“Where did they go?” Standing in the Starry Sky, Ni Guang, Gui Zu, and Xue Yue looked around.
A quarter of an hour ago, they lost sight of Zi Long and Xu Wei. At that time, they only saw an artifact flash in Zi Long’s direction and they were gone.
“What did they just use? How did their speed suddenly increase so dramatically?” Xue Yue was as anxious as an ant on a hot wok. They could only track Yang Kai by following Zi Long, so now that they had lost all trace of Zi Long, how could they find Yang Kai?
Yang Kai possessing the Immortal Tree would surely bring him endless troubles. She could not rest easy with Yang Kai acting alone. If she could join up with him, she could at least be of some help.
“Shattering Void Shuttle!” Ni Guang’s eyes shone brightly, “It turns out that Purple Star really refined the Shattering Void Shuttle. I always thought the rumours were false.”
“Shattering Void Shuttle? Is that something amazing?” Gui Zu asked.
“It is something the Great Emperor personally granted, what do you think?” Ni Guang glanced over at him lightly.
“One of the Great Emperor’s personal treasures?” Gui Zu’s expression changed dramatically as he could not help parroting.
“Well, not exactly,” Ni Guang pondered for a moment before explaining. “The refining method was handed down by the Great Emperor, but it was ultimately refined by Purple Star’s Artifact Refiners.”
“Really? Why would you scare me like that!” Gui Zu said with some lingering fear.
If it really was a treasure handed down by the Great Emperor, then no one in the Star Field would be able to match it, but if it was just the refinement method, then it would not be too frightening.
“Even so, the Shattering Void Shuttle is still the fastest artifact in the entire Star Field. Now that we have lost their trail, how are we supposed to follow them?” Ni Guang frowned. The Star Field was too big and only the Heavens knew where Yang Kai and Zi Long would run.
As long as they changed course slightly, it would soon be impossible to find them.
“Heh heh, fortunately, this old master took precautions beforehand,” Gui Zu grinned and said in a low voice.
“Oh? You have a way?” Ni Guang looked at Gui Zu with some pleasant surprise in his originally disappointed eyes.
“En, wait a moment,” Gui Zu said before waving his hand and summoning his Ten Thousand Soul Banner before forming a series of mysterious seals. A moment later, while staring at his Ten Thousand Soul Banner sternly, Gui Zu shouted, “Go!”
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner shook slightly before transforming into a mass of black Qi that shot off in a certain direction.
“Follow this old master!” Gui Zu waved his hand and left in the direction the Ten Thousand Soul Banner flew.
Ni Guang followed together with Xue Yue.
Shortly after they left, in the seemingly empty Star Field, a vague figure appeared stealthily. The aura and vitality fluctuations coming from this translucent individual were suppressed to the limit, and if one weren’t close by, they wouldn’t notice its existence at all.
It was none other than Elder Kong Fa of Galaxy Ridge!
He came to a stop almost exactly where Gui Zu’s group had been and stared in the direction they departed, a feeling of hesitation filling his heart.
Should he follow them, or not?
Following them, with his First-Order Origin King cultivation, would likely lead him into crisis.
But if he did not follow, knowing the Immortal Tree was right in front of him, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
After only a moment’s contemplation, Kong Fa grit his teeth and pursued Gui Zu.
Facing the temptation of the Immortal Tree. Kong Fa simply could not resist! He could only hope that his luck was good enough to fish in troubled waters while the masters fought amongst themselves.
Just as the Martial Dao was boundless, so too was the Star Field.
The chase continued through the Star Field for the next five months.
Yang Kai was always in the lead, teasing and taunting Zi Long’s group, a calm and relaxed look on his face. His condition had long ago been restored to its peak, so it would be quite easy for him to get rid of Zi Long’s entanglement.
However, he did not choose to do so.
He wanted to give Zi Long a big, pleasant surprise, so he flew forward unhurriedly, even taking the initiative to slow down when he noticed the Shattering Void Shuttle behind him reduce its speed; allowing them to always catch up.
Behind him, Zi Long and his son wore indescribably gloomy expressions inside the Shattering Void Shuttle.
For five months, they had been unable to catch up to Yang Kai. Zi Long could not understand how a mere Origin Realm cultivator could sustain such incredible speed, or have such terrifying perseverance and seemingly inexhaustible strength.
He had noticed it a long time ago that Yang Kai was stringing them along, baiting them like stupid fish.
But even if he felt indignant, Zi Long could not give up.
Things had reached this point, so giving up would be equivalent to admitting failure and defeat. How could Zi Long accept that?
And so, he grit his teeth and continued to chase after Yang Kai.
Xu Wei had already become skin and bones again despite the Sovereign Blood Pill, his condition even more serious than last time. His eyes had become extremely cloudy, and though he sat upright, his thin body still planted above the Spirit Array, it was clear he was faltering and might pass away at any moment.
Zi Dong would yell at him from time to time, but Xu Wei no longer had the energy to care.
If it had been an ordinary cultivator in such a situation, they would have died a long time ago. It was only because Xu Wei was an Origin King Realm master that he was barely able to maintain his last breath.
But after everything that had transpired, Xu Wei would certainly degenerate into a waste, and likely wouldn’t live very long.
Further behind, Gui Zu, who was using his own Secret Technique, together with Ni Guang and Xue Yue, continued to follow after Yang Kai.
Kong Fa brought up the rear, with no one seemingly aware of his existence.
“It’s been too long. Old Ghost, are you sure Yang Kai is still alive? He really hasn’t been caught by Zi Long?” Ni Guang asked as he chased behind Gui Zu.
“En, Yang Boy is still safe and worry-free. This old master left his Ten Thousand Soul Banner’s Vice-Yin Soul on his body in the Severed World that day. If Yang Boy had died, that Yin Soul would certainly be extinguished as well. This old master is relying on the subtle connection between the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and that Vice-Soul to determine its position, about this, this old master is certain.”
“En, if you say so,” Ni Guang glanced over at Xue Yue while he spoke, but upon seeing her leak a sigh of relief, he could not help heaving a sigh of frustration.
If this whole situation did not involve the Immortal Tree or Xue Yue, he wouldn’t have continued this chase for so long.
He had never experienced such a long pursuit. Even when he was once seriously injured and nearly killed by one of his enemies, he had only fled for a single month before President Ai Ou brought a large number of their brothers to rendezvous with him and slaughter his pursuers.
Even though this happened over a thousand years ago, Ni Guang still remembered those events vividly.
“Hm!?” While Ni Guang was reflecting on the past, Gui Zu’s expression suddenly changed.
“What’s wrong?”
Gui Zu turned his head, looked at Ni Guang in amazement, and slowly said, “My Vice-Soul… vanished.”
“What?” Ni Guang was shocked.
Xue Yue paled after hearing this and almost fainted.
Gui Zu had just said that as long as Yang Kai was alive, his Ten Thousand Soul Banner would be able to track him via its connection to the Vice-Soul on him, but now this Vice-Soul had disappeared, didn’t that mean Yang Kai was…
Xue Yue did not dare to think about it further, her eyes turning red as tears began gathering at their corners.
“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Ni Guang shouted.
“Wait!” Gui Zu frowned before looking around with a thoughtful look on his face, “Why does this damned place look so familiar to this old master.”
“So what if it looks familiar? What does that have to do with anything?” Ni Guang urged Gui Zu while glancing towards Xue Yue, clearly hinting at him to say something positive to soothe the situation.
“Ah!” Gui Zu’s eyes suddenly lit up and he laughed, “This old master remembers now! So, we’re here!”
“Fuck!” Despite Ni Guang’s usual mild-manner, at this moment he couldn’t help cursing out loud, thinking this Old Ghost’s brain had been kicked and he couldn’t tell good from bad.
Gui Zu did not care about him at all though and just grinned meaningfully, speaking directly to Xue Yue in the next moment, “Girl, don’t worry. Yang Boy is still alive.”
“But… but you just said…” Xue Yue looked at him sorrowfully.
“I didn’t say Yang Boy died just now, I only said my Vice-Soul had disappeared,” Gui Zu chuckled. “This old master was a bit anxious just now, so he wasn’t clear enough. En, let me explain it this way, my Vice-Soul is indeed gone, but it wasn’t destroyed. Rather…. it is as if this old master was inside that Severed World and unable to sense that Vice-Soul outside in the Star Field. Do you understand now?”
“What the hell are you trying to say?” Ni Guang glared at him.
“Haha, just know that Yang Boy is not dead, and this old master also knows where he is,” Gui Zu laughed, stretched out his hand, recovered his Ten Thousand Soul Banner, then immediately beckoned, “Let us go see Zi Long’s depressed face. Hah, that old dog is probably so mad he wants to cough up blood.”
“How do you know?” Ni Guang did not believe him at all, feeling like this Old Ghost was simply too unreliable. He could not tell if Yang Kai’s Sect having such a character as Supreme Elder was a blessing or a curse.
“Heh heh, just wait and see.”
The trio sped off a moment later.
After an hour, Ni Guang suddenly narrowed his eyes as he stared at a group of figures standing not far away.
The one in the middle was naturally Zi Long.
Perceiving the auras of Ni Guang and Gui Zu, Zi Long turned his head and glared at them coldly.
Meeting eyes, Ni Guang laughed heartily, “Haha, this bastard has depression all over his face.”
“I told you he would,” Gui Zu grinned confidently.
“How did you know?” Ni Guang was really curious now.
“He failed, so he’d naturally be depressed. After five months of chasing Yang Boy, only to suddenly lose all trace of him, how do you think his mood is?” Gui Zu explained lightly.
Ni Guang frowned and began to ponder, a moment later spitting out an exasperated sigh, “Vexed, too vexed, especially considering that Yang Kai is just an Origin Realm Junior. Hah, if I was Zi Long, I’d be so embarrassed I’d kill myself and just be done with it.”
Saying so, he let out another burst of laughter, clearly taking pleasure in Zi Long’s misfortune.
“But wait, how did you know that Yang Kai escaped?” Ni Guang suddenly realized something and asked Gui Zu.
“Because this place… I’ve been here before. En, I stayed here for two thousand years, so I know why Yang Boy escaped here and where he is now!”
*Si…*
Ni Guang looked at Gui Zu like an idiot, “You stayed here for two thousand years, what’s so amazing about this place to make you not want to leave for so long?”
He looked around and found that there was nothing strange about this place.
“Do you think this old master didn’t want to leave?” Gui Zu’s complexion suddenly became extremely ugly, “This old master was trapped here for two thousand years! Do you know what it feels like to be trapped for two thousand years!? It’s worse than death…”
Thinking back on those two thousand years, Gui Zu’s heart clenched in pain.
With Gui Zu’s roar, Ni Guang’s complexion changed sharply, “You were trapped here for two thousand years… So, that is how it is. No wonder I’ve never heard of you before, it’s because you were here all that time. Did you just manage to escape recently?”
“Yes, thanks to Yang Boy. Otherwise, this old master would still be trapped even now,” Gui Zu nodded.
“How did you get trapped here?” Ni Guang looked blank, “I can’t see anything dangerous nearby.”
“This is… the Chaotic Abyss, right?” Xue Yue had been observing the surrounding area and suddenly said thoughtfully.
“You’re quite knowledgeable, little girl,” Gui Zu grinned, “Yes, this is the Chaotic Abyss!”
“What? This is actually the Chaotic Abyss?” Ni Guang’s face changed, “The famed most dangerous region of the Star Field?”
“What? Scared now?” Gui Zu snickered at him.
“Why would I not be? I’ve heard that even Origin Kings can die here without burial.”
“Heh heh, those rumours aren’t wrong. The Chaotic Abyss is not dangerous during ordinary times and is actually quite peaceful, but if a Chaotic Vortex erupts and one is sucked into it, there’s a good chance they’ll be crushed!” Gui Zu sneered, “This old master was pursued by a mortal enemy back then and was forced to escape to this place where he was accidentally caught in one of those Chaotic Vortices…”
“And it didn’t kill you? Fate has made you difficult to kill off,” Ni Guang was shocked.
“That is this old master’s fate! After being sucked into that vortex, I was trapped in a certain space for two thousand years, and it wasn’t until Yang Boy was also pulled into that place that he managed to bring me out,” Gui Zu took a deep breath. It was all because of this incident that Yang Kai and Gui Zu had met.
After leaving that place though, the two had not met again until the Severed World opened.
“Senior, what you mean is that Yang Kai…”
“En, Yang Boy went to the place where this old master was trapped before,” Gui Zu grinned.
Xue Yue’s face paled greatly.
“Don’t worry; did you forget what power Yang Boy is proficient in? Back then, this old master was able to escape thanks to him leading me through The Void. Now, he can enter that place at will, so he must also have full confidence in leaving. Moreover, once inside, that old fart Zi Long can only stare at him from the outside. Yang Boy will come out on his own one day, on his own terms.”
“Is waiting here… dangerous?” Ni Guang asked worriedly. Although the Chaotic Abyss was quiet at this moment, if a Chaotic Vortex appeared, it would likely be fatal.
“What are you afraid of? Chaotic Vortices don’t appear frequently,” Gui Zu said, unafraid.
“In that case, we will wait, but let me say this first: Many matters are waiting for this old master back in the chamber of commerce, so I cannot delay too long. This old master will wait here for two months at most,” Ni Guang said, while quietly glancing over at Xue Yue.
Although he said these words to Gui Zu, he was actually talking to Xue Yue.
Now that Yang Kai had hidden like this and was no longer in any danger, Xue Yue should be able to calm down even if she did not wait here.
“Do what you’d like. This old master must wait for Yang Boy to come out,” Gui Zu chuckled lightly.
As they talked, they arrived at a spot not too far from Zi Long’s group.
Zi Long was feeling very upset when he saw Ni Guang and the others rush over, so he couldn’t help snorting at him coldly.
Ni Guang did not pay him any attention. The two had torn all face inside the Severed World and neither was able to defeat the other, so there was no need for pleasantries between them. For the moment, the two groups simply stood apart and waited quietly.
…..
Above the floating continent, Yang Kai broke through The Void and leisurely appeared.
This was his first stop in the Star Field, and it was here that he had met Gui Zu, seeing what an Origin King Realm master truly was. It was also here that he realized just how insignificant he was and secretly swore to cultivate hard to make himself stronger.
Several dozen years later, he had returned here, drawing a slight sigh from his lips.
Although his cultivation had not reached the Origin King Realm yet, he could no longer be considered weak anymore.
Back then, he had been casually captured by a few Saints, while now he could destroy an army of Saints with a wave of his hand.
The floating continent was exactly what Yang Kai imagined it to be, the safest haven to avoid Zi Long’s pursuit.
Before he left that year, Yang Kai had left a thread of his Divine Sense deep underground, so following the faint connection it had with him, he was able to accurately locate the floating continent and use his Space Force to reach it almost instantaneously from the Chaotic Abyss.
Standing in place, Yang Kai took a light breath, feeling relaxed both physically and mentally.
He did not know how the floating continent came to be, but it was truly a small landmass, only stretching about two or three hundred thousand kilometres in diameter; however, this place was filled with rich World Energy and countless precious treasures.
Back then, Yang Kai had collected a lot of Origin King Grade herbs here.
When he returned to the floating continent for a second time, Yang Kai found that the aura here was even stronger than when he left, causing him to wonder how this place came to be and how it sustained itself.
Strictly speaking, the floating continent could be considered an extremely small star, because it had its own World Principles and its own Star Source. If it was given enough time, it might even become a flourishing Cultivation Star.
Could it be that other stars in the Star Field were born like this?
Yang Kai pondered over this thought for a while but to no avail.
“Haha, someone finally came in,” Suddenly, a loud laugh came from below, one filled with excitement.
Yang Kai frowned and turned his head in amazement.
He had not expected that there would be others on this floating continent.
Only after he saw the face of the other party did he suddenly remember!
He actually knew this person.
Lu Gui Chen! A name that Yang Kai had all but forgotten.
This man was a cultivator from Purple Star. When Yang Kai was captured by the cultivators of Purple Star and imprisoned on a Purple Star Starship, Lu Gui Chen had been the one in charge and it was also Lu Gui Chen who had sealed Yang Kai’s cultivation at that time.
At that time, Lu Gui Chen, like Yue Xi of Sword Union, had a Second-Order Saint King cultivation, and from Yang Kai’s point of view back then, that was already an insurmountable mountain. As such, when facing the seal placed on him by Lu Gui Chen, he was all but helpless.
Back then, the cultivators from Purple Star and Sword Union numbered a hundred in total, all of whom had landed on the floating continent together; but afterwards, as Gui Zu experimented with his Space Array, countless casualties occurred and very few ultimately survived.
Finally, when Yang Kai brought Yue Xi, her disciples, Gui Zu, and a few others out from the floating continent, he had not taken Lu Gui Chen with him and instead left him here.
But now, a few dozen years later, he was meeting this old acquaintance again.
If Lu Gui Chen hadn’t come out on his own initiative, Yang Kai would probably have not even remembered he was here.
“Friend, were you also pulled into this place by a Chaotic Vortex?” Lu Gui Chen seemed to have not spoken to another soul in several dozen years, so he called out very enthusiastically; however, after speaking for a moment, he frowned and stared at Yang Kai suspiciously. His eyes flashed brilliantly the next moment as he pointed at Yang Kai and shouted, “It’s you, it’s you!”
Obviously, he remembered Yang Kai too.
After all, Yang Kai had brought Gui Zu and the others to leave this damned place back then while abandoning him here. Lu Gui Chen had cursed Yang Kai an uncountable number of times since then, and seeing his most hated enemy before him at this moment, he felt enraged.
“Haha,” Yang Kai smiled faintly as he swept his eyes over Lu Gui Chen, realizing that the latter was in good health and had even reached the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm.
Several dozen years to go from the Second-Order Saint King Realm to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm was a terrifying rate of improvement.
Such miraculous progress could only be attributed to the rich World Energy on the floating continent as well as all the precious treasures here.
Gui Zu had also used two thousand years in this place to reach the Origin King Realm. This floating continent was nothing short of a cultivation paradise.
“It’s you!” Lu Gui Chen’s angry expression suddenly turned to one of ecstasy, “Haha, the Heavens are truly just! I did not expect you would come back here one day, Boy! This is truly my, Lu Gui Chen’s, good fortune!”
As soon as these words fell, his face filled with ferocity and he charged towards Yang Kai, his Saint Qi pulsing madly as he shouted viciously, “Boy, obey this King and take him out of this damned place otherwise this King will kill you!”
“‘This King’?” Yang Kai raised his brow and sneered, “In front of me, you dare call yourself ‘this King’?”
“Brat! You do not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! Just wait until this King catches you!” Lu Gui Chen saw Yang Kai not putting him in his eyes and became furious, raising his hands to capture Yang Kai without delay.
Yang Kai simply stood in place, without any intention of dodging, just staring at Lu Gui Chen flatly.
This stare made Lu Gui Chen’s heart clench as he suddenly had a bad premonition, as if he was a sheep that was about to attack a sleeping tiger.
But the arrow had already flown from the string, so Lu Gui Chen pushed aside this feeling and rushed out, grabbed Yang Kai’s shoulders, and poured his Saint Qi madly into him, trying to force him to submit.
[This damn brat, trying to act all mysterious,] Lu Gui Chen thought to himself, feeling overjoyed when he found he was so easily able to capture Yang Kai.
After seemingly succeeding, Lu Gui Chen coldly shouted, “Don’t move if you don’t want to die. This King has control of your life now, so if you dare to resist, this King will…”
“Scram!” When Yang Kai saw him drone on endlessly, he became slightly irritated and abruptly pushed his Saint Qi.
The next moment, Lu Gui Chen’s complexion changed drastically as he noticed the Saint Qi he poured into Yang Kai’s body disappear like a stone sinking into the sea. In the next instant, an irresistible force burst from Yang Kai, rushed into his arms, and rampaged through his five organs.
As if he was struck by lightning, Lu Gui Chen’s body flew backwards suddenly as he coughed up a mouthful of blood, falling to the ground in the next moment like a dead fish.
After landing, he quickly got up, looked at Yang Kai in terror, and trembled, “You… impossible!”
He had not checked Yang Kai’s cultivation before because, in his opinion, Yang Kai was definitely not as strong as himself; after all, this little brat was only a Saint the last time they met, and he had enjoyed a rich cultivation environment on this floating continent for all these years. The World Energy here was incredibly dense and there were countless precious treasures, so Lu Gui Chen’s rate of cultivation had been terrifying. He was countless times stronger than this little brat back then, so how could this boy be his opponent now?
He had dismissed Yang Kai from the start!
But when he was counterattacked by Yang Kai just now, Lu Gui Chen instantly realized he was mistaken.
This little brat’s Saint Qi was more powerful and purer than his own by many times. If his own Second-Order Origin Returning Realm Saint Qi was like a firefly, this brat’s Saint Qi was akin to the bright moon!
This was simply unacceptable to Lu Gui Chen!
[Could this brat already be an Origin King?]
Only now did he use his Divine Sense to check Yang Kai.
“Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!” After confirming Yang Kai’s realm, Lu Gui Chen’s complexion changed drastically and he fell to the ground again, losing all ability to think and only muttering “How is that possible?” over and over again.
He couldn’t believe what he felt. It had only been a few dozen years, yet this boy had jumped all the way from the Saint Realm to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
Such terrifying cultivation speed and aptitude!
Was time slowed down in this damned place? Had the several dozen years he spent here actually been hundreds of years on the outside? If that weren’t the case, how could this boy have such terrifying cultivation?
All kinds of bizarre thoughts flashed across Gui Chen’s mind as he was left in a state of complete shock.
Seeing Lu Gui Chen in such a bereaved condition, Yang Kai could not help but sneer, “Ignorant fool!”
Lu Gui Chen was not highly ranked in Purple Star, so the information he had access to was limited. In fact, it was not just Yang Kai, even Gu Jian Xin and Zi Dong had similar cultivation speeds.
Of course, if a comparison was really made, even they were inferior to Yang Kai.
After all, they had great forces backing them, with no need to worry about cultivation resources or masters to teach them.
On the contrary, Yang Kai had made his way all on his own, relying on himself to obtain his resources and the occasional hint from some noble elders. Simply regarding this, Yang Kai felt that the Young Masters from these great forces were not comparable to him. On top of that, because he had to constantly rely on himself and his own explorations, his understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao was much deeper.
Narrowing his eyes, Yang Kai curled his lips and said, “I didn’t kill you back then, but now, I regret it a bit.”
Lu Gui Chen could not help shivering as his dazed expression focused again and he coldly snorted, “What do you want?”
Even if Yang Kai’s cultivation was one Minor Realm higher than his own, so what? Lu Gui Chen felt that Yang Kai might not be able to kill him easily if he tried his best, so after he recovered, his tone became firm.
“Judging from your aura, you must have taken a lot of precious treasures over these years, right? Tsk tsk… But from the quality of your Saint Qi, it is clear there are many impurities in your body. It seems you have been swallowing those herbs raw. Don’t you know that doing that will waste their medicinal efficacies and slowly poison you?”
Listening to Yang Kai speak, Lu Gui Chen’s eyes flashed with some slight panic, because he found this boy’s analysis absolutely correct.
These years, he had been all alone on this floating continent with nothing to do other than cultivate. His first few years had been spent looking for a way to escape, but as time passed, he gave up on this idea. Even a master like Gui Zu had been trapped here for two thousand years, so how was he supposed to escape?
After thinking about it for a time, Lu Gui Chen focused himself on improving his strength, hoping to one day reach a point where he could shatter space and escape this damned place.
And to enhance the strength, he thought of using those precious herbs.
But he was not an Alchemist, so even if he managed to collect the herbs on the floating continent he couldn’t refine them into pills and could only swallow them raw like a Monster Beast.
The result of this practice was that the medicinal efficacies of the herbs piled up in his body, and they became challenging to purge over time. Now, these leftover impurities had begun to affect his cultivation, causing his meridians to feel sore every time he circulated his Saint Qi.
He did not know what the consequences of this would be in the long run, but he could at least understand that it was not a good sign.
Now that his situation had been exposed by Yang Kai, Lu Gui Chen’s eyes could not help lighting up, “Since you know about my condition, do you know a way to resolve it?”
“So what if I do?” Yang Kai snorted, clearly not putting Lu Gui Chen in his eyes.
“Teach me!”
“Haha!” Yang Kai laughed, “Are you trying to make a joke? I haven’t even settled accounts with you yet.”
He had been captured by Purple Star’s cultivators, and Lu Gui Chen had sealed his Saint Qi, almost causing him to die. Yang Kai could never forgive this slight.
“It’s been so many years since then, why bother bringing up such trivial matters? What’s more, didn’t you survive? Teach me how to resolve this issue and there will be benefits in it for you,” Lu Gui Chen said anxiously.
Yang Kai snorted, swept his eyes over him, and frowned slightly, “Where’s your Space Ring? You’ve been here for so many years so you must have collected a lot of rare herbs, right? Where are they?”
“Space Ring? What damned Space Ring!?” Lu Gui Chen exclaimed, “Don’t you remember that Gui Zu took away everyone’s rings back then?”
“Ah… Right, that happened. I forgot,” Yang Kai suddenly realized that in order to refine his Space Array, Gui Zu had confiscated everyone’s Space Rings to extract the little bit of Space Spirit Crystal they were refined from.
In the end, his experiment ended in complete failure though…
“Since you have no Space Ring, you must have hidden all the good things…” Yang Kai looked at Lu Gui Chen.
“What do you want…” Lu Gui Chen’s complexion sank, looking at Yang Kai’s expression as if he was looking at a robber, vigilant to the extreme. “I’ll tell you this now: Those things have indeed been hidden by me, and in a very safe, secretive location. Without me, you’ll never be able to find them no matter how long you search.”
“Now, now, don’t be so nervous,” Yang Kai chuckled. “Let me guess. In this place, the only available residence is that cave mansion left behind by Gui Zu. You should have lived there all these years, so those herbs…”
Lu Gui Chen remained perfectly calm, not showing the slightest panic, staring at Yang Kai with a light sneer.
“Naturally, they can’t be there,” Yang Kai continued.
The smile on Lu Gui Chen’s face diminished in that instant as he became a little startled, not having expected Yang Kai to be so sharp.
“A cunning rabbit has three burrows, you certainly wouldn’t place all your treasures in one place,” Yang Kai laughed.
“Hmph, you think you’re so smart? So what if you know I didn’t hide them there? Although this place isn’t that big, it’s still vast enough to easily hide something. If you do not tell me how to solve my problem, don’t even think about getting anything from me. Let me say this now, all the useful herbs on this continent have been collected by me. If you want to reap any gains here, it will be at least a hundred years before it becomes possible again,” Lu Gui Chen explained, saying pointedly, “You stayed here for a while back then so you should know just how many Origin King Grade herbs grew here. Those herbs were too powerful for me to digest with my current strength, so I preserved them all instead. As long as you agree to my requirements, all of those things can be yours.”
“Are you threatening me?” Yang Kai looked at him faintly and coldly snorted, “No matter, I won’t waste my time with you. I don’t want those precious herbs to go to waste, but since you refuse to cooperate… just die.”
There were, admittedly, a lot of good things on the floating continent, and Yang Kai really did not want to see them all go to waste, but he decisively gave up on them after seeing Lu Gui Chen’s attitude.
In any case, his harvest in the medicine valley of the Severed World was already big enough, so the herbs on the floating continent were just icing on the cake.
As soon as his words fell, Yang Kai stretched out his hand to eject two Golden Blood Threads, which quickly transformed into two strange Monster Beasts.
These were Blood Beasts, the Tail Crown Snake and Star King Turtle that Yang Kai had condensed in the Severed World.
These two Monster Beasts were both at the peak of the Ninth-Order, and although their strength had fallen a bit after becoming Blood Beasts, they had solid foundations so it would not be a problem for them to deal with a trivial Second-Order Origin Returning Realm Lu Gui Chen.
As soon as the Blood Beasts appeared, they rushed towards Lu Gui Chen fiercely.
“What are those?” Lu Gui Chen was shocked as he stared at the two ferocious Blood Beasts in amazement. He couldn’t recognize what kind of creatures these two Monster Beasts were and shouted, “Little brat, do you really want to kill to the last? Aren’t you afraid that those precious herbs will disappear from this world with me?”
“You treat them as treasures, but in my eyes, they’re just disposable items,” Yang Kai chuckled lightly, not caring.
Lu Gui Chen was really panicked right now. He thought that Yang Kai would be tempted by those Origin King Grade herbs, so he dared to negotiate terms without fear, but now it seemed that his life-saving card was useless. Facing the terrifying aura emanating from these two Blood Beasts, how could he remain calm?
He would not be a match for either of these two Blood Beasts.
“Young Hero, please wait! I have something to say!” Lu Gui Chen retreated quickly, avoiding the attacks of the Tail Crown Snake and Star King Turtle as he shouted, “This Lu is willing to offer those things freely to Young Hero, just spare my life please!”
“Isn’t it a bit late now?” Yang Kai remained unmoved and spat lightly, “Kill him!”
*Sisi…*
*Hou…*
The Tail Crown Snake and Star King Turtle flanked Lu Gui Chen from left and right as they charged towards him. Seeing himself trapped, Lu Gui Chen cried out in horror, “Don’t kill me, I can tell you a big secret about this continent. One that will allow your future achievements to be limitless!”
Yang Kai frowned, and the movements of the two Blood Beasts stopped under his command.
At this time, the Tail Crown Snake’s fangs were less than a metre away from Lu Gui Chen while the tail of the Star King Turtle continued to sweep over him but just barely changed direction in time to miss his head.
The strong wind blew past Lu Gui Chen, causing cold sweat to drip from his forehead.
He had nearly crossed the threshold of the gates of death just now!
Lu Gui Chen, who had just escaped death, only felt his entire body go limp as sweat soaked his clothes and the light wind in the air chilled him to the bone.
“If you dare lie to me, I’ll make you wish I had just killed you,” Yang Kai glared at Lu Gui Chen coldly. “Now speak, what is this amazing secret you speak of?”
Lu Gui Chen’s face was pale as he gulped anxiously, turning to Yang Kai and asking imploringly, “Can you withdraw these two Monster Beasts first…”
With two pairs of blood-coloured eyes staring at him, Lu Gui Chen could not calm his heart as he felt his life constantly hanging by a thread.
Yang Kai coldly snorted and silently issued an order, having the Tail Crown Snake and Star King Turtle immediately return to their Golden Blood Thread form and fly back to him.
Lu Gui Chen nervously wiped the cold sweat from his brow before glancing at Yang Kai. Seeing the impatient look on his face, Lu Gui Chen quickly said, “If I tell you this secret, can you promise not to kill me?”
“Your life is not as valuable as you think, killing you or letting you go is of no consequence to me, but it depends on the value of this so-called secret of yours!”
“Okay!” Lu Gui Chen’s body shook, “This King… cough cough, I can guarantee with my life that you will definitely be interested in this secret.”
“Enough nonsense, waste any more time and you’ll die.”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Lu Gui Chen shivered as he nodded repeatedly before saying, “If I told you that this continent had formed a Source, would you believe it?”
“A Source?” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with brilliant light as he quickly asked, “How do you know?”
“I’ve been trapped here for several dozen years now,” Lu Gui Chen smiled wryly, “One day, a few years ago, when I was in retreat, I suddenly felt the aura of this continent become disturbed and a kind of subtle call reached out from deep below ground. At first, I thought that some kind of incredible treasure had been born and released my Divine Sense to investigate, but as soon as I did so, my Divine Sense was actually drawn in by that very force. I saw a dazzling light at that moment, one that gave off a feeling like a newborn baby, filled with curiosity. I tried to make contact with it and wanted to get closer to have a better look at it, but was quickly repelled. I didn’t know what that thing was at the time, but after thinking about it carefully, I concluded it should be this continent’s Source. As for how certain I am of my conclusion though… I cannot say for sure.”
As he finished speaking, he looked towards Yang Kai anxiously.
“A Source! Haha, it seems that thing really was a Star Source!” Yang Kai laughed happily.
When he was first trapped on the floating continent and was using his Divine Sense to shuttled through The Void, Yang Kai had inadvertently sent a thread of his Spiritual Energy deep underground where he discovered a massive luminous ball of energy that contained extremely terrifying power. Yang Kai did not know what it was at the time though.
Back then, his strength wasn’t high, so he couldn’t identify what that mass of energy was, but he knew it wasn’t something ordinary, so he left his thread of Divine Sense with it.
It was precisely by relying on this thread of Divine Sense that Yang Kai was able to accurately locate the floating continent and return to this place.
Hearing what Lu Gui Chen said at this moment, Yang Kai immediately confirmed that the object he found back then was indeed this place’s Source!
If the floating continent was a small star, what Lu Gui Chen and he saw back then was no doubt its Star Source.
It was just that the Star Source Yang Kai saw back then was still maturing and had yet to fully form. As for Lu Gui Chen’s experience, it was the actual birth of a new Star Source.
If this floating continent was left alone, it would truly have an opportunity to become a real Cultivation Star in the future.
“Young Hero, I…” Lu Gui Chen carefully chose his words, not knowing what Yang Kai planned to do with him now.
“Stay there and don’t move, if you dare to act without my permission, you’ll die,” After Yang Kai finished speaking, he pinpointed the location of the Divine Sense thread he left here all those years ago and prepared to set out. Just before he departed though, he threw a ring to Lu Gui Chen and said, “Pack everything you’ve collected over the years into that.”
Finished here, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and disappeared.
Lu Gui Chen took the Space Ring and stood in place, staring at the place where Yang Kai had disappeared. After a long time, he came back to his senses, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and tried to swallow down his fears.
He couldn’t tell how Yang Kai left just now, all he knew was that the gap between them was far, far larger than he first imagined. It was now obvious how ridiculous his idea of fighting Yang Kai was.
If he had really tried to resist, he would have died long ago.
After a long silence, Lu Gui Chen flew off in a certain direction with his head down, preparing to put all the good things he collected over the years into this ring.
Although these rare herbs were all precious, they were not as precious as his life. Currently, Yang Kai’s fist was bigger than his, so how could he dare put up a fight?
Deep underground, Yang Kai exerted quite some effort before arriving at his destination.
This place was about ten thousand kilometres below the surface and was actually a large, hollow space.
At the centre of this space though, there was a mass of luminous energy, exuding a soft light.
It was the ball of energy that Yang Kai had seen several dozen years ago.
But at this moment, it seemed a bit smaller than it was before, more refined as well. When Yang Kai arrived here, a strong repulsive force came from this mass of energy, seemingly wanting to push him out of this space.
But Yang Kai stood in place calmly, unaffected by the repulsive force.
Staring closely at the luminous energy, Yang Kai was overjoyed, “It really is a Star Source.”
As the Star Master of Shadowed Star, he had already refined Shadowed Star’s Star Source, so he was able to judge what lay before him accurately.
Although there was a big difference between the Source of this floating continent and Shadowed Star’s Source, they definitely had their similarities as well. The sheer power contained inside this Source was terrifying to the extent it could not be resisted by mere humans.
“Haha, even the thread of Divine Sense I left behind had fully integrated into it! Doesn’t that mean this thing is mine already?” Yang Kai observed for a while and could not help getting excited.
He did not know how it happened, but apparently, the thread of Divine Sense he had left behind here all those years ago had merged together with this Star Source and grown along with it.
In other words, this Source had already been branded with his mark!
No wonder this Star Source was unable to repel him despite releasing more than enough force to do so.
Yang Kai could not help trembling slightly in excitement.
This Source was already marked with his brand, so it would certainly be easy to refine. If he refined it, didn’t that mean he would become the Star Master of this floating continent?
He was already the Lord of Shadowed Star, so if he was to become the master of this continent, he would be the Star Master of two Stars!
Such an achievement had never been seen in the history of the Star Field.
Even for those Third-Order Origin Kings, it would be impossible to refine two Star Sources.
As such thoughts swirled around Yang Kai’s head, he became extremely excited, especially when he thought about the benefits one received after becoming a Star Master. Star Master and Cultivation Star were closely related and would share honour and disgrace. When a Cultivation Star prospered, its Star Master would benefit, while if a Cultivation Star was weak, the Star Master would suffer, and vice versa.
The floating continent could be regarded as an extremely small Cultivation Star that had just been born and still had infinite possibilities for growth. As long as Yang Kai refined its Source, as the floating continent grew in the future, he would also benefit greatly!
Considering all this, Yang Kai could no longer contain himself.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai tried to communicate with the Star Source in front of him, but he quickly found that the other party did not respond at all.
After thinking about it though, Yang Kai relaxed.
This Star Source was born not long ago and was just like a newborn baby, so how could it react intelligently?
“I should refine it first then try communicating with it,” Yang Kai muttered to himself, sat down cross-legged directly, formed a seal with his hands, and closed his eyes tightly, the next moment allowing a pure Spiritual Energy flow from his body.
A mass of Spiritual Energy visible to the naked eye appeared and transformed into Yang Kai’s appearance.
It was Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
If he wanted to refine the Star Source, he had to first have his Soul leave his body and merge with the source itself. This was one of the reasons why refining a Star Source was so dangerous; if one weren’t careful, their Soul would be completely extinguished.
Even those Third-Order Origin King masters would not dare to attempt this unless they were absolutely confident of their success. This was also why Star Masters were so rare in the Star Field.
Throughout history, many peerless Third-Order Origin Kings had died while attempting to refine Star Sources.
If it were not for the Star Source on the floating continent being newly born and not yet very powerful, as well as the fact that his thread of Divine Sense had already merged together with it, Yang Kai wouldn’t have dared to attempt this.
This was different from when he refined Shadowed Star’s Source. Yang Yan had helped him at the time so there was not any danger, but this time, he could only rely on himself.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had a lot of confidence because he possessed the Star Refining Art.
The Star Refining Art was something he brought out of the Emperor Garden and was a Secret Technique specifically designed to refine Star Sources. It was with the help of this Secret Technique that Little Senior Sister had been able to become the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm.
With a sway of his Soul Avatar, Yang Kai rushed into the Star Source in front of him, not facing any obstacles or resistance along the way. Instead, Yang Kai felt that his Soul was being wrapped in a mass of warm water, making him feel extremely comfortable.
Yang Kai rejoiced when feeling this as it meant that the mark he left on this Star Source was not rejecting his Soul.
It seemed that everything would go well.
Silently, he began to execute the Star Refining Art to refine the Source around him.
Time passed little by little, and the light from the Star Source underwent a mysterious and profound change.
The process itself was quite simple. When his Soul Avatar reached a certain degree of agreement with the Star Source, all Yang Kai had to do was change his hand seal and begin to draw some of the Star Source’s strength into his body.
As long as this Star Source’s strength was incorporated into his body, the refinement would be complete and he would become the Star Master of this continent!
But the moment he began to draw in the Star Source’s power, a different force suddenly erupted from within Yang Kai’s body. This force was many times stronger and more terrifying than the Source strength of the floating continent.
Under the interference of this force, the docile Source strength from the floating continent became disordered and thrashed about, completely escaping Yang Kai’s control.
“Not good!” Yang Kai cried out as his eyes shot open and he hurriedly retrieved his Soul Avatar.
*Wa…*
With a loud cough, Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of blood as his breathing became turbulent and his face went as pale as paper.
Only after taking a few breaths was he able to suppress his rioting Saint Qi and vitality.
Looking at the source in front of him, Yang Kai frowned, “How could this be?”
Refining the floating continent’s Source had been progressing quite smoothly, and as long as Yang Kai could absorb some of it into himself, he would be finished, but now he had actually fallen short at the last step.
Yang Kai calmed down, and recalling the scene he just witnessed, his brow furrowing as he muttered, “Could it be that the power from two Sources can’t coexist?”
At that moment, he clearly felt Shadowed Star’s Source Strength burst out from his body, like a bird guarding its nest, forcing the floating continent’s Source Strength back.
This caused Yang Kai to be injured by the backlash.
“Source Strength is like the physical manifestation of a Cultivation Star’s World Principles, and each Cultivation Star can only have one set of World Principles, so a person…”
“I’ve already refined Shadowed Star’s Source Strength, which means my body is now closely connected with Shadowed Star’s World Principals. It’s likely difficult, if not impossible to accommodate other World Principals now…”
“En, that must be it!”
As he thought about it for a while, Yang Kai came to his own conclusions about the situation. Although this was just his speculation, he believed that it was at least close to the truth.
It was precisely because he had already refined Shadowed Star’s Source that he could not refine the floating continent’s Source this time.
From this point of view, there never having been a cultivator who was Star Master of two Cultivation Stars in the history of the Star Field was not because these past Origin Kings were not strong enough, but rather because it was simply impossible.
After understanding this point, Yang Kai’s could not help feeling quite depressed.
This situation was akin to a starving man sitting before a feast but being unable to eat anything, a helpless and depressing prospect.
Did he have no choice but to abandon this Heaven-sent opportunity?
Without even mentioning that the floating continent’s Star Source had just been born and was far easier to refine than a developed Cultivation Star’s, this Star Source was already marked with his Soul aura, so it fully met the requirements for him to refine. This was a rare opportunity, one would not come across in ten thousand years. Yang Kai simply was not willing to give up on the Star Source in front of him.
However, his body could not accommodate another Star Source, which made him helpless.
Yang Kai sat on the spot and healed his wounds while racking his brain to think of a way around this problem.
Even after thinking about it for a long time though, he couldn’t think up a good solution, frustrating him deeply…
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and the irritability in his eyes gradually cleared, giving way to a shining brightness. The more he thought about it, the bigger his smile became.
“I’m so stupid, how could I have not thought of this sooner,” Yang Kai smacked his head.
The next moment, he waved his hand and summoned his Stone Puppet and Firebird.
“What are Master’s orders?” Liu Yan appeared and asked in her usual cold tone.
“You two, see if either of you can swallow this thing. Whoever can swallow it can go ahead. If both of you can, split it in half!” Yang Kai pointed at the Star Source in front of him and said lightly.
Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan were his biggest helpers, and both had strength equivalent to an Origin King, so if they could swallow this Star Source, it would definitely be of great help to them.
Since he could not refine it, he would simply let his two helpers give it a try. If they could succeed, it would still be a big boost to him.
Liu Yan heard this, turned her head towards the Source, and a flash of fear appeared in the depths of her beautiful eyes the next instant as she shook her head in amazement, “Master, although I don’t know what this thing is, I’m afraid I cannot swallow it. It has a strange strength permeating it that is too profound, and if I swallow it rashly, I’ll certainly be destroyed by it.”
“En, it’s Principal Strength,” Yang Kai nodded and explained.
Liu Yan was an Artifact Spirit, so she wasn’t very knowledgeable and naturally didn’t recognize the Star Source, but her instincts were incredibly sharp, so she knew at a glance what was dangerous for her.
The Star Source in front of her gave Liu Yan a distinct sense of danger.
Principal Strength was profound and mysterious, so how could Liu Yan dare to swallow it rashly?
Not only did Liu Yan react like this, even Xiao Xiao, who always acted a bit dull, just stared at the Star Source in front of him with his pair of small eyes but did not move.
In the past, when Yang Kai allowed him to swallow something, Xiao Xiao would charge forward and swallow it whole. In any case, this was part of his innate talents, a Divine Ability that allowed Xiao Xiao to swallow practically anything.
Now though, he was hesitating, undoubtedly because he felt threatened by this Star Source.
Xiao Xiao was able to swallow the Ore Star’s Source because the Ore Star had already died and its Source had been fragmented, leaving behind only some remnants which were not too powerful. But the floating continent’s Source was complete and although it was newly formed, Xiao Xiao was definitely not able to consume it.
Seeing their appearances, Yang Kai immediately knew that the two of them were powerless and lightly said, “If that’s the case, you can go back.”
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan were put away again.
Next, the Golden Stone Puppet appeared in front of Yang Kai.
Stone Puppet Embodiment!
Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan were not able to swallow this Star Source, but Yang Kai wasn’t too concerned because there was still his Embodiment. The reason why Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan were called out first was because Yang Kai wanted to give them an opportunity to enhance their strength.
Since they were powerless, Yang Kai could only bring out his Embodiment.
Even if his own body could not accommodate two sources, wouldn’t it be fine if he just used a different body to refine it?
Moreover, with his Soul Clone attached to his Embodiment, it was equivalent to his second self, so it would obviously fit perfectly with the Soul Brand which was already integrated into the Star Source.
After Yang Kai sent his Soul Clone into the Embodiment, the latter opened its eyes, which quickly went from dull to bright and active.
Yang Kai controlled the Embodiment, sat it down in front of the source, and repeated his actions from before to display the Star Refining Art.
Time passed as the expression on Yang Kai’s true body remained extremely solemn.
Although he felt that his idea was not wrong, he didn’t dare say so for certain until the results came out. If even the Embodiment could not refine this Star Source, he could only reluctantly give up.
His next recourse would be to allow his relatives and friends to try to refine it to see if they could grab hold of this opportunity; however, they would need to wait until they became strong enough, at least Origins Kinds, and only the Heavens knew how long that would take.
After a long silence, Yang Kai, who was paying close attention to the Embodiment and the movement of the Star Source, raised his eyes and his face showed a look of ecstasy as a burst of hearty laughter escaped from his lips.
At that moment, the Star Source’s strength was being drawn into the Embodiment at a slow and subtle speed, without any repulsion.
[It worked!]
Sure enough, his hypothesis had been correct, the reason why his true body was unable to refine it was because the two Source Strengths were unable to coexist in a single body, so all he needed to do to solve the problem was change bodies.
His Embodiment was equivalent to his other self, so if the Embodiment became Star Master of the floating continent, it was equivalent to him becoming Star Master of the floating continent.
Although it was not quite the same, this way, Yang Kai would still be the Star Master of two Stars.
Tsk tsk… If the truth was spread, it would likely cause a sensation across the entire Star Field.
Yang Kai was in a great mood but he quickly collected himself and didn’t dare act careless, paying even closer attention to the movement of his Embodiment.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner, and only after enough of the Source Strength poured into his Embodiment would the process be complete.
It is just… this process was a bit slow.
Yang Kai was somewhat dissatisfied observing this.
According to his estimations, it would take at least one or two months for the Embodiment to finish refining this Source while it had just been the blink of an eye for him to become Star Master of Shadowed Star back then.
However, this was because Yang Yan directly sent Shadowed Star’s Source into his body. The two processes could not be compared.
“Fine, I can spend the time on Alchemy instead!” There was no point in waiting here doing nothing, so Yang Kai stood up, pushed his Space Force, and disappeared.
There was no need to pay attention to his Embodiment as all that was left was to wait for the process to finish. Instead, Yang Kai figured he could take this opportunity to refine a few Spirit Pills.
His cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the Origin Returning Realm a while ago, so even back in the Severed World Yang Kai felt he had an opportunity to break through; however, at that time, the situation was quite dangerous, so he had to forcibly suppress this impulse.
The floating continent on the contrary was extremely safe and the World Principles were also complete. It was the perfect place to make a breakthrough and performing Alchemy could help trigger that breakthrough.
Yang Kai’s gains in the Severed World this time were not small.
After a while, Yang Kai arrived above the floating continent, spread out his Divine Sense, and after scanning around for a moment, he flew off.
Ten breaths later, Yang Kai appeared again.
