, it would be extremely difficult to supplement!
Xu Wei had wanted to give it up a long time ago, but because of Zi Dong’s despotic power, he did not dare to leave the Spirit Array and could only grit his teeth and persist. Constantly taking pills to supplement his losses, Xu Wei accepted the Spirit Array’s wanton extraction.
The current Xu Wei no longer looked like a healthy middle-aged man, but instead like a malnourished beggar, his black hair now grey, making him look old and senile.
He never dreamed that an Origin King like himself would fall into such a desolate state.
His resentment towards Zi Long and his son was overwhelming!
Even so, Zi Dong was still not satisfied with his performance and constantly cursed him as trash and a waste.
From Zi Dong’s point of view, the reason why the Shattering Void Shuttle was unable to catch up to Yang Kai was all because Xu Wei was useless. If it were not for Xu Wei being so weak, they would have already succeeded and returned to Purple Star to celebrate rather than being stuck following behind Yang Kai’s ass.
“Xu Wei, take this,” Zi Long suddenly took out a pill from his Space Ring and tossed it to Xu Wei.
Xu Wei opened his turbid eyes, took a look, and couldn’t help trembling slightly as he reflexively asked, “What pill is this?”
This pill was a blood-red colour and had a strong bloody aura coming from it. The aura of this pill was somewhat nauseating and there seemed to be a violent force contained within it.
Xu Wei did not dare to take it lightly. Right now, he was akin to a dried-up oil lamp, so any accident now could kill him.
“You were told to take it so take it. Why utter so much nonsense?” Zi Dong yelled, but when he saw the pill itself, his eyes flashed with imperceptible reluctance.
Xu Wei noticed this change though and immediately understood that this pill was likely something quite precious.
“Sovereign Blood Pill!” Zi Long quickly answered.
The next instant, Xu Wei’s eyes bulged before he snatched the Sovereign Blood Pill and stuffed it into his mouth without any hesitation.
Xu Wei let out a cough as a wave of vitality burst from his thin body and it gradually began to swell up.
His originally sallow skin began to become ruddy and his white hair turned black again at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“Haha!” Xu Wei let out a loud laugh as he suddenly became vigorous again, like he was several hundred years younger in an instant.
“Xu Wei is extremely grateful for Senior Zi Long’s generosity. Senior and Young Master may rest assured, Old Servant will go all out!” Xu Wei said in a deep voice before immediately pushing his Saint Qi into the Spirit Array below.
Zi Long nodded lightly, a satisfied look appearing on his face.
The Sovereign Blood Pill was an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill that could only be refined by the single Origin King Grade Alchemist that belonged to Purple Star. Even as the Sect Master of Purple Star, Zi Long only ever obtained two in his lifetime, and this was the only one he had for the past hundred years. The other was used long ago to save Zi Long’s life at a critical moment.
Although the effect of this Spirit Pill was not on par with the legendary Immortal Source Liquid, it was still a Heaven-Defying treasure, which was apparent from the changes Xu Wei had just undergone.
If it weren’t for the urgency of the situation, how could Zi Long be willing to give Xu Wei such a precious Spirit Pill?
However, Xu Wei was indispensable to powering the Shattering Void Shuttle, so Zi Long could only give up this precious pill out of desperation.
Zi Long believed that, with the support of the Sovereign Blood Pill, Xu Wei would be able to persist for some time, and as long as he could catch Yang Kai, this sacrifice would be paid a million times over.
“Xu Wei, put your best into it. If this matter is successful, this King will have his son return your Soul Brand,” Zi Long said lightly.
Xu Wei’s body shook as a look of intense desire appeared on his face. Nodding, Xu Wei put even more effort into his task.
He was an Origin King, but now he was nothing but a slave to this little brat Zi Dong, completely destroying any face he had and ruining all his future prospects, but Zi Long’s words no doubt gave him new hope. As such, Xu Wei really no longer held back, just hoping he could catch up with Yang Kai as soon as possible to complete his task.