Lu Gui Chen, who had been waiting in place, was shocked to see Yang Kai suddenly appear and he quickly ran over, holding the Space Ring in both hands with a flattering smile on his face and said, “Young Hero, everything is inside. Please take a look to make sure you are satisfied.”
After seeing Yang Kai’s methods, Lu Gui Chen had completely submitted, not daring to act disobediently.
“En,” Yang Kai faintly responded before taking the ring and sweeping it with his Divine Sense, raising his brow a moment later to look at Lu Gui Chen with a smile, “Your harvest these past few years has been quite good. “
“Haha…” Lu Gui Chen gave a dry smile, “I had nothing to do here except cultivate, so I wandered about often.”
“And you collected every precious herb you came across?”
“Young Hero is wise!”
“Idiot!” Yang Kai angrily cursed.
“Huh?” Lu Gui Chen looked up in amazement.
“You fool!” Yang Kai wore a sullen look, “You’re also an Origin Realm master, so how could you not know you can’t just collect herbs at will? Without being able to preserve these things properly, their medicinal efficacies will all pass quickly. Just look at these herbs, some of them are already half dead! How are you supposed to use them now? Seriously how stupid are you!”
Yang Kai was truly angered.
There were indeed a lot of herbs in the ring, and many of them were Origin King Grade, but because they were not preserved properly, all of them had a lot of their medicinal efficacies leak out, causing their value to shrink greatly.
Any Alchemist who saw this scene would be furious.
Lu Gui Chen received this harsh scolding but did not dare to say anything, simply forcing himself to keep the stiff smile on his face.
Yang Kai eventually sighed, knowing that he could not blame Lu Gui Chen for everything. If he had at least a Space Ring, although a lot of medicinal efficacies would still have been wasted, the situation would not have been so bad. However, back then, everyone’s Space Ring had been taken away by Gui Zu.
As such, Gui Zu bore some responsibility for this matter.
Although some herbs medicinal efficacies had passed greatly, there was still a massive number of rare and precious ingredients so it was still not a small gain.
“You’re not hiding anything, are you?” Yang Kai squinted at Lu Gui Chen.
“I wouldn’t dare!” Lu Gui Chen was taken aback and waved his hand quickly. People under the eaves had to lower their heads, so how could he dare deceive Yang Kai here? Lu Gui Chen quickly swore a vow that if he was hiding anything the Heavens should strike him down.
“Good, then there’s nothing more for you to do here, leave,” Yang Kai waved his hand impatiently.
But Lu Gui Chen stood there and didn’t move, looking at Yang Kai expectantly, as if he was hesitant to speak.
“What else is there?”
“Young Hero…that, that, that Source…”
“Is that something you’re qualified to ask about?” Yang Kai’s face sank and the chill from his eyes increased sharply as an invisible burst of Spiritual Energy left his forehead.
Lu Gui Chen instantly took a hard hit as his Knowledge Sea defences were torn apart, causing a splitting headache which made him stagger back and forth as his face paled.
After suffering this blow, Lu Gui Chen was shocked and immediately understood that his previous speculations were true. If Yang Kai really wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as killing a chicken or a dog…
Looking up, there was no trace of Yang Kai in front of him and he had no idea when the latter had even left.
With a wry smile, Lu Gui Chen hurriedly sat down cross-legged and began circulating his Secret Art to heal his injuries.
At a certain spot on the floating continent, atop a beautiful mountain surrounded by clear waters, Yang Kai leisurely appeared.
“The scenery here is quite good, en, this will do,” He muttered to himself before releasing a few Blood Beasts and dispersing them around to stand guard.
Lu Gui Chen was the only one on this floating continent besides him, but Yang Kai could not be certain the former would not come to disturb him rashly, so just in case he released a few Blood Beasts to guard the perimeter.
Next, Yang Kai summoned his Purple Origin Furnace which he always used for Alchemy and began looking through the herbs in his Space Ring.
“What pill should I refine?” Yang Kai’s Divine Sense scanned his Space Ring.
This time, performing Alchemy was mainly to inspire a breakthrough, so it did not really matter what pill he refined, all Yang Kai needed was the act of Alchemy to adjust his mental state.
“Purple Sun Grass, Hundred Leaves Lotus… oh, there’s even a Pure Heart Fruit in here. En, I have all the ingredients necessary for the Enlightenment Pill. After my breakthrough, I can take it to consolidate my realm,” Soon, Yang Kai made a decision.
Seeing that he had all the ingredients to refine the Enlightenment Pill, and it would soon be useful to him, he decided to go with it.
Taking out all kinds of herbs one by one and setting them down beside himself, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and placed it onto his Purple Origin Furnace.
Conflagrated Spiritual Energy instantly poured out, warming the Purple Origin Furnace rapidly.
Each of the herbs was then methodically placed into the pill furnace as Yang Kai adjusted the intensity of his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy to refine them. Yang Kai entered the Alchemic Way after receiving the True Alchemic Way back in the Great Han Dynasty, after which he had been taught a bit by Old Man Li in Tong Xuan Realm. Then, he had inherited the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture which contained the most profound Alchemy techniques in the Star Field.
In addition, he had many discussions with Xia Ning Chang on the Alchemic Way, so his accomplishments in Alchemy were not small.
Forming various seals with his hands as he focused his Spiritual Energy into the Purple Origin Furnace, numerous Spirit Arrays were portrayed, destroyed, and replaced in rapid succession. Yang Kai quickly became extremely focused as the rest of the world seemed to fade away as he dedicated himself to his Alchemy.
Even his aura began to meld with the surrounding world, as if he had become one with it.
The process of refining a Spirit Pill was complicated and complex. One could not just condense medicinal liquids and push them together inside a pill furnace.
How much heat to use and when, what kind of Spirit Arrays to portray at what time, what Alchemy methods needed to be applied at which points, every step needed to be executed flawlessly as even a single misstep could lead to failure. Even if one managed to remedy the situation and refine a pill, that pill would always suffer a loss in quality.
Alchemy was a perfect way to focus one’s mind and temper their perseverance.
Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Knowledge Sea gave him a distinct advantage in Alchemy, so the time and energy he required to refine pills was much shorter than ordinary Alchemists.
This was only boosted further by the restorative function of his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus and his powerful Spiritual Energy. Yang Kai was able to use his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy unscrupulously as a result.
As time passed slowly, a percolating sound began to emerge from the Purple Origin Furnace as the various precious medicinal liquids interacted with one another and underwent miraculous transformations.
A faint medicinal scent began to waft from the furnace, one that was incredibly refreshing, a clear sign the pill had begun to condense.
Yang Kai’s expression became more solemn as he waved his hand and a Blood Beast that had been guarding the perimeter transformed into a Golden Blood Thread and shot back into his hand.
The Golden Blood Thread danced atop Yang Kai’s fingers like a golden-red wisp.
As it danced, the Golden Blood Thread gradually reverted to its golden colour as a red mist was extracted from it.
From this red mist, the roar of a beast rang out as it transformed into the indistinct shape of a Monster Beast.
“Don’t make trouble, using you for Alchemy is the best you could hope for, now behave,” Yang Kai stretched out his hand to catch the red mist and said with a light smile.
The red mist seemed to perceive its peril and not only refused to settle down but resisted even more fervently.
Yang Kai coldly snorted before directly tossing the red mist into the pill furnace.
In the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, it was written that a pill can only become a Spirit Pill if it has spirituality!
Yang Kai spent a long time contemplating this before enlightenment hit him and he was able to comprehend its meaning.
A pill could not obtain a spirit spontaneously unless it was preserved for an extremely long time and placed in an environment with extremely strong spiritual energy. Taking advantage of favourable conditions and an advantageous environment, after hundreds or thousands of years, even a pill could form its own Pill Spirit.
So, since a pill couldn’t form a spirit on its own otherwise, one would need to infuse spirituality into it during its refinement.
The simplest way to achieve this was to use a Monster Beast’s Monster Core as a Pill Spirit!
A Monster Beast’s Monster Core contained the Spiritual Essence of a Monster Beast, which could serve as a Pill Spirit.
Although Yang Kai did not have any High-Grade Monster Cores on hand, he had his Blood Beasts.
Blood Beasts could also be used as Pill Spirits!
In order to refine this Origin King Grade Spirit, a Pill Spirit was indispensable, so Yang Kai could only use one of his Blood Beasts. As a result, the number of Blood Beasts he possessed reduced by one; but compared with the Enlightenment Pill, it was still a bargain.
The blood mist was thrown into the Purple Origin Furnace and, instantly, a phenomenal chain reaction occurred, causing a deep and profound rumbling.
“You still want to resist!” Yang Kai’s expression sank as he quickly formed a new set of seals to suppress the riot.
Worthy of the Soul of a Ninth-Order Monster Beast, it took Yang Kai a few dozen breaths to completely stabilize.
The fragrance filling the air grew more and more intense.
*Dong dong dong…*
At the same time, Yang Kai felt the Saint Qi in his body begin to fluctuate and pulse loudly.
“Is it time?” His eyes flickered, knowing that this kind of movement was an early sign that he had reached the threshold of a breakthrough.
But right now, his Spirit Pill was about to form, so he did not want to give up on it either.
Forming a new set of seals, Yang Kai used the Pill Condensing Technique recorded in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
The furnace’s vibrations grew stronger still and it was not until after Yang Kai formed a few hundred seals that they began to die down and instead a rolling, clinking sound emerged from the Purple Origin Furnace.
“Ha!” Yang Kai shouted and slapped his palm onto the Purple Origin Furnace. The next moment, three rays of light shot out from the furnace and fled in three different directions.
“Haha, want to run? In your dreams!” Yang Kai laughed loudly as his figure flickered and he quickly captured all three pills, placing each one into its own pre-prepared jade bottle.
From one set of Alchemy ingredients, he had condensed three pills. This was an accomplishment not seen before in the Star Field.
Even for those famous Alchemy Grandmasters, no matter how superb their techniques were, a single set of ingredients could at most produce a single pill.
But Yang Kai had broken that common sense today.
The ancient Alchemy techniques recorded in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture were utterly amazing.
Perhaps in ancient times, there were peerless geniuses in the Alchemic Way that could also accomplish this, but as time passed, such magical Alchemy techniques had been lost to history, leading to the current situation where Alchemists could only refine one pill per set of ingredients.
*Hong long long…*
High up in the sky, a muffled thunder-like sound suddenly rang out.
Yang Kai looked up and saw dark clouds gathering above his head, like a black night that pressed down on him heavily.
From the black cloud, a terrifying aura of destruction radiated, one that seemed capable of annihilating the floating continent.
This was just the beginning though as a massive amount of aura from the surrounding area poured into the black cloud, constantly increasing its volume.
Yang Kai’s expression grew solemn.
This time, the World Energy baptism he needed to endure to break through to the next Great Realm, from Origin Returning Realm to Origin King Realm, would certainly be different.
After observing for a moment, Yang Kai waved his hand and spread out countless Saint Crystals before sending out a punch.
“Shatter!”
With a rumble, the tens of millions of Saint Crystals exploded into dust and all the energy contained with them flooded the surrounding region.
In the blink of an eye, the richness of the World Energy aura in a ten-kilometre radius around Yang Kai soared upwards.
A large amount of World Energy was needed for this breakthrough, and although the floating continent’s World Energy was quite rich, Yang Kai did not take any chances and had not hesitated to use up millions of Saint Crystals to enhance the environment.
Even after raising the level of the World Energy aura, Yang Kai did not stop.
With another wave of his hand, several hexagonal-shaped stones containing a calm but profound aura were arranged in a circle around his body.
There were a hundred of these stones and each one was giving off a subtle energy field.
Domain Stones!
Many of the Domain Stones Yang Kai possessed were distributed to his close relatives and friends, but he kept a number for himself. Now that he was about to break through to the Origin King Realm, he would not be stingy.
He hoped that by absorbing the energy from these Domain Stones at the same time he broke through, it would enhance his perception and understanding of Domain.
With a single thought, Yang Kai released all his Blood Beasts, along with Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan before issuing them an order, “Spread out and secure the area within thirty kilometres of this spot. If anyone attempts to intrude, kill them!”
Yang Kai made this move mainly to guard against Lu Gui Chen. If that bastard were to interfere with his breakthrough, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The next moment, the Blood Beasts and Stone Puppet scattered, leaving only Liu Yan, who took a moment to look up at the dark clouds in the sky before leaving with a look of fear and worry on her face.
She could perceive how terrifying this World Energy baptism was going to be and knew that, even with her current strength, she would not be able to withstand it easily.
“What’s happening now? Is this damned place going to be destroyed?” Lu Gui Chen rushed towards the spot where Yang Kai was breaking through.
He had only managed to recover slightly from his injuries when his eyes were forced open by the sudden change in the floating continent’s atmosphere. Thunder boomed and black clouds covered the sky while the ground trembled beneath his feet.
Completely stunned, Lu Gui Chen did not know what was going on and could only trace the disturbance to its source to try to find out what had happened.
As he rushed forward, he saw the black clouds in the sky growing ever larger as terrifying bolts of lightning shuttled back and forth like great dragons.
The scene was truly frightening.
After flying a few hundred kilometres, Lu Gui Chen’s eyes flashed as he suddenly ran across a strange Monster Beast that had a bloody glow about it that barred his way forward.
Lu Gui Chen was taken aback and stopped quickly because he saw that this Monster Beast’s pupils radiated a malicious light, as if it was warning him to go no further.
He believed if he continued, this Blood Beast would definitely strike out at him mercilessly.
The Blood Beasts belonged to Yang Kai, and he knew this, so Lu Gui Chen only had to think a little before realizing that the current situation on the floating continent was related to Yang Kai.
Was this the result of him trying to refine the Star Source? Lu Gui Chen speculated wildly in his mind, but to no avail.
After hesitating for a moment, he soared up into the air, stood at a high altitude and looked forward.
Yang Kai’s figure immediately appeared in his eyes, and although they were still separated by about thirty kilometres, Lu Gui Chen was now a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm master, so he was able to see the situation clearly.
“This… aren’t these the signs of a breakthrough?” Lu Gui Chen exclaimed in amazement, his whole body shaking.
Yang Kai was a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, so if he were to make a breakthrough… didn’t that mean he would become an Origin King?!
When the three words ‘Origin King Realm’ came to Lu Gui Chen’s mind, it was like a bolt of lightning struck him and he nearly fell from the sky in shock.
The Origin King Realm! That was the peak of the Star Field. Lu Gui Chen could hardly believe that he would be able to witness a cultivator break through to the Origin King Realm with his own eyes one day. Only after biting his tongue hard enough that he felt pain did Lu Gui Chen confirm he wasn’t dreaming or witnessing some kind of hallucination.
Several dozen years ago, the Origin King Realm was an unreachable summit in his eyes. Back then, a random look from an Origin King would have been enough to extinguish his Soul.
Even today, several dozen years later, Lu Gui Chen still had a sense of awe and terror towards the Origin King Realm.
With the improvement of his strength, he could better understand just how towering the Origin King Realm was.
[This little brat is so young, yet he was about to make a breakthrough to the Origin King Realm? When I saw him back then, he was just an insignificant Saint that I could seal casually…]
The past was as fleeting as smoke, but it was also vivid.
If this boy could break through at this time, he would definitely be the youngest Origin King in the entire Star Field, an unprecedented achievement that could only be described as shocking the ancient and dazzling the present!
Lu Gui Chen bit his tongue again to put away these chaotic thoughts before flying down to the ground and sitting down cross-legged.
He knew that being able to witness this was definitely an opportunity for him.
Observing the breakthrough of an Origin King at such a close distance was not a chance that could be encountered casually. If he could learn something from this baptism, his cultivation would surely become smoother in the future.
As such, Lu Gui Chen made the decisive decision to observe everything that transpired next.
The power of the black clouds in the sky became stronger and stronger, and when the atmosphere reached a certain peak, there was a sudden crackling and a jet-black stream of light, like a descending dragon, fell from the sky.
Yang Kai’s muffled snort rang out as the entire continent trembled under this impact.
“This…” Lu Gui Chen was shocked and exclaimed, “So terrifying?”
Every time a cultivator broke through to a new Great Realm, they would receive a World Energy baptism that was in some senses a test given to them by the ambient World Principles.
As an Origin Returning Realm cultivator, Lu Gui Chen had experienced multiple World Energy baptisms before.
He had also broken through to the Origin Returning Realm in this place less than thirty years ago.
But at that time, the intensity of the baptism was far, far less than the bolt of black lightning he just witnessed.
And that was only the first strike. As the baptism continued, the following strikes would only grow stronger and more terrifying!
“If it was me, would I have survived?” Lu Gui Chen could not help thinking, putting himself in Yang Kai’s position and imagining what he would do if he were to try to endure such a terrifying blast of raw power as a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator.
The answer was simple…
He could not! It was absolutely impossible, and even if he was lucky enough to survive the first strike, the second or third would surely take his life!
Thinking so, Lu Gui Chen’s aura suddenly became disordered as his Martial Heart, which had always been filled with deep determination, began to falter.
*Kacha…*
The second baptism bolt struck, and although the jet black beam of energy physically struck Yang Kai’s body, it always seemed to pierce the flaws in Lu Gui Chen’s mind several dozen kilometres away.
*Wa…*
Lu Gui Chen opened his mouth and coughed up blood after which his entire aura began to deflate.
His cultivation began to regress at a speed visible to the naked eye, Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, First-Order Origin Returning Realm, Third-Order Saint King…
Finally, it stopped at the Second-Order Saint King!
There was a saying: If you don’t seek death, you won’t die!
Lu Gui Chen wanted to observe and emulate Yang Kai’s breakthrough in order to gain some benefits, which was not a bad idea in its own right, but what he didn’t know was that the baptism Yang Kai was experiencing was far different from that of an ordinary cultivator. The World Energy baptism Yang Kai needed to withstand was several times more intense than an average cultivator.
This time, it was even more exaggerated as he was breaking through to the Origin King Realm. Even Yang Kai himself had been wary of the baptism he would have to face today, so what did a trivial Lu Gui Chen count for?
Lu Gui Chen was far too presumptuous to think of placing himself in Yang Kai’s position. It was simply a self-inflicted trauma.
One’s Martial Heart should only grow stronger after each setback if one wanted to continue to advance on the path of cultivation! Lu Gui Chen had questioned himself and his Martial Heart, so he had suffered devastating consequences.
The only reason he survived was that his Martial Heart had collapsed too quickly.
If his indecision had continued much longer, he would likely have died on the spot.
Sitting dumbly on the spot, Lu Gui Chen could no longer give birth to any other thoughts, not even reacting to his realm regressing to the point it was at several dozen years ago.
His eyes were dull, with no trace of light within them.
At the same time.
Outside the space where the floating continent existed, in the Chaotic Abyss.
It had not been long since Yang Kai had disappeared, but Zi Long and his son were already becoming impatient and irritable.
Gui Zu on the other hand wore a leisurely expression as he relaxed.
Although Xue Yue had received Gui Zu’s guarantee that Yang Kai was safe and sound, she was unable to calm herself and leaned over and asked softly, “Senior, it’s been almost ten days yet there’s been no movement at all.”
“And what movement do you want to see?” Gui Zu glanced at her with a grin. “He’s very safe where he is, or what, do you want him to run out right now?”
“No,” Xue Yue waved her hands quickly, “As long as he’s safe, I can feel relieved, it’s just…”
“Relax, I know what you’re worried about, but didn’t this old master already promise you? That damned place was able to trap this old master for two thousand years, but it cannot hold Yang Kai. When he wants to leave, he will naturally come out, and when he does, this old master will be sure to convey your concern to him.”
“Senior…” Xue Yue flushed with shame and stomped her feet repeatedly.
“I can’t wait here too long,” Ni Guang frowned to the side, “There are too many things waiting for my attention back in the Chamber of Commerce, so this old master cannot remain here indefinitely. If this old master leaves, Old Ghost, can you fight Zi Long one on one?”
“Are you looking down on me?” Gui Zu coldly snorted, “Zi Long isn’t worth a fart to me.”
“Even if you can tie down Zi Long, when that boy Yang Kai runs out, Xu Wei and Kong Fa will definitely focus on him, and there’s only one of you, so what do you plan to do at that time?”
Gui Zu frowned.
This was exactly what he was worried about.
If Ni Guang left and Yang Kai came out, there would still be three Origin Kings on Zi Long’s side. While Gui Zu was confident he could entangle Zi Long and Xu Wei, who were severely injured and weakened, but could Yang Kai deal with Kong Fa on his own?
Kong Fa was currently standing on Zi Long’s side. Only the Heavens knew what kind of benefits Zi Long promised him to achieve this.
It was a serious headache…
What Gui Zu hoped for most was that Yang Kai remained hidden. He did not believe that Zi Long could remain here forever; after all, how could the Sect Master of Purple Star have so much free time?
“Hm?” Ni Guang frowned suddenly as he stared towards a certain place, “That’s…”
“Something’s wrong. What’s happening?” Gui Zu also muttered.
On the other side, the three Origin Kings, Zi Long, Xu Wei, and Kong Fa also noticed an anomaly and stared towards a certain spot where space seemed to be distorting and a violent power was burst forth from.
“What’s going on?” Ni Guang looked puzzled and turned to Gui Zu, hoping he could explain.
“Why are you asking this old master?” Gui Zu coldly snorted. Although he had been trapped on the floating continent for two thousand years, he did not know much about the situation outside of it.
“Is there going to be a Chaotic Vortex?” Xue Yue asked in surprise.
When these words came out, Gui Zu and Ni Guang both shivered.
The Chaotic Vortex was not an anomaly one could rush into casually. If a Chaotic Vortex was about to occur, they would all need to escape. Gui Zu had been sucked in by a Chaotic Vortex and landed on the floating continent alive once, but it was not an experience he was willing to go through again. If his luck wasn’t as good this time, he would be torn apart by the chaotic energy and be reduced to dust.
“Look!” Xue Yue suddenly pointed, “There seems to be some movement over there.”
Through the flickering cracks in space, some unbelievable scenes were vaguely visible to everyone’s eyes.
“That’s… how is that damned place visible?” Gui Zu almost bit his tongue. Although the cracks were extremely small and unstable, Gui Zu was still able to see a scenery resembling the floating continent.
“That’s where Yang Kai went?” Xue Yue asked in surprise.
“En, if this old master isn’t mistaken, it should be, but… do you hear something?” Gui Zu looked at Ni Guang and Xue Yue.
Xue Yue shook her head, but Ni Guang wore a solemn expression and nodded, “There’s a vague sound of thunder and the aura coming from those cracks… tss, is that boy trying to break through?”
“You mean… this movement was caused by his World Energy baptism?” Gui Zu’s expression changed.
“Isn’t it?” Ni Guang asked back.
“It looks like it, but that damned place is an isolated, independent world! Even if Yang Kai was trying to break through to the Origin King Realm, could he really cause such a massive disturbance that it could be seen across worlds?” Gui Zu face twitched, still stunned by the words that left his lips after he spoke them.
Others may not necessarily be able to create such a scene, but that did not automatically mean Yang Kai couldn’t.
He was proficient in the Dao of Space, so if he really was breaking through to the Origin King Realm, disturbing the boundaries between two independent spaces might be possible.
“If that’s really the case, then this boy is in danger,” Ni Guang quickly said.
“What do you mean?” Xue Yue was shocked as her pretty face turned white.
“The energy is too terrifying, I don’t know if he can withstand it,” Ni Guang frowned and replied.
When one attempted to break through to the Origin King Realm, if they were unable to withstand the accompanying baptism, the consequences would be severe. This was vastly different from break thoughts in lower Great Realms. Even if someone attempted to break through and failed, while there was danger, it would not be serious.
However, once one failed to break through to the Origin King Realm, there would only be one of two results: crippling losses, or death!
And the probability of the latter was more than eighty percent!
While Ni Guang and Gui Zu were discussing, on the other side, Zi Long, Xu Wei, and Kong Fa were also pointing at the same place and had come to a similar conclusion, that Yang Kai was breaking through to the Origin King Realm!
Zi Long’s face had turned blue from gloom.
He was not afraid that Yang Kai’s breakthrough would succeed, because even if he did, he would still only be a First-Order Origin King, nothing to worry about in Zi Long’s eyes.
What Zi Long was worried about was that Yang Kai would fail!
If this little brat died inside that strange space, how could Zi Long obtain the Immortal Tree?
“That bastard!” Zi Long shouted angrily while ironically hoping Yang Kai would succeed.
Floating in the Chaotic Abyss, all kinds of strange phenomena continued without end, keeping everyone on edge as they watched and wondered whether Yang Kai would encounter any accidents.
This situation lasted for a full day before the turbulent space gradually stabilized and the faint sound of thunder gradually dissipated.
“Did he succeed?” Xue Yue was as anxious as an ant on a hot wok, wishing she could rush into that floating continent to get a closer look.
Ni Guang and Gui Zu wore solemn and unreadable expressions as they held their silence.
By now, the results of this breakthrough had been decided, but from where they stood, they couldn’t infer whether Yang Kai had succeeded or not. All they could do was wait anxiously.
On the floating continent, a massive pit had appeared in the place where Yang Kai had attempted his breakthrough, and the surrounding landscape had been destroyed.
In the centre of the pit, a dark figure sat upright on the ground. Who else could it be but Yang Kai?
A burnt smell filled the surroundings.
“Wasn’t that a bit too much?!” Yang Kai looked up at the sky as his face twitched. He felt pain all over his body, as if the bones had been shattered and his flesh had been ground to paste. Every single movement he made was agonizing as each of his nerves felt like they were on fire.
The baptism he faced to reach the Origin King Realm had been far more violent than he expected!
On his cultivation journey, each time Yang Kai had broken through to a new Great Realm, he had crossed a life-threatening experience, but he almost died this time.
Even his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art was almost shattered by the torrent of World Energy, and he was forced to use his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique to withstand the final moments.
At this moment, his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique had yet to be withdrawn, so his right arm was covered in pieces of Dragon Scales while his right hand had taken on the appearance of a dragon claw. Even so, the scales on this dragon arm had been torn and bloodied.
Yang Kai was in a miserable position, but as soon as he sensed his current state, he could not help grinning widely.
Origin King Realm!
After many years, he had finally set foot into the Origin King Realm.
Feeling the surging power in his body and his new, completely different comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, Yang Kai felt that all the suffering he just endured had been worthwhile.
Making the leap from the Origin Returning Realm to the Origin King Realm was like stepping into a completely new world.
After taking a rest for a while, Yang Kai struggled to his feet, holding back the pain he felt, took out a handful of pills from his Space Ring, and without even checking what they were, stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them wildly.
Focusing his mind, Yang Kai began to connect his Soul, body, and Dantian…
This was undoubtedly the best time to consolidate his cultivation, so he was not willing to miss it.
The Dragon Scales on his right arm quickly retreated and a faint golden light began to emerge. Yang Kai’s wounds began repairing themselves at a speed visible to the naked eye while a powerful vitality pulsed from his figure.
The golden light became more and more radiant until the place where Yang Kai stood was completely shrouded in it, making it impossible to see his figure.
The activity of his Golden Blood was now countless times stronger than before.
One day later, the golden light dissipated, revealing Yang Kai’s intrepid physique.
His exposed regions were covered in a layer of dried-up blood, but with just a shake, Yang Kai shattered this covering, exposing skin underneath that was as fresh and tender looking as a newborn’s.
“Oh, the Enlightenment Pill!” Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and quickly searched for it in his Space Ring, taking out a jade bottle and pouring out a Spirit Pill a moment later.
This was one of the three Enlightenment Pills he had refined before.
One of the three had formed Pill Veins, while the other two did not but were still extremely high quality.
“En, you,” Yang Kai naturally picked the Enlightenment Pill which formed Pill Veins and stuffed it into his mouth, where it quickly dissolved into pure medicinal essence that he used to enhance his comprehension of the Martial Dao.
The aura coming from his body became more refined and condensed as it seemed to resonate with the Heavenly Way around him…
After half a month, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and let out a breath.
His eyes seemed clear but also ordinary, just like a mortal’s. Even his violent Saint Qi fluctuations from his breakthrough had been completely calmed.
“Not bad. Although my realm has not been completely consolidated, it’s not far off from it,” Yang Kai muttered to himself as he spread his Divine Sense and released a profound and mysterious strength into his surroundings.
Suddenly, within a radius of a thousand metres, space became viscous and innumerable tiny Void Cracks began to form.
Domain!
After breaking through to the Origin King Realm, Yang Kai’s Shi had finally evolved into Domain! And this Domain had incorporated his Space Force, making it more powerful than the Domain of an average Origin King.
In this Domain, he was the master!
It was for this reason that Origin Kings could so easily kill Origin Realm cultivators. An Origin Realm master could only use their Shi to influence and interfere with others, but an Origin King could use their Domain to manipulate the environment around them directly.
With a quick thought, his Domain dissipated and Yang Kai turned his head to look around before flying up into the sky and calling back his Blood Beasts as well as Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan.
A moment later, all the Blood Beasts flew back, turned into Golden Blood Threads, and returned to his body. Xiao Xiao also obediently returned to the Sealed World Bead while Liu Yan took a moment to observe Yang Kai before saying, “Congratulations on breaking through to the Origin King Realm, Master!”
“Haha, I was just lucky,” Yang Kai chuckled lightly, thought for a moment, then said. “You can rest assured, I will find a way to help your strength improve as well.”
Liu Yan’s eyes lit up as she respectfully bowed, “Many thanks, Master.”
As an Artifact Spirit, although she had managed to refine her natal Artifact Refining Furnace into her body, it would be almost impossible to increase her strength further unless she could swallow another existence like the Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire, enhancing herself would be quite difficult.
However, Yang Kai’s words put Liu Yan completely at ease.
Because Yang Kai still had the Sun’s True Essence!
As long as she could swallow more Sun’s True Fire, her strength would continue to rise.
“Alright, return to the Sealed World Bead for now. You know where I’ve placed the Sun’s True Essence, so swallow as much as you can, but be careful not to advance recklessly and harm yourself.”
“Yes!” Liu Yan was overjoyed and disappeared in a flash. The next moment, she appeared in the Sealed World Bead and quickly found where the Sun’s True Essence was. Immediately transforming into her Firebird appearance, she let out a joyful cry as she rushed over.
After dealing with this, Yang Kai turned his head and looked in one direction, frowned, and immediately teleported a few dozen kilometres away.
Lu Gui Chen was still sitting there, his expression pale and languid. After realizing the arrival of Yang Kai, he raised his head and gave a wry smile.
“Ignorant!” Yang Kai shook his head, understanding why Lu Gui Chen had wound up in such a state. Although Yang Kai had been breaking through, it did not mean he was completely ignorant of what was happening around him.
On the contrary, Lu Gui Chen losing confidence and nearly killing himself after witnessing the power of his baptism was clearly shown to Yang Kai from beginning to end.
To a cultivator, whether it was a physical wound or one on their Soul, no matter how severe, there would always be a way to recover, but if a cultivator’s Martial Heart collapsed, even the Great Emperor would be powerless to help them.
Because this was a wound to one’s own convictions, and only if one could overcome such a setback themselves could they recover.
Yang Kai wasn’t familiar with Lu Gui Chen, and instead had grudges between them. He was not even worthy of Yang Kai killing, so how could he spare any effort to comfort Lu Gui Chen now?
So after just a glance, Yang Kai ignored him.
Next, Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense out, extending it towards the inner depths of the floating continent.
He wanted to see how his Embodiment’s refinement of the Star Source was progressing.
His Embodiment refining the Star Source was something Yang Kai paid a great deal of attention to, because if he succeeded, he would become the first Star Master of two Cultivation Stars in the history of the Star Field.
While the status was not worth anything, the benefits he received after becoming a Star Master were significant.
After he broke through to the Origin King Realm just now, Yang Kai could clearly feel his connection with Shadowed Star grow much stronger, despite it being billions of kilometres away. What’s more, with the improvement of his cultivation, Shadowed Star would also obtain many benefits.
There was no doubt about this, but as for the specifics, he would first need to return to Shadowed Star to investigate.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and silently perceived the status of his Embodiment, but in the next moment, his expression became somewhat strange and he immediately flew up into the sky to get a full view of the floating continent from above. After a while, he visibly shook as he exclaimed, “What happened?”
Looking down at the floating continent incredulously, Yang Kai’s eyes bulged.
The situation had developed far beyond his wildest expectations. Yang Kai had never even imagined such a thing would happen when his Embodiment refined the floating continent’s Star Source.
It was not that his Embodiment’s refining wasn’t going well. On the contrary, according to the feedback he was receiving, refining the floating continent’s Source was already completed and his Embodiment had now become the Star Master of this place.
His Embodiment’s aura had also skyrocketed.
This was not the key thought. The key was that his Embodiment had somehow become completely integrated with the floating continent!
From what Yang Kai could tell, the entire floating continent below had become one with his Embodiment.
Looking at one end of the floating continent, a massive, half defined face had already begun to take shape.
On both sides of the floating continent, there also seemed to be signs of two arms being formed.
And at the far end, there were traces of two leg-like protrusions.
The current floating continent resembled a giant sleeping in the void.
*Gudong!*
Yang Kai was accustomed to witnessing great storms but seeing the scene below he couldn’t help gulping as cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
[What exactly is happening?]
Yang Kai’s thoughts were in chaos as what he was looking at right now far exceeded his realm of understanding.
Taking a deep breath and trying to calm his mood, Yang Kai closed his eyes once more to carefully perceive the situation of his Embodiment.
His Embodiment was still underground and did not seem to have changed greatly, but it was also true that it had been integrated into the floating continent, and under the influence of his Embodiment will, the very continent was being reshaped.
“It must be the innate Divine Ability of the Stone Puppet family! Does it want to swallow and refine the entire continent?” Yang Kai was really taken aback when he felt this feedback in his mind.
How terrifying a feat was this?
Although the floating continent was not very big compared to other Cultivation Stars, it was still two to three hundred thousand kilometres in diameter. If his Embodiment really could use the Stone Puppet’s innate ability to successfully refine it, then wouldn’t it become a world-sized giant that could reach the sky even while standing on the ground?
Such a massive stone giant would give anyone an extraordinary sense of pressure with just its physical form. Even if it faced an Origin King, they would likely only have the option: to escape.
Just thinking about it, was there anyone who could survive being struck by a fist that was bigger than a mountain?
“No one could!” Yang Kai felt like he was dreaming and was both surprised and happy.
What was shocking was how much his Embodiment had exceeded his expectations, and what he was happy about was that if the Embodiment succeeded, it would be able to provide him with great help, perhaps even more so than Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan.
The Embodiment’s will represented his own will, and although it was only his Soul Clone that was controlling the Embodiment, since the Embodiment had chosen to make such a move, it meant it had complete confidence in succeeding.
Circulating his Secret Art, Yang Kai completely calmed his mood as he waited in anticipation to see if the Embodiment could really succeed or whether all of this would be for nought.
*Hong long long…*
There was a loud rumble that rang out across the floating continent as the ground shook violently. As this shaking continued, a rhythmic pulse seemed to resound from its depths, like a giant heart was slowly beating.
With every beat, large masses of land were shaken off and dissipated into dust in the surrounding void.
Countless cracks and gullies appeared across the continent’s surface and extended deep into the ground.
It was like witnessing the continent approach the end of its existence and teeter on the brink of collapse.
Yang Kai’s expression grew solemn as he watched silently for a time before finally relaxing as he comprehended that, while refining the floating continent, his Embodiment was just purging useless impurities.
The things that were even slightly useful were being preserved, swallowed, and refined by the Embodiment.
Refining an entire continent, even if it was only two or three hundred thousand kilometres from end to end, would normally be impossible, but Yang Kai’s Embodiment had a Stone Puppet body, which had the innate ability to swallow and refine ores. On top of that, his Embodiment was now the Star Master of the floating continent, giving it a great ability to manipulate the tiny Star. These two factors were what allowed the Embodiment to achieve this feat.
It was certainly something to look forward to!
Yang Kai found that his Embodiment had given him a huge, pleasant surprise and couldn’t help celebrating slightly.
*Dong dong…*
A kind of extremely rhythmic sound continued to ring out as the speed at which the continent continued to split apart grew faster and faster. The whole continent began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye as the massive head and limbs that Yang Kai had seen before were slowly but surely becoming defined.
At this speed, it would likely only take a month or two for the Embodiment to complete this task.
Yang Kai stood high up in the sky and quietly observed for several days to make sure that everything was proceeding smoothly for his Embodiment before feeling completely relieved.
With there being nothing more for him to do here, Yang Kai simply summoned his Sealed World Bead and directly entered it.
Spreading out his Divine Sense, Yang Kai soon found Liu Yan. At this moment, she was in retreat while exuding a terrifying heat.
It seemed she had swallowed some Sun’s True Fire and was now struggling to refine it.
Even with her current strength, refining a strand of Sun’s True Fire was not an easy task, but once she was successful, her strength would definitely increase.
Yang Kai did not call her and instead took out the Immortal Tree from his Space Ring.
This metre-tall sapling had only a few elegant green leaves on it with a single milky dewdrop resting atop one of them.
Immortal Source Liquid! It was a divine elixir that could completely heal someone who was on the brink of death.
Yang Kai took out a jade bottle and carefully stored this drop of Immortal Source Liquid.
Immortal Source Liquid was formed by the Immortal Tree, and collecting it would bring no negative effects to it.
The legendary Immortal Tree was a treasure itself, and regardless of its small size and few leaves, the amount of vitality it gave off was simply astonishing. If one could refine the Immortal Tree, it was even said they could obtain an immortal and indestructible body.
To live with the sky, to suffer with the earth. Unchanged through the ages. An immortal, an undying being!
The lifespan of a Third-Order Origin King was only a few thousand years, possibly up to ten thousand years if they focused on extending their longevity, but there were still limits.
However, once they refined the Immortal Tree, a cultivator would become immortal… just thinking about that caused Yang Kai’s breathing to become rapid.
Staring at the Immortal Tree for a long time, Yang Kai’s expression slowly calmed down and he began to scratch his head as he had no idea how to refine it.
This was a legendary supreme treasure that was even more precious than his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, so how should he go about using it?
Having a priceless treasure right in front of him but only being able to stare at it caused Yang Kai to be somewhat depressed.
Tilting his head for a moment, Yang Kai tried to use his Divine Sense to collect the Immortal Tree.
After all, that was how it was when he obtained the Soul Warming Lotus. It was also a rare supreme treasure, so it was at least worth a shot.
However, no matter how Yang Kai urged his Divine Sense, the Immortal Tree did not respond.
Next, he tried to use his Saint Qi to refine it…
A few days later, Yang Kai sat dejected. During this time, he tried everything he could think of short of swallowing the Immortal Tree, but he was still unable to refine it.
It really was not appropriate to eat it either as Yang Kai had no idea what consuming something like this would do to his body.
“Fine, I’ll just have to ask Yang Yan when I see her next. Her abilities and knowledge are profound so she should know something about it,” Yang Kai could only temporarily set the matter aside.
After searching the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai selected a location and replanted the Immortal Tree.
This supreme treasure had shocking vitality, so Yang Kai wasn’t worried about it surviving after being replanted. Even if he had planted it on a Dead Star, it would be safe and sound.
As the Immortal Tree settled into the Small Sealed World’s soil, an astonishing vitality burst forth from it, and within moments Yang Kai could feel that the Small Sealed World itself had become more vibrant than before, with all the trees and plants inside it seemingly receiving massive nourishment and causing them to rapidly grow.
Even the world itself seemed to have obtained some kind of benefit and became more complete and perfect.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai’s brow rose and he quickly took out the rare herbs he obtained in the Severed World and carefully replanted them around the Immortal Tree.
Yang Kai was overjoyed when he saw these precious herbs quickly adapt to this soil and exude a vibrant aura.
“En… It looks like I can plant a Medicine Garden around the Immortal Tree!” Yang Kai muttered thoughtfully.
The wealth of rare herbs inside the medicine valley of the Severed World were entirely a result of the Immortal Tree’s existence. With the vitality released by the Immortal Tree to its surroundings, those precious herbs were able to rapidly grow.
Now that the Immortal Tree had been transplanted to the Small Sealed World, as long as it was properly cared for, another medicine valley could be formed here.
Considering all this, Yang Kai took out the herbs Lu Gui Chen gave him and found a few of the withering Origin King Grade herbs to plant.
A few days later, these herbs showed signs of recovering.
One had to know that these herbs were collected by Lu Gui Chen long ago and had plenty of their medicinal efficacies pass, making it basically impossible for them to survive, but the Immortal Tree had such a Heaven-Defying function.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai was jubilant.
Although he failed to refine the Immortal Tree and obtain an immortal and indestructible body, this unintentional discovery was still quite rewarding to him.
Yang Kai thus began to vigorously plant all the herbs on him inside the Small Sealed World.
More than a month later, Yang Kai looked at a big plot of land in front of him with a smile on his face. At the centre of this plot was the Immortal Tree, and, he had planted many types of spirit grass and spirit medicines around it.
Regardless of the previous state of these herbs, all of them were now thriving under the nourishment of the Immortal Tree’s overflowing vitality.
Within a radius of a hundred kilometres, an expansive Medicine Garden had been formed.
“It seems that if I collect anything in the future, I can transplant it here and simply pick it when I want to use it. En, this way, the medicinal efficacies of all those herbs can be preserved to the greatest extent,” Yang Kai muttered happily.
Next, he sprinkled countless Saint Crystals around before crushing them to fill the surrounding space with rich World Energy.
Although the vitality of the Immortal Tree was enough to fill the Small Sealed World, the spirit grasses he had just planted required more World Energy to grow.
Saint Crystals consumed here in the future would probably become a big expense.
After completing all this, Yang Kai took the time to investigate the situation of the floating continent.
During this period, he had inspected the floating continent multiple times and found that his Embodiment’s refining was progressing extremely smoothly. Now the entire floating continent had shrunk to half its original size and looked like a massive stone giant lying down in the void, its figure giving off a very strong sense of oppression.
However, the refinement seemed to be becoming more difficult as time went on, so Yang Kai could not tell how long it would take his Embodiment to complete this task.
Yang Kai wasn’t worried and simply sat down in his new Medicine Garden, lightly inhaling the medicinal fragrances coming from all directions as he took out a round bead from his Space Ring.
Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core!
He agreed to Luo Lan’s proposal to visit the Severed World because he wanted to obtain the Monster Core of a Shocking Void Beast.
Shocking Void Beasts were ancient Monster Beasts that were born proficient in the Dao of Space, so its Monster Core was a treasure that would be of unimaginable help to Yang Kai who also cultivated the Dao of Space.
In the Severed World, Yang Kai had refined the spatial helix made from pure Space Spirit Crystals, allowing his comprehension of the Dao of Space and his Space Force to soar. If he could now absorb the mysteries contained in this Shocking Void Beast Monster Core, his accomplishments would certainly go another step further.
Taking out his Purple Origin Furnace, Yang Kai pushed his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy.
He wanted to refine the Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core into a Spirit Pill in order to maximize his ability to absorb its essence and energy.
Fortunately, the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture had an ancient pill recipe that used a Shocking Void Beast Monster Core as its primary ingredient, and Yang Kai was not short on auxiliary materials now.
Time flew by, and soon two months had passed.
Outside the floating continent, Gui Zu frowned as his complexion became somewhat gloomy and his mood became anxious.
Since that day he felt the movements of Yang Kai’s breakthrough, more than three months had passed yet Yang Kai had yet to appear.
Could his breakthrough have failed, and he died under the World Energy baptism? If that was the case, it would really be caused by the Heavens being jealous.
At this moment, Gui Zu stood alone in the void, feeling a deep sense of unease in his heart; after all, he had just agreed to join Yang Kai’s High Heaven Sect in order to request Alchemy from High Heaven Sect’s Origin King Grade Alchemy Grandmasters to improve his strength. If Yang Kai suddenly died here though, how was he supposed to go find High Heaven Sect? He did not even know what Cultivation Star High Heaven Sect was on.
Ni Guang and Xue Yue had already left two months ago.
Ni Guang had many responsibilities, so it was impossible for him to simply wait here without purpose. As such, he had to return to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Xue Yue wanted to stay, but how could Ni Guang allow that? Even with Gui Zu agreeing to look after her, it was not enough to put Ni Guang’s worries at ease, so despite her objections, he eventually dragged her away with him.
“If you’re still alive, come out and tell me at least,” Gui Zu muttered under his breath as he wished he could rush into the floating continent again to take a closer look.
On the other side, Zi Long and the others were patiently waiting.
But at this moment, their faces were also quite ugly.
They thought that Yang Kai must have fallen, otherwise, why hadn’t he come out? They did not care if Yang Kai lived or died, but the Immortal Tree was still on him…
“That bastard!” Zi Dong cursed bitterly.
“Brother Zi, Brother Xu, this Kong will leave first,” Kong Fa thought for a while before calling out to Xu Wei and Zi Long.
He really did not have the patience to continue waiting here.
Xu Wei glanced at Kong Fa with a bleak look, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but held his tongue and simply sighed in the end.
After being drained by the Shattering Void Shuttle, Xu Wei had almost lost all his energy and died; even after a few months, he had not been able to restore himself and was still like a dry oil lamp.
With Xu Wei not saying anything, how could Zi Long bother about him? He simply snorted and turned away.
Kong Fa did not mind, smiled, and summoned his Star Shuttle to leave.
But at that moment, something finally changed.
In the originally extremely quiet Starry Sky, there was suddenly an unusual power fluctuation.
Kong Fa suddenly froze in place as he stared towards the source of the fluctuations in astonishment.
In the next moment, the energy fluctuations became stronger and continued to do so until less than three breaths later, a vortex had appeared.
“Si… A Chaotic Vortex?” Kong Fa was shocked while the others gathered around also wore solemn expressions. Even the strongest, Gui Zu and Zi Long, had pushed their Saint Qi as they prepared to escape.
Soon though, a figure emerged from the vortex.
“Ah!” Zi Dong yelled as he stared at the figure carefully, immediately exclaiming excitedly, “He came out! That bastard finally came out!”
The figure that appeared from the vortex was none other than Yang Kai.
In an instant, everyone’s eyes became fiery, enough so to penetrate the void.
“Kid, you’re really not dead!” Gui Zu laughed, his black Qi surging as excitement filled his heart.
“Since you’ve come out, surrender to this old master!” Zi Long shot towards Yang Kai as soon as he saw his face, a purple brilliance bursting from his body as he grabbed towards him, shouting loudly, “The Immortal Tree isn’t a treasure someone like you can touch!”
“You want to attack my Sect Master? You’ll have to ask this old master’s permission first!” Gui Zu coldly snorted, his body transforming into a black streak that instantly stood in front of Yang Kai, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner screaming as a pure and wicked force surged towards Zi Long’s mind.
“Hmph, paltry tricks!” Zi Long remained undaunted as his purple radiance became even brighter.
Gui Zu’s black Qi was forced back repeatedly in this confrontation.
“Jie Jie… are you looking down on this old master? You think too highly of yourself!” Gui Zu cackled as he transformed his Ten Thousand Soul Banner into a black curtain that wrapped around Zi Long.
“What?” Zi Long was surprised this time. He had never fought Gui Zu, so although he knew the other party was a Second-Order Origin King like himself, he had figured that Gui Zu was far weaker. It was not until they actually exchanged blows that Zi Long realized Gui Zu might be even more difficult to deal with than Ni Guang.
“Yang Boy, run quickly!” Gui Zu’s voice came out from the black fog, “This old master will stall them, run as far as you can in that time!”
“Haha… we’ll just wait,” After Yang Kai walked out of the vortex, he looked around and soon understood the situation, but he remained still, looking completely confident.
“You want to run?” Zi Dong snapped as he waved his hand, “Xu Wei, kill him for me.”
Xu Wei barely retained the form of a living person, but despite his terrible condition, he was still an Origin King. A skinny camel was bigger than a horse, so Zi Dong did not hesitate to order Xu Wei to attack.
Xu Wei also didn’t dare to defy this command and rushed towards Yang Kai with a cold face, roaring grimly, “It’s all your fault you little bastard! If it wasn’t for you, how could this old master have fallen so low?”
Him being subdued by Zi Dong was mostly because Yang Kai had attacked him back in the Severed World, causing him to suffer a serious injury. If that weren’t the case, how could he have surrendered to Zi Long after just a few threats?
Which Origin King wasn’t extremely proud and arrogant? How could he be willing to serve as a slave to another?
Especially a little brat who was nothing more than an Origin Realm cultivator!
Things did not end there though. During the process of chasing down Yang Kai, Xu Wei’s vitality had been greatly overdrawn by the Shattering Void Shuttle’s, causing him to wither and age markedly.
All of this was because of Yang Kai, and with Xu Wei not daring to get angry with Zi Long and Zi Dong, he could only transfer all his resentment to Yang Kai.
As such, after receiving the order from Zi Dong, Xu Wei immediately rushed forward and did not hesitate to use all the strength he could in his current state to attack.
The surrounding space trembled under the full might of an Origin King’s blow.
Xu Wei was determined to take Yang Kai’s life with this one attack.
In any case, Zi Long and Zi Dong only cared about the Immortal Tree, not whether Yang Kai lived or died. After killing this boy, they just needed to take the Immortal Tree from his Space Ring!
Xu Wei’s whole body seemed to turn into a small sun as it crashed down on Yang Kai’s head.
Zi Dong’s eyes could not help shrinking as a hint of fear flashed across his face. During this time, his attitude towards Xu Wei had been extremely harsh. However, Xu Wei did not dare to complain at all because his Soul Brand was in Zi Dong’s possession. This led Zi Dong to believe that the Origin King Realm was not all it was made out to be.
But after seeing Xu Wei’s full-powered blow, Zi Dong realized that he was mistaken.
Such a blow would be able to kill him a dozen times over.
“This bastard is dead!” Zi Dong secretly celebrated.
After getting rid of Yang Kai, only Xue Yue and Gu Jian Xin would be able to compare with him. If he could then suppress Xue Yue and Gu Jian Xin, he would become the true leader of the Star Field’s younger generation!
As such wild thoughts crossed his mind, a cold grin appeared on Zi Dong’s face.
“Secret Technique, Exile!” A shout suddenly rang out from Yang Kai’s mouth and facing Xu Wei’s earth-shattering blow, his expression remained calm and confident. He did not even show any intention to evade, instead just raising his palm towards Xu Wei.
This palm exuded a mysterious energy fluctuation which grew more and more intense by the moment. From Xu Wei’s perspective, it was like everything before his eyes, even light, was being swallowed up by an empty chaotic nothingness.
“What?” Xu Wei exclaimed in shock.
The dazzling light from his attack was instantly annihilated as Xu Wei stood not far in front of Yang Kai in a daze, staring at the scene before him incredulously, his eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets.
He did not know what happened just now. He had made a full-powered attack, but Yang Kai remained unharmed after taking it head-on, with not even his hair being disturbed.
It was as if his attack had been banished to some other foreign space.
With this thought, Xu Wei suddenly broke out into a cold sweat as his expression grew solemn as he stared at Yang Kai.
His instincts were telling him that dealing with Yang Kai was definitely not going to be simple or easy. That much was obvious from his performance in the medicine valley of the Severed World. How could a simple cultivator withstand an attack from Zi Long?
Now, this boy had easily diffused his full-powered attack…
Xu Wei used his Divine Sense to sweep Yang Kai and his complexion immediately changed as he called out in amazement, “You… you… you really broke through to the Origin King Realm!”
“What?” Zi Dong’s expression turned abruptly ashen as he stared at Yang Kai with cold eyes, seemingly trying to kill him with his glare.
[The Origin King Realm! This bastard is actually an Origin King now!?]
[He had broken through to the Origin King Realm one step earlier than me…]
[Earlier than Xue Yue or Gu Jian Xin!]
This boy had left behind the three young masters of the Star Field! Zi Dong’s dreams about one day surpassing Xue Yue and Gu Jian Xin and becoming the leader of the younger generation now seemed ridiculous.
The bastard in front of him had achieved the goal he had been fighting to achieve for so many years.
[Unforgivable!] In this world, no one deserved such honour and glory other than himself! Zi Dong felt suffocating anger in his chest that threatened to burn his soul down and in the next instant he roared grimly, “Xu Wei, what are you waiting for? Quickly kill him!”
With this shout, Xu Wei finally snapped out of his daze and said with a solemn expression, “Boy, you are the most talented and frightening young man this old master has ever met. If possible, this old master would have liked to become friends with you, but since the Young Master has issued orders, today you must die!”
“Enough nonsense,” Yang Kai glanced at him coldly and spat disdainfully.
Xu Wei coldly snorted, “You’ve just broken through to the Origin King Realm, but instead of consolidating your realm, you decided to run out to seek death. So be it, this old master will let you see what a real Origin King is!”
As soon as these words came out, Xu Wei expanded his Domain and covered Yang Kai in it.
Xu Wei smiled triumphantly as he approached step by step towards Yang Kai while faintly saying, “In this Domain, this old master can dominate everything, including your life!”
“You think only you possess Domain?” Yang Kai snorted as he stretched out his hand, “I have one too!”
An invisible force filled Yang Kai’s fingertips and with a snap, the surrounding space seemed to shatter.
When this sound rang out, Xu Wei seemed to take a devastating hit and his old face once again aged noticeably. His complexion going pale, Xu Wei called out in alarm, “How can this be? Your Domain… how is that possible!? How is it so solid!? How can it surpass this old master’s Domain, which has been refined over hundreds of years? You just broke through! It’s not possible!”
He yelled madly as if unwilling to believe what he was seeing.
“If time was all that it took to become strong, there’d be no difference between geniuses and average people in this world. Old Dog, just accept your fate,” Yang Kai waved his hand and his Domain spread out, directly blasting Xu Wei’s Domain into dust and instantly suppressing the other party.
“Secret Technique, Moon Blade!” Yang Kai waved his hand and a crescent moon shaped Space Blade shot out towards Xu Wei.
This was Yang Kai’s new Space Blade, which had been improved greatly after his Space Force was refined and enhanced. Although the shape was the same, in terms of power and stability, it was on a completely different level.
A dozen Moon Blades blocked Xu Wei’s escape routes, causing his eyes to shrink.
Xu Wei was nearly frightened to death and did not hesitate to bite his tongue and spit out a mouthful of Blood Essence while pushing his Saint Qi hard to escape.
Yang Kai smiled coldly as his figure flickered and the power of his Domain surged upwards.
Xu Wei instantly felt like a mountain was pressing down on him. Desperately pushing his Saint Qi, Xu Wei still tried his best to dodge the incoming Moon Blades, but just as he was trying to move, Yang Kai opened his mouth and let out a thunderous roar.
Secret Technique, Shocking Void Roar!
This was the Divine Ability that Yang Kai managed to comprehend after absorbing the ancient Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core. Although Yang Kai was not able to exert the full might of this Divine Ability, it was still effective enough to interfere with Xu Wei.
Sure enough, a roar rang in Xu Wei’s ears, one that seemed to be laced with Space Force, making it impossible for him to identify where it was coming from, and in that disoriented state, he was unable to dodge the approaching Moon Blades.
“No!” Xu Wei screamed.
His cry was stopped as the dozen Moon Blades passed through his body. Xu Wei’s figure collapsed in the next instant, his five viscera and six organs still beating as they split apart.
Looking at this scene quietly, Yang Kai raised his brow and nodded to himself, “Not bad!”
He was interested in testing out his new strength and comprehensions, so in his fight with Xu Wei, he had almost gone all out, using the various Secret Techniques he had newly completed over the past few months.
Whether it was Exile, Moon Blade, or Shocking Void Roar, all of them were recently developed by Yang Kai.
Using these three moves, a veteran Origin King like Xu Wei had been killed.
Space Secret Techniques were both powerful and difficult to guard against.
Not far away, Zi Dong stared in shock.
He never expected that Xu Wei would be destroyed by Yang Kai in just a few breaths. Wasn’t Xu Wei an Origin King? How could he have died so easily? Even if Yang Kai also broke through to the Origin King Realm, he should not have been able to achieve such an easy victory.
What happened?
[Xu Wei must have had too much of his vitality and essence drained by the Shattering Void Shuttle, causing him to be unable to display his real strength as an Origin King which allowed that bastard to win.]
Thinking so, Zi Dong calmed down and his complexion improved. He was comforted, as if as long as Yang Kai hadn’t become strong.
“You want to run? After entering my Domain, you think you can leave without my consent?” Yang Kai suddenly turned his gaze to a certain spot in the void somewhere and coldly snorted, sending out a stream of pure Spiritual Energy that soon collided with something and exploded.
At that seemingly empty location, a figure flickered slightly before appearing, a fearful expression on his face as he grit his teeth and stared at Yang Kai.
Kong Fa!
When Xu Wei attacked Yang Kai, Kong Fa had surreptitiously concealed himself and approached, obviously looking for a chance to snatch Yang Kai’s Space Ring.
Although Kong Fa was also an Origin King, he was not capable of confronting Gui Zu or Zi Long. He knew that he would need to be cunning if he wanted to obtain the Immortal Tree, and Xu Wei attacking Yang Kai was undoubtedly a good opportunity to try to fish in troubled waters.
However, how could he have known that Xu Wei, who he had known for many years and shared many adventures with, would be killed so easily?
When he saw Xu Wei’s death, Kong Fa felt cold sweat drip down his forehead and no longer dared to have any crooked thoughts as he quickly tried to retreat.
However, nothing could escape Yang Kai’s notice inside his Domain, so how could Kong Fa have gone unnoticed?
Kong Fa’s expression only became more shocked after he was struck by Yang Kai’s Divine Sense Attack.
Because he could feel just how tyrannical Yang Kai’s Divine Sense impact was. That was definitely not the Spiritual Energy of a cultivator who had just recently broken through to the Origin King Realm! It was comparable to an established Second or Third-Order Origin King!
Kong Fa’s brow twitched as simply standing inside Yang Kai’s Domain made him feel extremely uneasy. After remaining silent for a moment, he finally said quietly, “This little friend, this old master has no malicious intent towards you, so why not let this old master leave? This old master promises that he won’t interfere in this matter again.”
“No malicious intent?” Yang Kai sneered, “Then why were you trying to sneak closer to me?”
[Why ask something you already know the answer to you brat?] Kong Fa cursed in his heart, but could not come up with an appropriate answer, only able to form a wry smile, “Just now, this old master indeed had some improper thoughts, but after seeing little friend’s Heaven-Defying methods, this old master has understood that there is nothing for him here any longer. Since that is the case, why not…”
“Since you’ve come, don’t even think about leaving,” Yang Kai interrupted him without waiting for him to finish, a cold murderous intent flashing across his eyes. “Since you dared aim at me, you must pay the price. “
Kong Fa frowned as some faint anger appeared on his face, “This old master was willing to settle this peacefully, so why must little friend act so unreasonably?”
“Don’t try to act like a noble Senior now, it’s far too late!” Yang Kai’s expression turned stern, “Today, you must die!”
“Arrogant Junior!” Kong Fa was furious. He had taken the initiative to back down, but Yang Kai had refused to give him any face, a grave insult.
Although Yang Kai’s method of killing Xu Wei just a moment ago shocked him, Kong Fa could also tell that Xu Wei was not in good condition. If Xu Wei had been at his peak, Yang Kai should not have been able to so easily kill him.
But Kong Fa was an unscathed and genuine First-Order Origin King. This little brat who didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth had just broken through, yet he now claimed he would take his life, it was the height of arrogance.
“Arrogant? You can debate that with yourself in the underworld!” Yang Kai sneered, his thoughts flashing as he increased the power of his Domain again.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
In the surrounding space, a dense cloud of tiny Void Cracks began to appear and swim about like fish.
At the same time, Yang Kai’s aura suddenly exploded.
“Peak of the First-Order? Impossible!” Kong Fa screamed, almost biting his tongue in the process.
Yang Kai had not yet released his full aura, making it impossible for Kong Fa to determine his exact strength, but now feeling the strength of this aura, Kong Fa’s eyes bulged visibly.
How was this boy a newly broken through Origin King?
Clearly, he was at the peak of the First Order!
After an Origin King broke through, they couldn’t cultivate to the peak of a Minor Realm without at least a hundred years of effort, and even that would be the speed of a true genius. For ordinary cultivators, spending hundreds of years to reach such a level was not uncommon.
He and Xu Wei, after breaking through to the Origin King, had each spent a hundred years in retreat to just consolidate their realm before spending another three hundred or so years to reach the peak of the First-Order.
This brat had disappeared just a few months ago but now had a cultivation equal to his own.
Kong Fa suddenly felt that he had lived all his years in vain.
Zi Dong’s eyes were completely dull.
Staring dumbfounded at the scene in front of him, all Zi Dong could see was Yang Kai using one killing move after another, causing Kong Fa to retreat in defeat again and again, his whole being simply unable to accept reality.
In a frontal confrontation, Yang Kai was able to completely suppress Kong Fa!
After just thirty breaths of time, Kong Fa had been driven to the point where all he could do was defend, with no spare power to counterattack.
Zi Dong could also see that Kong Fa’s movements were sluggish and his Saint Qi was not flowing smoothly, obviously a result of suppression from Yang Kai’s Domain. As such, despite both of them being at the peak of the First-Order Origin King Realm, Kong Fa was no match for Yang Kai in terms of Domain. Now, it was only a matter of time before Kong Fa lost his life.
Realizing this, Zi Dong felt an ominous premonition in his heart.
Xu Wei was already dead, so if Kong Fa also died, then Yang Kai’s next target would definitely be him.
These two Origin Kings were not Yang Kai’s opponents, so how could he, a mere Origin Realm cultivator, hope to resist?
What’s more, his father was currently being entangled by that ghostly guy and didn’t have any spare power to defend him.
[What should I do, what should I do?] Zi Dong wore a blank look as he did not know how to deal with this tricky situation.
At that moment, from the vortex Yang Kai had appeared from, another figure walked out. As soon as this person appeared, he let out a cry, “Young Hero, wait for me, I can’t find my way! Which way should…Huh? I’m out? Hahahaha, I, Lu Gui Chen, have finally escaped! I finally don’t have to stare at that damned place anymore!”
This man did not seem to understand the situation around him and as he left the vortex simply laughed madly, as if no one else was around.
[Who is this guy? Where did he come from?] Zi Dong looked over at Lu Gui Chen who suddenly appeared in astonishment, vaguely feeling the other party was something familiar, but unable to remember where he saw him before.
“No matter, let’s just catch him first. Since he came out with that bastard, he must be one of his people!” Zi Dong muttered as he flew over to Lu Gui Chen and grabbed his neck before coldly declaring, “Don’t move, if you dare try to resist, I’ll take your life!”
Lu Gui Chen was taken aback as sweat dripped down his body. Really not daring to move, nodding repeatedly, “I won’t move, I won’t move! This friend, I have something to say, don’t be too hasty…”
Saying so, Lu Gui Chen glanced over at Zi Dong.
Immediately though, Lu Gui Chen’s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise as he called out, “Young Master? Is that you, Young Master?”
“You call me Young Master?” Zi Dong was stunned and unconsciously let go, “Who are you?”
“Young Master!” Lu Gui Chen knelt down with a thud and literally hugged Zi Dong’s thigh with both hands, as if he could not have been happier to see him, tears streaming down his face and snot dripping from his nose as he cried out, “Young Master, this subordinate is Lu Gui Chen, Purple Sand Star’s Lu Gui Chen! Several dozen years ago, this subordinate was fortunate enough to meet Young Master once and received some pointers from Young Master. Has Young Master forgotten?”
“Lu Gui Chen?” Zi Dong frowned, feeling that the name was familiar but unable to recall it for some time. However, the look of joy on the other party’s face didn’t seem to be fake so there was no reason to doubt him. After frowning for a short time, Zi Dong suddenly remembered something and asked, “You’re from the Lu Family, a descendant of Lu Li?”
“Yes, yes, yes, that’s me!” Lu Gui Chen was overjoyed when he saw that the other party finally remembered him, “This subordinate thought that he would never see anyone from Purple Star ever again, but it turns out that the first person I get to see after escaping that damned place is the Young Master! It seems this subordinate’s luck has not yet dried up.”
“So, it’s you!” Zi Dong confirmed that the other party was actually from his Purple Star but his face remained slightly sullen as he waved his hand, “Get up and speak, didn’t you die several dozen years ago? How did you appear here?”
“Wu wu…” Despite his age, Lu Gui Chen cried openly and sobbed, “This matter… it’s a long story!”
“Make it short,” Zi Dong was focused on trying to deal with his current crisis, so he had no patience to listen to a drawn-out explanation.
“That’s…” Lu Gui Chen hurriedly picked out the most important details and explained them.
“So that’s the situation,” After listening, Zi Dong nodded. “You’ve worked hard for these past several dozen years.”
“It hasn’t been hard at all! Just being able to see Young Master again makes everything worth it!” Lu Gui Chen squeezed out a smile, making it sound like he had finally made some kind of great contributions after going through several dozen years of hard work.
Zi Dong felt somewhat disgusted but did not bother with Lu Gui Chen any further; after all, this man was just a Second-Order Saint King and couldn’t provide any help in this situation.
“By the way, Young Master, the Star Source of that floating continent has been refined by a young man. If you could capture him…”
“What?” Zi Dong’s expression changed, “That guy managed to refine the Star Source here?”
“En… although this subordinate did not see it with his own eyes, there is no doubt. En, that young man…” Lu Gui Chen glanced around and soon saw Yang Kai who was still engaged in battle with Kong Fa.
Just as he was about to say something though, Lu Gui Chen’s jaw fell slack…
Because he saw that Kong Fa was struggling to even survive against Yang Kai’s onslaught and was already severely wounded.
Several dozen Golden Blood Threads were flying around Yang Kai, each one like a living creature, slashing through the void at lightning speed, lacerating Kong Fa from time to time.
“Little Friend, please stop! This old master admits defeat!” Kong Fa’s expression turned grey as he shouted loudly while resisting the attacks of the Golden Blood Threads.
“If it was useful to admit defeat, why would anyone cultivate?” Yang Kai was not moved and waved his hand widely, “Moon Blade!”
*Chi…*
A one-metre-long Moon Blade suddenly took shape and cut vertically towards Kong Fa.
Kong Fa’s complexion changed drastically as he rapidly formed a series of seals with his hands, causing a dazzling brilliance to burst from his body and an ancient bell-shaped artifact to appear briefly before it transformed into a light curtain that covered his figure.
*Hong…*
A bell sound rang loudly, sending invisible shockwaves out that bombarded one’s soul.
The Moon Blade had impacted the light curtain but failed to break through it completely, only leaving a finger deep cut before it was stopped.
Seeing this, Kong Fa sighed with relief. His Resounding Emperor Bell was a treasure he obtained during a certain expedition in his earlier years. It was an Origin Grade defensive artifact and had yet to be broken by any of the enemies he faced.
With this Resounding Emperor Bell protecting him, Kong Fa was confident he could resist against a Second-Order Origin King for some time.
Seeing Yang Kai’s attack neutralized, Kong Fa felt a little more emboldened and snorted, “Does Little Friend insist on killing ruthlessly? We only met by chance, so we might as well part as friends.”
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged as he waved his hand again and again, “You think you’re safe behind that tortoiseshell of yours? Just watch how I break it!”
*Chi chi chi chi…*
More than a dozen massive Moon Blades shot towards Kong Fa one after another, causing his complexion to pale and horror to flash across his eyes. Pushing his Saint Qi wildly, Kong Fa poured all his strength into his Resounding Emperor Bell.
The bell’s ringing became louder and louder as the bell-shaped light curtain brightened dramatically.
*Hong Hong Hong Hong…*
One Moon Blade after another slashed at the Resounding Emperor Bell’s light curtain, shaking it greatly, as if it would break apart at any moment.
*Kacha…*
Finally, a sound Kong Fa’s deeply dreaded reached his ears and his eyes filled with panic as he stared forward and saw a crack appear in his Resounding Emperor Bell’s protective light curtain.
This crack spread to the surroundings extremely rapidly and it was not long before the light curtain became riddled with holes.
With one loud crash, the Resounding Emperor Bell’s protective shield was finally broken.
“Little Friend, please spare me!” Kong Fa paled as he pleaded.
“Die!” Yang Kai’s expression remained cold as he condensed several dozen Golden Blood Threads together into a giant golden longsword that shot forward together with a sharp Moon Blade.
The next moment, Kong Fa’s body stiffened in place.
Looking down at his chest, all Kong Fa could see was a bloody hole through which the broken pieces of his heart lay.
His vitality passed quickly and everything in front of him became dark.
“This… this old master…”
Kong Fa was not able to finish his words before his aura completely disappeared.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and took away the Resounding Emperor Bell, tossing it into his Space Ring without looking at it before he also snatched Kong Fa’s Space Ring.
“You’re next!” Yang Kai suddenly turned around and glared coldly at the dumbfounded Zi Dong. With a light wave of his hand, Yang Kai sent a death blow to Zi Dong.
Zi Dong trembled in place. Although Yang Kai’s blow seemed light, he knew it was not something he could easily resist; after all, that was an Origin King’s attack.
Hurriedly, without even thinking about it, Zi Dong grabbed Lu Gui Chen by the neck and threw him forward.
“Young Master, you…” Lu Gui Chen was still immersed in the joy of seeing Zi Dong again and never expected such a thing to happen. By the time he reacted, it was already too late.
A strong pressure hit Lu Gui Chen in the next instant and without a word, his entire body exploded into blood mist.
“Man, you’re really cruel,” Yang Kai looked at Zi Dong sarcastically with a mocking expression on his face.
He was also quite surprised that Zi Dong would use such a method to defend against his attack.
It seemed this Young Master of Purple Star was rotten to the core.
Yang Kai hadn’t killed Lu Gui Chen on the floating continent and didn’t stop him from following him through the Void Corridor to leave it, mainly because Lu Gui Chen had provided him with some slightly useful information before.
Yang Kai did not deliberately help nor target him, leaving Lu Gui Chen to face his own destiny.
As such, it was somewhat laughable that, after escaping from the floating continent, this guy had been used as a shield by his force’s Young Master. Lu Gui Chen was probably already complaining of the injustice in the afterlife.
“But you’re still going to die!” Yang Kai chuckled lightly.
“What do you want to do?” Zi Dong turned pale, trying to act strong as he roared, “Little Brat, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’ve become an Origin King! I am the Young Master of Purple Star, you can’t kill me!”
“Being a Young Master of Purple Star, is that something special? Did your father tell you that the Young Master of Purple Star cannot be killed? Idiot, I really don’t know how you’ve managed to survive until now,” Yang Kai spat.
“Do you really want to kill me?” Zi Dong was shocked as he confirmed that Yang Kai wasn’t just trying to intimate him, “Do you know what the consequences will be after killing me? My Purple Star will never forgive you! Even if you flee to the ends of the Star Field, you won’t be safe!”
“Oh no, I’m so scared!” Yang Kai made an extremely exaggerated expression as he put his hands on his chest, seemingly unable to calm his heart. The next moment, however, his face turned bitterly cold and he declared sharply, “But that has nothing to do with you. If one of your Purple Star people dares to come after me, I’ll kill one, if two come, I’ll kill both of them! I wonder just how many Origin Kings your Purple Star will let me kill.”
As he said, a cruel smile appeared on his lips.
Zi Dong could not help trembling all over as he felt Yang Kai’s cold glare. Seeing the other part not boasting idly or cracking a joke, Zi Dong immediately shouted eagerly, “Father! Save me!”
He did not have the guts to fight Yang Kai and directly asked Zi Long for rescue.
Yang Kai could not help thinking about Xue Yue, Gu Jian Xin, and the other young rising stars of the Star Field and felt that all of them were much more courageous, with firmer Martial Hearts that wouldn’t be intimidated so easily. For example, Yang Kai had watched Gu Jian Xin get ambushed by Li Ming Hai, yet still fight back valiantly with his life on the line.
He also believed that if Xue Yue encountered such a situation, she would not call for help but would instead focus all her attention on trying to fight the enemy.
So what if they were facing an Origin King? Which one of these geniuses did not have the power to fight opponents above their own realm? If they were targeted by an enemy just one Minor Realm above them yet did not have the courage to even resist, what point would there be in even continuing to cultivate in the future?
A cultivator who could only fight others who were weaker or in the same realm as themselves would never be able to reach the peak of the Martial Dao.
Zi Dong had completely lost his qualifications to become a future master of Star Field! After meeting Yang Kai, he had been humiliated and beaten down repeatedly, tarnishing his Martial Heart greatly.
As such, he did not dare to fight with Yang Kai. But even if he managed to survive this catastrophe, whether he could break through to the Origin King Realm in the future was questionable at best.
“Little Brat, if you dare to touch a hair on my son’s head, this old master will slaughter you and all nine generations of your ancestors!” Not far away, Zi Long shouted in anger, but his voice was soon drowned out by the sound of explosions.
It was not that he didn’t want to save his son, but he was currently enveloped by Gui Zu’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner, with Yin Souls constantly attacking him. He had no way to easily escape so even if he wanted to rescue Zi Dong, he was helpless to do so.
“Really?” Yang Kai tilted his head and glanced over towards the spot where the threat had come from before sneering slightly and with a wave of his hand sent out a burst of energy.
The next moment, Zi Dong felt a breeze blow past the top of his head, causing him to shudder in place.
[Had I just died? Am I dead now?] Zi Dong’s thoughts churned wildly but quickly, he found that he was unharmed and there was only a strange lightness coming from the top of his head.
Reaching his hands up and feeling around, Zi Dong shouted madly, “Ah, my hair!”
His long flowing hair had been cut directly by Yang Kai and the top of his head was now bald, making his appearance extremely funny.
Zi Dong had a self-proclaimed rugged and unrestrained style, and although his looks weren’t as extraordinary as Xue Yue’s, he was still a fairly handsome man. He was particularly proud of his long purple hair, which was inherited from his ancestors.
But now, his long flowing purple hair had been cut off!
While Zi Dong felt somewhat distressed, he was more terrified than anything.
Yang Kai’s casual hand wave had left him no time to react and chopped off his hair, which meant it would be just as easy for him to chop off his head! Considering all this, Zi Dong suddenly began sweating profusely as his face turned as pale as paper.
“I’ve cut some hair off his head, what are you going to do about it?” Yang Kai teased.
Inside the Ten Thousand Soul Banner’s barrier, Zi Long had gone silent, probably out of shame and anger, but Gui Zu laughed loudly, “This old master has always thought these two’s purple hair was quite ugly, it’s good that you cut it off!”
“Boy!” Zi Long’s voice sounded again, “If you let my son go, this old master will withdraw and swear to never trouble you again. As the saying goes, one does not truly know another until they have fought. Perhaps this is a chance to become friends; after all, the Star Field is vast and you may need my Purple Star’s assistance in the future. This old master, as the Sect Master of Purple Star, can agree to any condition that is not excessive. As long as my Purple Star can achieve it, this old master will definitely satisfy you.”
“En, your sentiments are quite reasonable,” Yang Kai chuckled, “It would be an honour to have Purple Star do something for me.”
“Yes, yes, exactly!” Zi Dong nodded repeatedly, “As long as you don’t kill me, everything can be discussed. When I become the Sect Master of Purple Star in the future, you and I can even become brothers.”
As he spoke, hatred flashed across his eyes, and although it was fleeting, how could it escape Yang Kai’s observation?
“So, do you agree?” Zi Long asked in a deep voice.
“Of course, why not? Senior Zi Long is a man who can cover the sky with one hand, and although my Sect’s Supreme Elder can compete with you, killing you is another matter altogether. Instead of everyone fighting and both sides suffering losses, it would be best to settle this peacefully.”
“Seems you’re not an unreasonable young man,” Zi Long nodded with satisfaction. In fact, it was indeed as Yang Kai said. Although Gui Zu could temporarily trap Zi Long in the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, it was unrealistic to expect him to kill Zi Long. Both of them were Second-Order Origin Kings and had nearly equal strength, so even if Gui Zu could kill Zi Long, he would probably wind up severely wounded or even lose his life in the attempt.
Gui Zu, however, frowned. Although he treated Yang Kai well, it did not mean that he was a kind individual. On the contrary, Gui Zu was a cruel man and knew that things had gone too far for there to ever be peace between Yang Kai and Zi Long. Even if the two of them reached some kind of verbal agreement, Yang Kai would certainly never be able to reap any benefits from Zi Long in the future.
Verbal agreements were no guarantee, and if Yang Kai were to really go to Purple Star to discuss something in the future, the most likely scenario would be him being encircled by all of Purple Star’s masters.
After all, this time, Zi Long and his son had lost a lot of face. On top of that, this matter concerned the Immortal Tree, a treasure Zi Long would never give up on.
However, in this situation, he did not have any good solutions either, so he could only trust Yang Kai to settle things.
“Of course, I’m very reasonable, haha…” Yang Kai said as he scratched his nose and wore an embarrassed look, “Good, speaking of which, I really do have something I need to ask Senior Zi Long for help with. I hope Senior won’t refuse.”
Zi Long’s face could not help but sink as he wondered if this little brat really understood that what he held was a chicken feather, not an arrow? The words that were spoken just now were clearly perfunctory, an effort to preserve face. Anyone with any brains would not take them seriously yet this boy was now so unscrupulous that he was actually trying to make a request right now.
Although he was disgruntled, Zi Long still patiently said, “Name it. As long as I, Zi Long, can do it, it will definitely be done.”
After he took his son away from here, he would immediately issue a kill order and let this boy understand what it meant for there to be no path to Heaven or road to Hell to traverse!
“It’s a very simple request that I’m certain Senior Zi Long can fulfil,” Yang Kai chuckled, wearing a smile as if he was harmless to humans and animals alike, “Junior boldly requests Senior… to die!”
“Si…” Inside the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, Gui Zu drew a cold breath as even the howls coming from the Yin Souls became stagnated for a moment, showing just how unstable his heart was.
Zi Long also fell silent immediately, but his anger was palpable and rising rapidly, as if it wanted to burn down the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Zi Dong, who was not far away, had his jaw drop as he stared at Yang Kai dumbly, unable to imagine that Yang Kai would make such an audacious request.
Did this little brat even know what he was talking about? It could not be that his brain had been damaged, right?
Before he could finish his thoughts though, Zi Dong saw a flash of light as Yang Kai suddenly appeared in front of him and stretched out his hand to grab him.
Zi Dong screamed out in horror as he pushed his Purple Qi Eternal River Secret Art to its limits, trying to escape.
But his efforts were futile. Before he even realized what happened, he felt his strength being suppressed and was lifted by Yang Kai by the neck.
“Ha…” Yang Kai sighed, “It seems that Senior Zi Long is a man who doesn’t honour his words. Since that is the case, we’ll just have to follow through with the original plan.”
“Junior, if you dare to hurt my son, this old master will rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces!” Zi Long anxiously roared.
Yang Kai reached up his free hand and cleaned his ear indifferently, curling his lips as he said, “You seem to have said something similar earlier, but I’m still standing here aren’t I? Old Dog, do you only know how to bark loudly? Are you incapable of actually doing anything? En… now I’m quite curious, if I really kill him, what will you do…”
Zi Long did not dare to speak, for fear that he would aggravate Yang Kai and cause him to kill his son.
Zi Long understood that this boy was a total madman, and there was no reasoning with a madman.
*Kacha…*
The sound of bones breaking rang out from Zi Dong’s neck as he beat at Yang Kai’s arm vigorously, as if wanting to slap him away, but without his Saint Qi, his actions only appeared comical and powerless.
Yang Kai glanced at him faintly and declared coldly, “I had no grievances with you father and son, we could have just ignored and not interfered with one another, but you both insisted on trying to oppress me at every turn. Everything that has happened here is a result of your own actions. If you have a next life, learn not to have eyes atop your head, that way you won’t trip and fall so easily.”
As soon as these words fell, Yang Kai put more force into his grip.
Zi Dong’s head tilted to the side and his struggling instantly stopped, his vitality cut off.
Purple Star’s Young Master had died!
Perceiving the movement here, Gui Zu almost bit his tongue.
Even he did not think that Yang Kai would really kill Zi Dong. He had been thinking about whether Yang Kai would either use Zi Dong as a bargaining chip to escape or was going to extract some benefits from Zi Long first.
He never thought Yang Kai would decisively kill.
[This is bad!] Gui Zu heart clenched.
Seeing his son killed, Zi Long would likely completely lose control.
Before this thought was finished, Gui Zu’s eyes flashed a look of horror as his originally pitch black Ten Thousand Soul Banner was penetrated by thousands of rays of purple light. These rays of light contained extremely terrifying killing intent that caused his Ten Thousand Soul Banner to tremble and shake.
*Hong…*
A hole was blasted open in the Ten Thousand Soul Banner’s barrier from which Zi Long’s figure burst out and soared towards Yang Kai. His expression was hideous as he roared, “Boy, I’ll make you pay for that in blood!”
Using his full strength, Zi Long instantly got rid of the encirclement of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and vibrant purple light burst from his body as he shot out like a dazzling comet towards Yang Kai.
“Yang Boy, run!” Gui Zu was shocked, then he pursued Zi Long while putting away the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
But Yang Kai stood his ground, as if he did not notice the approaching danger, but his expression became extremely solemn.
Seeing Zi Long rapidly approach, Yang Kai released a guttural roar as he pushed his strength.
The Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art circulated, causing a burst of five coloured brilliance to burst from his figure.
Next, Yang Kai activated his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, covering his right arm in golden Dragon Scales and transforming it into a dragon claw.
Drawing the maximum force he could from his dantian, Yang Kai condensed all his strength on his fist and punched forward.
The five-coloured brilliance collided with the purple meteor, causing an explosion that shook the surrounding thousand-kilometre area.
In the next moment, visible shockwaves spread out to the surroundings, centred on the point of contact between these two.
Yang Kai snorted as he was sent flying uncontrollably, coughing up Golden Blood from his mouth as he tumbled.
Although Zi Long stood his ground, his face turned pale as a look of extreme shock filled his face and traces of red liquid began to leak out from the corner of his mouth.
In this frontal collision, he had also been slightly injured!
[This little brat…] Zi Long felt a great storm sweep through his heart as a look of total surprise appeared on his face.
He was a veteran Second-Order Origin King and the Sect Master of Purple Star. He cultivated one of the Star Field’s more powerful and profound Secret Arts. There were not many who were his equal and ordinary First-Order Origin Kings were like ants before him.
But Yang Kai, a junior who had just broken through to the Origin King Realm, was able to fight him head-on.
Even masters like Xu Wei and Kong Fa would have had their bones shattered and organs reduced to paste from that blow.
Just what were the origins of this boy? Who taught him? Why did he have such terrifying potential?
Yang Kai had only just broken through to the Origin King Realm but was already capable of fighting him. If he broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm one day, who in the Star Field could be his opponent?
The more he thought about it, the more cold sweat leaked from Zi Long’s forehead, and his determination to kill Yang Kai only became stronger.
An eerie howl rang out from behind Zi Long and he knew that Gui Zu had caught up. Whipping around, Zi Long spat out a profound stream of purple light!
Extreme Purple Profound Qi Surge! One of the Divine Abilities that belonged to the Purple Qi Eternal River Secret Art, each Extreme Purple Profound Qi Surge strand needed to be condensed over the course of two hundred years and Zi Long only had three such strands.
But in order to quickly overpower Gui Zu’s attack, he had to use it.
The stream of purple light before him caused Gui Zu’s face to change drastically as he felt the extremely terrifying power behind it. Not daring to be negligent, Gui Zu summoned his Ten Thousand Soul Banner, unfurled it into a defensive curtain, and shielded his body with it.
However, the Extreme Purple Profound Qi Surge shot forward like an all-conquering spear, piercing directly into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
In an instant, countless Yin Souls were exterminated, causing Gui Zu’s heart to clench in distress!
But at this time, he had no time to think about this and simply pushed his Ten Thousand Soul Banner madly to resolve the Extreme Purple Profound Qi Surge as he rushed towards Yang Kai for fear that Yang Kai would be killed by Zi Long.
Arriving beside Yang Kai, Gui Zu’s figure reappeared, and he asked worriedly, “Are you dead?”
Yang Kai clutched his chest, glanced at him while coughing, and smiled wryly, “What do you think?”
“As long as you’re not dead, it’s all fine. Haa… you really frightened this old master,” Gui Zu couldn’t help feeling a big stone lift from his heart as he blinked and carefully examined Yang Kai’s condition, shock gradually spreading across his face.
He discovered that Yang Kai’s injuries were not actually that serious and that his vitality and aura were still strong and stable. Even his complexion was only a bit red, not deathly pale like he expected it to be.
Gui Zu could not help gulping as he felt as jarred as Zi Long.
[This boy is a true monster! How did he do it? What was that five coloured glow he released just now? And that dragon claw, what kind of Secret Technique was that?]
The dragon claw left an especially strong impression on Gui Zu as he felt a faint sense of pressure and intimidation from it!
[Dragon Pressure!] Gui Zu was taken aback as this thought emerged in his mind.
Quickly composing himself, Gui Zu focused on the situation at hand and said, “Kid, do we carry on or take the win and leave? This old master will follow your lead.”
“Naturally, we need to pull out the weed by their roots!” Yang Kai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared forward coldly.
“Sure!” Gui Zu squinted his eyes and nodded heavily, “In that case, this old master will accompany you in this madness! Since this old master came out from that place, he has not really fought against another Origin King. I didn’t expect my first battle would actually be against such an important figure, jie jie…”
As he spoke, Gui Zu’s body began to emit a thick fighting intent.
On the other side, Zi Long, who had been repelled by Yang Kai’s blow just now and forced Gui Zu away, did not show any intention to act again immediately. Instead, he summoned an artifact that looked like a round bowl and pressed it towards the dead Zi Dong.
An extremely soft light radiated from the round bowl and covered Zi Dong’s corpse. Watching this light, Zi Long’s expression turned dignified as he forced a series of seals before pressing his hand towards the bowl.
Something seemed to be pulled out from Zi Dong’s corpse in the next instant and was gathered into the round bowl.
Soon, an illusory figure appeared in the centre of the round bowl, one that seemed similar to the now-dead Zi Dong.
At first, this figure was ethereal and illusory, as if it would blow away in the alight breeze, but with Zi Long’s continued efforts, this figure became more and more corporeal, as if it was Zi Dong’s Soul Avatar.
The blurry eyes of this figure gradually became clearer.
Finally, after Zi Long spat out a mouthful of Blood Essence, Zi Dong’s figure came to life and turned around, his expression going blank as he quickly understood what had happened.
“Father, please avenge your son by killing that bastard!” Zi Dong’s figure stood in the round bowl as he cried out pitifully; however, since he was just a Soul now, no tears fell.
“You waste!” Zi Long’s complexion was pale as he severely reprimanded, but his complexion soon softened as he nodded, “Rest assured, Father will seek revenge for you, so just stay in the Soul Sustaining Bowl. Once we return to Purple Star, I will find a way to recreate your body!”
“Yes,” Zi Dong was overjoyed and quickly disappeared into the bowl.
Zi Long carefully put away the Soul Sustaining Bowl before he turned around and glared coldly in Yang Kai’s direction.
No matter what, this boy had to die, even if it cost him serious injuries! Such a terrifying young man could not be allowed to mature any further.
“Radiant Purple Star River!” Zi Long suddenly shouted as the purple light all over his body quickly receded and concentrated into a shocking purple sword in his hand.
Gripping this purple sword, Zi Long’s aura soared upwards, causing the surrounding space to tremble. Staring at Yang Kai coldly, he then shouted, “Boy, no one can save you today!”
“Will you die if you scream empty threats all the time? My life is right here, if you have the ability, come and take it!” Yang Kai showed no fear as he stepped forward.
Zi Long did not say another word. Brandishing his sword, his entire figure became wrapped in sword light as he crossed the several-kilometre gap between them in an instant and directly attacked Yang Kai.
“Exile!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and palmed forward, causing the space in front of him to collapse and form a black hole-like existence.
Zi Long speed was so great he nearly crashed into the black hole, but at the last possible moment, he managed to halt his advance and dodge.
“Moon Blade!” Yang Kai’s voice sounded again as crescent blades swept towards Zi Long without pause.
Zi Long was forced to awkwardly dodge this barrage as he did not dare allow these attacks condensed from pure Space Force to hit him.
Who knows what would happen if he was to touch them?
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “Old Dog, you can’t even get close to me, so how are you going to take my life? You should try again in your next life!”
Gui Zu watched from the sidelines with cold sweat and while secretly sighing that talents from the new generation would replace those from the old…
He was an Origin King, and there were few people he truly feared in this Star Field, but Gui Zu had never seen anyone with such unexpected methods as Yang Kai. Even putting himself in Zi Long’s place, Gui Zu did not think his situation would be any better, unable to close the gap between him and Yang Kai.
“Rising Purple Qi!” Zi Long suddenly shouted as his terrifying Qi once again increased in intensity. The next moment, he no longer evaded and simply slashed out with his purple sword towards the countless Moon Blades.
This sword could only be described as world-shaking, and it contained not only Zi Long’s endless anger but also his full comprehension of the Martial Dao, causing even Gui Zu’s eyes to bulge.
Without even thinking about it, he directly threw his Ten Thousand Soul Banner out to shield himself and Yang Kai.
*Hong long long…*
The Moon Blades were cut apart, and even the Ten Thousand Soul Banner was unable to resist the might of this sword light.
The attack fell directly on top of Yang Kai’s head, as if it would split him in two in the next moment.
Yang Kai grabbed Gui Zu and with a single step released his Space Force and vanished from the spot, appearing behind Zi Long in the next instant.
*Zheng…*
The Dragon Bone Sword appeared at that moment, and as Yang Kai poured his Saint Qi into it, it transformed into a giant dragon that bit towards Zi Long.
Gui Zu also took action, clenching his fist and punching out, releasing a giant ghost head filled with Yin Qi that followed right after the Dragon Bone Sword’s tail as it charged towards Zi Long’s back.
Zi Long’s reaction was extremely fast. The moment he saw Yang Kai and Gui Zu disappear, he realized what would happen next.
Adjusting his stance, he swung his sword towards his back without any hesitation.
This sword struck the giant dark green dragon and ghost head.
A dragon roar rang out as Zi Long’s full-powered strike sent the giant dark green dragon flying. The ghost head also distorted as it quickly split in two.
Although the combined blow of Yang Kai and Gui Zu was resolved, Zi Long’s imposing momentum had noticeably dampened and his face had turned pale. Obviously, it wasn’t easy for him to resolve this attack.
This was the moment to capitalize on the advantage and kill him!
Yang Kai and Gui Zu were both seasoned veterans, so how could they pass up such a great opportunity? They both used their strongest means to strike towards Zi Long, whose aura had dropped sharply.
Countless Moon Blades flew out as many Yin Souls pounced towards Zi Long’s location.
A violent energy collision occurred setting off dozens of blinding explosions.
Yang Kai and Gui Zu stared ahead without blinking, their expressions gradually becoming serious.
Soon, the shockwaves dissipated, and Zi Long’s figure was revealed again.
At this moment, the Purple Star Sect Master’s expression was somewhat pale, as if his foundation had been damaged. He looked quite dishevelled, but there was clearly no worry about his life because at some unknown point a purple-red Artifact Armour had appeared on his body!
This Artifact Armour gave off an extremely potent energy fluctuation, and at first glance, it was obvious it was no ordinary treasure.
An Artifact Armour that could withstand the joint attacks of Yang Kai and Gui Zu had to at least be Origin King Grade Mid-Rank!
This level of defensive artifact was a rarity even when considering the entire Star Field, and could be considered priceless. For example, the Resounding Emperor Bell Kong Fa used was Origin King Grade Low-Rank, yet compared with the armour Zi Long wore, the difference was not small.
Although it had preserved his life, there were now many cracks in the purple Artifact Armour, causing Zi Long’s eyes to teem with distress.
This purple Battle Armour was a treasure passed down from generation to generation of Purple Star Sect Masters. After ten thousand years, it had witnessed the history and evolution of Purple Star.
But today, it had been seriously damaged.
This Artifact Armour was a relic leftover from ancient times, and with the methods and skills of modern Artifact Refiners, as well as the available materials, it was impossible to restore. How could Zi Long not feel forlorn?
However, Zi Long had also sobered up after taking this attack. Just now, his rage at his son being killed had caused blood to rush to his head and all he could think about was killing Yang Kai to seek revenge. But he had clearly underestimated his foe and suffered a great loss as a result.
He now understood that he could not kill Yang Kai with his power alone.
Forget about Yang Kai being proficient in the Dao of Space, making it possible for him to escape at any time he wanted, just Gui Zu and Yang Kai joining forces was enough to suppress him. If Zi Long made a mistake here, his life could even be at risk.
As such, the idea of withdrawing sprouted in Zi Long’s mind.
It was not too late for a gentleman to take revenge after ten years. In any case, his son’s Soul had been collected into the Soul Sustaining Bowl, so as long as he could gather the appropriate materials, it wouldn’t be difficult to build a new body for him after returning to Purple Star. Once that was done, Zi Long could mobilize all of Purple Star’s power to encircle and kill Yang Kai!
Understanding this, Zi Long took a deep breath and said coldly, “Boy, I hope the next time we meet you can still act as rampant as today!”
“You want to leave?” Gui Zu’s expression changed, “In your dreams!”
As he shouted, howls rang out from the Ten Thousand Soul Banner as it transformed into a black curtain that shot towards Zi Long, trying to engulf him.
“If this King wants to leave, neither of you can stop him!” Zi Long’s complexion remained unchanged as he formed a series of seals with his hands before his body was enveloped in a purple radiance that instantly broke through the Ten Thousand Soul Banner’s blockade and shot towards the Star Field.
Yang Kai observed which direction Zi Long escaped towards, raised his brow, and flashed a wry, mocking grin.
“Yang Kai, he’s getting away, why aren’t you chasing after him?” Gui Zu saw Yang Kai remain motionless and suddenly became anxious, “Letting him leave will only lead to endless troubles!”
“If he had fled in another direction, I might have had to pursue him, but since he picked that direction… en, he’s seeking death,” The expression on Yang Kai’s face remained inscrutable.
“What do you mean?” Gui Zu was confused when he heard this, having no idea what Yang Kai was talking about.
However, in the next moment, Gui Zu’s eyes bulged as he saw something both shocking and terrifying.
From somewhere in the Star Field, a massive palm slapped out strangely, without any warning, as if it had appeared out of thin air. More precisely, it seemed to appear from the spot where Yang Kai had left the floating continent only moments ago!
This palm was as big as a house, and although it appeared simple, there was a profound aura accompanying it that even a master on Gui Zu’s level was unable to completely understand. In other words, this power had exceeded the realm of an Origin King master.
The palm slapped towards Zi Long in a seemingly slow manner, but with a force so strong that space itself became turbulent as it passed through.
Zi Long was thoroughly shocked. He had suffered injuries just now and was trying to escape at this moment, but how could he have anticipated such a giant palm would suddenly appear out of nowhere to block his way?
Feeling the horrifying power behind this giant palm, Zi Long did not dare to underestimate it and madly pushed his Saint Qi and Domain in order to resist.
A shocking scene followed as the Domain which Zi Long had just released was crushed, shattered like glass as the giant palm continued towards him unabated.
It was as careless as if it was swatting a fly.
Zi Long was so frightened his Soul nearly left his body and he hurriedly poured his strength into his Artifact Armour, causing it to release a dazzling purple-red light while at the same time he condensed another layer of Saint Qi around his body.
*Hong…*
The giant palm landed on Zi Long and he was swept away like a ragdoll, blood pouring out of numerous wounds as he tumbled miserably through the void.
“Si…” Gui Zu sucked in cold air. Although he knew that this giant palm had incredible power behind it, upon seeing it land on Zi Long, he found that he had still underestimated it.
That palm was completely unremarkable, but it was extremely powerful!
What the hell was it, though? If this palm was already so gigantic, how big would the body it belonged to be?
Before he could even finish his thoughts, Gui Zu got an answer as the owner of the palm made his appearance.
Gui Zu was taken aback as he stared at the owner of this palm stupidly for a time before turning to Yang Kai and asking in amazement, “Is this guy your brother? Or your son?”
He saw that the owner of the giant palm was a stone giant more than three hundred metres tall; however, the face of this stone giant was somewhat similar to Yang Kai’s, and even had a similar air about it.
“Please don’t make such crude jokes, Supreme Elder,” Yang Kai said as his face went black.
“Then what the hell is this?” Gui Zu felt like he was going insane. He did not know what the giant in front of him was, but he was certain Yang Kai absolutely didn’t have it a few months ago, otherwise at the time why would he have needed to run?
With such a huge stone giant to assist him, who would he need to fear?
“My Embodiment!” Yang Kai replied in a deep voice.
“Embodiment?” Gui Zu frowned at first, but his expression soon turned to one a shock, “An external avatar? The same technique you used in the medicine valley? Does your Embodiment actually possess such a shocking ability?”
[No wonder this stone giant looks like Yang Kai, it turned out to be his Embodiment. However… was his Embodiment like this previously?] Gui Zu had heard of such Secret Techniques before, but generally speaking, the Embodiment of a cultivator had exactly the same appearance as its master while also possessing some of its master’s strength. It would act on its master’s orders, but it had a will of its own as well.
But this Embodiment of Yang Kai’s… wasn’t it a bit too unique?
“Yang Kai…” Gui Zu suddenly had a fiery look in his eyes and he turned to Yang Kai expectantly.
“Wait until after we kill this guy,” Yang Kai seemed to know what he wanted to ask.
“Sure!” Gui Zu nodded sharply.
Yang Kai grinned as he stared coldly towards Zi Long who was still coughing up blood not far away, his murderous intent soaring.
After taking the Embodiment’s blow, the purple-red Artifact Armour Zi Long was wearing had completely shattered. Despite this Battle Armour was an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank defensive artifact, it had been damaged by Yang Kai and Gui Zu’s joint attack, so how could it still endure after absorbing the Embodiment’s slap?
Yang Kai’s Embodiment had settled into this form after swallowing and refining the entire floating continent; in other words, the current Embodiment was the sum total of the floating continent’s essence.
An attack from the Embodiment was like the blow of an entire continent, including all the World Principles of the floating continent.
No matter how powerful a cultivator was, how could they withstand being struck by the weight of a two or three hundred thousand kilometre wide continent?
That kind of raw power, amplified by the rich Principal Strength, was something even Xiao Xiao, who belonged to the Stone Puppet clan, could not match!
Zi Long not being annihilated on the spot was a testament to his great strength.
However, he was now an arrow at the end of its flight.
Even so, Yang Kai did not relax his guard. Zi Long was a veteran Second-Order Origin King, so there was no guarantee he did not have trump cards left to play. As such, Yang Kai summoned out both Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan to assist him.
“Kill him!” Yang Kai pointed his hand forward.
The Stone Puppet and Firebird received this order and immediately rushed forward.
On the way, Xiao Xiao assumed his stone giant form, but compared with the Embodiment, it was still like the difference between a father and son.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan returned to her Firebird form, with purple lighting and crimson flames swirling around her body as she spread her wings wide.
The Embodiment also moved his huge body as he stepped towards Zi Long.
However, Yang Kai’s Embodiment was simply too big to perform quick actions, which was why Yang Kai had not released him in the first place. His Embodiment was indeed strong, but it was far from nimble.
So, Yang Kai had his Embodiment hide in The Void and wait for an opportunity to take action. He did not expect Zi Long to pass right by his Embodiment while trying to escape. Zi Long’s rotten luck even elicited some pity from Yang Kai.
If Zi Long had fled in another direction at that time, while Yang Kai might still have been able to catch up to and kill him, it would not have been as easy.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan arrived above Zi Long’s head. Xiao Xiao held the Heaven Shaking Pillar in his hands and slammed it down with a great roar while Liu Yan opened her beak and spat out a jet of lightning-imbued flames that seemed to burn space towards Zi Long.
A look of despair filled Zi Long’s eyes.
Just as Yang Kai had expected, after suffering so many fierce attacks one after another, he was already an arrow at the end of its flight. Any ordinary Origin King would be able to kill him now, much less Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan’s joint strike with Yang Kai, Gui Zu, and the strange stone giant all watching him covetously.
It was all over; Zi Long knew he could no longer escape.
A look of unwillingness flashed across his eyes as he stared at Yang Kai with unadulterated hatred. Clenching his fists, Zi Long’s face flushed, and his body began to rapidly inflate, the blue veins on his distorted face throbbing in a terrifying manner as extremely violent energy fluctuations spread from his figure.
“Not good! He wants to self-destruct!” Gui Zu’s complexion changed drastically as he felt a chill shoot up his back.
Although they were ten kilometres away from Zi Long at the moment, the force of a Second-Order Origin King self-destructing wouldn’t be diminished with such little distance. Once Zi Long truly detonated his cultivation, everything within at least a hundred kilometres would be vaporized.
Even Gui Zu could not guarantee he would survive such an explosion.
He immediately understood that Zi Long had been driven into a dead-end, otherwise, how could a Second-Order Origin King make such a decisive decision?
“In your dreams!” Yang Kai’s expression was also very solemn as he stretched out his hand and summoned a small blue bead into it before immediately pouring his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy into it madly.
After just one breath, Yang Kai’s aura became languid while the pale blue bead only shone faintly.
“Go!” Yang Kai pushed the bead forward and sent out a tiny lightning bolt, only about as big as an ox’s hair, towards Zi Long.
Gui Zu’s forehead leaked even more cold sweat as his eyes nearly popped staring at the seemingly inconspicuous lightning arc.
He could feel a ruinous aura coming from this bolt, along with a power he could not even muster the will to resist.
This kind of power seemed to surpass the Origin King Realm and was able to dominate over this world!
“Haha, have you finally run out of tricks? Even if this King must die here today, don’t think you’ll feel any better!” Zi Long smiled madly and taunted as he stared at the weak-looking lightning bolt Yang Kai had just sent out, thinking he was making a futile last effort.
But all he could see was Yang Kai staring at him with disdain.
Zi Long frowned slightly but before he could respond, the faint bolt of lightning flashed before his eyes.
In the next moment, Zi Long felt his whole body go numb, as if he had been struck by Heaven’s might, even his thoughts seemingly freezing up.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw numerous lightning arcs floating around his body, like tiny snakes, and under the destructive power of these lightning arcs, the Second-Order Origin King physique he was so proud of began to collapse and disintegrate, his strength melting like snowflakes under the scorching sun.
His bulging body also shrivelled up at an extremely rapid pace.
“This… is impossible!” Zi Long roared unwillingly.
Xiao Xiao’s Heaven Shaking Pillar smashed down on him at that moment, along with a ball of thunder-flame from Liu Yan.
After three breaths, the dust settled, and the place where Zi Long once stood was now empty. The Sect Master of Purple Star did not even leave behind any bones. Only his Space Ring remained as it shot into the distance under the strong force.
Liu Yan turned around, transformed into her human form, and chased after the Space Ring.
*Pu…*
Yang Kai coughed up blood as his complexion went extremely pale. Quickly sitting down cross-legged in the void, Yang Kai took out a Spirit Pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and began circulating his Secret Art to heal his injuries.
Gui Zu stood to the side, utterly stunned.
He had witnessed the entire battle just now from beginning to end, and although he and Yang Kai had teamed up to wound Zi Long at the beginning, the finishing blow essentially had nothing to do with him. In other words, at least eighty percent of the credit for killing Zi Long belonged to Yang Kai alone.
Perhaps… Yang Kai could have even accomplished this without his help.
When this thought emerged, Gui Zu was shocked.
[An Origin King that just broke through was able to kill a character like Zi Long? Is this boy… really human?]
Gui Zu looked at Yang Kai like he was some kind of monster.
What astounded Gui Zu further was the light-blue bead that Yang Kai had summoned at the last moment. It was definitely an amazing artifact, but Gui Zu was unable to tell what grade it was.
As he stood there stunned, Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan returned together and flanked Gui Zu from both left and right, staring at him with unkind eyes.
“What?” Gui Zu’s mouth twitched, “This old master is High Heaven Sect’s Supreme Elder and is your master’s ally. Don’t look at this old master with such suspicion, this old master won’t treat him unfavourably.”
Gui Zu knew that Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan were wary of him because Yang Kai was healing here, so he did not take their offensive behaviour to heart.
However, Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan remained unmoved, still standing in place, clearly threatening to attack Gui Zu if he made any suspicious moves.
“Don’t be rude!” A booming, almost deafening voice suddenly called out, “You two can retreat for now.”
Hearing this voice sound, Liu Yan stepped aside without hesitation while Xiao Xiao scratched his head, seeming to be a little dazed. Liu Yan saw him acting like this and quickly arrived at his side and used her fist to knock his head lightly.
Xiao Xiao bowed his head aggrievedly.
Gui Zu opened his mouth wide and looked up as he watched the stone giant walk towards him from the distance. Each step Yang Kai’s Embodiment took caused the surrounding space to tremble. Slightly hesitant, Gui Zu asked, “Just now… did you speak?”
After asking, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he shivered and asked again, “Can you talk?”
“Why wouldn’t I be able to talk?” The Embodiment grinned in a manner extremely similar to Yang Kai and said in a booming tone, “Did Supreme Elder think this body was just a dead puppet?”
“You call me Supreme Elder?” Gui Zu frowned, “So you really are Yang Kai.”
“I am, in a sense. I can at least represent my true body,” The Embodiment gently nodded before frowning slightly. “This body is too big, it’s so inconvenient to move.”
“It is quite big…” Gui Zu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Although he understood that this Embodiment was Yang Kai, seeing such a massive fellow walking towards him with a sly grin on its face still caused him quite a bit of stress.
“My main body just consumed too much strength and should be able to wake up in a while. Supreme Elder doesn’t need to worry,” The Embodiment also seemed to realize that his voice was a bit too loud and deliberately lowered it.
[Why should I be worried?!] Gui Zu yelled in his heart, he could naturally see what happened to Yang Kai, but everything that happened in the recent battle had been too frightful, so it had taken him some time to digest reality and compose himself.
“Kid, didn’t your true body only just break through to the Origin King Realm? How did you suddenly reach the peak of the First-Order? It even looks like your main body could break through to the Second-Order right away, if he had the opportunity,” Gui Zu asked indignantly. He had spent two thousand years on the floating continent and only broke through to the Origin King by coincidence before spending the next five hundred years in stagnation. Only after escaping from the floating continent and feeling both his mind and body break free, did Gui Zu experience another breakthrough.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, had only disappeared for a few months but had already reached the peak of First-Order. Gui Zu wanted to scream out about how the Heavens were unfair.
“My main body’s situation is somewhat related to me,” The Embodiment finally arrived beside Gui Zu and sat down cross-legged. Looking down, the Embodiment pointed at himself and said, “Because of my birth, my main body experienced massive growth after his breakthrough.”
Gui Zu’s brow furrowed in confusion, “That makes even less sense…”
“Hehe, let’s put it this way: If one of us prospers, both of us prosper. Once my strength grows, it has a positive effect on my main body.”
“En, this old master understands,” Gui Zu rubbed his sore neck. “But your Embodiment is a bit peculiar. How did you cultivate it?”
This was what Gui Zu was really interested in. External incarnations only existed in legend and it was certainly a Secret Technique he wanted to cultivate. If he could create an embodiment of his own in the future, his strength would definitely soar.
“If Supreme Elder wants to cultivate it, I can teach you.”
“How could I possibly accept something like that?” Gui Zu was overjoyed as he rubbed his hands, saying no but his expression clearly saying yes.
The Embodiment chuckled seeing this and said, “Do you still remember that, on the floating continent, you sent my Soul Clone into that Space Array to test it?”
Gui Zu’s face suddenly turned awkward, “That was all in the past, why bring it up now?”
His attitude towards Yang Kai at the time could not be described as friendly.
“At that time, instead of my true body, it was my Soul Clone that entered the Space Array…” The Embodiment looked at Gui Zu with a smile.
Gui Zu thoughtfully said, “You mean…”
“Yes, I am that Soul Clone!” The Embodiment nodded slightly, “If you want to cultivate an Embodiment, you must first cultivate a Soul Clone, then wait for it to become strong enough before implanting it into a suitable body.”
“That’s it?” Gui Zu was surprised.
“En, it’s that simple,” the Embodiment smiled slightly. “But… although the process is simple, it may not necessarily be effective.”
“Why do you say that?” Gui Zu asked curiously.
“First, finding a suitable body is extremely difficult, and even if you do find one, ensuring that your Soul Clone can merge with it successfully is another issue; after all, putting a foreign Soul into a vessel not designed for it is never simple. Even if you can succeed in both of these aspects, the Embodiment you create may not be too powerful. For a master like Supreme Elder, an Embodiment probably won’t be able to add anything to your strength.”
“But you…” Gui Zu was not completely convinced yet. Although he could not understand all the details of Yang Kai’s Embodiment, judging from the slap it used on Zi Long before, its combat effectiveness was definitely no weaker than a Second-Order Origin King, probably even higher.
“I am an exception. There were too many opportunities and coincidences involved in my birth,” The Embodiment did not bother explaining much.
Yang Kai’s Embodiment was originally just the second Golden Stone Puppet, and because it had not swallowed many ores, its combat power was actually quite low. Yang Kai had kept it on hand but never used it for much until this recent opportunity to swallow and refine the floating continent. After accomplishing this, its strength had taken a massive leap.
Such development was simply impossible to replicate.
“So, does Supreme Elder still wish to learn?” The Embodiment asked.
Gui Zu pondered over the issue for a moment. Cultivating an Embodiment would surely be a very time-consuming and resource-intensive process; after all, this Secret Technique was clearly incredibly powerful, and the more powerful a Secret Technique was, the more difficult it would be to cultivate.
Was it really worth delaying his own pursuit of the Martial Dao?
“Forget it, I won’t bother learning it for now. If this old master wants to learn it in the future, I’ll come to you again,” Gui Zu thought for a long time before he decided to first reach the Third-Order Origin King Realm to study this Embodiment technique.
“Alright,” The Embodiment nodded, “En, my main body should wake up soon, you guys can talk.”
When Yang Kai woke up, he put Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan away before looking at his Embodiment. After accepting the feedback from it, he immediately understood what the Embodiment had just chatted with Gui Zu about.
After gently nodding his head, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense gushed out like a tide to wrap up the Embodiment.
The next moment, the Embodiment disappeared.
Gui Zu’s jaw dropped again as he tremblingly pointed at Yang Kai and said, “How big is your… your… your Space Ring? Even your Embodiment can fit inside.”
He was absolutely stunned. The Embodiment was a stone giant with a height of three hundred metres, yet it just disappeared into thin air, if it was not taken into Yang Kai’s Space Ring, then where had it gone?
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I didn’t put it into a Space Ring, I just sent it to another place.”
Naturally, Yang Kai put the Embodiment into the Sealed World Bead as no Space Ring could accommodate its existence.
Gui Zu scratched his head in frustration as he muttered, “This old master can be regarded as an expert, and there aren’t many things that can surprise me in this world, but kid, you… every time, you can cause this old master’s heart to clench.”
What he saw and heard during this period far exceeded his cognition.
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “You’ll get used to it eventually.”
This battle had truly been thrilling, especially at the last moment Zi Long wanted to self-destruct. If Yang Kai did not have the Annihilation Thunder Bead, an Emperor Artifact, he would have had to run away with Gui Zu at the time.
After all, who could withstand the blast of a Second-Order Origin King’s detonation?
Only a blow from the Annihilation Thunder Bead could completely negate such a move.
However, using an Emperor Artifact had directly emptied Yang Kai’s strength. Although the effects were outstanding, the Annihilation Thunder Bead was clearly still dangerous to use.
Just remembering the feeling of all his strength being drained to the point his body went limp caused Yang Kai some lingering fear.
“Forget it, let’s not talk about this, let’s see what we’ve gained this time,” Yang Kai quickly changed the subject, reached out, and summoned four Space Rings onto his palm.
These four Space Rings were all extremely high-end and were naturally owned by the four who Yang Kai and Gui Zu just killed.
Even Gui Zu’s eyes began to shine as he rubbed his hands in anticipation.
He very much enjoyed the feeling of killing others and taking their possessions, and although he had not done it that many times in his life, each time he had he had gained greatly.
Not to mention, of the four rings in front of him now, three belonged to Origin Kings while the last belonged to Zi Dong, who despite being an Origin Realm cultivator was also the Young Master of Purple Star, so how could his ring not contain amazing wealth?
Yang Kai picked up one of the rings casually and swept it with his Divine Sense, but in the next moment, his face suddenly sank and he cursed, “Which bastard does this ring belong to? Why is there nothing good inside? Could he really be so poor?”
“That’s not possible, is it?” Gui Zu was stunned and took the ring from Yang Kai’s hand and swept it with his Divine Sense before also cursing, “F*$k, this bastard really is poor! Isn’t he embarrassed?”
Neither of them knew who this ring belonged to but at a glance, they could tell there were only a few hundred thousand Saint Crystals left in it, along with some miscellaneous things that were of little value.
“It has some traces of Xu Wei’s aura on it, it looks like it was his,” Gui Zu spat disdainfully, “His death isn’t worth pitying.”
What neither of them knew was that all the good things in Xu Wei’s ring were divided up by Zi Long and Zi Dong. It would be more strange if anything good was still left inside.
“En, this is much better!” Yang Kai searched another ring and his foul mood was immediately fixed. Obviously, this ring was well stocked. Tossing it over to Gui Zu, Yang Kai said casually, “Supreme Elder should take a look, if you need anything, just help yourself.”
“Sect Master is too generous, hahahaha. Then, this old master won’t refuse,” Gui Zu had always been a loner, so it was difficult for him to find any good cultivation resources. Now that so many good things were placed in front of him, he couldn’t help snatching the ring and rummaging through it, soon grinning as he commented, “Hey, there’s some Solid Gold Star Sand in here. If it is used for Artifact Refining, it could definitely refine an Origin King Grade artifact. It’s said this ore is only produced in Galaxy Ridge. It looks like this is Kong Fa’s ring, oh… so many herbs as well! It looks like this old dog gained a lot in the Severed World.”
“Leave the herbs behind. When we return to High Heaven Sect, I’ll have them made into pills for you,” Yang Kai said casually.
“This old master knows,” Gui Zu grinned.
After a while, Yang Kai tossed another ring over and Gui Zu rummaged through it again before returning it to Yang Kai.
“There’s only one left, and it should be Zi Long’s ring. I am really looking forward to what’s inside. Purple Star’s Sect Master should have many good things on him, right?” Gui Zu had to wipe the saliva from the corner of his mouth as his eyes stared fixedly.
Yang Kai browsed through the ring before putting on a strange expression, “There are indeed many good things, but there is also this…”
As he spoke, Yang Kai opened his hand and summoned a round, bowl-like artifact. This round bowl looked quite simple, but the aura which surrounded it made one’s Soul feel comfortable.
“Isn’t this the thing Zi Long summoned just now?” Gui Zu examined it curiously, “Oh, it’s made from Soul Sustaining Wood. No wonder it was able to collect the Soul of a dead cultivator. Purple Star really can’t be underestimated.”
Yang Kai just chuckled lightly and said, “It’s one of the top three forces in the Star Field. Without enough background and strength, it would have been eliminated long ago.”
As he spoke, his eyes flashed and he sent a stream of pure Spiritual Energy into the Soul Sustaining Bowl as he shouted, “Get out!”
The next moment, a miserable howl sounded from the Soul Sustaining Bowl and an illusory figure appeared inside it.
Naturally, it was Zi Dong.
Enduring the pain coming from his Soul, he looked around blankly but when he saw Yang Kai and Gui Zu smirking at him unkindly, his expression suddenly changed, “How could it be you?”
“If it wasn’t us, who else would it be?” Gui Zu taunted, causing Zi Dong’s Soul Avatar to tremble, as if it were about to break apart.
“Where is my father? Where is my father!?” Zi Dong yelled in a panic. He had been hiding inside the Soul Sustaining Bowl and thought that the next time he came out would be when his father helped him reshape his body. Seeing these two detestable faces instead, what was left of his Soul shivered and his blood ran cold, or it would have if he had any.
“Since we’re safe and sound, what do you think Zi Long’s fate was?” Yang Kai sneered.
Zi Dong’s expression changed as he shouted hysterically, “Impossible! That’s impossible! My father is Purple Star’s Sect Master, a Second-Order Origin King! There are not many in this world who can match him much less kill him. With just the two of you, it’s absolutely impossible such a thing happened!”
As he spoke, his confidence seemed to increase as he screamed at Yang Kai angrily, “Don’t lie to me!”
“Ha!” Yang Kai sneered, “Why would I bother lying to you? What good would that do me? Forget it, I do not want to bother with you anymore. Supreme Elder, your Soul Banner could use Soul for nourishment, right? I’ll leave this brat in your hands.”
“Jie Jie… sounds good,” Gui Zu smiled strangely as he took out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, “In any case, he’s still a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. After refining him, this old master’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner will surely strengthen once more.”
As he spoke, countless twisted human faces appeared out of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, wailing ferociously as if they smelled a delicious meal, all of them soon turning towards Zi Dong.
Zi Dong was so frightened his Soul nearly shattered and he quickly hid inside the Soul Sustaining Bowl as he cried out, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me! I am Purple Star’s Young Master! We can talk about this! What benefits do you want? Whatever it is I can give it to you!”
“You’re quite the dumb one aren’t you, kid? What benefits could you possibly give this old master in your current state? Come now, this old master’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner is hungry!” Gui Zu snorted coldly, remaining unmoved.
“A Star Emperor Token!” At that moment, Yang Kai suddenly let out a shout as a look of excitement filled his face. Taking a token out of Zi Long’s Space Ring, Yang Kai looked it over carefully before shouting once more, “It’s really a Star Emperor Token!”
Gui Zu stared at him in amazement, “Why are you so excited? This old master remembers giving you a Star Emperor Token back then, right? This one even seems to have been used long ago and no longer has any worth.”
The joy on Yang Kai’s face remained undiminished though as he simply glanced over at Gui Zu and said, “Supreme Elder may not know but there is a grand mystery hidden inside the Star Emperor Tokens. If one can collect all nine of them, this secret will be revealed.”
“A grand secret?” Gui Zu said with some suspicion, “Will that secret allow this old master to reach the peak of the Martial Dao?”
“May… maybe!” A weak voice came.
Yang Kai and Gui Zu stared at Zi Dong who had just spoken out.
“What do you know?” Yang Kai looked at him seriously. Regardless of anything else, Zi Dong was the Young Master of Purple Star, so there was a chance he did know some secrets about the Star Emperor Tokens.
Zi Dong’s Soul flickered slightly as he turned to Gui Zu and implored, “Senior, can you put away this artifact first? I… I’m quite scared.”
“Useless thing,” Gui Zu coldly snorted, reached out, and put away the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Zi Dong stood up inside the Soul Sustaining Bowl and wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, took a few breaths, then carefully asked, “If I tell you, will you let me go?”
“Supreme Elder, swallow him!” Yang Kai shouted loudly.
“With pleasure!” Gui Zu summoned the Ten Thousand Soul Banner again.
“Wait, wait, wait! I said wait! Please!” Zi Dong almost wept.
“Coward!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully.
“Talk!” Gui Zu also threatened from the side, urging the hostility of his Ten Thousand Soul Banner from time to time to create more pressure on Zi Dong.
Zi Dong sobbed as he haltingly spoke, “Wu wu… Actually, I don’t know much… But when I heard my father chatting with a few Elders once, I heard them say that if one collected all the Star Emperor Tokens, they would be able to… able to glimpse the secrets of the Great Emperor!”
“The secrets of the Great Emperor!” Both Yang Kai and Gui Zu were shocked.
“Is that true?” Yang Kai stared at Zi Dong fixedly.
“That is what I heard… and, it is said that those words were spoken by the Great Emperor himself back when he still roamed the Star Field. You probably don’t know, but my Purple Star’s ancestors had some interaction with the Great Emperor over ten thousand years ago… wu wu, that’s all I know, please don’t hurt me, I don’t want to die!”
With Gui Zu’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner waiting for an opportunity, Zi Dong did not dare conceal anything and immediately said what he knew.
Collecting the nine Star Emperor Tokens would allow one to glimpse the secrets of the Great Emperor.
Although this sounded vague and mysterious, it still held an unparalleled attraction to those who pursued the Martial Dao.
Yang Kai frowned and grumbled. Yang Yan did tell him that collecting all nine Star Emperor Tokens would reveal some kind of secret, but she didn’t say what at the time, causing Yang Kai a great deal of frustration.
But Yang Yan not telling him must have been for a reason, so Yang Kai naturally did not press the issue.
Still, he already had six Star Emperor Tokens in his hand, so collecting all nine was not an impossible dream.
This may be the biggest secret in the Star Field, so how could Yang Kai not be moved?
Even Gui Zu fell into silent, solemn contemplation after listening to this.
“That’s all I know, so… can you two let me go now?” Zi Dong chose his words carefully and asked anxiously.
“Let you go?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “You’re now just a Soul and your physical body has long been destroyed. The only reason you have not dissipated is because of this round bowl. Even if I let you go, where would you go?”
Zi Dong heard these words and was struck silent.
He wanted to escape from the hands of these two hateful people but forgot what state he was currently in. The Soul Sustaining Bowl was refined from Soul Sustaining Wood which, while sustaining his Soul, would not protect it from outside harm. If he tried to travel the Star Field in the Soul Sustaining Bowl, what was left of his Soul would soon be destroyed by the next Starry Sky Storm he encountered.
Considering all this, Zi Dong’s Soul became sluggish and his eyes grew dull as he muttered, “It’s over, it’s all over!”
Yang Kai gave Gui Zu a look, one Gui Zu understood immediately. Cackling, he taunted, “In that case, this old master has a good place for you to spend eternity.”
Saying so, he urged the power of his Ten Thousand Soul Banner, creating a suction force that tried to draw in Zi Dong’s Soul.
“Don’t!” Zi Dong came back to life and shouted, “Don’t swallow me!”
Although staying in the Soul Sustaining Bowl was a miserable end, it was definitely better than being swallowed by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. The Yin Souls inside the banner lost all sense of self and only retained a base desire to kill. How could Zi Dong be resigned to become such a thing?
“Don’t swallow me! Please don’t swallow me…” Zi Dong struggled hard, but he was still unable to resist the suction of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
“Boy, stop resisting and obediently be swallowed,” Gui Zu snorted.
“No! I don’t want to!” Zi Dong shouted. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, he turned his head and looked at Yang Kai and said, “This friend, if you are willing to let me go, I can give you the Star Emperor Token Purple Star owns!”
“Wait!” Yang Kai quickly raised his hand and gestured to Gui Zu.
Gui Zu waved his hand and the Ten Thousand Soul Banner immediately fell silent.
Yang Kai stared at Zi Dong intently and quickly asked, “What did you just say?”
Zi Dong felt great fear in his heart as he glanced over at Gui Zu before quickly saying, “I said I can give you the Star Emperor Token of Purple Star. My Purple Star has its own Star Emperor Token!”
“Isn’t it this one?” Yang Kai raised the Star Emperor Token in his hand, “Does your Purple Star have two Star Emperor Tokens?”
“No,” Zi Dong shook his head quickly, “This Star Emperor Token does not belong to Purple Star. It was originally Xu Wei’s, but it fell into my father’s hand in the Severed World.”
“Xu Wei actually had such a treasure?” Yang Kai was shocked.
“According to him, he obtained it on some adventure many years ago…” Zi Dong explained weakly.
“So, your Purple Star really has another Star Emperor Token?” Yang Kai’s expression became ecstatic.
“I can guarantee with my life that it is true!” Zi Dong immediately swore, lest Yang Kai became impatient and kill him.
“You’re already dead, what use is there swearing on your life?” Gui Zu looked at him mockingly.
Zi Dong wailed, “What I said is true! Please believe me!”
“En, I believe you!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Sect Master, do you really want to gather all nine Star Emperor Tokens? No one has managed to accomplish that in ten thousand years. Just how many do you have now?” Gui Zu looked at Yang Kai and asked in confusion.
“If I told you I have six, would you believe me?” Yang Kai looked at Gui Zu sternly before waving his hand and taking out all six of the Star Emperor Tokens he possessed.
“Si…”
Gui Zu drew a sharp breath, his heart trembling wildly as his eyes bulged visibly.
“There are six in my hand, Purple Star has one, and as far as I know, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce also has one. If I can acquire those two, only one will still remain missing!” Yang Kai licked his lips.
“The last piece… is in Sword Union’s possession,” Zi Dong spoke up softly.
Yang Kai turned a sharp stare towards him hearing this.
Zi Dong’s neck shrank as he muttered, “I’m not lying! Although few people among the top three super forces know this, I heard my father discuss it once, so this information is absolutely reliable.”
Yang Kai and Gui Zu looked at each other, and both saw the excitement in each other’s eyes.
Nine Star Emperor Tokens had been scattered across the Star Field, six were now in Yang Kai’s hand, and the whereabouts of the other three were known, which meant it really might be possible to gather all of them.
“Kid, you have promise,” Yang Kai glanced at Zi Dong and gave an approving look that gave Zi Dong great hope, which he quickly acted on.
“Don’t swallow me into that thing! I get you into Purple Star to the place where our Star Emperor Token is kept.”
“Take me to Purple Star so you can contact someone to avenge you?” Yang Kai sneered.
“How could I? I can only remain inside this Soul Sustaining Bowl now, so how could I even make contact with anyone?” Zi Dong called out about the injustice, “I just want to survive.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “Then we can talk. Where is the Star Emperor Token of your Purple Star? How can I take it out?”
Zi Dong composed himself before explaining, “It doesn’t matter if I tell you because you two can’t gain access on your own, you need me to guide you there. The Star Emperor Token of my Purple Star is stored in a secret room that can only be accessed with the special key in my father’s Space Ring. As for the procedure to open it, only I can tell you…”
Speaking until here, Zi Dong suddenly seemed to have realized something and panicked, “Don’t compel me to tell you now! Even if I do, you’ll still need me to lead you there.”
“Rest assured, as long as you cooperate obediently, I promise not to hurt you!” Yang Kai put on a smile as he tempted, “If this matter is successful, I can let you go.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Zi Dong said dejectedly. “You killed my father, so how could you possibly let me go? All I ask now is you not extinguish my Soul.”
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before he let out a chuckle, “Kid, you’ve suddenly become much smarter. Since you can understand your position, I can give you a guarantee. I may not let you go, but as long as you cooperate, I won’t kill you.”
“Do I have the right to refuse?” Zi Dong smiled wryly.
“It’s much easier working with smart people,” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction before rummaging through Zi Long’s Space Ring, taking out a golden key a moment later, “Is this the key to the secret room?”
“En. Once you reach Purple Star’s Home Star, call me out again and I will tell you how to get in. I’m tired now and need to rest for a while.” Saying so, Zi Dong’s figure disappeared, obviously retreating to the innards of the Soul Sustaining Bowl.
Yang Kai put away the key and the Soul Sustaining Bowl before falling into a state of contemplation.
“Sect Master, it seems that there’s really hope this matter can succeed,” Gui Zu was also quite concerned with this plan. The reason why he didn’t care before was mainly that it was too difficult to gather all nine Star Emperor Tokens, but now that he could actually see hope, he couldn’t help feeling a little excited, “With this little brat’s help, obtaining Purple Star’s Star Emperor Token shouldn’t be difficult. As for the one Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce possess, based on your relationship with that little girl, it shouldn’t be a problem to obtain it, she’s the future successor of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, after all; as for the last piece held by Sword Union…”
“I have some friendship with Gu Jian Xin, so I can start negotiating with him!” Yang Kai said thoughtfully, “Star Emperor Tokens are indeed precious, but everything has a price. As long as I can offer a sufficient price, Sword Union shouldn’t refuse to sell it to me.”
“Then should we head to Purple Star now?” Gui Zu asked expectantly.
He also wanted to know what would happen after collecting all nine Star Emperor Tokens.
“There’s no rush! This matter is not urgent. I must go back to my homeland first and then back to the Sect. It won’t be too late to deal with this after all these other matters are settled.”
“Alright, I’ll follow you. In any case, this old master has always been a wanderer, so following you won’t make any difference,” Gui Zu grinned.
In Zi Long’s Space Ring, in addition to the Star Emperor Token and the golden key, there were many precious treasures from the Severed World, as well as his own personal collection.
The Space Ring of Purple Star’s Sect Master was simply a treasure trove!
Especially the Shattering Void Shuttle. Although it had some flaws, it was still an impressive transportation artifact.
After Yang Kai spent a few days refining it, he entered it together with Gui Zu, then set course for Tong Xuan Realm.
The reason why Yang Kai wanted to return to Tong Xuan Realm was also very simple. He wanted to arrange a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array on his home star to connect it with Shadowed Star.
This way, if he ever wanted to return to his homeland in the future, it would be a simple task. All he would need to do is pass through a few Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays.
Only he could accomplish such a feat.
The Chaotic Abyss was not far from Tong Xuan Realm. When Yang Kai was a Saint, he had needed a year and a half to cross this distance, but using the Shattering Void Shuttle now, which was many times faster, after just two months he arrived above Tong Xuan Realm.
“This is your homeland?” Gui Zu frowned when he looked at Tong Xuan Realm. “The World Energy here is too thin, right? How could you have even cultivated in such a place?”
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand how a genius like Yang Kai could come from such a low-level Star.
He originally thought that Yang Kai’s homeland would be a cultivation paradise filled with natural beauty and rich World Energy.
“Originally, the World Energy in this place was even thinner.” Yang Kai smiled slightly. But just as he started meticulously checking the surroundings, he furrowed his brow slightly.
“What’s wrong!?” Gui Zu asked immediately after noticing the strange look on his face.
“It should not be like this.” A suspicious look took over Yang Kai’s face. “The World Energy of this continent should not be this thin. So much time has already passed, so it should have been much denser.”
The reason for Tong Xuan Realm’s thin World Energy was the Great Demon God Seal isolating this Cultivation Star from the Star Field, preventing the supplement of World Energy from outside. The other reason was that the Star Source of this Cultivation Star was nearing its end.
[But after Little Senior Sister refined the power of the Star Source and became the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, it should have brought changes.]
[The World Energy of Tong Xuan Realm should have grown denser with the increase in Little Senior Sister’s strength.]
[Tong Xuan Realm should not have just this little bit of World Energy after such a long time.]
“If there were no mountains and rivers here, this place would have no World Energy,” Gui Zu immediately concluded after just taking a glance at the surrounding terrain.
Yang Kai nodded gently, agreeing with this.
“Come on, let’s return to my previous sect,” proposed Yang Kai. Then, he assessed the directions and shot towards the Nine Heavens Holy Land with Gui Zu.
He had decided to lay the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array in Nine Heavens Holy Land, where a natural Spirit Array had formed by the nine peaks. It was a rare cultivation paradise in Tong Xuan Realm.
It was now quite easy for him to lay a barrier to hide the existence of the Space Array. And presumably, the cultivators of Tong Xuan Realm could not break it even if they were given ten thousand years.
Three to five days went by in a flash.
While flying, both Yang Kai and Gui Zu frowned as they looked down from time to time.
“Elder, did you notice something?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
“The World Energy of your homeland is declining very quickly, like the air leaking through a punctured balloon.”
“You felt it too.” Yang Kai’s face turned ashen.
Previously, Yang Kai felt that something wasn’t right when he noticed the thin World Energy of Tong Xuan Realm. However, the place where he landed wasn’t the World-Energy-rich place he used to live. Therefore, Yang Kai hadn’t paid great attention to it.
But after having been flying for three to five days, he hadn’t found any place rich in World Energy; whether it was towering mountains or the gushing rivers, they all seemed to be filled with Death Qi.
This discovery had bogged him down with some worries.
There were only two possibilities for this kind of situation to arise. Either Tong Xuan Realm was in some kind of trouble, or Star Master Xia Ning Chang had met with an accident.
[Either way, it’s extremely detrimental to Little Senior Sister.]
Yang Kai suddenly regretted coming here. He couldn’t wait to return to Shadowed Star to check if there was anything wrong with Little Senior Sister.
[On second thought, Little Senior Sister should be perfectly safe in the High Heaven Sect. She should not have encountered any problem. So what is happening to this world?]
[What’s making the world have such a dense Death Qi while the World Energy is growing thinner and thinner.]
“Huh!? What the hell are these guys doing?” Gui Zu pointed in a direction and exclaimed after noticing something.
Yang Kai’s flying figure immediately came to a halt as he looked down from the sky.
Below him was a huge valley with a resplendent Array in the shape of a hexagram rotating. What’s more, a dense crowd of cultivators were standing around it. Every cultivator had formed hand seals; they were trying to maintain the operation of the Array with great difficulty. From time to time, a cultivator would be unable to hold on and fall down but another cultivator beside him would immediately take his place.
There were some cultivators in black around it as well, looking at this with a cold look in their eyes. Occasionally, they would even lash out and beat the people.
Each of these men in black had a surging aura, but they didn’t participate in maintaining the Array. They seemed to be monitoring it.
“Origin Returning Realm Master!?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he exclaimed, “How is this possible? How can Origin Returning Realm masters appear here!?”
Since ancient times, the strongest cultivator born in Tong Xuan Realm was the Great Demon God. But even the Great Demon God had only touched the mystery of the Saint King Realm. Since then, the strongest cultivators in Tong Xuan Realm could only reach the Saint Realm!
[Maybe Little Senior Sister’s act of refining the Star Source has given them a chance to become Origin Returning Realm masters.]
But right then, Yang Kai sensed the aura of two Origin Returning Realm cultivators passing by in the mountain valley.
Although they were only in the First-Order, they were indeed Origin Returning Realm masters nonetheless.
“Your homeland didn’t have an Origin Returning Realm master before?” asked Gui Zu.
“In the past, the strongest level anyone has reached was the Third-Order Saint Realm!”
“If that’s the case, they are all outsiders!” Gui Zu pointed below and said, “And judging by the Spirit Array below, it seems to be swallowing the surrounding world energy. They seem to be using this Spirit Array to refine something!”
“Outsiders…” Yang Kai’s eyes flickered with an ominous gleam. “Courting death!?”
Only now was he struck with a realization.
Tong Xuan Realm was safe and sound until now and was not disturbed by Star Field master because of the barrier arranged by Great Demon God. The Great Demon God was really amazing. He had laid a barrier using Tong Xuan Realm as the base, shielding the entire Cultivation Star from the Star Field.
But in the end, his barrier had been broken by Yang Kai, allowing Tong Xuan Realm to reintegrate with the Star Field.
And finally, Tong Xuan Realm was discovered by the Star Field masters after a few decades. And thus, the Tong Xuan Realm was invaded.
Back then, when Yang Kai left Tong Xuan Realm, he did so first to find Su Yan, and second to pursue higher Martial Dao, lest his homeland encounter some stronger enemy that they couldn’t resist. The Skeleton Race invasion back then was the best example. Had it not been for the Great Demon God’s amazing insight and means, this continent would have been enslaved a long time ago.
But today, the very same thing he feared was happening again!
The Spirit Array laid by those people below was extracting the World Energy of Tong Xuan Realm which was tantamount to destroying Xia Ning Chang’s path of cultivation.
Yang Kai immediately blew his top. His figure went crashing down like a meteor, surrounded by an endless chill.
At least a thousand people were gathered in the valley below.
Ninety-nine percent of the cultivators were furious and reluctant. But they had no choice but to participate in maintaining the Array under the threat of life. They were suffering but dared not resist, as all of the rebels had been killed by those men in black.
They had no idea who these people were, but each of them was amazingly strong and none of the Tong Xuan Realm cultivators could resist them.
There were fewer than ten men in black, that’s all. All of them stood with their arms crossed behind their backs on one side. Only a young man was sitting on a chair, served by two stunning young girls on either side. God knows where they caught these two from but when serving him, they looked quite sincere and afraid as if they feared punishments for making a mistake.
The young man had a rustic teapot in his hand and happened to have his eyes half shut; he appeared as if he was living a life of ease and leisure. But from time to time, his eyes would flash with a radiant gleam as he swept a gaze over the thousand enslaved people.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he pointed in a direction. “Bring that girl here.”
The two girls by his side suddenly shuddered upon hearing this. Panic was clearly written on their faces. They glanced at each with worry overflowing from their pretty little eyes.
The young man immediately noticed their strange behaviour. He glanced sideways at the two girls and let out a cold snort, “It seems you two know something.”
The two girls panicked immediately. They knelt down hard on the ground, shuddering. But they dare not utter a single word.
“Hmph, that girl is intentionally wearing baggy clothes and had smeared her face to hide her figure and appearance. She thinks that she can fool this Young Master’s eyes!? This Young Master has seen countless women, I can see through this at first glance… Judging by your reaction, that girl should have an extraordinary status in your Shrouded Heaven Mansion, otherwise, you wouldn’t be this worried!”
The young man talked with confidence and composure, making trickles of cold sweat trickled down the two girls’ foreheads. One of the courageous girls immediately said, “Young Master, that woman is really ugly. She is not fit for Young Master. Young Master, how about you leave her alone and let your servant take care of you?”
She forced a charming smile as she spoke, but it was rather stiff because of fear and looked even more pitiful.
A lewd smile immediately emerged on the young man’s lips as he reached out and he hooked the beautiful girl’s chin with his finger.
The beautiful girl didn’t dare to move.
But the next moment, the young man slapped the young girl, causing that girl to cry in pain as she was sent flying.
“What this Young Master does is none of your business!” The young man snorted coldly, looking displeased.
Next, he smiled and looked at the other girl who was kneeling on the ground, and stated indifferently, “You would be dead before you can make a move!”
The second girl’s tender body trembled as she dispersed the strength she had secretly gathered. She didn’t dare to make a move again.
She understood that there was a deep chasm between this young man and her people. Otherwise, the entire Shrouded Heaven Mansion would not have been enslaved by these people without offering any resistance.
Her eyes immediately flickered with despair.
At this moment, the girl operating the Array was brought before the young man by a man in black.
This girl was wearing extremely loose clothes. Her face was in a mess. It was extremely difficult to tell whether she was beautiful or ugly, had a shapely figure or was fat. But her eyes were extremely bright and there was an intelligent gleam to them as if they could speak. They were quite eye-catching.
“Let me go, you bastards!” The woman struggled endlessly, but how could she break free from Saint King’s hold with just the cultivation of Transcendent Realm.
The young man looked at the girl with a smile as he meticulously checked out her appearance and looked over her body. The girl felt humiliated and uncomfortable under the young man’s aggressive gaze. She nibbled her lips as she glared at him angrily.
“Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!” The young man broke into laughter. “I finally found someone pleasing to this Young Master’s eyes. Do you want to know how you caught this Young Master’s attention?”
The girl didn’t say a word but her eyes burned with fury.
The young man didn’t care about it and spoke indifferently, “Because your companions’ stupidity betrayed you. Their cultivation was obviously higher than yours but they were extremely respectful to you. If my guess is right, you shouldn’t have a low position in the Shrouded Heaven Mansion, am I right? Or perhaps, you are Palace Master’s daughter!?”
His voice wasn’t loud but it travelled to everyone’s ears, making the Shrouded Heaven Mansion experts’ ashamed and angry. They had never even imagined that their lady would be targeted by this bastard due to their attitude towards her.
Had they known this, they would not have been this careless.
But no matter how remorseful they were feeling, it was of no help. Many loyal disciples of Shrouded Heaven Mansion, who were maintaining the Array, immediately stood up, glaring at the young man’s direction in anger.
“Who allowed you to stand up? Sit down and do what you were ordered!” The young man let out a cold snort as an overwhelming pressure emerged from him, bearing down on the cultivators who stood up. In the next moment, all the standing cultivators groaned in pain and fell on their asses.
None of these cultivators had reached the Saint Realm. How could they bear the pressure from the Saint King!?
The young man, making another cold snort, refocused his attention on the girl before him and started speaking, “It’s your honour that this Young Master has come to like you. It’s your honour to serve this Young Master tonight! If you don’t show me your face, believe it or not, I will tear your clothes right here and now!”
The girl immediately shuddered. Her eyes were filled with horror.
[If I’m really insulted by this bastard before all these members of my sect, is there a point in living after that?]
The girl felt extremely sad and indignant just as this thought crossed her mind. She couldn’t help but immediately think of committing suicide immediately.
She would rather die in glory than live in dishonour…
“If you dare to commit suicide, I will kill all thousand members of Shrouded Heaven Mansion one by one! This damned world might have meagre World Energy but there are untold cultivators. You think that this Young Master would not be able to maintain this Spirit Array without your Shrouded Heaven Mansion?” The young man gazed coldly at the girl.
“Asshole!” The girl nibbled her lips and cursed. She didn’t dare to act rashly when the other party had threatened her like this.
“Haha!” The young man started laughing frantically. “Continue, continue, this Young Master likes watching the angry look on girls like you. The angrier you react, the happier this Young Master is!”
“You perverted bastard, someone will deal with you someday.”
“Hmph! I’m afraid the likes of you will never be able to do that.”
The girl coldly harrumphed and said, “We indeed could never do it but there is someone.”
Judging by the current look on her face, it seemed as if she recalled someone, a sliver of pride appeared on her timid and angry face.
“Is that so!?” The young man looked at the girl with interest. “Tell me, who in this damned place could clean up this Young Master? This Young Master is really looking forward to it.”
He had already explored the entire Tong Xuan Realm. This world had very thin World Energy. The level of cultivators here was generally low. Or else, it would have been impossible for them to act so wantonly in this world. It should be brought to notice that what they were doing was a perverse act; they were extracting the World Energy of an entire Cultivation Star.
If they were found, the entire Star Field might pursue them.
“The Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land!” The girl replied, gritting her teeth. Her eyes immediately grew brighter. “Someday, he will come back and make you pay for everything!”
“Nine Heavens Holy Land!?” The young man furrowed his brow before asking a man in black standing next to him, “Is there such a sect here?”
The man in black pondered for a moment and answered, “There seems to be a sect of this name but the entire has gone somewhere. According to the people here, they have gone to the Star Field.”
The young man slightly nodded his acknowledgement. “It’s just going to the Star Field. I have to give it to this Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land, he actually left this place. But… so what!? Does he think that the Star Field is that easy!? They might have already been annihilated in some unknown place in the Star Field!?”
“The Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land is very amazing. Back then, he had unified all three clans, Human, Monsters, and Demons. How can someone like you guesstimate him?” The girl looked at the young man contemptuously.
“You seem to admire this Lord of Nine Heavens Land!?” The young man, tilting his head and looking at the girl, smiled and continued, “Now, I really want to see whether this Lord of Nine Heavens Hold Land will come to your rescue when I insult you or not…”
Just as he finished speaking, the young man suddenly stretched his hand out.
Immediately, a burst of energy struck the girl, tearing the outer baggy clothes hiding her figure.
The girl let out a shriek and backed away, again and again.
A perverted gleam appeared in the young man’s eyes as he stared straight at the girl. Although there were still some clothes remaining underneath her baggy clothes, they were unable to hide the shapely figure of the girl. Her voluptuous twin peaks were like a pair of towering mountains, almost trying to rip out of her clothes. The young man immediately grew lusty at the sight of this. He licked his lips and said, “Just like I thought, your figure is top grade. It seems this Young Master’s vision wasn’t wrong.”
“What do you want to do?” The girl was immediately struck with panic. She stared at the young man in vigilance.
The young man sneered in response. “Since you admire this Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land so much, this Young Master would like to give both of you a chance, for the knight in shining armour to arrive and rescue the damsel in distress!”
One of the men in black robes standing nearby broke into laughter and started mocking, “A frog in the well knows nothing of the ocean. I’m afraid this little girl doesn’t know how great Young Master is. She thinks that the Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land is first under heaven. She just doesn’t know that someone like him isn’t even qualified to lift Young Master’s shoes!”
“That’s right!” Someone immediately agreed.
The young man immediately smiled with a very happy look on his face.
But right then, the young man furrowed his brow and looked up at the sky. In the next moment, he immediately stood up, staring towards the sky.
In the sky, a meteor-like streak of light was coming down as quickly as an arrow fired from a bow and immediately crashed on the Hexagonal Array.
BOOM… The ground quaked violently while the Hexagonal Array was instantly destroyed. All the cultivators maintaining the Array were pushed back by a powerful force, sending them flying.
In a flash, everyone was thrown off their feet; everything was in chaos.
“Young Master, be careful!” The expression of the two Origin Returning Realm masters’ among the men in black robes immediately changed. They promptly gathered before the young man, staring forward warily. They immediately probed with their Divine Sense, trying to find out the strength of the attacker.
But much to their horror and dismay, their Divine Sense didn’t sense anything as if no one was there.
The faces of the two Origin Returning Realm masters feel upon this discovery. They were hit with a bad feeling.
“Who is it?” The young man shouted in anger.
It had taken a lot of effort to set up the Hexagonal Array. It had never occurred to him that the Array would be destroyed by someone just as he was about to refine it successfully. The young man immediately blew his top.
“Heh heh…” Weird laughter rang from the centre of the Array, giving the young man the chills. He asked with a scowl, “Sneaky thief, since you are already here, why don’t you give me your name!?”
“Don’t you already know!? Why are you still asking!?”
“What do I know?” The young man furrowed his brow.
“Didn’t you just say that you will allow me to be the knight in shining armour and rescue the damsel in distress? I’ve just taken that chance…”
“Knight in shining armour to rescue the damsel in distress!?” The young man was startled and mouth agape. He clarified with a weird look on his face, “Are you trying to say that you are that Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land!?”
“Ah!?” Even the captured girl was dumbstruck. Her eyes widened as she turned her gaze towards the centre of the Array.
As the dust slowly settled, a figure standing there calmly entered everyone’s vision. It was looking around with a mocking smile hanging on his lips.
The girl’s heart pounded hard as a look of ecstasy suddenly appeared on her face.
“It’s…really him!”
The young girl hadn’t seen Yang Kai, but after the masters of three races, Humans, Monsters, and Demons joined hands to resist the revived Bone Race, the much renowned Nine Heavens Holy Land rose to fame. And as the Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai also became famous.
Yang Kai was young and promising. He was even rumoured to be hot and handsome. Many unmarried girls considered Yang Kai as the man of their dreams. They would have Yang Kai’s portrait hanging in their boudoir; not a night went by that they hadn’t dreamed of him.
It could be said that Yang Kai’s portrait was everywhere in Tong Xuan Realm.
She was the daughter of Shrouded Heaven Mansion Palace Master. Many female disciples of the Shrouded Heaven Mansion idolized Yang Kai. So naturally, she had also seen Yang Kai’s portrait.
Now, the real one had appeared before her, bearing striking resemblance with the portrait. She recognized him immediately. A strange gleam immediately flickered in her beautiful eyes.
“This Spirit Array is… a little overbearing.” As Yang Kai’s Divine Sense swept through the Hexagonal Array, he furrowed his brow as a cold look took over his face. “Elder, what do you think?”
He seemed to be talking to the air but the next moment, a figure shrouded in black Qi emerged by his side.
This figure appeared out of nowhere, startling the young man. He immediately sized up Gui Zu, somewhat perplexed. The two Origin Returning Realm masters guarding the young man shivered even more so. Their faces immediately turned pale.
“It’s not just overbearing, it’s even more sinister than this Old Man’s Cultivation Art! Hmph, these people are trying to extract your home’s World Energy and refine it here.” Gui Zu reached out and took the hexagonal crystal from the centre of the Array.
“The World Energy in it is very abundant. If it’s used to cultivate, it will definitely be beneficial. Tsk tsk, it can be absorbed directly, so there is no need to refine and convert it. What a treasure!” Gui Zui said as he threw the hexagonal crystal to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned as he grabbed the crystal and felt it a bit. He then nodded and agreed, “Indeed, it can be absorbed directly.”
He silently felt the energy stored in the crystal. He felt that ten of these crystals would be enough to allow a Saint King Realm cultivator to advance by a Minor Realm.
Yang Kai found this discovery a bit inconceivable.
Every cultivator had to go through thistles and thorns just to cultivate. Every step was difficult. But this hexagonal crystal pointed to a sure-fire shortcut to the cultivator.
As long as there were enough crystals, a cultivator could advance at an astonishing speed. Of course, the premise was that his understanding of the Martial Dao could keep up with it.
“How dare you destroy my Spirit Devouring Array and take my Spirit Devouring Crystal!?” The distant young man flew into a rage and immediately shouted.
But just as he spoke this, an Origin Returning Realm master quickly and deftly covered his mouth.
The young man grew even more furious. But just as he was about to scold, that Origin Returning Realm master whispered in a cold sweat, “Young Master, these two are unfathomable. Please, don’t offend them!”
“Unfathomable!?” The young man was startled. He immediately realized the seriousness of this situation. He hadn’t been able to see through Yang Kai and Gui Zu but he didn’t give them too much attention. After all, he had two Origin Returning Realm masters beside him.
But now, when he took a look again, he noticed that the two Origin Returning Realm masters beside him had actually gone pale. He couldn’t help but wonder why Yang and Gui Zu couldn’t be messed with!?
And immediately, he broke into a cold sweat in shock.
After having relieved the uneasiness in his mind, the young man asked in a raised voice, “Friends, can I have the pleasure of knowing your honoured name?”
Having come to realize that it wouldn’t be in his best interest to provoke Yang Kai and Gui Zu, he immediately lowered his posture. He was no longer as aggressive as before.
Just as he finished speaking, a figure appeared before him in a flash. It was the very same person who suddenly fell from the air. A vicious face was almost sticking nose to nose with his face. The young man couldn’t help but feel a little flustered in the face of Yang Kai’s gaze. He backed away in fright.
“Who are you? Where did you come from?” Yang Kai asked in a cold voice.
Only two of the men in black robes were in the First-Order Origin Returning Realm. The rest were all in Saint King Realm. Yang Kai didn’t care about cultivators of these levels.
What he wanted to figure out most was the background of these people and how they came to Tong Xuan Realm.
The two Origin Returning Realm masters guarding the young man didn’t see how Yang Kai appeared before the young man. But they immediately knew that this man was even more horrifying than they had guessed. Their hearts started pounding. The more courageous of the two smiled and answered cautiously, “Reporting to Young Lord. We are members of Spirit Devouring Sect. This is our Spirit Devouring Sect Young Sect Master, Young Lord Mu Cheng Feng!”
While answering, he pointed at the young man and introduced him to Yang Kai.
Mu Cheng Feng straightened his chest as if he had come to realize that his performance just now was a bit unsightly. He tried to calm himself down to save his face.
“Spirit Devouring Sect!?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow and glanced back at Gui Zu.
“This Old Man has not heard of such a sect either. I’m afraid they aren’t that famous.” Gui Zu indifferently replied.
When Mu Cheng Feng and the two Origin Returning Realm masters heard Gui Zu’s remark on their sect, they immediately became a little angry. Be that as it may, their fists weren’t bigger than the opposite party; they didn’t dare to act rashly.
“Is this damned Spirit Array your work!?” Yang Kai stretched his hand out and pointed at the Hexagonal Array behind him.
“Yes…” The Origin Returning Realm master, who had just answered earlier, replied quickly as he furtively wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. “This Bi Zong had spent a lot of time and energy to lay this Array.”
“Very good!” Yang Kai sneered. “Since it was your handiwork, then…”
“Little Brother!” As if he knew what Yang Kai was going to say next, the Origin Returning Realm master interrupted him in horror. “Little Brother, you know that there is not just this one Spirit Array arranged on this world! Led by our Sect Master, all disciples of my Spirit Devouring Sect are on this planet, planning for something big. I request Little Brother to be accommodating.”
“More than one!?” Yang Kai’s face blackened with rage. Furious, he retorted with a smile, “No wonder the World Energy has gotten worse. So it was your damned work. Great, absolutely great!”
That Origin Returning Realm master smiled in embarrassment. “Little Brother, you can’t say that. The cultivation of the cultivators of this continent is too low. Even if we leave the World Energy and let them cultivate, they would not amount to anything in their lives. But it would be completely different if my Spirit Devouring Sect obtained this World Energy. My Sect Master is in the Origin King Realm. His strength would advance by a huge leap if he could devour this world’s World Energy, and if he refines this world’s Star Source, it would bring a ray of life to this place. This dying star would be reborn. Little Brother is so powerful, I think you understand this truth.”
He deliberately brought to notice that the Spirit Devouring Sect Master was an Origin King Realm master, trying to make Yang Kai retreat.
After hearing this, Yang Kai grew even more furious. “You guys also want to refine the Star Source!?”
“Naturally!” Mu Cheng Feng straightened his back. “My Father has already taken the sect elites to the Cultivation Starplanet’s core. I’m afraid he will refine the Source there.”
Mu Cheng Feng was filled with confidence when he recalled that his father was an Origin King Realm master.
He believed that these two guys before him would not dare to kill him without a shred of doubt, even though Mu Cheng Feng had no idea of their origins, let alone their strengths. Anyone with a brain would not be willing to be an enemy of Origin King Realm master.
Therefore, he returned to his former leisure and confident manner.
But after speaking, he found that Yang Kai was staring at him with an even more terrifying gaze. Mu Cheng Feng was taken aback. He immediately screamed, “What do you want to do?”
Yang Kai pursed the corner of his lips into a grim smile. “What else can I do apart from killing you!?”
Just as the last of Yang Kai’s words fell, all the Spirit Devouring Sect disciples in black robes were struck simultaneously as a few swishes rang through the air. They fell down one after another. They were killed right then and there; they didn’t even have the chance to scream.
“Ah!” Mu Cheng Feng screamed in horror. His eyes bulged and quivered in shock and fear. He pointed at Yang Kai and rebuked, “How…how dare you make an enemy of my Spirit Devouring Sect?”
“Make an enemy!?” Yang Kai sneered. “Don’t overestimate yourself. You guys aren’t even fit to be my enemy. Since you dare to act so wantonly in my territory, you can never go back.”
Not only was the Spirit Devouring Sect unscrupulously extracting the Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy and enslaving its cultivators, but they were also aiming for its Source. How could Yang Kai not get angry?
[Since the Star Source had been taken by Little Senior Sister, there is no need to worry about the Spirit Devouring Sect getting their hands on it. But their reckless behaviour should have caused some damage to Little Senior Sister.]
“You… you… My father is an Origin King. How dare you attack me!?” Mu Cheng Feng was scared silly. Originally, he believed that after he brought his father up, the opposite party would take caution before taking any action. But how could he have known that the young man before him would not care about this at all?
“Origin King, hmph! I have killed more than one. I’ll take your father’s head later!” Yang Kai sneered as he pressed towards Mu Cheng Feng, step by step.
Mu Cheng Feng was so scared that he stumbled on the ground as an obnoxious smell wafted from his crotch. He looked as if he would cry at any moment.
Yang Kai frowned at the sight of this. He hadn’t expected this little kid to wet his pants. After a second thought, he waved his hand and shot a streak of Saint Qi, sealing his cultivation. He then turned to the cultivators of Shrouded Heaven Mansion and said, “He is all yours. You can kill him as you like.”
Over a thousand cultivators, who had been maintaining the Spirit Devouring Array, were watching from the sidelines since Yang Kai and Gui Zu’s appearance. The sight of Yang Kai killing the Spirit Devouring Sect disciples, against whom they were completely powerless, as easily as lifting his hands had left them in complete shock.
Some cultivators had seen Yang Kai’s portrait and immediately understood Yang Kai’s origins and identity.
They didn’t show any hesitation after hearing Yang Kai’s words. Over a thousand men, young and old, men and women, swarmed at Mu Cheng Feng with a murderous look on their faces.
“You… you group of ants…” Mu Cheng Feng was afraid of Yang Kai but not of these Shrouded Heaven Mansion cultivators. He warned them harshly, “If you dare to hurt even a single strand of my hair, I guarantee that you will beg me to kill you!”
The swarm of thousand or so cultivators paused for a moment before they rushed at Mu Cheng Feng even faster.
In the blink of an eye, Mu Cheng Feng was completely surrounded to the point that not even a drop of water could escape.
One after another, kicks and punches struck Mu Cheng Feng. The Shrouded Heaven Mansion disciples at the centre seemed to have a tacit understanding of not using their Saint Qi. They only attacked Mu Cheng Feng just with their physical strength. This way, Mu Cheng Feng would last longer and taste even more painful torture.
“Asshole, how dare you kill our Sect Master! I will make you pay for it!”
“Vengeance for Seventh Elder!”
“I will avenge Senior Sister Liu… Boohoo, Senior Sister Liu, I hope your spirit in the Heavens is watching this. I will avenge you!”
“Make way, make way! Let me smash this bastard’s balls!”
The sight of thousands of people beating one person was especially spectacular. In a flash, a cloud of dust rose around Mu Cheng Feng’s position as constant sounds of thrashing with miserable wails of Mu Cheng Feng echoed in the surroundings.
But after a while, Mu Cheng Feng’s voice slowly started weakening. And after another while, there were no more movements.
“Are you… Holy Master Yang!? Are you truly Holy Master Yang!?” As Yang Kai watched on with a cold look in his eyes, a girl’s voice rang in his ear.
Yang Kai turned to the source of the voice and found that it was the very same girl who was caught and humiliated by Mu Cheng Feng before. Her face was smeared in mud; she looked like a cat. And the torn baggy clothes still on her shapely figure gave her the impression of a grass bearing the brunt of wind and rain. She looked rather pitiful.
(Ash: She looked like a cat here means that her makeup was all ruined. It’s not a derogatory term. Think of it as when someone’s mascara is ruined after crying.)
“Do you know me?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
“You really are Holy Master Yang!?” Suddenly, a sliver of red glow appeared on her beautiful face as she stared at Yang Kai in a daze. The bright glow in her pair of eyes seemed to speak for itself. Tears soon filled her eyes as if she saw her saviour. She immediately knelt down before Yang Kai. “I beg Holy Master Yang to uphold justice on behalf of fellow cultivators across the world!”
“Get up and speak!” Yang Kai was startled. He quickly stretched his hand out and raised it up. The girl immediately felt a gentle force lifting her up, preventing her from kneeling down.
“Don’t cry!” Yang Kai was in a pinch. She kept choking, looking at Yang Kai with teary eyes. Tears kept falling down her cheeks just like pearls from a broken necklace. Just as she wiped off the tears, another round of tears would trickle down her cheeks.
Slowly, her beautiful face was brought to light.
Sure enough, she was extremely beautiful. Mu Cheng Feng might be a bit deplorable but his experience in checking a girl’s features was pretty good.
“If you have something to say, please speak.” Yang Kai heaved a sigh and comforted. “Please stop crying.”
“Yes!” The girl immediately wiped the tears off the corner of her eyes. She could barely hold her excitement. Her plump chest heaved up and down a few times before she could finally calm herself down, “Holy Master Yang is all-knowing and omnipotent. Only you can save our world from this disaster. I beg Holy Master Yang to show mercy on our generation and save the world from misery!”
“We request Holy Master Yang to show mercy and save the world from misery!” All of a sudden, thunderclaps-like shouts reverberated through the sky.
Yang Kai turned to look and suddenly found that the thousands of Shrouded Heaven Mansion cultivators had gathered around him and looked at him with pleading looks in their eyes.
On the other side, Mu Cheng Feng had been whacked to the point that his figure had lost all resemblance to a human figure. His battered and broken corpse was lying in a puddle of blood.
Yang Kai touched his nose in embarrassment and said, “Don’t be so serious. Um, I know a little about the current situation but I just came back. I don’t have that much of an idea. How about you tell me in detail. What’s happening in the world currently? When did these people come?”
“Let me answer Holy Master Yang’s question. These people came to Tong Xuan Realm a year ago…” The girl slowly parted her lips as her beautiful eyes fell into reminiscence. As she narrated, the look in her eyes gradually changed to panic and anger as she recalled the horrifying days and the tragic sight of her fellow disciples being killed.
After an hour, Yang Kai and Gui Zu set out again, disappearing into the horizon.
Watching the disappearing duo, the girl from the Shrouded Heaven Mansion immediately cheered in her heart.
[Our world is saved with the return of Holy Master Yang.] Although she had never met Yang Kai before, she was completely convinced after meeting him for the first time.
“Yang Kai, according to that little girl, this Spirit Devouring Sect is sinister.” Gui Zu fell into thoughts, “This method of extracting World Energy from the entire planet and transforming it into Spirit Devouring Crystal is brilliant. Even this Old Man is left puzzled.”
“Indeed, but this is only possible by hurting the base of the star.” Yang Kai played with the Spirit Devouring Crystals that were almost of the same size and same colour.
He had found these Spirit Devouring Crystals in Mu Cheng Feng’s Space Ring.
One of them was incomplete, which he had obtained from the Spirit Devouring Array, whereas the remaining were complete. Obviously, it was this year’s harvest.
Every strand of World Energy in these Spirit Devouring Crystals belonged to Tong Xuan Realm.
According to the girl from Shrouded Heaven Mansion, the Spirit Devouring Sect suddenly came to Tong Xuan Realm a year ago. Tong Xuan Realm cultivators were baffled by the sight of a Starship descending; they had no idea what was going on. And soon, the Spirit Devouring Sect suddenly started enslaving Tong Xuan Realm cultivators after suppressing the entire Tong Xuan Realm with absolute strength to work for them and maintain the Spirit Devouring Array.
And all those, who tried to resist, were killed without mercy.
In a year, several dozen powerful families on Tong Xuan Realm were wiped off the face of the earth!
Their Shrouded Heaven Mansion had also suffered heavy losses. In the end, only a thousand members survived.
“Has Elder never heard of the Spirit Devouring Sect?” Yang Kai looked at Gui Zu.
Gui Zu shook his head and denied, “No. You also know that this Old Man was trapped for two millennia and escaped not too long ago. In fact, I don’t know much about the affairs of this Star Field. However… don’t you just happen to have someone you can ask?”
“You mean…” Yang Kai pondered for a moment before he understood who Gui Zu was referring to. He immediately took out the Soul Sustaining Bowl from the Space Ring, focused his Divine Sense inside, and shouted, “Come out!”
Next moment, the swaying Zi Dong’s soul suddenly emerged, looking at Yang Kai with fear and trepidation. He immediately asked with a smile, “Brother Yang, what can this Lowly One do for you? Could it be that we are at Purple Star already?”
“We are not at Purple Star but I have something to ask you.”
“Brother Yang, just ask. This Lowly One would tell you all I know and without reserve.” Zi Dong Lai wiped his forehead as if he was relieved.
“Have you heard of the Spirit Devouring Sect?”
“Spirit Devouring Sect?” Zi Dong Lai’s face changed at once as a look of extreme fear took over his face.
“So you really know!?” Yang Kai, judging by his expression, immediately knew that this guy had heard of the Spirit Devouring Sect.
“This Lowly One indeed knows. What’s wrong!? Did Brother Yang encounter someone from the Spirit Devouring Sect?” Zi Dong Lai looked at Yang Kai suspiciously.
“Yes! I just came across a group of cultivators who claimed to be from Spirit Devouring Sect. They had laid a Spirit Devouring Array, refining something called Spirit Devouring Crystal.” Yang Kai took out a Spirit Devouring Crystal while speaking. “This thing.”
“A Spirit Devouring Crystal!” A fervent look instantly appeared in Zi Dong Lai’s eyes; his eyes were completely glued on the Spirit Devouring Crystal; his face was overflowing with greed. But very soon, he remembered that his body was completely destroyed now. The Spirit Devouring Crystal would be utterly useless in his current predicament. He lowered his head, saddened.
“Tell me about this Spirit Devouring Sect. Why did you look so scared?” Yang Kai continued with his questions after putting away the Spirit Devouring Crystal.
“Spirit Devouring Sect … well, this one has never encountered them before. I have only seen some records in some ancient books of my Purple Star. According to the records, the Spirit Devouring Sect suddenly came to existence on a cultivation star called Heavenly Wolf Star a century ago and then rose like a comet. It’s rapid rise immediately drew attention from the entire Star Field. The Spirit Devouring Sect gave birth to many experts in less than a decade, including several Origin King Realm experts. It was really unusual for a sect that was completely unknown until then.”
“So, three great forces in the Star Field carried investigations and research on the Spirit Devouring Sect. Later, it was found that this Sect had discovered a set of secret methods from somewhere, which were the methods to lay the Spirit Devouring Array that Brother Yang just spoke of and refine Spirit Devouring Crystals. And the cultivators of their Sect advanced by leaps and bounds by absorbing and refining the energy of Spirit Devouring Crystals.”
“It was okay if it was just like this. The key point was that their rise was accompanied by the decline of Heavenly Wolf Star. In less than half a century after the birth of the Spirit Devouring sect, the density of Heavenly Wolf Star World Energy had dropped by several levels. Only then did the three great forces of Star Field realized the seriousness of this. Any Cultivation Star was a valuable asset of a Star Field. How could they allow the Spirit Devouring Sect to act so recklessly? If they let them continue like this, the Heavenly Wolf Star would collapse sooner or later. So, after some discussion, the three great forces jointly dispatched experts to the Heavenly Wolf Star and attacked the headquarters of the Spirit Devouring Sect.”
“Though the Spirit Devouring Sect was uprooted in that battle, the three great forces also lost a lot of experts. This was something that had never happened before; a Sect that could compete with the three great forces. Since that battle, the Spirit Devouring Sect had disappeared from the stage of history. I thought that the Spirit Devouring Sect had long disappeared but who would have thought that a fish still had slipped through the net.”
“The three great forces joined hands!” Yang Kai was also startled but he soon sneered. “The three great forces allied not just to prevent the Spirit Devouring Sect from destroying the Heavenly Wolf Star, right? What else were they eyeing?”
Zi Dong Lai smiled in embarrassment and replied, trying to flatter Yang Kai, “Brother Yang is truly farsighted. Which force would not be greedy for the Spirit Devouring Sect’s shocking method that can quickly train cultivators. A man’s wealth is his own ruin by causing another’s greed. However… as far as I know, although the three forces had destroyed the Spirit Devouring Sect, they never got the method of arranging the Spirit Devouring Array.”
“Oh!? Why is this?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“I have no idea. I have only read some records from the Sect’s ancient book and don’t know about the specifics of what happened back then.” Zi Dong Lai furrowed his brow as a look of worry appeared on his face, “But for the Spirit Devouring Sect to have unexpectedly returned after several decades, this is bad news. By the way, Brother Yang, where are we? The Spirit Devouring Sect has become the target of everyone’s hatred after that incident. They can’t make any move under the noses of the three forces.”
“This is my homeworld!” Yang Kai replied casually. “No outsider has come here for a long time. Maybe this attracted the Spirit Devouring Sect, and they had laid the Spirit Devouring Arrays here.”
“So that’s how it is. Brother Yang, since you have found the Spirit Devouring Sect, you should eradicate them as soon as possible. If you give them a breath of respite, they will turn into a big problem. Judging by the density of this world’s World Energy, I think there are no experts here. If you take me back to Purple Star, I can mobilize Purple Star experts … hey, hey, Brother Yang, let me finish, Brother Yang … “
After Yang Kai stuffed the Soul Sustaining Bowl back to the Space Ring, he said to Gui Zu, “Elder, can I trouble you to take a trip?”
“Sect Master, if you have any orders, just let me know.” Gui Zui chuckled.
“The Spirit Devouring Sect seems to have a lot of people. As you just heard from the girl, they have scattered across the continent and laid the Spirit Devouring Array. I would like to ask you to help me eradicate them all.”
“That’s easy,” Gui Zu let out a peal of weird laughter. “It’s also very easy to find them. I just have to follow the flow of World Energy. It’s as easy as following the vines to get the melons. Moreover, this Old Man is also very interested in the Spirit Devouring Array. This Spirit Devouring Array is so heaven-defying, you shouldn’t have watched Mu Cheng Feng get killed. You should have interrogated him first.”
“The Spirit Devouring Array can be studied but can never be used.”
“Naturally, this Old Man is aware of it. This Old Man doesn’t want to be a public enemy of the Star Field, Sect Master doesn’t have to worry about that. This Old Man will be right back in a jiffy. By the way, where should I find you after dealing with them.”
“Nine Heavens Holy Land!” replied Yang Kai. “You can just ask anyone, they will know where it is.”
“Okay, this Old Man will take his leave then!” Gui Zu broke into laughter as the Ten Thousand Soul Banners wrapped around him and shot into distance, leaving a streak of light.
After Gui Zu left, Yang Kai gazed deep in a certain direction before the Wind and Thunder Wings spread behind him and he too disappeared, leaving howls of winds and roars of thunder.
It never occurred to him that Tong Xuan Realm would face such a crisis. Now that the survivors of the Spirit Devouring Sect were being eradicated by Gui Zu himself, he wasn’t worried, but he would have to go to the core himself.
[Mu Cheng Feng had said that his father is planning on refining the Star Source of Tong Xuan Realm. In that case, the Spirit Devouring Sect Master must be at the core now.]
[The Star Source of a Cultivation Star is always hidden in the depths of its core, but it’s extremely difficult to reach it. Not just anyone can resist the law contained in the power of Star Source; only a Third-Order Origin King can put up some resistance.]
[Also, the Star Source of Tong Xuan Realm has been refined by Little Senior Sister, who is not on this planet. So, it shouldn’t be difficult to sneak into the core.]
If Yang Kai’s guess was right, the Spirit Devouring Sect Master should already be at the planet’s core.
Having flown for a while, Yang Kai looked for a suitable place and landed. He then released Xiao Xiao with a wave of his hand while he himself got into the Sealed World Bead, letting Xiao Xiao take this Emperor Artifact.
Xiao Xiao’s figure then disappeared into the earth as he used his natural Divine Ability, moving towards the core at a very fast speed.
After half an hour or so, Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense to investigate the outside. He was immediately surprised to find that he had reached the core. It was very hot and had surging magma. Even the World Energy here contained unimaginable heat toxin.
He could also sense some faint movements at a very distant location.
Yang Kai’s face turned stiff as he sprang out of the Sealed World Bead. His expression grew worse as he listened closely for a movement. He hurriedly shot towards the source of the movements.
About a hundred miles away from Yang Kai stood a tough-looking middle-aged man with his hands crossed behind his back and five Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators standing on either side behind him.
The middle-aged man was looking ahead with a dignified look in his eyes.
A dazzling ball of energy happened to be floating right before him. There was a clear face on that ball of energy. The face was covered by a veil, hiding its true appearance, had a blue crystal on its forehead and its eyes were as clear and pure as elves.
It was none other than Xia Ning Chang!
It was quite evident that it wasn’t Xia Ning Chang’s true body rather an embodiment of her made from the wisp of her soul, that’s all. At this moment, Xia Ning Chang’s clear and crystal eyes were filled with anxiety and helplessness, along with a sliver of anger.
Meanwhile, that middle-aged man and the other Origin Returning Realm cultivators looked calm and steady, like everything was in their grasp.
Both sides seemed to be locked in a confrontation.
After a long time, the middle-aged man parted his lips and spoke, “This King had been waiting for many days, I wonder if Young Lady Xia had given it a thought? Can you give this King a satisfactory answer?”
Xia Ning Chang furrowed her brow and responded gently, “Can you wait a little longer? This matter is very important. I need to discuss it with my Junior Brother but the problem is that I can’t get in touch with my Junior Brother.”
The middle-aged man let out a cold harrumph in response. “Young Lady Xia, are you kidding me? This King has been tolerant and doesn’t want to use force because of the fact that you have refined the Star Source at such a young age. I love people with talents, but you have been passing the buck several times. Do you think that this King is a fool? Everyone would generally consult with their Honored Master when in trouble, why would you discuss with your Junior Brother? It’s really ridiculous.”
“But…” Xia Ning Chang said to herself. [Honored Master’s cultivation is even worse than mine, how can it be comparable to Junior Brother?]
“No buts,” the middle-aged man interrupted Xia Ning Cheng impatiently. “Since you’re unwilling to cooperate, then this King can only extract all of this world’s World Energy and turn it into a Dead Star! As for the Star Source, since you aren’t willing to let it go, then this King doesn’t want it either! When I have extracted all its World Energy, this King would like to see how long will you be able to hold its Star Source without the support of World Energy! How would Missy bring it back to life? Hehe, there are hundreds of millions of beings living on this planet … without the nourishment of World Energy, I’m afraid they will be reduced to nothing but bones!”
“Wait!” Xia Ning Chang turned pale in fear. Her eyes were filled with hesitation and helplessness.
The middle-aged man sneered at her as a steadfast look appeared on his face.
He might not have been communicating with Xia Ning Chang for long but he could see that she had a scanty experience of life and was kind-hearted. She didn’t want to see this planet slowly go extinct. It was for this reason that he could threaten her to let go of the Star Source.
Otherwise, it was impossible to get an already refined Star Source unless he found her true body and killed her.
But how could the middle-aged man know where her true body was? Xia Ning Chang let a wisp of her soul come here only because she had sensed that there was something wrong with the planet. Unless he had some super Divine Ability that could follow her Divine Sense and track the location of Xia Ning Chang’s true body.
Judging by the extremely distressed look on Xia Ning Chang’s face, the middle-aged man knew that his threat had worked. [How can a little and kind-hearted girl like her bear it when I’m using the lives of billions of creatures to pressure her?] He timely struck the iron while it was hot, “Young Lady Xia, this King is unwilling to resort to acts of cruelty. If you release your reign over this Star Source and allow this King to refine it, this King will become this planet’s Star Master. How can I not care about this planet as its Star Master?”
“But… but haven’t you been extracting its World Energy?” Xia Ning Chang wasn’t clear about the sinister Spirit Devouring Crystal. As such, she hadn’t noticed the evil intentions of the other party for the moment.
“It’s just deconstruction before reconstruction.” The middle-aged man smiled a little. “Young Lady Xia, I can’t tell you why. Young Lady just needs to know that if you allow this King to refine the Star Source, this King will definitely lead this planet to prosperity!”
“Is that really so!?” Xin Ning Chang murmured to herself. She might be kind and simple in nature but it didn’t mean that she was a fool. She could naturally tell that this middle-aged man was far from honest and good. But the opposite party was threatening her weakness.
[If I don’t let go of the Star Source and let him refine it, he would really draw all the World Energy of this world sooner or later. By then, it would already be reduced to a Dead Star.]
The very day she became the Star Master of this Cultivation Star, she could feel the billions of lives living on Tong Xuan Realm. She could feel all the ups and downs of this planet. How could she bear to watch this planet be reduced to a cold and lifeless planet?
Xia Ning Chang really had no idea what to do. There was only one thing echoing in her mind, [Junior Brother, where are you? What would have done if you were in position?]
“Little Senior Sister, don’t listen to his bullshit!” Suddenly, a voice reverberated in the depths of the core.
Xia Ning Chang immediately raised her head. Instinctively, she thought that she was just imagining things; her ears were playing tricks on her. But when she saw a familiar figure walking out of the darkness not far away, and saw the smile on that familiar face, she realized that her Junior Brother was actually here.
Xia Ning Chang looked as if she would break into tears anytime now; she was extremely aggrieved.
Having been negotiating with the middle-aged man over the past few days, her delicate and sensitive heart was under unimaginable pressure, but she was still dealing courteously but without insincerity. But when this figure appeared, Xia Ning Chang suddenly felt that her entire body was about to collapse. Her shoulders had been bearing a burden all the while; it almost crushed her bones. Only when this burden was relieved that she came to realize what she was carrying.
“Junior Brother!” Xia Ning Chang pursed her lips and shouted.
“Senior Sister, don’t cry!” Yang Kai’s figure flickered before he appeared right before the wisp of Xia Ning Chang’s soul, staring at her. He then pursed his lips into a smile and immediately consoled her, “It’s okay, everything’s okay! I’m here now!”
He comforted her like he was comforting a little child. He almost patted Xia Ning Chang’s head several times.
Xia Ning Chang nodded obediently.
“Did you notice that something was wrong here, so your wisp of soul came?” Yang Kai immediately understood everything with just one glance. Only a Star Master could do this. He too could let a wisp of his soul return to Shadowed Star if he wanted to, but his consumption would be too much. “It’s not good for the soul to remain this far for so long. It can cause irreparable harm easily. Go back and tell them that I will return to the Sect soon, they don’t need to worry.”
“Mhmm, Junior Brother, be careful. These people…”
“It’s okay! It’s just a few wastes who can’t show their faces in public, that’s all.” Yang Kai sneered.
Xia Ning Chang smiled sweetly upon hearing this. She was no longer worried. She then formed some seals as the embodiment of her soul slowly disappeared.
But just before Xia Ning Chang left, she suddenly seemed to have remembered something. She hurriedly said, “By the way, Junior Brother, Yang Yan, she …”
“What happened to Yang Yan?” Yang Kai panicked. But there was no trace of Xia Ning Chang before him. Her wisp of soul had already crossed the Starry Sky and returned to Shadowed Star.
“What the hell happened?” Yang Kai was depressed. Xia Ning Chang might not know Yang Yan’s true identity, but he was completely aware of it. Yang Yan had been sleeping after returning from the Emperor Garden; apparently, her true body and embodiment had completely fused. It had been over a decade now, and he had no idea about her current situation. And now when Xia Ning Chang suddenly brought up Yang Yan but failed to finish her sentence, Yang Kai grew completely impatient.
“Look how I deal with you after I return!” Yang Kai thought in his mind, furious.
“Brat, how dare you judge this King like this.” The middle-aged man and the Origin Returning Realm cultivators had been staring at Yang Kai vigilantly since he showed up. But Yang Kai’s recent comment that they were just wastes who can’t show their faces in public had immediately drawn their ire.
In addition, Yang Kai had also denied them the opportunity of getting the Star Source that they were just about to get with just a few words. How could the middle-aged man take this? He immediately shouted in anger.
Yang Kai slowly turned around and responded with a sneer, glaring at them, “What’s wrong? Are you guys not wastes? Several grown men were threatening and bullying a little girl. Calling you guys wastes is an insult to all wastes!”
The middle-aged man let out a cold snort as an intense murderous intent filled his eyes.
“Who just said that he will turn this planet into a Dead Star? If you stand up now, this Sect Master promises not to kill you!” Yang Kai glared at the people before him and acted in a completely rampant manner.
“Kid, don’t think that you can act lawlessly with just a little bit of strength. A frog in a well knows nothing of the ocean. Judging by the fact that you have reached the Origin King Realm at such a young age, you can be considered to have good talent. How about you join this King? This King can provide you with an awesome Secret Technique that can let you reach the top as quickly as possible,” the middle-aged said in a serious voice, carrying his hands behind his back. His tone and bearing gave the impression of a grandmaster.
“What!? This kid is in Origin King Realm!?”
“This kid!?”
“Impossible!?”
The Origin Returning Realm masters behind the middle-aged man were struck with terror, screaming one after another. They had been trying to sense Yang Kai’s cultivation all the while but they noticed that they couldn’t find any clues at all, so they believed that he was wearing some artifact that could isolate their Divine Senses. How could they know that the other party was stronger than themselves?
[But … is there such a young Origin King Realm expert?]
Yang Kai chuckled and rebuked contemptuously, “You people from the Spirit Devouring Sect are really idiots! No wonder your Sect was destroyed.”
The middle-aged man’s pupils immediately shrunk upon hearing this. “You know that we are from the Spirit Devouring Sect, so what gave you the guts to act so rampantly?”
The Origin Returning Realm masters shuddered as if someone came to know of their deep, dark secrets. Fear apparent in their eyes.
“So what if I am acting rampantly? Come and bite me if you don’t like it!” Yang Kai sneered. “If you don’t have guts to do it, how about I lend you some?”
The middle-aged man’s entire body shook in anger but he didn’t dare to make a move. He had long noticed that Yang Kai was in First-Order Origin King Realm, the same as him, so he wasn’t a hundred percent sure that he could Yang Kai. That’s the only reason why he had been bearing Yang Kai’s arrogance.
But he couldn’t let the secret of the Spirit Devouring Sect be brought to anyone’s notice. Or else, they would quite likely be chased and killed by all the cultivators of the Star Field.
The middle-aged man was in a big dilemma. He didn’t know what to do.
Yang Kai, noticing his hesitation, sneered and added fuel to the fire, “By the way, I killed a few members of your Spirit Devouring Sect before coming here. One of them happened to be someone called Spirit Devouring Sect Young Sect Master. What was his name? Right, Mu Cheng Feng, that guy was your son, right!? Sect Master Mu Wu!?”
Mu Wu shuddered as his eyes turned bloodshot. “You killed Cheng Feng!?”
“Uh, that’s not right, per se. I’m sorry.” Yang Kai smiled apologetically. “I didn’t kill him. I just beat him up a bit. Well, he was beaten to death by the members of the Shrouded Heaven Mansion, dying miserably. He was minced to pieces. Sect Master Mu Wu, if you had been there and saw it, you would have surely cried. Tsk, tsk…”
“Bastard, I will kill you!” Mu Wu scowled and shouted in anger. A pulse of Saint Qi spread around him as he released his Origin King Realm Domain, pushing it towards Yang Kai. At the same time, he left a streak of light as he appeared right above Yang Kai’s head.
He was well aware of how strong the people of Shrouded Heaven Mansion were. Naturally, his son couldn’t be killed by them, no matter what. The only way he would die was that his cultivation was suppressed by the kid before him; he was the man behind his son’s brutal killing.
Mu Wo simply couldn’t let his son’s killer live, he would either destroy him or die trying! Even if the sect master feared Yang Kai, he could not stand the sight of him!
He clapped his hands and pushed them forward as a pulse of energy shot out from his hands and transformed into a cross-cut visible to the naked eyes, pressing down on Yang Kai like an unstoppable avalanche. It seemed as if it would split Yang Kai into two.
“That’s it!?” Yang Kai spat disdainfully as a look of disdain appeared on his face.
He could already tell Mu Wu’s next course of action just by looking at his body movements. Mu Wu might be a First-Order Origin King, but his real combat power was worse than any Origin King Realm expert Yang Hai had encountered.
This gap was mainly in the refinement of Saint Qi as well as the power of his Domain.
And it shouldn’t be that surprising, as the Spirit Devouring Sect cultivators mainly depended on refining and absorbing the Spirit Devouring Crystals for cultivation, it was just a shortcut. Unfortunately, there was no shortcut for cultivating Martial Dao. The price of their rapid growth was an unstable foundation.
The cultivators of Spirit Devouring Sect might be able to cultivate to the Second-Order or even Third-Order Origin King Realm with the help of Spirit Devouring Crystals, but their real combat power was definitely much lower than the cultivators of the same level.
The same was true for Mu Wu, his Saint Qi was heterogeneous and his Domain wasn’t perfect either.
The cross energy slash might appear to have unparalleled momentum but to Yang Kai, it was full of flaws.
The next moment, he bent his waist and took a horse stance as he sent a punch to greet the oncoming attack.
A streak of fist energy swished through the air, hitting right at the centre of the cross energy slash.
CRACK… A feeble and crisp sound immediately rang in Mu Wu’s ear, shaking him up. His eyes almost popped out in shock as a look of horror took over his face.
Much to his shock and dismay, his Domain was shattered by the opposite party’s punch, and the same could be said for his cross energy slash; it was extremely weak and fragile.
[So strong!] Mu Wu immediately came to realize that he was not Yang Kai’s opponent.
Just as this thought flashed in his mind, the streaking fist energy smashed through all his barriers, hitting him hard in the chest.
Puff… Mu Wu was immediately sent flying, spurting a mouthful of blood.
“What!?”
“Sect Master actually…”
“Impossible! My eyes must be playing tricks!”
The Origin Returning Realm masters of the Spirit Devouring Sect immediately cried in surprise. They turned pale. They immediately rubbed their eyes in succession, wondering whether they were seeing correctly.
An Origin King Realm master had always been synonymous with a top expert of the Star Field. But to their shock, their Sect Master, an Origin King Realm expert, was sent flying at the very start of the confrontation with this young man. They could hardly accept this fact.
Mu Wu too was shuddering in his heart. Just one punch had cooled him down. He immediately started thinking of escaping the very moment he came to realize that he wasn’t Yang Kai’s opponent.
However… a flash of white light suddenly blinded his eyes as the source of his terror appeared before him out of nowhere, standing nose to nose with him.
“Demon Eye!” Yang Kai gently uttered two words as his left pupil constricted in the next moment, turning into a long and narrow vertical pupil. Immediately after, a dazzling golden glow filled with majesty bloomed from the long vertical pupil.
Mu Wu lost consciousness at that moment. In his mind, all he could see was a terrifying eye hovering in the sky, gazing down at him coldly. He didn’t dare to make a rash move. Even his Soul was shaken up.
And Yang Kai, taking advantage of his loss of consciousness, made his move.
He promptly punched right into Mu Wu’s Dantian, pouring his surging Saint Qi into Mu Wu’s body. His Saint Qi coursed through Mu Wu’s meridians and body and destroyed his meridians in an instant, as if he was stabbed by a thousand swords.
The Origin King Realm aura around Mu Wu instantly started weakening.
In just three breaths, the Spirit Devouring Sect Master’s cultivation was abolished by Yang Kai.
Bam… Mu Wu crashed straight into a ground and lay still on the ground like a dead fish.
The few Origin Returning Realm cultivators of the Spirit Devouring Sect in the depths of the core gulped a mouthful of saliva. Everything happened just too fast. It was so fast that their Sect Mast was crippled before they even had the chance to react.
Now that they realized their own situation, all of their faces turned ugly. They looked at Yang Kai standing by Mu Wu as if they were looking at a demon. Their faces were filled with shock and horror.
[If this young man can cripple Sect Master in three breaths then killing us would be a matter of lifting his finger.]
The Demon Eye of Annihilation in Yang Kai’s left eye was still active. Next, Yang Kai bent over and lifted Mu Wu, raised him to his eye level and stared straight into his eyes. His Divine Sense surged as he spoke in a deep and reverberating voice, “If you don’t want to die, tell me the method to arrange the Spirit Devouring Array?”
Even though Yang Kai had seen the Hexagonal Array, he couldn’t find out anything. He wasn’t that proficient in Spirit Arrays. Therefore, if he wanted to know how to arrange it, he had to start with Mu Wu.
Mu Wu was the Sect Master of the Spirit Devouring Sect. It was well within reason that he knew the method to arrange the Spirit Array.
How could Mu Wu, whose cultivation was completely abolished, be able to resist the might of Demon Eye of Annihilation? Under the suppression of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, a lifeless look immediately appeared in his eyes as he blurted out subconsciously, “The Spirit Devouring Array was given to my Mu Family by that Sir, and Sir said that I can’t tell anyone about it!”
“Sir!?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow; he was a little surprised. All he wanted was to understand the working principle of the Spirit Devouring Array from Mu Wu and let Yang Yan study it to see if it could be improved after he returned to Shadowed Star. But how could he have known that it would involve some mysterious ‘Sir’?
[It seems to be a very big secret…] Yang Kai thought to himself.
Suddenly, he had a very bad feeling.
Right then, a glimmer of intelligent gleam flickered in Mu Wu’s lifeless eyes as he shouted aloud, “Sir, save me!”
Yang Kai’s expression immediately changed. Just as he was about to withdraw, a bright beam of light shot out of Mu Wu’s eyes, shooting straight towards Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
“Damn it!” Yang Kai was shocked. He flung Mu Wu away and closed his eyes as his Soul Avatar manifested in his Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea appeared quite calm but Yang Kai immediately noticed a ball of unusual energy.
That ball of energy was floating in his Knowledge Sea, twisting and changing. Yang Kai felt a completely strange aura from that energy. This aura definitely didn’t belong to Mu Wu.
The energy wasn’t that strong but Yang Kai felt a huge threat from it.
“Soul Warming Lotus! You actually have a Soul Warming Lotus!” A husky scream suddenly reverberated from that ball of energy. Judging by the voice, Yang Kai could tell that it belonged to a man but he couldn’t tell the opposite party’s age. In the next moment, that ball of energy transformed into a man wearing Changshan.
(Ash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changshan)
His face appeared blurry and Yang Kai couldn’t see it clearly.
At this moment, the man’s attention was completely occupied by the seven colours island in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. There was a vague crazy look in his eyes.
“Hahaha, you have already evolved it into Seven Colored Soul Warming Lotus, just a one step away from the Supreme Soul Warming Lotus. What a surprise! What a pleasant surprise! Who would have thought that there would be such a precious heaven and earth treasure in this Star Field! It looks like that this King didn’t waste his Yuan Qi by coming here, it was well worth it!”
That person didn’t seem to care about Yang Kai at all. His eyes were completely glued on the Soul Warming Lotus; he was very excited.
His figure jolted again as he stared blankly at the sky above the Knowledge Sea. An even crazier look flickered in his eyes as he shouted in excitement, “Star Chart, it’s actually the Star Chart of this Star Field. Hahaha, I have really been wearing out the iron shoes just to find it in my backyard. Lady Luck is on my side! Lady Luck is on my side! Hahaha!”
“Your Excellency, who are you? You are not Mu Wu!?” Yang Kai glared at him coldly. Although this guy was giving Yang Kai a feeling of threat, they were in the world of his Knowledge Sea. He was the master of this world. Therefore, he wasn’t that afraid.
That man, on the other hand, just glanced at Yang Kai indifferently before his gaze turned colder.
Under this gaze, Yang Kai felt like an ant being stared at by a giant dragon, as if he was just an insignificant being in this man’s eyes.
Yang Kai was completely shaken up!
Yang Kai’s Martial Dao Will was extremely firm and resilient. All the enemies he had faced along his journey were far stronger than him. He was currently an Origin King Realm cultivator. Even a Third-Order Origin King couldn’t give him a feeling of inferiority.
[But this man…]
Yang Kai composed himself, dispelling the feeling of inferiority in his heart before speaking in a cold voice, “Your Excellency must be that Sir mentioned by Mu Wu.”
The opposite party raised his brow as he said with a shadow of a smile lingering on his face, “Kid, this King is surprised to see a talented young kid like you in this Star Field, who not only has good cultivation but also good disposition at such a young age. Kid, you will surely become a great tool in time. Yes, this King is that Sir mentioned by Mu Wu.”
“So to say, you attached a ray of your Divine Sense to Mu Wu to prevent Mu Wu from revealing the secret of Spirit Devouring Array. Once he wants to tell the secret, you will show up to stop him, am I right!?”
“What a smart lad, you are worth teaching!”
Yang Kai nodded slightly. Yang Kai had some inkling of an idea about this man’s origin from the man’s self-talk and the brief conversation with him. After a while, he suddenly raised his head and asked with a smile, “Can I ask you a question Sir, have you heard of someone called… Insect Emperor?”
The man’s figure suddenly quivered upon hearing these words. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes as he cried in surprise, “A trivial ant like you actually know the existence of Sir Insect Emperor!? It seems there is more to you than meets the eyes!”
“Hehe, I understand, you too are from that place!”
“So you know about the Star Boundary!?” That man gazed at Yang Kai with even more surprise and disbelief. “Who are you?”
He finally looked squarely at Yang Kai.
“So that place is called Star Boundary…” Yang Kai appeared to have been struck with a realization. At the same time, a look of yearning appeared on his face.
“You don’t know!?” The figure frowned. He couldn’t figure out why Yang Kai knew about the Insect Emperor but had never heard of the Star Boundary. He suddenly grew a little upset by the fact that he was disturbed by Yang Kai. He flung his hand and threatened, “Kid, I don’t care where you have heard about Sir Insect Emperor but since you saw this King, I can’t let you go! This King gives you two choices: either die or surrender to this King. If you offer the Soul Warming Lotus with both your hands, this King might just consider letting you live.”
“Thank you very much, Sir.” Yang Kai cupped his fists and bowed slightly, but then narrowed his eyes and said calmly, “But… I choose neither.”
“You are courting death!” The figure’s face blackened in rage as his murderous intent surged.
Although that man scolded Yang Kai fiercely, he had no intention of attacking Yang Kai. He just kept glaring at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai immediately broke into laughter. “In that case, Sir, please kill me!”
Yang Kai looked as if he wasn’t afraid of death. He kept provoking the man.
The figure’s face blackened in anger.
“What’s wrong!? You don’t dare to… or you can’t!?” Yang Kai’s glare suddenly became as sharp as a sword, trying to pierce straight into that figure’s heart to see through his lie and truth.
But the figure remained as stable as a mountain.
Yang Kai’s voice grew heavier as he sneered again and again, “Perhaps if it was your true body here, I would not have a chance to resist. I might not know how strong you are, but a cultivator of my level should not be able to resist you. Even still, a trivial wisp of Soul wants me to surrender without a fight? Are you an idiot? This is my Knowledge Sea, I am the master here!”
Just as he said this, the calm sea below them suddenly started to swell as thick water columns rose from the sea, one after another. It gave the impression of an evil dragon waking up from its sleep. The Knowledge Sea was suddenly filled with intense murderous intention.
The figure slowly took a deep breath and looked at Yang Kai indifferently. He finally nodded his affirmation and praised, “Kid, you really are extraordinary, it looks like this King underestimated you. Now that you have seen through everything, this King has no excuse. Kid, you better take care of your life, this King will come for you. You better not die before that.”
Having said this, he suddenly formed some mysterious seals with his hands as his figure started to slowly fade away.
“You want to leave!?” Yang Kai shouted furiously. “This is my Knowledge Sea, it’s not your own backyard where you can come and go as you like!”
All of a sudden, a dazzling golden glow bloomed in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea as the Demon Eye of Annihilation emerged over the Knowledge Sea, shooting the golden light of annihilation straight down at the figure and enveloping him inside.
The fading figure solidified as if it was imprisoned by the golden light of annihilation.
The figure furrowed his brow as he wondered suspiciously, “What kind of power is this!? How strange!? It’s actually dispersing my wisp of Soul!”
Suddenly, his body jolted, scattering the golden light of annihilation. The man then kept retreating, again and again. Yang Kai was unable to get close to him.
ROAR ROAR ROAR…
At this moment, dozens of evil dragons formed by the energy of Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea swarmed at the figure from all directions, biting at him viciously.
An extremely solemn look immediately appeared on the figure’s face. He then drew a semi-circle before him as a curtain of light appeared around his Soul Phantom to protect him.
BANG BOOM BANG…
The evil dragons crashed into the curtain of light with deafening claps. Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea momentarily shook, and even his Soul Avatar grew extremely weak.
It was a head-on confrontation between Souls. No matter who won and who lost, Yang Kai and that man would be severely injured.
Yang Kai didn’t come out scot-free but neither did that figure, it too paid an equal price. This wasn’t ordinary Spiritual Energy but the power of mutated fire-attribute Divine Sense. He might not have been annihilated under this wave of attack but that scorching power was burning his Soul; he was in great pain.
After having resisted dozens of dragon attacks, the figure started to grow transparent as if it might collapse any moment. Moreover, a scorching-hot energy could be vaguely seen coursing through the figure, eroding his Soul power continuously.
“Great, you are really good!” The figure greeted his teeth as he glared at Yang Kai in anger. “A trivial ant actually dares to harm this King’s Soul Phantom. This King has noted this and will make you pay a hundred times for this someday!”
Just as he finished speaking, he formed some seals again as his figure completely faded from Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
However, Yang Kai vaguely noticed him throw a seal into his Knowledge Sea before leaving.
After three breaths, the turmoil in his Knowledge Sea slowly calmed down.
A pale Yang Kai stood there carefully sensing the entirety of his Knowledge Sea. That mysterious figure had already left. There was no doubt in this as there was no aura of him.
[But… What seal did he leave before he left? Where is it hiding?] Yang Kai couldn’t sense it at all.
A deep sense of powerlessness rose in his heart, making Yang Kai extremely uncomfortable.
[However, that was just a Soul Phantom, perhaps just a wisp of that man’s Divine Sense, but that guy can come and go in my Knowledge Sea as he likes. Even a Third-Order Origin King can’t do this.]
[That guy should be on par with Yang Yan and Insect Emperor!?]
What Yang Kai was sure of was that he, Yang Yan, and Insect Emperor came from the same place. And that place was called Star Boundary! It was something of higher-level than Star Field.
There were two things Yang Kai was concerned about. The First was that he paid great attention to the Soul Warming Lotus in Yang Kai’s knowledge. He was even more excited at the sight of Star Chart than when he saw the Seven Colored Soul Warming Lotus.
[What’s the secret of this Star Chart!?] Yang Kai was extremely puzzled.
Since he got this Star Chart, Yang Kai had only used it to identify his bearing, he hadn’t found any other use. [But that guy cared so much about this Star Chart. He yearned for it more than the Seven Colored Soul Warming Lotus. Perhaps there is some secret about it that I am unaware of.]
The second was the Seven Colored Soul Warming Lotus.
Much to Yang Kai’s surprise, that figure said that the Seven Colored Soul Warming Lotus could be evolved into Supreme Soul Warming Lotus.
Yang Kai always believed the seven-coloured form to be the final form of the Soul Warming Lotus. It never occurred to him that it had even higher form!
This Soul Warming Lotus had brought great benefits to Yang Kai. The reason why his Spiritual Energy was so strong, not the least bit weaker than a Third-Order Origin King’s, was all due to the constant warming of his Soul by this precious heaven and earth treasure.
The seven-coloured form of the Soul Warming Lotus had already given Yang Kai untold benefits. If it evolved again… Yang Kai’s heart was beating crazily in excitement.
He had gained a lot of information just having talked with that figure for such a short while. He failed to come to his senses for a long time.
After a full fifteen minutes, Yang Kai finally dispelled the distracting thoughts in his heart. He then dispersed his Soul Avatar as his Divine Sense returned to his body.
He glanced back and noticed a pale Mu Wu sitting by his side, motionless. Apparently, abolishing his cultivation had caused his vitality to weaken.
Even those Origin Returning Realm masters hadn’t moved an inch. After having seen Yang Kai cripple Mu Wu without even breaking a sweat, how could they dare to have other thoughts!? They didn’t dare to escape, even if Yang Kai was standing still; they were afraid of angering Yang Kai and causing their own doom.
Only at this moment did they notice Yang Kai look at them, and these Origin Returning Realm masters were struck with panic. Each of them forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
“Young Hero, please give us a chance to live. We were also forced by Mu Wu. We had no choice but to help a tyrant oppress the innocents. We are regretting it now and hope that Young Hero will give us a chance to live. We will listen to Young Hero’s order from now on. We will not even hesitate even if we have to climb a mountain of blades or tread through a sea of fire!” One of them begged quickly.
As soon as he took the lead, the others also voiced their own difficulties. They accused Mu Wu for being overbearing and brutal. They cast their relationship with the Spirit Devouring Sect aside and pushed all the blame on Mu Wu.
Pu…
The already weakened Mu Wu was so angered by this that he could not help but spurt a mouthful of blood. He died right then and there.
Yang Kai coldly looked at their ugly faces. He was already feeling worse because of the mess made by that figure. How could he bear to listen to their bullshit? A golden flash of light illuminated this dim space as Golden Blood Threads shot out from Yang Kai, taking their lives instantly.
Afterwards, Yang Kai picked up their Space Rings and went through them, one by one. He found nearly a hundred Spirit Devouring Crystals from their Space Ring.
He placed all the Spirit Devouring Crystals by the Star Source and formed some seals before pointing at the crystals.
BOOM…
All the Spirit Devouring Crystals burst with a muffled explosion, releasing a tide of World Energy that spread in all directions.
From the start, the energy in these Spirit Devouring Crystals belonged to Tong Xuan Realm, Yang Kai was just returning it to where it belonged. Soon, the World Energy of his homeland would improve.
After having done all this, he summoned the Sealed World Bead and entered it, letting Xiao Xiao take it back to the surface.
At this same time, on a Cultivation Star billions of miles away from Tong Xuan Realm, a man was sitting in a cross-legged position in a valley rich in World Energy. He sat there as if he was blended into heaven and the earth. Even a Third-Order Origin King would fail to sense his existence if he hadn’t laid his eyes on him.
Butterflies were dancing around him. A bird was even sitting on top of his head, gracefully combing its feathers with its beak.
As far as the bird was concerned, standing on top of this person’s head was no different than standing on an ordinary branch.
This person’s understanding of the Martial Dao had surpassed the entire Star Field, reaching the rumoured Self-Existing Dao Realm.
If those so-called Third-Order Origin Kings saw this, they would immediately kowtow in worship.
The man’s body suddenly jolted as he fiercely opened his eyes, gazing into the distance.
After a short while, a streak of imperceptible energy shot over from the distance, drilling into his body.
The man then closed his eyes and felt it silently. His body jolted again after a while before he screamed in surprise, “A Seven Colored Soul Warming Lotus and the Star Field Map, these two treasures are actually on the same guy!? Isn’t his luck heaven-defying!? But so what!? Since you dared to harm this King’s Soul Phantom, how can this King let you go? However, I will let you keep them for the time being. With this King’s Soul Seeking Seal on you, you will never be able to escape from me, even if you fled to the ends of the world.”
Having said this, he slowly stood up as a cruel gleam flashed in his eyes. He thought for a while and said to himself, “All right, I haven’t found any strong energy fluctuation in this Star Field even after a century, so it seems like this Star Field really doesn’t have a Protector. If that’s the case, then it will become a stepping stone for this King to mount the throne.”
After having said this, a cold smile suddenly appeared on his lips as his entire figure strangely sank into the earth.
In just a moment, he had reached the depths of the planet’s core, standing before the Star Source of this Cultivation Star.
His hands danced in the air as he punched seals into the Star Source, one after another. The World Energy of this Cultivation Star started to surge with this man’s movement, converging towards the Star Source before being sucked in by this man.
All the cultivators on this Cultivation Star instantly noticed that there was something wrong. They could clearly feel the World Energy around them getting thinner and thinner at a horrendous rate, but they had no idea what was going on.
In Tong Xuan Realm, there was a cultivation paradise that had given birth to many talents. It was the world-famous Nine Heavens Holy Land, which was surrounded by nine peaks. Strength was revered here. It had untold masters and was the ruler of the entire Tong Xuan Realm.
But many years ago, the people in the Nine Heavens Holy Land had disappeared all of a sudden. No one knew where they left.
Some rumours had it that they were taken to the vast Star Field by the Nine Heavens Holy Lord, but others said that they had provoked some extremely powerful character and were completely annihilated. There were all kinds of tales, but no one had a clear idea.
Be that as it may, Nine Heavens Holy Land no longer had any owner.
Many Sects and families were eyeing this paradise. After the disappearance of the Nine Heavens Holy Land disciples, everyone was locked in a fierce struggle to grab it, leading to many fights and friction in which countless people lost their lives.
Afterwards, this paradise fell into the hands of two cultivators: Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai.
Both of them were lone wolves with no fixed abode and they had no reputation, for they had never participated in worldly affairs. They only cared about wine and roses, and their goal in life was to tour the entire continent, taste all the best dishes and see all the famous scenic spots.
But when they were passing by the Nine Heavens Holy Land, saw its rich World Energy and beautiful scenery, they occupied it impolitely.
Both of them were Third-Order Saints, so how could any run-of-the-mill Sect or family stop them? All they could do was retreat unwillingly.
This status quo remained for several years, and the two of them slowly got accustomed to this place, so they never left.
At this moment, the two were sitting in a pavilion located on one of the nine peaks facing each other, boiling tea and discussing the Dao. All in all, they were enjoying themselves.
They were surrounded by a dozen or so beautiful young girls who served the duo, their beautiful eyes were glimmering with a strange glow. All these girls were either rescued by the duo during their travels or brought back when their family was destroyed. All of them had either lost their homes or were bullied by villains, unable to defend themselves.
These two were free and easy-going. They neither competed with others nor with the world, and were handsome and suave. Despite being Third-Order Saints, the strongest cultivators in Tong Xuan Realm, they were very amiable and therefore loved and admired by these girls.
At this moment, a Go board filled with criss-cross black and white pieces was lying on a stone table between the two. The way they played was also in line with their temperament; there was no sense of killing on the chessboard. Amazingly, they had surrounded many of each others’ pieces but had not taken them out.
“Brother Yi, I heard that the Money Sect that had 3,000 members was destroyed by a group of people with unknown origins a few days ago. Apart from the people who died or fled, the rest were enslaved by them. These outsiders are really abominable.” Lin Yu Hao gracefully placed a piece but a faint worry was quite visible on his face.
Yi Zheng Kai fiddled with the piece but didn’t place it. He then raised his head and glanced at Lin Yu Hao before speaking indifferently, “Is Brother Lin planning on leaving and doing something about it?”
Lin Yu Hao chuckled as he opened the folding fan in his hand and fanned himself. He then said, “Back then, when you and I became sworn brothers, we swore that we will only seek freedom and will not kill anyone in this life, and if we do, we should be struck by lightning and split asunder. It’s tragic, many people have lost their families, but what’s that got to do with me?”
“Does Brother Lin actually think so?” Yi Zheng Kai looked at Lin Yu Hao with a shadow of a smile on his lips as he went straight to the heart of the matter, “I’m afraid that’s not the case! Brother Lin has been upset these days, even your playing style has changed.”
The latter lowered his head and pulled the Go board before him before laughing in embarrassment. “Haha, that’s really the case. My last move was really wrong.”
“Brother Lin didn’t make a wrong move but… Brother Lin’s heart is filled with murderous intent!” Having said this, Yi Zheng Kai placed his pieces with a solemn look on his face. At that moment, the entire atmosphere of the board changed. Its original calm atmosphere immediately turned fierce and murderous. That cold murderous intent seemed as if it would flow out of the board and soar straight to the sky.
Lin Yu Hao’s expression changed ever so slightly as he remarked calmly, “Brother Yin, it might not be a bad idea!”
Yi Zheng Kai burst into laughter. “You and I are indeed sword brothers. We even think alike.”
Lin Yu Hao heaved a sigh. “All these years, you and I only cared about living freely. We never really cared about the life and death of others on this continent. Even these girls…”
He glanced at the girls around him as a trace of guilt appeared on his face. “I really couldn’t ignore them, so I brought them back. I have been living freely for most of my life. But sometimes I think, is that kind of living really good?”
“In the past, when the Bone Race revived, we completely ignored it. But the masters of three races, the Human, Monster, and Demon Race, under the leadership of Nine Heavens Holy Lord defeated them and protected this land. If not for the Nine Heavens Holy Land Lord and the masters of three races, you and I wouldn’t have been able to live freely all these years! I’m afraid our bones would have been swallowed by the Bone Race already, sow could we make tea and discuss Dao today?”
“You are right!” Yi Zheng Kai nodded his agreement and said, “So Brother Lin is thinking what this Yi is thinking. In the past… we should have fought with the masters of three races. Even if we might have ended up dead, we would have died with a clear conscience.”
“Whenever I think about what happened back then, this Lin feels uneasy. The peace of this continent was bought with their lives, but we have been enjoying and squandering it wantonly…. We don’t deserve this.” Lin Yu Hao had a guilty smile on his face.
Yi Zheng Kai narrowed his eyes. “But now, we have a chance to rectify it. Would Brother Lin join this Yi to follow the footsteps of Nine Heavens Holy Land Lord and make up for the regrets in my heart!?”
“It’s only right and proper!” Lin Yu Hao stood up at once and proclaimed with heroic ardour, “This continent birthed and raised me, how can I watch those outsiders act recklessly? You and I are the strongest cultivators in this world. If even we don’t do anything, then who would raise this banner?”
“Well said!” Yi Zheng Kai clapped and stood up, “Since Brother Lin has made up his mind, then this Yi will bet his life and join you in this fight!”
“Depending on you two!?” A disdainful voice suddenly rang.
The righteous and passionate flame in Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai’s hearts was suddenly doused with cold water. Their expressions immediately changed as they looked around and shouted, “Who’s there?”
Just as their words fell, a young man appeared out of nowhere and approached them step by step, treading the air with a scornful smile hanging on his lips.
He appeared without warning, as if he had come out of the Void.
Yi Zheng Kai and Lin Yu Hao immediately focused their gaze straight at him before releasing their Divine Sense towards the young man, but the two brothers turned pale as they noticed that their Divine Sense went right through him. Like a rock sinking into the sea, they didn’t get any reaction.
More importantly, they couldn’t sense any energy fluctuation coming from the young man. He gave the impression of an ordinary person.
However, the two knew that this young man was far from ordinary and it was all because his cultivation far superseded theirs.
“Are you an outsider who is wreaking havoc on the continent?” Yi Zheng Kai appeared to have been struck with a realization and he asked aloud, at the same time winking at Lin Yu Hao. The duo secretly started circulating their Saint Qi, preparing to fight to their deaths if something went wrong.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, didn’t even pay any attention to them. He just walked right by them and sat down by the stone table. He then beckoned to a dazed girl and said with a smile, “Miss, can you pour me a cup of tea? I just had a fight with someone, so I’m really thirsty.”
But that girl didn’t move an inch as if she was still reeling from a big shock.
In these girls’ opinion, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai were almost omnipotent. They were the strongest people in the world, but when Yang Kai appeared, the two men they admired looked as if they had encountered the God of Plague; their foreheads were drenched in sweat.
The girl immediately wondered what made Yang Kai so tyrannical? He looked very ordinary!
But after having heard Yi Zheng Kai, she gritted her teeth and said, “Bad Guy, I will not pour you the tea prepared for the Young Lords.”
“Bad Guy!?” Yang Kai was taken aback. He pointed to his nose and asked, “Me!? How do I look like a bad guy to you?”
“You are one of the outsiders who had been killing and enslaving us! If you aren’t a bad guy, what are you? A good guy?” The girl was young and ignorant. She spoke rudely. She didn’t give even a bit of face to Yang Kai.
Not just her, the dozen or so girls standing nearby were all glaring at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai felt extremely uncomfortable under their murderous gazes. He touched his nose and said, feeling ill at ease, “When did I say I was an outsider? Just because your Young Lord said so? Do you trust him so much?”
“Young Lord is always right!” The girl straightened her chest, which just emphasized her developing chest. It was quite an interesting sight.
Yang Kai took a side glance at Yi Zheng Kai before chuckling.
Yi Zheng Kai’s face turned ugly. He quickly reprimanded, lest Yang Kai was offended, “Ling’er, don’t be rude! Pour tea for this friend!”
After Yi Zheng Kai had spoken, the girl named Ling’er reluctantly walked up to Yang Kai, picked up the teapot, and filled up a cup before retreating angrily.
“Thanks.” Yang Kai thanked as he picked the cup and drank in one go. “It’s just passable.”
“Just passable!?” Lin Yu Hai’s veins bulged in anger as he quickly retorted, “Do you what kind of tea is this?”
“I don’t know.” Yang Kai shook his head.
Lin Yu Hao let out a cold snort and explained, “It’s White Snow of Sun. No money can buy it because it will only be produced once or twice in a century. Also, it’s prepared using Supreme True Water, yet you said it’s just…”
“Alright! Alright!” Yang Kai waved his hand and interrupted his grumbles. “It’s just tea, isn’t it? Isn’t it just used for drinking? What’s the point of praising it so much? It will be gone in one sip.”
“You…” Lin Yu Hao was almost angered to death.
Yi Zheng Kai said, “Brother Lin, why are you explaining this to him? You can see in one glance, this guy is not a man of elegance.”
“Hmph!” Lin Yu Hao let out a cold snort.
“What’s the point of elegance?” Yang Kai sneered. “Can you eat it? Can it kill anyone? The world is in chaos. If you are so elegant, why don’t you two wield this elegance and kill those guys, returning peace and order to this continent?”
Just as Yang Kai said this, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai looked embarrassed. Lin Yu Hao tried to justify himself, “You don’t need to tell us! Brother Yi and I were just about to go out and teach those scoundrels a good lesson.”
“Forget it.” Yang Kai burst into laughter. “You two would just be slapped to death if you really went with just this level of strength.”
“How dare you humiliate us!” Lin Yu Hao blew his top. He formed some weird seals and shouted angrily, “I don’t care who you are, since you dare to humiliate Brother Yi and I, be ready to accept due punishment! Plucking Flower Finger!”
Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai were both straightforward people that could not bear being so despised and humiliated by Yang Kai.
Plucking Flower Finger was a supreme Secret Technique that Lin Yu Hao had developed after many years. It was extremely powerful and could kill the target without drawing any blood, very much in line with his style.
In a flash, a flower made of World Energy shot out from his finger, while an invisible energy locked on to Yang Kai.
Yin Zheng Kai, on the other hand, stood aside; he had no intention of attacking with Lin Yu Hao, focusing all his attention on Yang Kai instead. He had a hunch that Lin Yu Hao’s ultimate technique would be useless against Yang Kai because this young man seemed very strong.
Be that as it may, he could gauge Yang Kai’s depth through Yang Kai’s reaction. So, Yi Zheng Kai was keeping an eye on him.
But in the next moment, a look of terror took over his face as he muttered to himself, “How is this possible?”
Yang Kai didn’t even move his body. All he did was gently blow and it directly dispersed Lin Yu Hao’s Plucking Flower Finger, the flowers scattering into petals before it could touch Yang Kai.
Lin Yu Hao was also dumbstruck. He glanced at Yi Zheng Kai as a chill ran down his spine.
The other party had broken his strongest Secret Technique just like that, evidence that Yang Kai’s cultivation had reached a level that the two couldn’t even fathom. Even if there was too big of a gap in their cultivation, such a thing was still impossible.
“What a superb Secret Technique.” Yang Kai chuckled lightly. “Unfortunately, your cultivation is too low. It can’t play a big role.”
It sounded insulting, but rather than feeling insulted, a pondering look appeared on Lin Yu Hao’s face.
In cultivation, it didn’t matter who started cultivating first, what mattered was who had higher cultivation. Yang Kai might seem young, but he was naturally qualified to comment with his strength.
Having said this, Yang Kai’s face sank again. “You two have been hiding here, drinking tea and discussing the Dao without paying attention to the worldly affairs. It might look like you are free and unrestrained but are you really free to do as you like?”
Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai looked at each other. An embarrassed look appeared on their faces.
Yang Kai sneered and continued, “If you feel that you are free and at peace, then forget it, but I don’t think you are. If you want to escape from the world, then why care about the world? Why bring trouble to yourself for nothing? It’s really ridiculous. Either seclude yourself in the mountains and forests for your entire life or enter the world of mortals, enjoying all aspects of life. On the road of Martial Dao, your heart needs to be free and at ease. You need to keep forging ahead with firm determination. If you calculate your gain and losses, being overly cautious and indecisive, you will never achieve anything in your life!”
“Needs to be free and at ease!” Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai were hit with a shock. A pondering look immediately appeared on their faces. Their expression kept on changing; sometimes they looked confused, sometimes they looked excited. It seemed as if they were comprehending something.
Yang Kai glanced at them and chuckled. He then beckoned to the girl named Ling’er. “Miss, pour me another cup, and don’t be so angry.”
Ling’er nibbled her lips and hugged the teapot tightly while glaring at Yang Kai. It seemed as if she could guard it with her life.
Yang Kai rubbed his nose in embarrassment.
Right at this moment, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai suddenly let out a long roar towards the sky. Their long roars immediately summoned the winds and clouds. In the blink of an eye, the Nine Heavens Holy Land was covered in lightning and thunder. It seemed as if a blanket of dark clouds had fallen from above.
“Oh!? It looks like they are about to advance!” Yang Kai looked at the sky. It was clearly the baptism of the world that a cultivator had to face when he was about to break through by a Great Realm.
He hadn’t expected these two guys, who had occupied the Nine Heavens Holy Land like a dove occupies the magpie’s nest, would break through their own shackles because of his words. Just from this, it was quite evident that these two guys were very talented. It was just that they were limited by the meagre World Energy of Tong Xuan Realm, and were unable to break through.
Just as they finished howling, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai flew into the sky with a serious look on their faces and separated from each other, preparing to face the World Energy baptism.
“What did you do to the two Young Lords?” Ling’er’s beautiful face lost all colour as she rushed to Yang Kai and asked loudly.
The other girls also rushed over and surrounded Yang Kai. Worry and anger were clearly visible in their beautiful eyes; worried for Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai while angry at Yang Kai.
It seemed that as long as something happened to Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai, they would beat Yang Kai to death.
“I didn’t do anything. Weren’t you watching?” Yang Kai was in a jam. “I just spoke a few words to them that’s all.”
“Then why are they like this?” Ling’er was on the verge of crying.
“Don’t worry, they will come down stronger in a while!” Yang Kai patiently explained.
“Save it for someone who would believe you, you scoundrel! Sisters, let’s beat him up.” A round-faced girl from the crowd shouted angrily.
Just as she proposed this, all the girls raised their fists and rained their punches at Yang Kai.
“Huh, where is he?” In the next moment, Ling’er screamed in shock. She was shocked to discover that Yang Kai, who should be sitting on the chair, couldn’t be found anywhere. All their punches just hit the air.
“Was he… a ghost?” That round-faced girl turned pale as she asked cautiously.
Just as she said this, everyone turned pale and shuddered in horror when they recalled that they had been with the ghost for so long.
On one of the Nine Peaks, Yang Kai heaved a sigh. “The girls are afraid of nothing these days.”
These girls’ Martial Dao cultivation might not be high, but their determination to defend Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai was not a joke. It really made Yang Kai helpless. If he stayed any longer, he might have been crushed by the waves, so Yang Kai had no choice but to flee decisively.
In the sky, two human figures stood in the air as the might of heaven and earth struck them one after another, making them scream, but their cries contained unyielding will and joy.
After a long while, the phenomena over the Nine Heavens Holy Land finally and slowly scattered.
Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai immediately appeared in the pavilion at the same time. They looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Although the two looked quite embarrassed, they had already broken through the Saint Realm and advanced to the Saint King Realm.
“Young Lords, are you all right?” Ling’er and the girls anxiously rushed over and asked.
“We are okay! Well, where is that friend?” Lin Yu Hao looked around but when he didn’t find Yang Kai, he was shocked.
“That Ghost was driven away by us!” Ling’er waved her fist as she claimed the credit.
“Ghost…” Yi Zheng Kai’s face twitched a little. Although he had no idea how strong Yang Kai was, judging by the fact that Lin Yu Hao and he advanced simultaneously with just a few words from him was a proof in itself that Yang Kai stood at a height they could only look up to. Even if they had broken through to the Saint Realm, they didn’t dare to compare themselves with Yang Kai.
Such a powerful expert had been called a ghost by these girls.
“You actually drove him away?” Lin Yu Hao looked upset.
“Young Lord, did we do something wrong?” Ling’er asked nervously.
“No harm, no harm!” Yi Zheng Kai hurriedly waved his hand, “It’s not related to you, you guys…”
Yi Zheng Kai abruptly paused before he could finish anything. He perked his ears to listen closely. Suddenly, a look of joy appeared on his face. He immediately looked at Lin Yu Hao and found that he too was looking at him happily. The two understood each other and nodded slightly.
“You guys stay here, Brother Yi and I will be back in a jiffy.” Lin Yu Hao ordered before he stamped on the ground and shot towards a direction. Yi Zheng Kai closely followed behind him.
After a few minutes, the two simultaneously arrived at the peak where Yang Kai was. When they caught sight of that mysterious and eminent figure, both of them turned serious and cupped their fists. “Thank you very much for your advice, Senior. I hope Senior can forgive us for our past transgression.”
Although they didn’t know how old Yang Kai was, since he was stronger than them, he might be an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years. Addressing him as a Senior wasn’t shameful.
“Senior!?” Yang Kai touched his nose and said with a chuckle, “Don’t address me like that, I’m very young. Furthermore, I didn’t point you to how to break through, you broke through on your own. It has nothing to do with me.”
Had Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai not prepared to go out and contribute to the continent, Yang Kai would not have bothered to pay attention to them.
At first, he had decided to drive the two away. This Nine Heavens Holy Land was his territory, so he wanted to lay a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array here. How could he allow someone else to occupy it? But after he noticed that these two were good-hearted, Yang Kai came up with another idea.
Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai looked at each other before the former asked, “Then… how do we address you, Friend?”
“Yang Kai!”
“Yang Kai!?” Yi Zheng Kai furrowed his brow. “I think… Where have I heard this name? It sounds so familiar.”
“Your Excellency, you wouldn’t happen to be…” Lin Yu Hao, on the other hand, looked at Yang Kai in shock. “Are you…”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
“It’s really you!?” Lin Yu Hao was dumbfounded.
“Brother Lin…” Yi Zheng Kai looked at Lin Yu Hao for help. He still hadn’t figured out where he had heard the name Yang Kai.
“Brother Yi is truly forgetful.” Lin Yu Hao smiled bitterly, “Weren’t we just discussing that we will follow the Nine Heavens Holy Lord’s footsteps? Now, that very Lord had appeared before us and Brother Yi can’t even recognize him!?”
Yi Zheng Kai lost his voice, “Nine Heavens Holy Lord! So you are the Nine Heavens Holy Lord!?”
Nine Heavens Holy Land Lord was like the Great Demon God to the entire Tong Xuan Realm. He was a legendary figure.
Many people only knew of Nine Heavens Holy Land Lord but unaware of his name, just like the Great Demon God. After so many years, everyone only knew of Great Demon God, but most had forgotten his name.
Yi Zheng Kai couldn’t recall for a while, but when Lin Yu Hao reminded him, he was completely shocked.
In the next moment, his expression changed as drops of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He immediately cupped his fists and apologized, “It turns out that Holy Master Yang had appeared before us, but Brother Lin and I had eyes but failed to see. I hope Holy Master Yang will forgive us.”
Lin Yu Hao too apologized in horror, “Since Holy Master Yang has returned, Brother Yi and I will immediately leave the Nine Heavens Holy Land. I hope Holy Master Yang won’t blame us for disturbing this paradise.”
Occupying someone else’s headquarters without even informing them was a very serious issue. Although the Nine Heavens Holy Land had been empty for many years, it didn’t mean that one could occupy it at will. In case Yang Kai chose to look into it, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai would not be able to compensate for it with their deaths, no matter how many lives they had.
So, after they came to know Yang Kai’s identity, Lin Yu Hao had immediately decided to withdraw.
“Why? You don’t have to leave,” Yang Kai chuckled.
But Lin Yu Hao looked horrified. He immediately tried to explain, “Holy Master Yang, Brother Yi and I had no idea that you were still in Tong Xuan Realm. We thought you had…”
“You don’t have to explain. Well, I don’t mean to make trouble for you,” Yang Kai waved his hand and interrupted him before adding in an indifferent manner. “If you like this place, I can gift you the Nine Heavens Holy Land.”
“Gift us!?” The two were really dumbstruck this time. They had no idea what Yang Kai was cooking.
“That’s right, gift you.” Yang Kai nodded. “But you have to do something for me.”
Lin Yu Hao sunk into silence for a moment before asking cautiously, “I wonder what we can do for you. Holy Master Yang, can you please elaborate.”
“It’s nothing big. You don’t have to be so nervous.” Yang Kai smiled kindly. “You just have to keep watch on this place, stopping any outsiders from coming in at will. I will be arranging a Spirit Array here, and you just have to guard that Spirit Array in the future.”
“So simple!?” Yi Zheng Kai was extremely surprised.
“It’s just that simple.” Yang Kai nodded. “Of course, I don’t like forcing anyone. If you don’t want to, then forget it. I will find someone else.”
Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai glanced at each other. They were finding it rather difficult to make up their minds.
Even though Yang Kai looked calm and relaxed when he mentioned this, they knew that the Spirit Array should be of absolute importance. If they couldn’t guard it well, they would just be offending Yang Kai for no reason, and judging by the strength Yang Kai had just displayed, it was not a responsibility they could bear.
The two exchanged glances and conversed with their Divine Senses for a long time, but they couldn’t reach an agreement.
“Oh, you two seem reluctant. If that’s the case, then forget it, I’ll look for someone else. It doesn’t matter if their cultivation is low, I will give them some artifacts, pills, and Secret Arts. That will be enough to guard this place,” While speaking, Yang Kai turned around to leave.
“Wait!” Lin Yu Hao stopped him at once. A serious look appeared on his face as he said, “Holy Master Yang, please wait. We have already decided.”
“Really?” Yang Kai turned and looked at them.
“Yes,” Yi Zheng Kai hurriedly nodded his agreement. “Back then, Holy Master Yang commanded the masters of three races and confronted the Bone Race, defending the continent. Although our cultivation is low, we have received Holy Master Yang’s guidance. We don’t want to just drag out our ignoble existence anymore. We would like to contribute to the peace of this continent.”
“We might not have an idea what Spirit Array Holy Master Yang wants us to guard, but since it’s laid by Holy Master Yang, it must be related to the safety of the continent. It’s our duty, and we can’t decline it, so please leave it to us, Holy Master Yang!” Lin Yu Hao said in a loud and sonorous voice.
“You don’t need to force yourselves.” Yang Kai rubbed his forehead, “I don’t like to force others. It will be very boring to guard the Spirit Array here. You might even need to guard it for generations.”
“Why would that be difficult?” Yi Zheng Kai proudly said, “Brother Lin and I don’t like to hustle and bustle, we like to keep away from distracting thoughts and desires. The Holy Land is beautiful and rich in World Energy. It would be a great honour for us to stay here, so how can it be boring?”
“Brother Yi is right.” Lin Yu Hao nodded with an earnest look. “This seems to be very important. If Holy Master Yang has no candidates, I hope Holy Master Yang can consider us two brothers.”
“But your cultivation is a little low.” Yang Kai rubbed his chin as if he was being picky.
“We aren’t that old. Also, we have broken past the Saint Realm. We will grow stronger as long as we keep on cultivating.” Lin Yu Hao eagerly looked at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai pondered for a long while before he heaved a sigh and said, “Forget it! Since you insist so much, this Holy Master would entrust you with this important task. I hope you don’t take it lightly, you must guard this place well.”
“Holy Master Yang, don’t worry. As long as we two are alive, no outsider can set foot in Holy Land. If anyone dares to force themselves in, we will stop and kill them within five steps!” Lin Yu Hao said in a low and deep voice.
“Great! I like this kind of determination. Then, I will leave the Holy Land to you two, I hope you will pay more attention to it.”
Yi Zheng Kai and Li Yu Hao were overjoyed upon hearing this. The former put a grin on his face and said, “Holy Master Yang, you mentioned gifting some Secret Techniques and pills. I…”
“And Secret Arts… Cough Cough…” Lin Yu Hao coughed in embarrassment.
“I’ll find something suitable for you,” having said this, Yang Kai rummaged through his Space Ring.
There were many things in his Space Ring, looted after killing his enemies. Naturally, there was no shortage for Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai. After a while, Yang Kai took out a few Saint King Grade artifacts and numerous Spirit Pills. He also taught them two suitable cultivation techniques and few Secret Techniques and Martial Skills.
The two had never seen Saint King Grade artifacts and pills, or the Secret Arts and Secret Techniques that seemed to be tailor-made for them. They could not hold their excitement.
Although they pursued free and easy life, every cultivator yearned for stronger and higher Martial Dao.
Yang Kai seemed to have opened another door for them.
After rejoicing, Yi Zheng Kai seemed to have thought of something. He immediately notified in a solemn voice, “By the way, Holy Master Yang, many things have happened in Tong Xuan Realm this year. A group of foreign cultivators had been wreaking havoc. I wonder whether Holy Master Yang would get rid of them?”
“You don’t have to worry about this. I have already punished their leader. As for the remaining trash, my companion is cleaning them up. Peace and order will return to the continent in a few days,” Yang Kai calmly said.
Having heard Yang Kai speak of it in such a dismissive manner, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai were extremely shocked.
They might not have any idea about how powerful these outsiders were, but judging by the fact that they could destroy and enslave those great forces, Tong Xuan Realm cultivators definitely could not resist these outsiders. But much to their surprise and horror, these very outsiders were completely powerless before Yang Kai and would be wiped clean in just a few days.
The two immediately realized Yang Kai’s strength in disguise.
“Hmm, you two have just advanced. If you don’t know anything about your current realm, you can ask me. I will explain it to you.” Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry to arrange the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array. Since he wanted Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai to guard this place, he would naturally make them stronger. Therefore, he intended to help them.
Lin Yu Hao was taken by surprise. He immediately asked, “I hope Holy Master Yang can explain to us what realm we are actually in? Although we can feel that we have already surpassed Saint Realm, we are still at a loss.”
“Mhmm, due to Tong Xuan Realm thin World Energy, Saint Realm is the highest anyone can generally reach and it’s natural that you don’t understand this. Your current realm is called the Saint King Realm, a realm above the Saint!”
“Above the Saint Realm!” Both were dumbstruck.
Over the next few hours, Yang Kai systematically taught Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai of the division of upper realms in the Martial Dao, and also explained to them the matters they should pay attention to during cultivation. The two kept nodding over these hours. They had received a lot of benefits.
Only after half a day did Yang Kai ask them to withdraw and consolidate their current realm. Meanwhile, he began to look for a suitable place to arrange the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array.
More than ten days later, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array had taken shape in the Holy Land. Yang Kai, after making the final adjustments, poured his Saint Qi into it. The Array immediately started running, shining with dazzling white light and overflowing with an intense Space Force.
“It can really connect to Azure Tree Star!” Yang Kai looked surprised, “It looks like these Space Spirit Crystals from the Severed World are indeed extraordinary.”
He wasn’t sure that the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array would connect to the one in the Azure Tree Star Palace, but after finishing it, he discovered that it was powerful enough to do so. The two Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays resonated with each other as they established a mysterious connection in the void.
All of this was due to those pure Space Spirit Crystals. If he didn’t bring them from the Severed World and look for them outside, perhaps he would not have been able to achieve this.
“Isn’t this a Space Array?” Gui Zu appeared beside Yang Kai like a ghost. His eyes were glued to the Array before him, incredibly surprised.
“Mhmm, it’s a Space Array.” Yang Kai nodded his affirmation.
In fact, Gui Zu had arrived at Nine Heavens Holy Land a few days ago, it was just that Yang Kai was busy, so the former didn’t bother him until now.
After circling around the Space Array a few times, Gui Zu shook his head and praised, “It’s really amazing. I’m afraid this Old Man will never be able to understand its mystery! This Old Man deserved to be trapped on the floating continent for two thousand years. Where can this Array teleport?”
“Azure Tree Star.”
“What!?” Gui Zu stood slack-jawed. “You mean… Azure Tree Star? The same Azure Tree Star of the Sword Union!?”
“Indeed!”
“We are hundreds of millions of kilometres away from Azure Tree Star. Can just this one Space Array…?”
“There is not just this one. There are other Space Arrays in-between the two, that’s why the connection could be achieved,” Yang Kai explained a little, but Gui Zu still couldn’t believe it.
That was billions of kilometres away. Even with his cultivation, it would take almost a year to fly there, but now, this distance was narrowed to zero by two Space Arrays.
“Well, what’s the result of Elder’s action?” Yang Kai looked at Gui Zu and asked.
“All killed.” Gui Zu grinned. “I also seized an Origin Grade High-Rank Starship! This Spirit Devouring Sect is really rich.”
“Excellent! What about the Spirit Devouring Crystals!?” Yang Kai looked at him with a happy smile.
Gui Zu immediately grew vigilant and said, “What do you mean? Those are this Elder’s trophies. Even if it’s Sect Master, you can’t ask for it like this.”
“Don’t be so serious, Elder. The energy in these Spirit Devouring Crystals belongs to this continent, it’s reasonable to return it. Be good and give me those Spirit Devouring Crystals. Besides, they won’t be of much help to you. They might improve your strength but I’m afraid it would make your foundation unstable, and I don’t think Elder would like that.”
After squabbling with Gui Zu for a long time, Yang Kai finally got him to return those Spirit Devouring Crystals. In exchange, he would ask Little Senior Sister to refine a few Origin King Grade pills for him after returning to High Heaven Sect.
How would Gui Zu know that Little Senior Sister could refine Origin King Grade pills easily? With her natural talent, she could refine pills with less effort than ordinary alchemists, so it was as simple a matter as asking. If he came to know this, he would probably call Yang Kai cunning and insidious.
Gui Zu brought back forty to fifty Spirit Devouring Crystals, all of which were smashed by Yang Kai, returning their energy to this world.
Tong Xuan Realm was already connected to the entire Star Field and could continuously absorb the energy of stars. With Xia Ning Chang as its Star Master, it would surely prosper again in time.
Next, Yang Kai summoned Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai from their retreat and gave a Transmission Token refined by him. He asked them to take good care of Nine Heavens Holy Land and enter the Space Array with the Transmission Token, reporting to Azure Tree Star, if Tong Xuan Realm was in a crisis due to outsiders again.
The two had just advanced to Saint King Realm. They weren’t that strong, and as such, Yang Kai left a Blood Beast just to be on the safe side. Naturally, it was the Steel Flame Ghost Spider that had reached the Tenth-Order. Although the Steel Flame Ghost Spider’s strength had declined slightly after being refined into a Blood Beast, anyone below the Origin King Realm was not its opponent. Even if it was up against an Origin King, it could still deal with the situation.
With the Steel Flame Ghost Spider guarding the Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai could finally rest assured and leave.
After he left Shadowed Star, he had arranged several Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays along the road, completely connecting Shadowed Star with his homeland. In the future, it would be extremely convenient to go back and forth or to another Cultivation Star.
This was just the beginning. Yang Kai’s plan was to spread the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array throughout the Star Field so that every prosperous Cultivation Star would be connected.
However, this was a time-consuming and laborious project. More importantly, it needed a lot of Space Spirit Crystals, so Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry.
After arranging the matters of Tong Xuan Realm, Yang Kai stepped into the Space Array with Gui Zu, poured in his Saint Qi, and activated the Spirit Array.
Meanwhile, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai respectfully sent them off.
Azure Tree Star, Twin Shark Island, Yang Kai’s palace…
He Zao and He Miao sisters were sitting cross-legged in the depths of the palace, facing each other. The two sisters had no idea how profound the Secret Art they were cultivating was. As their palm came in contact with each other, their Saint Qi met and circulated non-stop in their bodies. Meanwhile, the World Energy outside kept pouring into their acupoints.
There was no wind blowing in the hall, yet their hair was dancing and their clothes were flapping continuously.
At this time, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array in the main hall gave off strange noises as it bloomed with a dazzling white glow.
He Zao and He Miao were instantly jolted in shock. They opened their pretty eyes and immediately stood up, looking towards the Array.
“Someone came from Shadowed Star again,” He Zao said, pondering. Ever since Yang Kai left with Luo Lan, cultivators of the High Heaven Sect kept arriving from Shadowed Star. All of them were at the peak of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, and one had even reached the Origin King Realm. The sisters gradually realized the power and heritage of the High Heaven Sect, feeling proud to be a member of such a Sect. Now, when they saw the Spirit Array up and running again, He Zao suddenly thought that someone was coming from High Heaven Sect again.
As soon as her voice fell, two vague figures appeared in the centre of the Array and slowly grew distinct with time. After the white light dissipated, Yang Kai and Gui Zu appeared at the same time.
“Ah, it’s Brother Yang Kai!” He Miao cried in joy.
The nearby He Zao immediately knocked her head and rebuked, “It’s Sect Master!”
He Miao stuck out her tongue, showing a coy expression.
The two sisters came to Yang Kai, elegantly bowed, and greeted with joy, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
“Are you on duty here?” Yang Kai looked around and asked with a smile.
“Yes,” He Zao replied with a sweet smile.
“Thank you.” Yang Kai nodded gently to her.
Gui Zu recovered from the long-distance teleportation only now. He shook his head and complained, looking ill at ease, “It was really uncomfortable, I felt like I was going to be swallowed by the void.”
Even someone as strong as he felt uncomfortable during this kind of super-long-distance teleportation. As for those with weaker cultivation than his, it would take them a good long while to recover and stabilize their aura after each teleportation.
If anyone stepped into the Space Array without the Transmission Token specifically refined by Yang Kai, they would be banished into the endless void, unable to find their way forever.
“He is…” He Zao looked at Gui Zu with a frown. Gui Zu was radiating a sinister and loathsome aura. It made her extremely uncomfortable. In just one glance, she could tell that he was far from good. She didn’t understand how Yang Kai could mingle with someone like him.
“Heh heh, are these two little girls your Sect’s disciples?” Gui Zu asked before Yang Kai could explain.
“Mhmm, He Zao, He Miao, and their master, Yue Xi, have been accepted into the High Heaven Sect by me,” answered Yang Kai, nodding his head. While answering, he beckoned to He Zao and He Miao and said, “Come and greet Supreme Elder.”
“Supreme Elder!?” He Zao and He Miao were shocked. They hadn’t expected this old guy with such a detestable aura to actually be their Sect’s Supreme Elder.
But since Yang Kai had said so, there would naturally be no mistake.
They immediately converged their thoughts, bowed and greeted Gui Zu earnestly, “Disciple greets Supreme Elder!”
“Hahaha!” Gui Zu suddenly started laughing like crazy. He looked very proud. He forced a kind smile, raised his hand, and said, “Relax, relax! You girls are pretty good. Well, since we are meeting for the first time, this Old Man will have to give you some gifts.”
“Ah!?” It never occurred to He Zao and He Miao that they would receive such benefits by just greeting. Amazed, they looked at Yang Kai for his opinion.
Yang Kai looked at Gui Zu with a strange look. He could easily guess that Gui Zu, who had been alone for so long, was feeling a little complacent after suddenly becoming the Supreme Elder of High Heaven Sect and respected by the disciples so much.
Otherwise, why would he give them any gifts after just meeting the Sect disciples?
None of the other Sects’ Supreme Elders was so generous.
All Supreme Elders were symbolic existences. They were the target of every disciple’s admiration and worship. Only those disciples who had made great contributions to the sect or had outstanding aptitude would be eligible to meet them in person, let alone receive some advice and gifts.
By acting like this, Gui Zu might have shown the amiability of a Supreme Elder, but it was at the expense of his majesty.
However, that didn’t matter, it was a novel experience for him. How could Yang Kai stop it? He smiled and said, “Since Supreme Elder is gifting you, take it.”
He Zao and He Miao were overjoyed. They immediately thanked, “Thank you, Supreme Elder.”
“Mhmm.” Gui Zu smiled in return. He took out two copper lock-like things from his Space Ring as if he was already prepared. He waved his hand and said as the two copper locks floated to He Zao and He Miao, “This is a set of Twin Lock artifacts. They are not used for fighting, but to assist in cultivation. Refine them separately, and when you cultivate with these Twin Locks in the future, they will help you two reach the ‘One Heart and Soul State,’ doubling your cultivation efficiency.”
“How generous of Supreme Elder!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up immediately. Although this set of artifacts weren’t high-grade, just releasing Mid-Rank Origin Grade fluctuations, these kinds of auxiliary artifacts were extremely rare. They were especially suitable for siblings like He Zao and He Miao.
Clearly, Gui Zu had noticed that they were related by blood, so he especially gave them these Twin Locks.
Gui Zu smiled and didn’t say anything, acting like a powerful master.
He Zao and He Miao sisters took the Twin Locks and played with them joyfully.
“Ask your master to come and see me. I have something to ask her,” having said this, Yang Kai left the hall with Gui Zu and moved to the bedroom.
Yue Xi rushed over after a short while. She must have heard about Gui Zu from He Zao and He Miao, as she didn’t look that surprised after meeting Gui Zu. Rather she generously bowed to Gui Zu.
“How did the Sect Master’s trip go?”
In the bedroom, Yang Kai and Gui Zu were sitting apart. Yue Xi stood before the right-hand seat and asked in a gentle voice.
“It was okay! Did anything unusual happen during my absence? Did any ignorant people come looking for trouble?” Yang Kai took a sip of tea and asked indifferently.
“Nothing happened. Now, everyone on Azure Tree Star knows that Twin Shark Island is under Senior Luo Lan’s shelter, so no one dares to come here and seek their deaths. The cultivators are also living peacefully on the island, and would pay Saint Crystals as tribute every month.”
“That’s better! Did anyone come from the High Heaven Sect?”
“I was just about to report it to the Sect Master.” Yue Xi smiled slightly with grace. “Many people have come from the High Heaven Sect after Sect Master left. This Disciple has written down their names. Sect Master, please check.”
Having said this, she stepped forward and offered a sheet of beast hide.
Yang Kai went through it and found Qian Tong, Yang Xiu Zhu, Lin Yu Rao, Chu Han Yi, Mu Yu, and others’ names on it. Except for Qian Tong, who was in Origin King Realm, everyone else had reached the peak of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm.
Their purpose was self-evident: They wanted to use the World Principles of Azure Tree Star to attack the barrier of Origin King Realm.
“Huh, Great Elder has also come?” Yang Kai was puzzled at the sight of Ye Xi Yun’s name on the list. Ye Xi Yun had once said that she wanted to protect Yang Yan. Before the Great Emperor woke up, she would never leave the High Heaven Sect. [And yet she had come to Azure Tree Star. Could it be…]
Having considered everything, Yang Kai was stunned. He hurriedly asked, “When did the Great Elder arrive?”
“Great Elder Ye arrived three months ago.”
“Do you know where she is now?”
Judging by the eager look on Yang Kai’s face, Yue Xi knew that this was important. She immediately answered in embarrassment, “This Disciple only knows that Temple Master Qian is currently in Azure Tree Palace to discuss the profundities of Origin King Realm. As for the others… Please forgive me, Sect Master. Disciple has no idea where they have gone. After arriving here, every Elder only told Disciple that they are leaving to search for a secret place to enter retreat. Therefore…”
“Hmm, I’m not blaming you for this, you don’t have to rebuke yourself.” Yang Kai said in a comforting voice. Ye Xi Yun and the others came here to break through to the Origin King Realm, so they went looking for a suitable place for their retreat. Azure Tree Star was so big, and they could easily find a secluded spot. How would Yue Xi know where they were?
Ye Xi Yun actually leaving Shadowed Star to come to Azure Tree Star came as a great shock to Yang Kai.
Frowning, various thoughts churned in his mind as his expression fluctuated.
Seeing him like this, Gui Zu and Yue Xi did not disturb him.
After a while, Yang Kai got up and said decisively, “Supreme Elder, let’s return to the Sect!”
“I’d like nothing more!” Gui Zu grinned meaningfully. Although he had just joined High Heaven Sect and could now be regarded as its Supreme Elder, he had yet to see the Sect itself, so he was quite eager to. This was also his chance to establish a lofty and majestic image.
Gui Zu was interested in what being admired by thousands of people would feel like.
“Sect Master, Senior Luo Lan visited once after returning to Azure Tree Star and told this disciple that if Sect Master returned, she would very much like for him to visit Azure Tree Palace, or allow her to visit you here,” Yue Xi saw Yang Kai about to leave and quickly reported.
“That can wait; Luo Lan shouldn’t have anything vital to discuss with me,” Yang Kai pondered for a moment before shaking his head, “Just tell her that I will see her when I have time.”
Luo Lan probably just wanted to offer her thanks; after all, in the medicine valley of the Severed World, he had helped her a lot. If he had not given her that Space Mark, Luo Lan wouldn’t have been able to move about freely.
Although Yang Kai did not know how much she had gained exactly, it certainly was not a small amount.
“Yes! Safe travels, Sect Master and Supreme Elder!” Yue Xi bid formal farewells.
“En, you’ve worked hard as well. Take this little thing as a gift for our first meeting,” Gui Zu said, throwing something out. Yang Kai did not see what it was, but it should be an artifact.
Yue Xi’s voice cried out from behind as the pair walked off, “Many thanks for the gracious reward, Supreme Elder!”
Soon after, the two arrived at the room where the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array was placed, and under the admiring gazes of He Zao and He Miao, Yang Kai and Gui Zu activated the array to travel to Shadowed Star.
“This old master’s luck seems a bit bad, following you and experiencing this unpleasant sensation without any chance to recuperate,” Gui Zu kept complaining. Although teleporting over a trillion kilometres in an instant was not an experience many could have, doing so multiple times in short order was truly unpleasant.
Yang Kai just grinned and ignored him. In the next moment, the two figures disappeared from the palace.
Azure Tree Star’s Space Array only connected to the rich Ore Star Yang Kai had discovered, so if he wanted to return to High Heaven Sect, he had to make a stopover there first to reach Shadowed Star.
After arriving on the Ore Star, Yang Kai didn’t disturb the disciples who were mining ore and just silently released his Divine Sense to confirm all was well before immediately activating the Space Array again.
After so many consecutive transfers, when he appeared in the massive main square of the High Heaven Sect, Gui Zu’s face was pale, and his whole body was a bit shaky.
He did not cultivate Space Force like Yang Kai, so this kind of uninterrupted chain of ultra-long-distance transmissions really caused him some discomfort.
It was only thanks to his profound cultivation that he was able to even stand here like this, otherwise, he would have already passed out.
In the square, the disciples on duty saw Yang Kai and were immediately overjoyed, “Sect Master has returned! Sect Master has returned!”
These disciples were some of the earliest cultivators to follow Yang Kai from the former Hai Ke Family. Over the years, each of them had made great progress, the best of which being Wu Yi and Yu Feng, who were on the verge of breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm. As for the rest, all of them had at least reached the Saint King Realm.
One had to know that the most powerful cultivators in the Hai Ke Family back then were only Saint Kings. If these disciples had remained in that family, they may not have been able to reach the Saint King Realm even if they spent their entire lives cultivating, yet all of them had achieved this milestone after following Yang Kai for just a few decades.
While the disciples on guard duty shouted loudly, one of them ran over and began ringing a large bell that had been set up nearby.
*Dang dang dang dang…*
The bell echoed among all eighty-one of High Heaven Sect’s peaks, reaching every corner of the Sect.
In the next moment, it was as if the entire Sect began to boil and from the majestic peaks streaks of light shot out and rushed towards the square.
As if seeing Yang Kai’s suspicion, the disciple on duty quickly reported, “The two Madam Sect Masters issued an order are to ring this bell to inform them if Sect Master returns.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai gently nodded before turning in the direction of Pristine Ice Peak, his eyes softening as a warm smile appeared on his lips.
He could feel that from Pristine Ice Peak, Su Yan was rushing over rapidly.
From Pill Treasure Peak, the figure of Little Senior Sister had also appeared and was riding the wind towards the square.
The other peaks also had similar activity.
“There are a lot of disciples in the Sect,” Gui Zu looked around happily, doing his best to restrain the evil aura coming from his body, determined to make a good first impression.
Soon after, a beautiful figure fell from the sky, wearing a long snow-white dress that paired perfectly with her warm-jade white skin, her limpid eyes staring at Yang Kai as if trying to silently tell him she had longed to see him.
Who else could it be but Su Yan?
In the next moment, Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang also landed and stood next to Su Yan, showing both deep affection and shyness.
Gui Zu’s eyes flashed as he wore a meaningful grin and muttered, “Boy, seems you’re quite lucky in love…”
As he thought so though, Gui Zu was also secretly astonished. With his level of vision, he could naturally tell that these two young women weren’t just stunning beauties, but each had remarkable talent and prowess.
Moreover, these two girls were both Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, while the girl in white had an aura that was far stronger than average. The cold aura she radiated naturally even had some influence on his Saint Qi, being both oppressive and sharp.
Although the girl in green did not have such an intimidating aura, the power hidden within her body was not to be underestimated.
This Sect… seemed to be larger and more powerful than what he had imagined, causing Gui Zu to feel much more confident in his decision.
After all, he was a Second-Order Origin King, and although Yang Kai had tempted him to join by saying High Heaven Sect had several Origin King Grade Alchemists, if the Sect itself was just a bunch of loose sand without any foundation, it would be uncomfortable for him to remain.
At this moment though, Gui Zu felt this Sect had great future prospects.
“Smelly Brat, seems you finally remembered to come back after going out for so long,” A low shout rang out from nearby. There was only one person who dared to talk to Yang Kai like this.
Yang Kai turned his head and chuckled as he called out, “Father.”
Yang Ying Feng’s face was rosy, and although he had just been reprimanding his son, there was no way to hide the relief in his expression. Yang Kai going out for a few years had caused his father to worry, so seeing him safe and sound with both his arms and legs, Yang Ying Feng was finally able to put down the huge stone which was weighing on his heart.
“Oh stop it, our son is already big, why do you insist on meddling so much?” Dong Su Zhu glared at Yang Ying Feng, “You can’t even manage these affairs, yet you dare call yourself a father?”
Yang Ying Feng smiled awkwardly, “An old fortune-teller once told me that I would only fully realize my greatness later in life, so apparently, my time to rise has not come yet. When it does, I will surely soar up into the sky and become…”
Dong Su Zhu narrowed her eyes as clear disbelief filled her expression.
Yang Ying Feng immediately felt deflated and turned his ire towards Yang Kai, his eyes filled with bitterness.
The square immediately became extremely lively, and just like every time Yang Kai returned, everyone warmly welcomed him.
“En en… the Sect having such cohesion, it seems there’s no need to worry about its future prospects. This old master feels very relieved,” Gui Zu suddenly found himself out of place and ignored, so he coughed lightly a few times to make his presence known.
As a Second-Order Origin King, he thought that he would \be welcomed with the admiration and worship of the various disciples when he arrived here, but it seemed like no-one even noticed him and all the attention and limelight were taken up by Yang Kai, causing Gui Zu to feel a bit awkward in his heart.
“Yang Kai, this is…” Ling Tai Xu looked at Gui Zu suspiciously and asked solemnly.
Ling Tai Xu was now also a Third-Order Saint King. The masters from Tong Xuan Realm, such as Ling Tai Xu and Meng Wu Ya, had all made great strides in recent years, but with their cultivation, it was only natural that they were unable to sense Gui Zu’s true depths and were thus puzzled about why Yang Kai had brought back such an inscrutable master.
“En, that’s right, I forgot to introduce everyone. This is Senior Gui Zu, who will be serving as Supreme Elder of High Heaven Sect in the future!” Yang Kai straightened his face, pointed to Gui Zu, and announced loudly.
“Supreme Elder?” The crowd immediately went into an uproar as they stared at Gui Zu curiously.
After all, even a cultivator as powerful as Ye Xi Yun was only the Sect’s Great Elder. High Heaven Sect had only been founded recently and didn’t even have a Supreme Elder position. Now, suddenly having a Supreme Elder surprised everyone.
After the initial surprise came speculation about Gui Zu’s cultivation realm.
Since he was a Supreme Elder, a position below one but above ten thousand, he needed corresponding strength; at the very least he should be stronger than the Great Elder. Great Elder was a peak Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, so could this old man be…
[An Origin King?] The hearts of everyone jumped.
“Supreme Elder is a Second-Order Origin King. Even considering the entire Star Field, he is a peak-level master and it is the Sect’s good fortune he has decided to join.” Yang Kai said, causing the entire square to fall silent as everyone stared at Gui Zu in shock, many of the disciples even showing looks of fanaticism and worship.
A real Origin King Realm master, and a Second-Order one at that!
Shadowed Star was no longer an isolated Cultivation Star, and the information brought back from the outside world by Qian Tong and the others had spread far and wide, so the disciples here knew what a Second-Order Origin King represented.
A Second-Order Origin King was a top master that could stand at the peak of the Star Field. Besides a few old monsters that were in perennial retreat, Second-Order Origin Kings were the highest authority and strength in the Star Field.
The Sect had actually attracted such a powerful person to join?
For a while, the disciples felt like they were in a dream, unable to believe their ears.
“Haha, Sect Master is too serious. It is this old master’s honour to join High Heaven Sect,” Gui Zu chuckled, very satisfied with the reactions of the disciples in front of him. Trying to remain humble but also make a strong impression, he slowly released his Second-Order Origin King aura to allow the disciples to feel his strength while smiling and saying, “Since this old master has become a Supreme Elder of this Sect, he swears to advance and retreat together with the Sect. If there is someone who wishes to bring misfortune upon the Sect one day, they will have to first deal with this old master, however… this old master is only one man and his power is limited. For the Sect to truly prosper in the future, it will require everyone to contribute their strength for generations to come!”
Gui Zu’s words were both upright and profound, so he was shocked and somewhat embarrassed that no one responded to him after he finished. The nearly ten thousand disciples in the square seemed to have been struck by lightning and were unable to move.
Quietly turning his head to look at Yang Kai, Gui Zu discovered that this little brat had already wrapped his arms around Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang and was whispering something to them quietly, totally ignoring his plight.
[Little bastard! Abandoning me when I need you most!] Gui Zu cursed in his heart.
But in the next moment, a loud shout suddenly sounded.
“What Supreme Elder said is right! I won’t disappoint Supreme Elder and Sect Master’s expectations!”
“Advance and retreat together with Supreme Elder, live and die together with the Sect!”
“Supreme Elder and Sect Master can rest assured, I will definitely work hard to cultivate so the Sect will soon stand equal then dominate above the three great forces of Star Field!.”
“Supreme Elder is mighty! I will obey all of Supreme Elder’s orders!”
Gui Zu’s recruitment seemed to have injected a dose of hot blood into the High Heaven Sect, causing everyone to be excited.
Gui Zu secretly breathed a sigh of relief as he experienced an inexplicable feeling. If he were to put it into words, it would be like the ugly daughter-in-law who came to see her in-laws and finally managed to obtain their approval…
[This is quite stressful. Aren’t I a Second-Order Origin King? Didn’t I come here to accept worship and blessings? Why did it all become so complicated?]
Gui Zu really could not understand his own feelings.
Quickly adjusting himself, he tried to put on the appearance of a powerful master and smiled lightly, “Today is the first time this old master has stood before you but… En, this old master has not prepared anything as a gift on first greetings, so instead, this old master will speak about his comprehensions of the Martial Dao for the next three days. During this time, if any of you have any questions about your cultivation, you may ask them, and this old master will answer them if he can.”
As soon as this statement came out, the nearly ten thousand disciples became even more excited. Although they were excited, all of them tried to restrain themselves and immediately sat down cross-legged, giving their full attention to Gui Zu.
There were not many opportunities to listen to the teachings of a Second-Order Origin King, and every cultivator, throughout the course of their cultivation, would encounter difficulties and questions. These problems may appear when one tried to cultivate Secret Arts or Martial Skills, when refining artifacts, or even when trying to comprehend the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way. If at that time, there was someone to guide and teach them, they could save much time and difficulty.
Now, there was a Second-Order Origin King who would speak of his own experiences and answer their questions. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so how could the disciples not get excited?
Seeing all the disciples give him so much face comforted Gui Zu’s heart, and after clearing his throat, he began to speak, his words reverberating across the square. Within a short time, all the disciples showed mesmerized expressions, completely immersed in his explanations of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way.
“Two Senior Sisters, I haven’t seen you for many days. Junior Brother has missed you very much. Come come, let’s find a quiet place to talk in private,” Yang Kai saw that Gui Zu was at ease, so he didn’t pay him anymore mind, tightening his hold on Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang as he walked out with them shamelessly.
“Junior Brother!” Su Yan’s pretty face flushed red as she gave him a disapproving glance, “We have lots of time. Today, Supreme Elder is discussing his life experiences, so it is a rare opportunity. I want to stay…”
“I want to stay too…” Xia Ning Chang looked at Yang Kai eagerly.
“There will be plenty of opportunities for that. If you want to, I can have him speak to you personally another day,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
Hearing this, Gui Zu, who was full of vigour on the stage, almost tripped and fell to the ground. Shooting a glare towards Yang Kai viciously, he felt that this boy was just using him to please his women. Absolutely shameless!
“How could we do that? Supreme Elder is the Supreme Elder after all…” Xia Ning Chang was a little worried.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Yang Kai ignored Gui Zu’s glare and just chuckled lightly, “Supreme Elder wants to ask you for Alchemy, so he can teach a little to you when the time comes.”
“Supreme Elder want to request Alchemy from me?” Xia Ning Chang glanced over at Gui Zu.
Gui Zu’s heart was shaking as he wondered if this woman was the Origin King Grade Alchemist mentioned by Yang Kai. Indeed, Yang Kai had said that his Senior Sister was an Origin King Grade Alchemist back then, and this innocent looking woman did have a strong pill fragrance about her, one that could only be obtained by constantly refining pills.
[So, it really is her!]
Thinking so, Gui Zu hurriedly squeezed out a smile and nodded to Xia Ning Chang, not daring to be careless while he continued to speak without stopping.
“Look, Supreme Elder has agreed,” Yang Kai struck while the iron was hot and quickly ran off with Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, not giving them a chance to hesitate. The two women flushed with shame and lowered their heads, unable to argue any further.
Halfway back though, Xia Ning Chang suddenly remembered something and said, “By the way, Junior Brother, Sister Yang Yan…”
“I know!” Yang Kai interrupted her.
When he returned to High Heaven Sect just now, Yang Kai had already noticed Yang Yan’s Divine Sense sweeping him briefly before disappearing in a flash, so he was almost certain she had awakened!
The legendary Starry Sky Great Emperor had returned!
However, he did not have time to deal with Yang Yan’s affairs right now as he first needed to attend to Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang.
…..
Five days later, Hundred Flowers Peak.
Yang Kai walked up the long mountain road, but as soon as he reached the peak, a young girl suddenly flew towards him. Mid-air, her slender calf swept out. There was no energy fluctuation coming from her body, so it seemed she was only using her physical strength.
Yang Kai’s face turned extremely solemn, however, and with a low shout, he stabilized his stance and raised his right arm to block.
*Hong…*
As if two giant mountains collided with one another at high speed, a violent blasting sound filled the air and the ground under Yang Kai’s feet suddenly turned into dust. The young girl who suddenly attacked Yang Kai also cried out as she flew backwards.
Turning mid-air, the young girl dexterously adjusted her position before landing gracefully. The next moment though she bent down and began rubbing her leg while glaring at Yang Kai, “Uncle Sect Master, is your body made of steel? That hurt so much!”
While complaining, a few tears squeezed out from her eyes.
“Silly little girl,” Yang Kai looked at her with a smile. “Every time I see you, you try to attack me. Why, are you that confident in your physical strength?”
“Hmph,” The little girl snorted slightly as she pointed her nose towards the sky, “Great Elder said that I have the Tyrant Strength Body that grants immense strength, and Martial Aunt Yang Yan also said that I have great talent, but they must be lying to me. I can’t even tidy up Uncle Sect Master after eating so many Shadowed Heaven Pills.”
“Haha, they’re not lying to you, it’s just that you’re too young. When you’re my age…”
“Then I can tidy you up?” The little girl asked excitedly.
“Nope! You’re still growing, but so am I, so you’re not the only one who will be getting stronger and stronger, but… why are you so keen to tidy me up?” Yang Kai stared at the little girl in amazement.
The little girl was of course Lin Yun’er, the orphan adopted by Huang Juan.
As time passed, Lin Yun’er’s physical prowess was becoming more and more terrifying. The power hidden in her tiny body was almost on par with that of an average Origin Realm master, and if she used her Saint Qi as well, she would be able to fight against Origin Returning Realm cultivators with ease.
[How old is this little girl? This year, she should not be more than sixteen. Nevertheless, she has already achieved such astonishing strength.] Yang Kai could almost imagine that she would become the most famous master of the Star Field in the future.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Lin Yun’er promptly replied, “Martial Aunt Yang Yan said that if Yun’er can clean up Uncle Sect Master, she will take me to a good place to make me stronger.”
“Haha…” Yang Kai’s mouth twitched as he glanced over towards Yang Yan who was sipping tea lightly in front of her Hundred Flower Pavilion.
After awakening, Yang Yan gave off a vastly different feeling from before, and when Yang Kai looked at her, he could not help feeling this difference, causing him to frown slightly.
“I thought you would stay in First Heavenly Palace forever and never come see me,” Yang Yan put down the teacup in her hand and smiled at Yang Kai meaningfully. “Were these past few days enjoyable?”
“It was alright,” Yang Kai’s face was not thin, but even he couldn’t help going slightly red at this moment. Glancing over to the side and seeing Gui Zu standing next to Yang Yan, he could not help asking in surprise, “Oh, Supreme Elder is also here, what a coincidence.”
“Haha…” Now it was Gui Zu’s turn to have his face twitch.
Actually, Yang Kai had noticed him the moment he arrived, but looking at Gui Zu’s appearance, it seemed that he had suffered a big loss at Yang Yan’s hands. At this moment, he stood behind Yang Yan respectfully like a servant, not daring to reveal the slightest bit of his evil aura, instead even shrinking his neck as if trying to make himself seem smaller.
“This is your newly recruited Supreme Elder, right?” Yang Yan pointed to Gui Zu and asked Yang Kai.
“En, Senior Gui Zu has a Second-Order Origin King cultivation. which is sufficient for a position of Supreme Elder of the Sect,” Yang Kai said as he walked up to the Hundred Flower Pavilion and sat opposite Yang Yan.
Lin Yun’er followed obediently and poured Yang Kai a glass of water with a smile.
She seemed very relaxed in front of Yang Yan, without the slightest pressure, a stark contrast to Gui Zu, who was like a mouse being stared at by a cat…
“His cultivation is so-so, but… he doesn’t seem to know the immensity of Heaven and Earth,” Yang Yan snorted softly.
Yang Kai clearly saw Gui Zu shiver when he heard these words come out.
As Yang Kai has guessed, he had suffered a big loss at Yang Yan’s hands! But what had Gui Zu done? Yang Kai also became curious and could not help looking at him.
Gui Zu squeezed out an ugly smile and said, “Senior, this is the first time this old man has held the post of Supreme Elder so he couldn’t help acting a bit insolent and having eyes but failing to see, causing him to accidentally offend Senior. I hope Senior can be forgiving and not lower herself to this old man’s level.
“Lower herself to your level, this Queen?” Yang Yan looked at him with a grin, “Just yesterday you said you would answer this Queen’s questions about cultivation. This Queen has not even thanked you for your offer yet. In fact, I have some things I wish to ask you today. I wonder if Supreme Elder has the time?”
“Senior must be joking…” Gui Zu almost cried, “This old man really didn’t know Senior’s identity and thought you were just an ordinary disciple, as such…”
“Supreme Elder, you didn’t take the initiative to try to teach her, did you?” Yang Kai’s jaw dropped.
Gui Zu nodded slightly with a distraught look on his face.
Yang Kai picked up the teacup and took a light sip as he tried very hard not to smile, his shoulders shaking noticeably from the effort.
Gui Zu was feeling quite miserable.
After his three-day lecture, his image in the minds of High Heaven Sect’s ten thousand disciples became tall and mighty. Gui Zu was also feeling quite proud and happy that he had quickly won the approval of the disciples and integrated into High Heaven Sect.
Yesterday, he had been wandering around High Heaven Sect to familiarize himself with its sights and scenes; after all, this place would be regarded as his Sect in the future.
High Heaven Sect had a total of eighty-one peaks, each one rich in World Energy aura and natural beauty, making Gui Zu extremely satisfied.
The Three Blazing Flame Rings that protected High Heaven Sect also shocked him, and it really made him wonder which Grandmaster had arranged such a profound array that even a master like him did not dare to enter.
He had, at one point, passed by Hundred Flowers Peak on a whim.
Yang Yan was sleeping with her eyes closed at the time, but when Gui Zu saw her he mistakenly thought she was cultivating some kind of Secret Art. After Yang Yan opened her eyes, Gui Zu acted the part of a powerful master and ‘graciously’ gave some pointers. He thought she would definitely thank him for his advice with gratitude and worship, but how could he have known all Yang Yan would do was give him a light ‘hehe’.
This faint laughter was like a crack of thunder in his ears though, completely overwhelming his senses.
Gui Zu froze up in that instant as the sound of her laughter echoed continuously in his mind, as if it would continue on forever, only stopping earlier today and allowing him to slowly wake up.
How could Gui Zu not understand he had kicked an iron plate? He was greatly startled by Yang Yan’s shocking methods and did not dare to act presumptuously in front of her again.
Even now, he still could not figure out what kind of cultivation Yang Yan had.
A simple, casual laugh had sunk him into a nightmare, unable to return to his senses for almost an entire day. This was not something a Third-Order Origin King could do. If he had not personally experienced it, Gui Zu would never have even believed such a thing was possible.
All he could say for certain was that Yang Yan’s cultivation was far superior to his own because, no matter how Gui Zu observed, he couldn’t tell what Yang Yan’s true depths were. There were no artifacts on her that isolated Divine Sense probing either, so it was not that she was simply hiding her strength from him.
[Just what are the origins of this woman? She is too terrifying!]
[That damn Yang Boy is too insincere. Why didn’t he warn this old master there was such a powerful character hidden inside the Sect.] Now, he had embarrassed himself by trying to show off his meagre skills before an expert like her.
Recalling those few words of instruction he spoke yesterday, Gui Zu couldn’t wait to find a hole to crawl into and not come out for a lifetime.
It was like a toddler who had barely learned to walk standing before an honoured Senior and saying he would teach her how to fight…
Just what kind of Sect was this? In the Sect, not only was there a monstrous rising star like Yang Boy, a freak who had reached the Origin King Realm at such a young age, but there was that frightening young woman in white as well as another young woman who was an Origin King Grade Alchemist. Now, there was even this terrifying woman as well!
[This old master has not just stepped into a monster pit, right?] Gui Zu’s heart beat rapidly as unease filled it.
“Sect Master, you know that this old master was just trying to be helpful, please say a few good words for him,” Gui Zu saw that Yang Yan was still unhappy, so he could only look to Yang Kai for help.
Yang Kai lightly coughed, and said after thinking for a while, “Yang Yan, Senior Gui Zu acted out of good intentions. Just let this matter slide.”
Gui Zu nodded repeatedly, “This old man indeed only wanted to be of assistance. Please do not blame him for his ignorance, Senior.”
Yang Yan snorted lightly, but her expression eased noticeably.
Yang Kai smiled faintly, “Since you fell asleep, you and I have not seen each other like this for more than ten years, so do you insist on throwing a tantrum as soon we meet?”
“Who’s throwing a tantrum with you?” Yang Yan glanced at Yang Kai coldly.
Yang Kai hesitantly scratched his nose, “You seem to be quite upset right now, completely different from before.”
Gui Zu chimed in angrily from the side, “It must be because you’ve been out picking flowers and enjoying the snow and moon while ignoring and treating Senior here so coldly!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Gui Zu realized he had used some poor phrasing. He intended to please Yang Yan, his statement came off as ambiguous and incendiary.
Sure enough, Yang Yan shot him a glance and hehe’d once more.
[Not again…]
Gui Zu’s complexion changed drastically and in the next moment he went stiff and his eyes went blank…
“Why…?” Yang Kai smiled bitterly. With his eyesight, he could see that Gui Zu’s Soul had been overwhelmed and suppressed by Yang Yan, likely experiencing some kind of nightmarish torture.
“It’s just a small punishment, nothing to worry about,” Yang Yan said lightly. “Moreover, it’s not a misdeed for him. Do you think just anyone can have the honour of being suppressed by this Queen’s Divine Sense?”
“Since it’s good for him, then it’s fine,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before he stared at Yang Yan and said, “It feels like after you woke up, you’re a bit different from before.”
“The one you interacted with before was this Queen’s Embodiment, but now you are before this Queen’s true body, how could it be the same?” Yang Yan’s expression remained indifferent, the kind of indifference that seemed to push all others far away, making Yang Kai feel a little uncomfortable and lose interest in chatting. Instead, he just focused on tasting his tea silently.
After a long silence, Yang Yan suddenly said, “Your progress is quite good, I didn’t expect you to break through to the Origin King Realm in such a short period of time. Perhaps with your ability… you can really protect this Star Field.”
“Me?” Yang Kai pointed his finger at himself and said with a smile, “All I want to protect is my relatives and friends. The Star Field is too big and has nothing to do with me.”
“If you really think so, then you are wrong,” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai seriously, “Do you know why I came to this Star Field?”
Yang Kai frowned, faintly realizing that Yang Yan was about to reveal some great secret, but he still shook his head and said, “You never told me, so how could I know. However, if I had to guess, it would be related to the Insect Emperor.”
In this Star Field, only the Insect Emperor was comparable to Yang Yan over the countless years. Ten thousand years ago, when these two fought, one had their body destroyed while the other fell into a deep sleep. In the region around Shadowed Star, many Stars had been crushed, and a thick Emperor Pressure still lingered about, creating the Dead Zone that stretched for millions of kilometres, a physical reminder of just how fierce the battle at that time had been.
When Yang Yan asked this question, Yang Kai immediately thought of the Insect Emperor.
“En, my coming here was indeed related to the Insect Emperor. Then, do you know why the Insect Emperor came here?” Yang Yan continued to ask.
Yang Kai shook his head again.
Yang Yan explained, “He came here to swallow World Principles. If he had succeeded, all the Cultivation Stars in this Star Field would have been turned into Dead Stars, so I pursued him here and engaged in a life or death battle with him.”
“Why would he want to devour World Principles?” Yang Kai looked at Yang Yan in shock.
“The Emperor’s Dao is to gain control over the Principles of Heaven and Earth. Only by controlling such Principles can one become an Emperor!” Yang Yan explained, “But how could it be easy to master Principle Strength? It isn’t like simply becoming an Emperor grants you such power, one needs to comprehend the Heavenly Way deeply if they wish to control such strength, but aside from years of hard cultivation, there is a shortcut…”
Yang Kai faintly thought of something and said in amazement, “Refining Star Sources?”
He had refined the Star Source of Shadowed Star, which allowed him to faintly feel its World Principles, which was why he thought of this.
“Correct,” Yang Yan nodded, “But what the Insect Emperor wanted to do wasn’t refine a Cultivation Star’s Source, he wanted to swallow them! Swallowing a Source and integrating the Principle Strength of Cultivation Stars into his own is the shortcut he wanted to take.”
Yang Kai felt cold sweat all over his body at this moment…
If the Insect Emperor had succeeded, then countless Cultivation Stars across the Star Field would have been destroyed. It is even possible that all life in the entire Star Field would have been annihilated.
“You should know that this Star Field is not the only Star Field that exists. There is a powerful barrier that separates individual Star Fields from one another, formed by the Star Field’s Principles themselves. Even for an Emperor, trying to break through these barriers is very difficult, which is why you don’t know of the existence of anything outside your Star Field,” Yang Yan ignored Yang Kai’s shock and continued to speak without pause, “Many, many years ago, a powerful master from the place I came from reached the Emperor level and discovered this shortcut to strengthening himself, so he used his powerful Divine Abilities to break through these barriers and went from one Star Field to the next, swallowing all the World Principles of those Star Fields, resulting in the total destruction of nineteen Star Fields in just one hundred years! Each of those nineteen Star Fields was even more prosperous than the one you reside in now.”
More cold sweat dripped from Yang Kai’s forehead hearing this.
“Star Fields are the foundation of cultivators, so the destruction of any Star Field is a matter of great significance. At that time, the top ten masters realized the seriousness of this problem, so they joined forces to create rules which prevented other masters from abusing this practice. From then on, if anyone is found trying to act against a Star Field in this manner, they would be killed without mercy. Although this solution was quite effective, it didn’t eradicate the problem as there are always some who are willing to take risks. The Insect Emperor was one such character. I was sent here to stop him.”
“This… this is all a bit overwhelming and difficult to accept. How about we put this matter aside for now and continue once you’re feeling better?” Yang Kai wiped the cold sweat on his forehead while trying to get up to leave.
He had an ominous feeling about what was about to transpire.
However, in the next moment, Yang Kai discovered that his movements were completely suppressed by some invisible force and he could only sit in place, unable to move.
Yang Yan glanced at him obliquely before continuing on, “Every Star Field actually has its own protector. This is the most efficient method to prevent those with bad intentions from invading. Once a cultivator that exceeds the power of a Star Field is discovered trying to break in, those protectors are the first to receive a notification, and they are then charged with preventing anything from happening. However, the guardian of your Star Field has been missing for over ten thousand years and no one knows whether he is alive or dead, so I was sent in his stead. By the way, your Sealed World Bead was originally his.”
Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai with a grin that clearly held some mischievous intent, “I also have my own Star Field I am charged with protecting, and I have been away from there for long enough. Now that I have truly awoken, I can’t continue to remain here, and you can only depend on yourself from now on. Now that you’ve obtained that person’s Sealed World Bead, you should inherit his mantle and become the Protector of this Star Field. Your relatives and friends all live here, so you can’t exactly refuse, can you?”
“If you do not have the strength and skill, one day, when someone comes and tries to refine Shadowed Star, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. If you want to ensure that your friends and family can live in peace, work hard to cultivate, and when your cultivation reaches my level, you will be able to properly protect this Star Field.”
After Yang Yan finished speaking, she ignored Yang Kai, picked up her teacup, and drank from it lightly.
The power that imprisoned Yang Kai also disappeared, but Yang Kai did not leave, instead just sitting there and frowning in thought, as if he was digesting what Yang Yan said.
The Emperor’s Dao, multiple Star Fields, Principle Strength, Protectors…
All these new and novel things impacted Yang Kai’s mind, leaving him silent for quite some time.
Yang Yan seemed to have opened a new door in front of him, one that was filled with dazzling light that, although painful to Yang Kai’s eyes, also filled him with excitement…
“According to what you said, this Star Field’s Protector has been missing for over ten thousand years. Wouldn’t that make this Star Field a big piece of unclaimed cake that everyone would covet? Why has only the Insect Emperor invaded after so many years?” After a long silence, Yang Kai raised his head and asked Yang Yan.
Yang Yan laughed lightly, “Do you think it is such a simple thing to break through the barriers of a Star Field? Principles are the laws that govern the world, and those laws are supreme. Even the top ten masters from the place I come from do not dare infringe upon those Principles at will. To break through those Principles and reach this place, one must pay an enormous price!”
Saying so, Yang Yan’s brow furrowed, as if she was thinking of something.
After a brief pause though, she continued, “In short, this price is not something everyone can afford. If one can sense and comprehend Principle Strength all on their own, why take the risk to come to a Star Field to refine the Sources of Cultivation Stars? Only those whose cultivation has stagnated and see no hope of advancing any other way will choose to do this. You must know that once you come to a Star Field that is not yours, your realm will drop significantly. No master wants this to happen.”
“Even if their realm drops, they still want to refine Star Sources in violation of those rules?” Yang Kai exclaimed in shock.
As a cultivator, he naturally knew how painful it was to have one’s cultivation regress. If he, as an Origin King, were to suddenly have his cultivation fall to the Origin Realm or Saint King realm, it would be a massive blow.
Such a setback would likely be impossible to recover from, bringing one’s path on the Martial Dao to an end.
“Naturally!” Yang Yan raised her white chin slightly, “You haven’t reached this realm yet, so you don’t understand the temptation Principle Strength holds to those people. If one’s realm falls, it can be regained through cultivation, but it is not so simple to master Principle Strength. You are now the Star Master of Shadowed Star, so you have vaguely experienced the benefits of Principle Strength. This is an excellent opportunity that only belongs to Star Masters. If their fortune is good enough and they can break through the void to arrive at that place, many great forces will try to recruit them.”
“That place… is called Star Boundary, right?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes at Yang Yan.
Yang Yan was startled, “How do you know that name? I don’t remember telling you…”
Saying so, her expression suddenly changed, “Who did you meet?”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly, “I did meet someone, and he mentioned the name Star Boundary.”
Yang Kai gave a detailed account of the Spirit Devouring Sect he encountered on Tong Xuan Realm.
After listening to his story, Yang Yan coldly snorted, “As I thought, someone has come down again. They must be anxious to die! Spirit Devouring Crystals are so evil that they are even forbidden in the Star Boundary. All knowledge of how to create them was sealed or destroyed long ago, but it seems there are still those who have access to that information and actually dared bring it to this Star Field.”
“Although that Spirit Array is quite profound and the Spirit Devouring Crystals refined from World Energy are good treasures, they’re not very effective resources, right?” Yang Kai thoughtfully, “Using those Spirit Devouring Crystals to improve one’s strength is indeed faster than cultivating normally, but when I fought that Spirit Devouring Sect’s Sect Master, although he was also a First-Order Origin King, his combat power was far lower than any Origin King I’ve encountered before.”
“Do you think that person passed Secret Techniques to that Spirit Devouring Sect to improve their strength?” Yang Yan coldly snorted, “That person only wanted to use them to test whether this Star Field’s Protector would act. Before he is certain there is no Protector here, he will not dare act rashly. The Spirit Devouring Sect was just a pawn to him.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “I heard that the Spirit Devouring Sect suddenly emerged a hundred years ago, so doesn’t that mean that person came to the Star Field a hundred years ago? He actually remained in hiding for that long?”
“Compared to his life, what is a hundred years?”
“That’s right, you fell into a deep sleep for ten thousand years…” Yang Kai thought about it and realized that a hundred years of patience was really nothing compared to the time Yang Yan had been asleep.
“Lower your Knowledge Sea’s defences, I’ll check what that guy left in you. If possible, this Queen will find him personally and deal with him. It will be this Queen’s final gift to you before leaving this Star Field.”
“Alright!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
The next moment, he sent his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea and released all his defences.
He did not need to feel the least bit of wariness toward Yang Yan. Although the feeling he got from her was not exactly the same as before, Yang Kai still found many things familiar about her.
With a light breeze, a beautiful figure appeared inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and stood beside him. Naturally, it was Yang Yan’s Soul Avatar.
Looking around for a while, she nodded in approval, “Your Soul is far stronger than an average cultivator of your realm, probably on the same level as a Third-Order Origin King. What’s more, you have a Mutated Conflagrated Knowledge Sea… Hm? A Soul Warming Lotus? A Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus?”
Yang Yan suddenly exclaimed as she covered her small mouth with her delicate hands, her beautiful eyes flashing as if she had seen something astonishing, “You actually possess a Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus?”
This was the first time she had entered Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, so after seeing the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, she was thoroughly stunned.
It was no doubt a Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus. The seven coloured radiance which gently lingered around this supreme treasure gave her Soul a comfortable and pure feeling.
“Is this thing really that valuable? Why does everyone who sees it wear such an expression?” Yang Kai scratched his nose. The unknown master who saw the Soul Warming Lotus in his Knowledge Sea the other day reacted almost identically to Yang Yan.
“Is it valuable?” Yang Yan glanced at Yang Kai, “The value of this treasure is immeasurable. As its owner, I am sure you’ve experienced the benefits it brings to you. What more do I need to say?”
Yang Kai nodded.
“So that’s how it is. I wondered why your Spiritual Energy was so much stronger than a normal cultivator’s, it turns out you’ve had this Soul Warming Lotus all along! And this Soul Warming Lotus is actually in its seven coloured form. Your luck is definitely not ordinary,” Yang Yan showed a look of envy as she told Yang Kai’s solemnly, “Even in the Star Boundary, the Soul Warming Lotus is a legendary treasure. Very few people have ever even seen it before. If you one day reach the Star Boundary, you must keep its existence secret.”
“I know. Only those closest to me know I have this Soul Warming Lotus,” Yang Kai nodded.
Hearing what he said, a strange look flashed across Yang Yan’s eyes, but it disappeared in the next instant and she gradually restored her previous calmness before saying, “That’s not enough. I will give you a set of Soul-Type Secret Techniques later that you can cultivate to block off probing of your Knowledge Sea. I will also place a barrier for you. With these two things, unless it is someone with cultivation equalling mine, no one will be able to forcefully invade your Knowledge Sea. The barrier won’t harm you and as your strength improves, it will slowly lift on its own.”
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai smiled happily.
Yang Yan nodded lightly before continuing to sweep her eyes around, eventually directing them upwards where she saw a sea full of stars and was stunned once again, muttering out loud, “The Star Chart?”
“Oh, it’s something I obtained by accident when I first entered the Star Field,” Yang Kai casually explained while carefully examining Yang Yan’s expression.
Yang Yan’s expression was quite strange actually. When she saw this Star Chart, it was like a forlorn and lonely aura washed over her, as if she had lost something unbelievably valuable, sadness filling her pretty face.
Yang Kai was not clear about what happened. When that unknown master saw this Star Chart before, he was obviously extremely excited, even more so than when he saw the Soul Warming Lotus, so why was Yang Yan reacting like this…
“The Star Chart actually appeared here!” Yang Yan closed her beautiful eyes and stood motionless.
Yang Kai did not dare to interrupt and just waited quietly.
After a long time, Yang Yan slowly opened her eyes and sighed, “Yang Kai, it seems the role of Protector for this Star Field is destined to fall on your shoulders.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Please don’t joke, how could I be this Star Field’s Protector with just my strength? Although I do not know what kind of masters roam the Star Boundary you come from, I do know I’m no match for them right now.”
“You can’t escape this, because this Star Chart can only belong to the Star Field’s Protector!” Yang Yan turned his head to look at him.
“What do you mean?”
Yang Yan whispered, “A Cultivation Star has its own Star Source, which a cultivator can refine to become its Star Master. In another sense, a Star Master is the guardian and protector of their Cultivation Star. The same principle applies to Star Fields: they have their own source as well, and that source is this Star Chart!”
As she said so, she pointed to the sky, “Only by refining the Star Chart Source can you qualify to be a Star Field’s Protector. Now that this Star Chart belongs to you, do you think you can escape this fate?”
Yang Kai was stunned, “This thing is the entire Star Field’s Source? You must be kidding me, I’ve only ever used it to find directions, other than that, I haven’t discovered any other use for it.”
Yang Yan just looked at him with a solemn expression.
“You’re serious?” Yang Kai’s face changed slightly.
“Why would I joke about such an important matter? It’s almost like the Heavenly Way is silently guiding you towards this destiny,” Yang Yan said with mixed emotions. “You have the Star Chart and that person’s Sealed World Bead. You also cultivate the Dao of Space. Hehe, it seems you really are inheriting that guy’s mantle. As for the reason you can’t discover any of this Star Chart’s effects, it’s just because you aren’t strong enough yet. When you reach my level, you will understand how precious this Star Chart is. It is a treasure that countless people wish to possess but cannot obtain.”
“The person you spoke of was this Star Field’s previous Protector, right?”
“En.”
“Where is he now?”
“He disappeared thousands of years ago and this Star Chart is now with you, where you do think he is?” Yang Yan looked straight at Yang Kai.
“Dead?” Yang Kai was shocked.
“Who knows?” Yang Yan sneered with a mix of frustration and resignation, “He likes to wander through The Void, so perhaps he was swallowed up by it one day. If that is the case, he brought his fate upon himself!”
Yang Yan’s sorrowful expression was definitely not fake and even the fluctuations emanating from her Soul Avatar were extremely unstable, showing her mood was quite unsettled.
Yang Kai suddenly became a little curious, wondering what the relationship between her and the owner of the Sealed World Bead was.
“Enough, let us not mention him anymore. In any case, he has been missing for so long I already figured he had died. I’ll deal with what that person left in your Knowledge Sea first,” Yang Yan said after a while before sitting down cross-legged with a solemn expression, forming a series of seals with her hands as she swept her beautiful eyes across the sea down below.
A thread of Divine Sense that was visible to the naked eye rushed out from her fingertips, transformed into a snake-like appearance, and dove into the sea.
Yang Kai stood by and watched silently.
His Knowledge Sea was calm at first, but soon, the sea of flames began to become restless and at a certain location, large bubbles appeared.
Yang Kai turned his attention to that side and suddenly found that there was a triangle mark he had never seen before there, one which was vague and misty, nearly making it invisible.
The snake-like thread of Yang Yan’s Divine Sense was swimming around this mark and as it moved, the mark became clearer and clearer.
After the mark was completely revealed, Yang Yan took back the spirit snake.
Relaxing, Yang Yan explained, “It’s the simplest form of Soul Tracing Mark, but even so, you can’t get rid of it nor would you have been able to find it.”
“You can’t get rid of it?” Yang Kai was astonished.
“I can, I just chose not to,” Yang Yan slowly got up and spoke.
Yang Kai looked at her thoughtfully, “Casting a long line to catch a big fish?”
“Exactly,” Yang Yan smiled coldly, “After ten thousand years of silence, it seems like some from the Star Boundary are becoming restless again. This is a good opportunity to teach them a lesson they won’t soon forget. After this Queen returns to the Star Boundary, she’ll hang the head of whoever dared to come here above the Star Gate and see who else dares to come down and covet the Star Field’s Principles again.”
Yang Kai quietly wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, almost feeling sad for this pitiful fellow, but he quickly said, “Whatever you need, I’ll cooperate with you.”
“You don’t need to do anything in particular, he’ll come to you. Just go about your life, I will monitor you secretly,” Yang Yan said before suddenly stretching out her finger and condense a ball of light at its tip before sending it to Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar, “This is the Secret Technique to block off your Knowledge Sea, take some time to cultivate it.”
Yang Kai nodded seriously before closing his eyes to comprehend this new Secret Technique.
His Knowledge Sea had supreme treasures like the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus and the Star Field Star Chart. If he went to the Star Boundary in the future, it was inevitable that these things would be discovered by some master if he took no precautions, so Yang Kai diligently cultivated this Secret Technique to seal off his Knowledge Sea.
Seeing him like this, Yang Yan did not say any more, simply leaving him to his studies while she erected a number of powerful barriers around his Knowledge Sea before taking her leave.
One day later, Yang Kai opened his eyes as a faint trace of exhaustion filled his face.
The Secret Technique that Yang Yan handed to him to seal his Knowledge Sea was extremely profound, and he had consumed a great deal of his Spiritual Energy to comprehend it; however, although he was quite tired, his harvest had been rich, so he felt full of energy.
Yang Yan and Lin Yun’er had disappeared from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, and when Yang Kai released his Divine Sense, he was unable to perceive their existence, having no clue where they had gone.
Only Gui Zu was now sitting directly opposite Yang Kai, wearing a solemn expression on his face, seemingly pondering something.
“Elder!” Yang Kai greeted him.
Gui Zu came out of his reverie and looked over towards Yang Kai to ask, “Sect Master, that Senior… who was she? Why does this old master feel as weak and vulnerable as a three-year-old child in front of her?”
Gui Zu was truly shocked.
After reaching the Second-Order Origin King Realm, he had thought that despite the world being vast, there was not anyone left who he needed to truly fear, but soon after arriving at High Heaven Sect, he had met Yang Yan and been tossed about by her ruthlessly, making him lose a great deal of confidence.
Although he had gained some benefits from the experience, Gui Zu really couldn’t accept this profound feeling of weakness.
“If I told you she is the Starry Sky Great Emperor, would you believe me?” Yang Kai smiled back at Gui Zu.
Gui Zu’s jaw dropped so far a melon could be stuffed into it as he stared at Yang Kai in shock, his eyes trembling violently.
“Hahaha… didn’t Supreme Elder want to refine some Origin King Grade Spirit Pills? You can go to Pill Treasure Peak to find my Little Senior Sister, she will refine whatever you want,” Yang Kai laughed before getting up and leaving leisurely.
Gui Zu sat alone for quite some time, unable to recover.
Only after a long silence did he pound the table with his fist and curse, “Damn brat, daring to play tricks on this old master! The Great Emperor is just a legend, how could she really appear here all of a sudden? What’s more, as a woman… This old master is not a naïve character, how could he have been fooled so easily? Never mind, those pills are more important now!”
Regardless of the true origins of that woman named Yang Yan, Gui Zu knew that she was definitely not someone he could provoke, and after having suffered two complete losses at her hand, Gui Zu no longer dared act self-righteous.
The Martial Dao was endless, and one needed to always strive to improve themself…
Inside First Heavenly Palace, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes tightly.
Calming himself, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense and integrated it into Shadowed Star’s aura. As long as he wanted to, he could even feel the wind or grass anywhere on Shadowed Star now.
It was as if he and the Cultivation Star had merged into one, the two indistinguishable from one another.
The World Principles which had felt vague before had now become clearer, and his grasp of Shadowed Star’s power was much stronger than before.
“Is it because I broke through to the Origin King Realm?” Yang Kai muttered thoughtfully, “It should be, the Origin King Realm and Origin Returning Realm are two completely different Great Realms, after all. As my strength improves, there are bound to be some changes… oh? The World Principles seem to have changed a little…”
Yang Kai suddenly noticed something unusual and began to investigate. After a long time, he was slightly surprised, “The World Principles here are no longer disordered and have become flawless? Is this also a result of my breakthrough? It being impossible to reach the Origin King Realm on Shadowed Star was a direct result of the imperfect World Principles disrupted by the battle between Yang Yan and the Insect Emperor. My breakthrough seems to have altered this situation though… If the flaws in the World Principles have been repaired now, does that mean Shadowed Star will no longer reject Origin Kings? Right, I have not noticed Shadowed Star rejecting me at all since I returned, but I’m also its Star Master, so I can’t use myself as proof. En, I can use Supreme Elder to give it a try.”
Thinking this way, he quickly found where Gui Zu was.
Currently, there were only two Origin Kings on Shadowed Star: him and Gui Zu. Yang Kai was Shadowed Star’s Star Master and would not be rejected by the star, so he could only experiment on Gui Zu.
At this moment, inside a grand palace on Pill Treasure Peak, a strong pill fragrance filled the air.
Gui Zu sat cross-legged on the ground while carefully explaining his own experiences and comprehensions on the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way.
Su Yan sat opposite Gui Zu, in front of the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal, her whole body exuding a deep chill and her hands resting on her knees lightly, listening attentively.
Next to her, Little Senior Sister was also listening very seriously, but her hands never stopped moving, continuously taking out Origin King Grade herbs and extracting medicinal liquid from them.
With her Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, Alchemy was like eating or drinking to Little Senior Sister, an all but instinctive behaviour, so while she listened to Gui Zu’s cultivation experiences, she was not distracted when performing Alchemy.
From time to time, a Spirit Pill would be completed and placed into a pre-prepared jade bottle by Xia Ning Chang.
Gui Zu was delighted and motivated every time he saw this happen.
Suddenly, Gui Zu frowned and turned his head to look around, his expression suspicious.
At that moment, he felt someone spying on him.
Shocked, he immediately and mistakenly thought that Yang Yan was observing him; after all, the only one who should be able to spy on him without revealing their location was Yang Yan.
Not daring to be negligent, Gui Zu became more focused on explaining the many difficulties and intricacies of cultivation, a faint trace of sweat leaking from his forehead as he did.
Fortunately, this feeling disappeared after a while, allowing Gui Zu to breathe a sigh of relief.
“There really is no sense of rejection,” Inside First Heavenly Palace, Yang Kai smiled happily. He had just tried to mobilize the World Principles to apply some pressure to Gui Zu, but found that they didn’t reject his presence.
The perfection of its World Principles was a massive breakthrough for Shadowed Star.
This meant that the World Principles on Shadowed Star would no longer suppress cultivators and restrict them from breaking through to the Origin King Realm. At the same time, they would not repel Origin Kings anymore, like when Qian Tong had been struck by lightning or burned by Earth Fire.
In the future, Shadowed Star would now just allow Origin Kings to rise, it also would not force these masters to leave.
In this way, it would save all the Origin Returning Realm masters of Shadowed Star from having to travel to other Cultivation Stars to make breakthroughs.
It seemed he would need to send word to Azure Tree Star and let Ye Xi Yun, Qian Tong, and all the others know about the good news.
Shadowed Star’s Principles had been repaired thanks to his breakthrough, but the World Principles of the Sealed World Bead were still incomplete, a fact that made Yang Kai feel quite helpless. These incomplete World Principles meant that breakthroughs could not be made inside.
However, this was an artifact left behind by the previous Star Field Guardian, so Yang Kai certainly had not uncovered all of its secrets yet.
For the next six months, Yang Kai remained on Shadowed Star.
He had just broken through to the Origin King Realm not long ago, and although thanks to his Embodiment inadvertently refining the entire floating continent, allowing his realm to rise to the peak of the First-Order, Yang Kai had yet to carefully consolidate his cultivation.
Over the past six months, besides consolidating his realm, Yang Kai also cultivated the Secret Technique to seal off his Knowledge Sea.
After half a year, he had reached the minor accomplishment stage and his entire Knowledge Sea was now shrouded by the invisible layer that seemed to blend and cooperate with the barriers left behind by Yang Yan. With his current cultivation, it was likely there was no one in the entire Star Field now who could invade his Knowledge Sea.
This way, the secrets in his Knowledge Sea were safe.
Today, Yang Kai was enjoying some family time and completing his filial duties by accompanying his parents on the mountain where they lived.
Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang were also present. Some time ago, the two women had been in retreat and had some gains, their auras now fluctuating somewhat, as if they were on the verge of a breakthrough.
As such, Yang Kai pulled them out to relax for a while, since breakthroughs were not something to be anxiously pursued.
Their son was a dragon among men and their two daughters-in-law were great beauties, making Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu feel as if their lives had been worth living. Dong Su Zhu also kept urging Yang Kai to hold a proper wedding ceremony soon, causing his two Senior Sisters to become both excited and shy.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s brows furrowed, and he quickly released his Divine Sense, the next moment his expression becoming solemn as he said, “Mother, Father, wait here a while. I’ll be right back.”
Saying so, he gave a wink to Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, to which both of them nodded in understanding.
Yang Kai’s figure then flickered and disappeared.
Shadowed Star, the Limitless Ocean, above a vast, calm sea, a middle-aged man stood mid-air. Dressed in white, he exuded an extraordinary aura and temperament.
With closed eyes, this man felt the surging World Energy around him and practically smelled the World Principles in the air, his face showing a joyful look.
“The World Energy is rich here. Although the Principles are not perfect, they’re still quite good. En, it’s been a long trip, might as well replenish myself,” The middle-aged man said to himself as he began forming a series of seals.
In the next moment, his body seemed to transform into a bottomless pit that madly swallowed the surrounding World Energy.
Suddenly, the originally calm sea became unsettled and the winds began to howl.
Although with the disappearance of a large amount of World Energy, something else seemed to also be vanishing from the surrounding hundred thousand kilometre radius, causing many cultivators to feel uncomfortable as well as slightly anxious.
Sea Temple headquarters, on a massive island, the current Temple Master Sha Hu was discussing some important matters with the other high-level officials when suddenly he sensed something. Raising his hand and looking in the direction of the middle-aged man, a solemn expression filled Sha Hu’s face.
“Temple Master, what happened?” The Second Temple Master asked.
Sha Hu did not answer directly but his expression grew more and more solemn. It took a while before he stood up and said, “Someone is making trouble on the Limitless Ocean. This old master will go take a look.”
Saying so, his body shot out like lightning, the many masters in the hall exchanging confused looks before following along.
Deep under the sea, instruments played as many young Sea Clan girls sang and danced, brightening the scene inside Sea God Palace.
Suddenly, the waters for several tens of thousands of kilometres around Sea God Palace became turbulent and a violent earthquake shook the ground violently. Lie Kong, the King of Sea God Palace, who sat at the head of the banquet, wore a solemn look as he raised his head up and a profound light flashed across his eyes. The next moment, a vague figure appeared in front of his eyes, and although they were separated by a few ten thousand kilometres, this vague figure still seemed to be aware of his gaze, he just smiled disdainfully and ignored Lie Kong.
Lie Kong was furious and roared in a majestic voice that resounded through Sea God Palace, “Who dares act presumptuously on my Limitless Ocean? If you come to Sea God Palace immediately and admit your sins, this King may spare your life!”
This sound crossed the barriers of space with the help of the Sea Clan’s Secret Techniques and directly sounded in the middle-aged man’s ears.
The middle-aged man who was madly absorbing the surrounding World Energy coldly snorted when he heard this threat and directed an icy glare in Lie Kong’s direction as he shouted, “Pathetic ant, you dare speak to this Senior with such disrespect? Come here now!”
Saying so, he waved his hand lightly, as if he was brushing away a fly.
However, this light movement seemed to contain unimaginable power, causing the seawater to split like a mirror all the way to the seabed. From above, it looked like a huge canyon had appeared in the middle of the Limitless Ocean.
Sea God Palace under the sea was suddenly exposed to the vision of the middle-aged man above.
“Huh?” Lie Kong’s face changed drastically as he felt incredibly stunned.
He had only caught a glimpse of this middle-aged man with the assistance of the Sea Clan’s Secret Technique, but never did he imagine it would result in the other party waving his hand and cutting the entire Limitless Ocean in half.
Such methods were simply beyond Lie Kong’s comprehension or imagination.
[An Origin King? Impossible, even an Origin King wouldn’t have such ability!]
The Sea Clan girls screamed and fled, trying to rush into the sea to seek refuge, but when their bodies touched the edge of the canyon, their bodies burst into blood fog, causing countless casualties.
The many masters of the Sea Clan were shocked as they all looked up in horror at the figure standing in the sky who seemed like some kind of god they were unable to defy.
“I told you to come, did you not hear me? This Senior won’t repeat his words a second time!” The middle-aged man showed a look of impatience and snorted as he stretched out his hand and pointed towards Lie Kong.
Being pointed at like this, Lie Kong suddenly broke out into a cold sweat as he could not even muster the will to resist. This move seemed to be made slowly, but at the same time cut off all avenues of retreat.
*Pu…*
Lie Kong coughed up a mouthful of blood and felt his body imprisoned by an invisible force that dragged him upwards at a rapid speed.
“Palace Master!” The many masters from the Sea Clan called out, but none dared to act rashly.
Lie Kong was the strongest master of Sea God Palace, and even he was easily captured by this unknown opponent, so acting hostile now would be the same as courting death.
A feeling of despair began to spread as no one knew where this middle-aged man came from or what kind of cultivation he had.
The only thing everyone knew was that this person had the power to destroy all of Shadowed Star.
In just a few breaths, Lie Kong was dragged a few tens of thousands of kilometres away and arrived in front of the middle-aged man.
“Kneel down!” The middle-aged man did not even glance at him but uttered two words lightly.
Lie Kong did not feel this man use any kind of strength, but these two words shook his mind like thunder and had a kind of coercive force that seemed to be forcing him to obey, his knees softening instantly as he nearly knelt like he was commanded.
Quickly though, Lie Kong’s eyes turned red and he roared, “This King is the lord of Sea God Palace, how could he kneel to you? If he did, how could he face Sea God Palace ever again?”
Desperately pushing his Strength, a kind of white light burst from Lie Kong’s body as he resisted, but because of the tremendous pressure he was under, his skin cracked, and blood began to leak out.
The middle-aged man just looked at him coldly and said indifferently, “You have no right to refuse!”
“Even if this King must die, he won’t give you what you want!” Lie Kong roared as blue veins throbbed on his forehead, swearing an oath on his life.
*Pa pa pa…*
A loud series of bangs rang out from Lie Kong’s legs, and with them, his legs from his knees down exploded.
The intense pain only further stimulated Lie Kong though as he grit his teeth tightly and despite his miserable appearance let out a hearty laugh, “This King no longer has any knees, so how will you make me kneel now? Try again in your next life!”
The middle-aged man’s expression finally changed slightly as he spoke, “Seems your spirit is stronger than expected. Don’t worry, I won’t let you die here, I’ll keep you alive to teach you some manners later!”
Saying so, with a wave of his hand, a bubble-like object flew out and directly wrapped up Lie Kong. No matter how hard Lie Kong struggled to resist, he was unable to escape.
Nearby, Sha Hu and a group of masters from Sea Temple had appeared, but after witnessing this terrifying scene, all of their hearts froze.
The people of Sea Temple knew well of Lie Kong’s strength; after all, the two great forces had fought for countless years on this Limitless Ocean, so it was not an exaggeration to say that they knew each other intimately.
Lie Kong had always been regarded by Sea Temple as their greatest enemy, as well as the most difficult one to deal with. Even Sha Hu was not certain he could kill Lie Kong in the sea.
But now, the leader of the Sea Clan, the lord of Sea God Palace, a man of great power, was as powerless as a baby in front of this unfamiliar middle-aged man. Not only did he not have any power to resist, even his legs had been destroyed.
This scene caused Sha Hu and the others to feel quite distressed.
“Withdraw!” Sha Hu saw that something was wrong and quickly shouted, preparing to evacuate this place.
An opponent who could easily defeat Lie Kong was definitely not one he could resist.
“Since you’ve come, don’t think you can just go!” The middle-aged man sneered, “This Senior simply wanted to absorb some of this Star’s Source Strength, so if you had just minded your own affairs obediently, this Senior wouldn’t have come to trouble you, but since you seek death on your own, this Senior doesn’t mind sending you all on your way!”
Saying so, he waved his hand in the direction where Sha Hu and the others stood.
It was as if he was swatting away flies.
World Energy gathered together at that moment into a huge palm and fell fiercely.
An aura of death rapidly approached, causing Sha Hu and the others to pale, all of them raising their heads to look at the giant hand which seemed to cover the sky, none of them able to muster the strength to resist.
[What are the origins of this man?] Sha Hu knew that death was imminent, but was still puzzled about where such a powerful cultivator had come from and just who could deal with him?
Could it be Shadowed Star was about to experience a tragedy and he was about to become a casualty?
At that moment, Yang Kai suddenly appeared in his mind.
Perhaps… only that boy could deal with this person. But as soon as that idea came to mind, Sha Hu denied it. That boy was indeed powerful, but compared with the person in front of him, there was still an obvious gap.
The palm arrived above the top of Sha Hu’s head in an instant and some of the masters with him with lower cultivation burst apart and died on the spot before even being struck.
Even Sha Hu with his great strength felt intense pain all over his body as it literally began to crack apart.
“Scatter!” A low shout suddenly rang out.
It was only a mere word, but it seemed to contain a kind of supreme power that affected reality itself.
The surrounding World Energy suddenly became chaotic and the huge palm which was descending towards Sha Hu’s group instantly dispersed.
The sky cleared up and Sha Hu and his group felt the sun’s gentle rays beam down on them, a look of shock covering their faces.
“Oh?” The middle-aged man finally showed a look of interest on his indifferent face as he turned towards the source of this voice and in the next moment he grinned, “It’s you, hahahaha! Before this Senior even went looking for you, you’ve delivered yourself to him. Good, very good, you’ve saved this Senior some trouble. As thanks, this Senior will let you off slightly easier when he kills you!”
Yang Kai frowned as he glanced down at the scattered flesh and blood, then at Lie Kong’s miserable condition, saying with a calm tone, “Seems I came a bit late!”
“Yang Kai!” Sha Hu was overjoyed and called out in excitement.
“Sect Master Yang!” Lie Kong also smiled miserably towards Yang Kai from his bubble.
Sha Hu and Yang Kai had met on Shadowed Soul Island and formed a kind of friendship while Lie Kong also knew Yang Kai because of a trade relationship Sea God Palace had with High Heaven Sect. The last time Yang Kai left the seabed, the Sea Clan’s Little Princess also gave him the Sea God Orb which contained some of the Ocean’s Source, a treasure which was perfectly suited to Yang Kai’s Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art.
After seeing Yang Kai, both Sha Hu and Lie Kong couldn’t help feeling happy but also extremely anxious.
Sha Hu called out anxiously, “Yang Kai, leave this place quickly, this man is definitely not something you can resist!”
“Old Sha can relax,” Yang Kai smiled at him. “Since I’ve come here, I’m prepared. What’s more, he’s here for me. Old Sha and Palace Master Lie Kong being hurt is partially my responsibility, so just stand back for now.”
Saying so, Yang Kai waved his hand lightly.
An invisible force enveloped Sha Hu and he found that he and the Sea Temple masters had been teleported ten thousand kilometres away while the bubble which had enveloped Lie Kong also burst apart.
By the time Lie Kong knew what was happening, he had returned safely to Sea God Palace.
“Palace Master!” The many Sea Clan masters were overjoyed and rushed up quickly, several of the Elders hurriedly taking out good healing pills from their Space Rings to give to Lie Kong.
“A Star Master? Did you refine this Cultivation Star’s Source?” The middle-aged man’s eyes flashed and he looked at Yang Kai in surprise.
If he were not the Star Master of this place, it would have been absolutely impossible to perform such acts with just Yang Kai’s First-Order Origin King’s cultivation. What’s more, the moment Yang Kai waved his hand, the middle-aged man sensed a fluctuation in the World Principals around him.
“What? Sect Master Yang is actually the Star Master of Shadowed Star?” Although the people from Sea Temple and Sea God Palace were watching from afar, when they heard the middle-aged man’s words clearly, they couldn’t help showing looks of shock and excitement.
This was especially true for Lie Kong. After learning that Yang Kai is actually the Star Master of Shadowed Star, the light of hope was rekindled in his eyes.
If it was the Star Master, on this Star, it would really be possible to fight this inexplicable enemy!
“Boy, this Senior is talking to you, are you deaf?” The middle-aged man could not stop his face from sinking when he saw that Yang Kai blatantly ignored him.
Thinking of his noble status and his great strength, him taking the initiative to speak to a little First-Order Origin King brat was a great honour yet the other party actually ignored him, causing him to feel a little angry out of shame.
Only after being shouted at like this did Yang Kai turn his head and glance indifferently towards the middle-aged man, cleaned his ear with his finger impudently, and called out, “What did you just say? Sorry, this wind is quite strong when we are above the sea, so I didn’t hear you clearly. Say it again.”
Sha Hu, Lie Kong, and everyone else gawked…
They could clearly hear this man’s voice from ten thousand kilometres away, so Yang Kai, who was standing only a few kilometres away obviously could as well. This was nothing short of naked contempt!
While feeling somewhat refreshed themselves, the Shadowed Star cultivators all worried whether it was really a good idea for Yang Kai to provoke such a terrifying enemy.
“You’re certainly rampant enough, boy!” The middle-aged man snickered, “This Senior will congratulate you: You have successfully angered me. You won’t die so easily now.”
“Whether I die or not has nothing to do with you, because you’re going to die very soon,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, not showing the slightest fear despite facing an enemy whose depths he could not even comprehend.
“This Senior admires your courage, but courage without strength is useless,” The middle-aged man raised a finger and shook it gently in front of him, “Little Brat, obediently hand over your Soul Warming Lotus and Star Chart and this Senior will leave you a complete corpse, otherwise this Senior doesn’t mind letting you taste the world’s more exquisite torture first.”
“You want my things? If so, take them yourself and see if you have the ability,” Yang Kai still didn’t show any change in expression.
“Fool!” The middle-aged man did not seem to have much patience, so seeing Yang Kai still refuse his ‘generous’ offer, he snorted and sent his Divine Sense crashing towards Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
Whether it was the Soul Warming Lotus or the Star Chart, both were kept inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, so if the middle-aged man wanted to snatch them, he could only invade his Knowledge Sea first.
Yang Kai finally changed slightly as he felt his Knowledge Sea being struck hard by some invisible force. Going dizzy, Yang Kai felt a wave of nausea overcome him as his heart pounded and his face turned pale.
*Hong…*
When this invisible spike impacted Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, a number of profound barriers suddenly appeared and directly blocked the middle-aged man’s Divine Sense from entering inside.
“What?” The middle-aged man was taken aback.
He thought that with his strength, he would easily be able to invade this boy’s Knowledge Sea and seize the Soul Warming Lotus and Star Chart. How could he have imagined that this little brat’s Knowledge Sea actually had such a powerful barrier around it, one that seemed quite impossible to penetrate?
“Boy, you have a lot of secrets!” The middle-aged man looked at Yang Kai with a vicious grin on his face, “Good, after this Senior captures you, he will be sure to study you carefully!”
Saying so, he suddenly reached out to grab Yang Kai.
Within the range of several tens of metres around Yang Kai, space seemed to solidify and an invisible force bound him as it dragged him towards the middle-aged man.
Yang Kai understood his situation and desperately pushed his Space Force while at the same time mobilizing the Star Source’s power to shell and disperse this invisible power, successfully breaking free and teleporting away.
“Now, now, there’s no rush. Your opponent here isn’t me,” When Yang Kai appeared again, he was already a thousand metres away, but this time only a mocking grin appeared on his face when he looked at the middle-aged man.
“Nonsense, is there a cultivator here stronger than you? Even you do not dare fight with this Senior, so who here can stop me?” The middle-aged man sneered, unmoved.
“Your opponent is me!” Suddenly, from the void, a clear female voice suddenly rang out, one that seemed to drift about and come from all directions at once.
The middle-aged man was shocked and showed a serious look for the first time as he shouted, “Who goes there?”
A series of ripples suddenly appeared at a certain point in the sky, like the surface of a calm lake that had a stone thrown into it, and from the centre of these ripples a woman in black robes walked out. Next to the woman, there was another young girl who only looked about fifteen or sixteen, her hair done up in a long ponytail, making her look quite cute.
As soon as this little girl appeared, her pair of bright eyes looked around and in the next moment, they landed on Yang Kai and she smiled and waved, “Uncle Sect Master!”
“Yun’er, come here!” Yang Kai also beckoned at her.
Lin Yun’er glanced at Yang Yan and saw her nod slightly before she made her way over to Yang Kai’s side.
“Uncle Sect Master, I haven’t seen you in half a year! Yun’er missed you very much,” Lin Yun’er was so innocent that she did not seem to notice the treacherous situation around her and the moment she arrived next to Yang Kai she began acting spoiled.
“En, Uncle missed you too… I mean, no, that’s not right, when did I become your Uncle?” Yang Kai looked at Lin Yun’er with some dissatisfaction, “You should call me Brother, I’m not that old.”
“Hehe, if I call you Brother Sect Master, what should I call Martial Aunt Yang Yan?” Lin Yun’er looked at Yang Kai slyly.
“Forget it, Uncle it is,” Yang Kai wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.
In the distance, Sha Hu, Lie Kong, and all the others gawked, wondering what was happening. Why were neither of these two taking this deadly situation seriously? Moreover, what were the origins of the woman in black, and how did she appear here without them noticing?
What exactly was happening on Shadowed Star? Before, there had not been an Origin King for ten thousand years, but today, one master at or even beyond that level was appearing like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
“Uncle Sect Master, can’t you beat that bad man?” Lin Yun’er looked up at the middle-aged man in the sky and asked Yang Kai.
“I’m not his opponent,” Yang Kai admitted frankly as even now he was unable to see through the depths of his opponent, much less fight with him. Even if he was the Star Master of Shadowed Star, occupying favourable conditions and an advantageous position, if he really had to fight with this unknown man, Yang Kai was fairly certain he would die.
In this world, only one person could subdue this man!
Yang Kai turned his gaze to Yang Yan and felt a strong desire deep in his heart to rise further up the Martial Dao!
“It doesn’t matter, Martial Aunt Yang Yan will take care of him. Yun’er will also cultivate hard, so if anyone bullies you in the future, Yun’er will protect you!” Lin Yun’er patted her steadily developing chest and promised heroically.
“Haha, then I’ll rely on you in the future,” Yang Kai laughed.
In the sky, the middle-aged man showed a solemn expression after Yang Yan appeared. He did not know why, but he felt a very dangerous aura from this woman in black robes, as if fighting her would result in a miserable end for him.
Yang Yan on the other hand looked calm and relaxed as she stared at him indifferently.
A light sweat dripped down from the middle-aged man’s forehead as he took a deep breath and tried to calm his mood, cupping his fists, and asking, “Dare I ask Your Excellency’s name?”
“That’s none of your business,” Yang Yan replied faintly before observing the other party’s robes and frowning slightly, “Are you from Falling Star Sect?”
The middle-aged man was shocked as he stared at Yang Yan incredulously, “Do you know my Sect? It seems that you are also from Star Boundary. Could it be you’re this Star Field’s…”
“No!” Yang Yan didn’t wait for him to finish and interrupted him directly, “Since you’ve displayed appropriate courtesy, this Queen will offer you a chance to surrender without a fight. This Queen isn’t fond of bullying the weak.”
“You want me to surrender without a fight?” The middle-aged man seemed to have heard a bad joke and his expression turned grim, “I do not care who you are, but since you’re not this Star Field’s Guardian, then mind your own business. There is nothing this Wu Sheng Feng has set his eyes upon that he has been unable to obtain.”
“Really? Then you are destined to be disappointed this time. With this Queen here, you will obtain nothing and will pay for it with your life,” Yang Yan still had a calm, indifferent expression.
“Does Your Excellency wish to oppose my Falling Star Sect?” Wu Sheng Feng grit his teeth and shouted.
“What thing is Falling Star Sect? Even that old dog Yu He Ling would not dare act presumptuously in front of this Queen, so what do you count for? Do you think you can suppress this Queen with a mere Falling Star Sect? Laughable!” Yang Yan sneered.
Wu Sheng Feng’s eyes bulged, “You know my Sect Master?”
The Yu He Ling that Yang Yan mentioned was Falling Star Sect’s Sect Master, and hearing this woman rampantly disdain him, Wu Sheng Feng really began to slightly panic. This woman’s status and cultivation were clearly unfathomable, and existence he should not provoke.
Any previous sense of superiority disappeared at that instant as Wu Sheng Feng’s expression fluctuated and cold sweat gradually dripped down his back.
“You have three breaths to give this Queen a satisfactory answer or this Queen will obtain one herself,” Yang Yan declared before raising a jade finger and counting, “One!”
As soon as this count began, the atmosphere changed and became heavy, causing Wu Sheng Feng to panic further, “Wait, I have something to say!”
“Two…” Yang Yan remained unmoved.
“Don’t go too far! My Falling Star Sect is not weak! Even if you are stronger than me, so what? I have already determined that there is no Guardian in this Star Field! Why are you trying to insert yourself into my business for no reason?”
“Three!” Yang Yan called out lightly before suddenly appearing in front of Wu Sheng Feng.
*Pa…*
No one saw exactly what happened, only hearing a crisp sound echo before Wu Sheng Feng was sent flying while half of his face swelled up.
“You dare hit me?” Wu Sheng Feng roared, his tone filled with anger and indignation.
*Pa…*
Wu Sheng Feng, who had just stood firm, suddenly flew out again as the other side of his face began to swell up.
“Bitch, don’t think I’m afraid of you! This Senior wanted to show mercy because you were a woman…”
*Pa…*
“Enough!”
*Pa…*
“Don’t just beat others without considering the consequences…”
*Pa…*
“Miss, it’s important to show decorum in battle!”
*Pa…*
“Senior, show mercy…”
*Pa…*
“Wuwu… I was wrong, Senior, I admit my wrongs and accept my punishment, so please stop…”
Ten thousand kilometres away, Sha Hu, Lie Kong, and everyone else stared at this scene dumbfounded. Even Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er both had their jaws slacken as they stared at the funny scene playing out before them.
The majestic and imposing Wu Sheng Feng from before, the one who carried the demeanour of an aloof master who was unchallenged below the Heavens, was as weak and helpless as a three-year-old child in front of Yang Yan, unable to resist or even dodge the blows that Yang Yan rained down on him.
The crisp sound of him being beaten and Wu Sheng Feng’s pleas for mercy filled the air, causing some complicated emotions to fill everyone’s hearts.
Yang Kai gulped as he quietly asked Lin Yun’er, “Yun’er, has your Martial Aunt been in a bad mood recently?”
“En,” Lin Yun’er nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice, a slight tinge of fear flashing across her face, “Martial Aunt has been quite quiet and gloomy recently.”
“I feel sorry for that guy,” Yang Kai sighed slightly.
In the sky, Wu Sheng Feng’s face had been beaten into the shape of a pig’s head that had been stung by countless bees, making him look extremely ridiculous. Any sense of majesty he once possessed had been thoroughly thrashed and his head was now drooping as he stood obediently in front of Yang Yan, a look of resignation filling his expression.
Yang Yan looked down at him faintly and declared, “Originally, for daring to violate the Star Boundary’s laws, I should take your life.”
Wu Sheng Feng heard this, and he began to tremble, looking up at Yang Yan in horror and squeezing out a smile even uglier than if he was crying and hurriedly begging, “Senior… please reconsider! This is my first offence and I swear there won’t be a second! I only ask Senior to spare my life!”
“Hmph!” Yang Yan coldly snorted, “If that weren’t the case, do you think you’d still be alive now? But while the capital punishment may be exempted, you must still suffer some penalty. For your crimes, you will follow me back to the Star Boundary and stand guard the Star Gate for three thousand years!”
“Three… three thousand years?” Wu Sheng Feng was shocked.
Guarding the Star Gate for three thousand years, without even mentioning the unending dullness, one was unable to cultivate there at all because of the barrier which protected the Star Gate. If he was really forced to spend three thousand years in such a position, what future would he have?
“Do you have any objections?” Yang Yan looked at him coldly.
“No, no!” Wu Sheng Feng shook his head quickly, “Senior’s judgement, Junior wouldn’t dare disagree with this. This is an honour for this Junior, haha…”
“Don’t think this Queen doesn’t know what you are thinking,” Yang Yan sneered, “Do you think that after returning to the Star Boundary, you can have that old dog Yu He Ling come forward to save you? If that is what your plan is, you’re going to be disappointed again. If Yu He Ling dares to come forward, this Queen will make him guard Star Gate for three thousand years as well!”
Wu Sheng Feng’s eyes immediately bulged as his face filled with horror and he called out hoarsely, “Senior, who… who…”
His Sect Master, Yu He Ling, in the Star Boundary, could be regarded as a famous figure, but from this woman’s tone, it was not difficult to tell that she did not put him in her eyes at all.
Throughout the entire Star Boundary, the number of people who were qualified to do this did not number more than fifty, and besides the top ten masters, each one of these people was an Emperor existence.
“Who is this Queen?” Yang Yan coldly snorted, stretching out her hand and waving to summon a palace-like artifact before her before she slapped Wu Sheng Feng one last time and shouted, “Get in!”
The next moment, Wu Sheng Feng was wrapped in an invisible force and involuntarily thrown towards the palace-like artifact.
“The Emperor Garden!” When Wu Sheng Feng saw this palace-like artifact, he called out in shock, “You’re…”
Before he finished speaking though, his body was swallowed by the artifact.
Yang Kai squinted at the palace-like artifact and found that it was none other than the Emperor Garden that had been suspended above High Heaven Sect many years ago. With Yang Yan’s awakening, the Emperor Garden had now obviously been taken back by her.
Wu Sheng Feng had been easily subdued, but Sha Hu and Lie Kong did not dare to step forward to offer their thanks, instead just standing in place with dignified expressions. They understood that this woman was a master beyond their comprehension, one they were not even worthy to address. What they had seen and heard today had exceeded Shadowed Star’s bounds, from ancient to present.
Perhaps, today’s battle would go down as something of a legend.
Midair, Yang Kai stared at Yang Yan, suddenly feeling like this woman stood above the clouds and he needed to stretch his neck up just to catch a faint glimpse of her shadow, a somewhat uncomfortable feeling.
Yang Yan did not show any intention to speak either, simply standing in place quietly as she stared at Yang Kai.
Only after a long time did she say lightly, “I should go.”
“Back to the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai frowned and asked.
“En,” Yang Yan nodded, “I have my own Star Field to protect, one I haven’t visited in over ten thousand years, so I have no way of knowing what its situation is or if it’s been invaded by anyone. After so long, there’s no telling if an accident has happened.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, expressing his understanding.
“If you want to go to the Star Boundary, the nine Star Emperor Tokens are the key. When I came here that year, I sealed the connection between this Star Field and Star Gate, and only by using those nine Star Emperor Tokens can that seal be opened. If you want your relatives and friends to live a peaceful life, seek out a higher Martial Dao, or when someone like Wu Sheng Feng appears again one day, you will be unable to resist,” Yang Yan said while gently tapping her finger to send out a small ball of light like a firefly towards Yang Kai. “This is the method to open the channel; whether to go or stay will be up to you to decide.”
Yang Kai remained in place, allowing the small ball of light to enter his Knowledge Sea, the next moment feeling like something had been added to his mind.
Yang Yan waved her hand again and with a yelp, Lin Yun’er, who was standing next to Yang Kai, was summoned over to her.
“Yun’er is very talented and her constitution is perfectly suited to inherit a Secret Art one of my old friends, so I’m taking her with me,” Yang Yan took one last look at Yang Kai before her figure flickered and she suddenly disappeared from his view.
“I hope I can see you again in the Star Boundary!” Yang Yan’s words came from the sky.
Yang Kai opened his mouth to say something, but eventually just sighed and stood there in a daze.
On the Limitless Ocean, calm was restored again.
After a long time, Sha Hu and Lie Kong flew over to Yang Kai cautiously, the former turning his head around nervously as he asked, “Yang Kai, that Senior…”
“Don’t ask. Don’t even think about it. I have nothing to say,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
“En,” Sha Hu nodded, knowing that he had asked something he should not.
Yang Kai glanced at Lie Kong and said, “When you have time, Palace Master Lie Kong should go to High Heaven Sect and ask my Little Senior Sister to refine a Yellow Heavens Pill for you. It should allow you to reform your destroyed limbs!”
Lie Kong’s eyes bulged in shock but quickly a joyous look came to his face and he cupped his fists gratefully, “Many thanks, Sir Star Master! This Lie Kong is extremely grateful. Sea God Palace looks forward to continuing to work together with Sir Star Master in the future!”
He didn’t know that Yang Kai was the Star Master before, but now that he did, and was even being gifted a precious Yellow Heavens Pill, Lie Kong knew not to be negligent and hurriedly offered his sincere thanks.
Sha Hu’s expression on the side changed a bit as he hurriedly said, “The same is true for my Sea Temple. If Sir Star Master has any commands in the future, Sea Temple will not spare any effort to accomplish them.”
“Your sentiment is appreciated,” Yang Kai nodded faintly and replied perfunctorily before closing his eyes and expanding his perception quietly.
He could feel Yang Yan gradually leave Shadowed Star with Lin Yun’er. He did not know where they were headed, only that their final destination was the mysterious Star Boundary.
After a stick of incense, Yang Yan and Lin Yun’er’s aura completely disappeared from Yang Kai’s range, separating themselves from Shadowed Star and entering the vast Star Field.
Opening his eyes, Yang Kai waved to Sha Hu and Lie Kong faintly before his figure flickered and disappeared.
A short time later, Yang Kai returned to First Heavenly Palace in High Heaven Sect and entered a state of meditation.
Yang Yan disciplining Wu Sheng Feng was a battle not many people knew about, only a few masters from the two great forces of the Limitless Ocean who were present at the scene witnessed it with their own eyes, but under the strict orders of Sha Hu and Lie Kong, no one dared to openly discuss it. The entire incident was covered up and disappeared into the annals of history, with the only evidence of it being written briefly in the ancient records of the two Sects.
“Has Sect Master exited retreat yet?” Atop Hundred Flowers Peak, Ye Xi Yun drank tea with a carefree expression while asking Wu Yi.
She had returned to High Heaven Sect three months ago and, not disappointing Yang Kai’s and anyone else’s expectations, Ye Xi Yun had successfully broken through to the Origin King Realm.
She had long been the strongest master on Shadowed Star and had stagnated at the peak of the Origin Returning Realm master for centuries. She had already touched upon the mysteries of Domain long ago but had taken the initiative to stay in High Heaven Sect to protect Yang Yan. If not for this, she would have left with Yang Kai the first time he sailed from Shadowed Star and broken through together with Qian Tong.
Wu Yi had also broken through to the Origin Returning Realm more than a month ago, and during the recent days, she had been accepting some guidance from Ye Xi Yun. Hearing this question, Wu Yi immediately replied, “No, since Sect Master returned two months ago, he has secluded himself in First Heavenly Palace and has not even met with the two Sect Madams.”
“En…” Ye Xi Yun nodded lightly and was just about to inspect Wu Yi’s recent cultivation when she suddenly raised her head and looked towards a certain direction, saying solemnly, “That’s… the direction of First Heavenly Palace?”
“Has something happened to Sect Master?” Wu Yi asked anxiously.
“It doesn’t look like some kind of accident, it’s just that World Energy seems to be gathering towards that direction. Could Sect Master be breaking through?” Even with Ye Xi Yun’s calm temperament, she felt taken aback by her own guess.
How long had it been since Sect Master broke through to the Origin King Realm? A year? Two? How could he have another breakthrough so soon?
“I’ll go and see,” As soon as her voice fell, Ye Xi Yun disappeared.
Outside First Heavenly Palace, a ghostly figure covered in black mist had already appeared. When Ye Xi Yun saw this figure, she stepped forward and quickly greeted, “Senior Brother!”
Gui Zu turned his head and smiled back, “Junior Sister Ye!”
Although the two had only known each other for a few months, they were both Origin Kings and belonged to High Heaven Sect, so addressing each other as Senior Brother and Junior Sister was only natural. After Ye Xi Yun broke through to the Origin King Realm, her title of Great Elder was automatically replaced by that of Supreme Elder, similar to Gui Zu.
In this sense, the two shared the same status.
“Junior Sister Ye also noticed the situation here and came to have a look?”
“En, judging from the movement of the World Energy, it looks like a breakthrough, but I remember hearing from Senior Brother before that Sect Master only reached the Origin King Realm a short time ago. Why is he having another breakthrough so soon? “
“Who knows,” Gui Zu shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t understand either. This boy… cough cough, Sect Master can’t be judged using common sense.”
Ye Xi Yun frowned, “Although Sect Master is indeed a genius that broke through to the Origin King Realm at an extremely young age, if he breaks through too frequently, I’m afraid that his foundation will become unstable.”
She could not help feeling a little worried about Yang Kai.
The Origin King Realm was not like the Great Realms that came before it. It was not unusual for geniuses to make successive breakthroughs in the lower realms, but once reached the Origin King Realm, if a cultivator wanted to make further progress, they needed to do so step by step in a steady fashion.
In the Star Field, many Origin Kings had been stuck at the First-Order their entire lives, unable to spy on greater heights in the Martial Dao.
But Yang Kai’s breakthrough speed was simply too fast, enough so to worry Ye Xi Yun.
Gui Zu frowned as he mumbled, “Sect Master isn’t the type who covets advancement at the expense of strength. Him daring to make a breakthrough at this time should be because he has complete confidence. In any case, it’s useless to worry about it now, this is a matter only Sect Master can handle. We just have to wait and see what the results are.”
“It is as Senior Brother says,” Ye Xi Yun took a deep breath and stared at the gate of First Heavenly Palace.
A large amount of World Energy had gathered around First Heavenly Palace, and although a breakthrough of a Minor Realm would not result in a World Energy baptism, it was still a magnificent scene to behold.
Almost all disciples of High Heaven Sect noticed the anomaly at First Heavenly Palace, and not long after, Yang Kai’s relatives and friends had gathered behind Ye Xi Yun and Gui Zu, all of them staring nervously ahead.
The rich World Energy poured into First Heavenly Palace and soon disappeared, as if it were being swallowed by a bottomless vortex.
This situation lasted for half a day until at a certain moment, Yang Kai’s loud roar rang out from First Heavenly Palace and an aura that seemed to be stronger than Gui Zu’s burst forth.
Everyone’s knees bent at that moment and many were almost crushed to the ground, but fortunately, this aura disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
Gui Zu’s eyes lit up as he whispered, “Freely releasing and taking back one’s strength! Haha, Junior Sister, it seems we were worried for nothing.”
Ye Xi Yun finally showed a relaxed look, but she still did not dare to be careless and said, “We should still wait for Sect Master to come out before we make a final conclusion.”
At that moment, the doors of First Heavenly Palace opened with a bang and Yang Kai’s figure was revealed.
Ye Xi Yun and Gui Zu immediately released their Divine Senses and inspected Yang Kai’s condition.
After a moment, the two exchanged a knowing smile.
The energy fluctuations coming from Yang Kai’s body were stable and there were no signs of his foundation becoming unstable due to a premature breakthrough. Finally confirming this, the two were able to put down their last concerns.
“So many people?” Yang Kai swept his eyes over the sea of familiar faces in front of him in amazement, cupped his fists, and said with a sheepish smile, “Sorry, I accidentally broke through and disturbed everyone.”
Accidentally…
Many people glowered at Yang Kai!
Although most of the cultivators present were Saint Kings, with only a few Origin Realm masters, all of them understood the power of an Origin King and how difficult it was for them to achieve even a minor breakthrough, so Yang Kai’s words just now slightly irksome to them.
“Congratulations, Sect Master,” Gui Zu laughed loudly. “Sect Master’s aptitude is astonishing, something this Elder has only seen once in his life.”
“Sect Master, why did you suddenly break through?” Ye Xi Yun asked curiously.
“There’s no special reason. I was already at the peak of the First-Order and recently comprehended something important, leading to a breakthrough,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
The main reason for this breakthrough was the stimulation Yang Kai received from bearing witness to Yang Yan and Wu Sheng Feng’s extraordinary strength. Although he had long known that the Origin King Realm was not the peak of the Martial Dao, he had not thought much about it yet. Wu Sheng Feng’s appearance though had given Yang Kai a sense of crisis.
Sitting in meditation for a month, remembering the pressure Wu Sheng Feng put on him, Yang Kai finally had a breakthrough.
Just like what he said to Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai in Nine Heavens Holy Land, a cultivator could only advance on their path when they comprehended where they were headed.
After the questions that lingered in his mind were sorted out, his realm had naturally improved.
“Everyone, please return. Everything is alright,” Yang Kai cupped his fists to everyone and said, causing the crowd to slowly disperse.
“Two Elders, please stay a moment, I have something to discuss with you,” Yang Kai called out.
Gui Zu and Ye Xi Yun paused and looked at Yang Kai curiously.
After everyone had left, Ye Xi Yun asked, “I wonder what Sect Master’s orders are?”
“I have something here for you, please take a look,” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and while speaking pointed towards Ye Xi Yun and Gui Zu.
The two of them did not try to dodge or resist, instead just allowing Yang Kai to reach out and touch their heads. The next moment, a package of information was transmitted to their Knowledge Seas, after which Gui Zu and Ye Xi Yun closed their eyes to inspect it.
After a while, Gui Zu’s body shook and his eyes shot open, “The Star Boundary? A realm that exists above the Star Field? That Senior really was the Starry Sky Great Emperor!?”
It was not until this time that Gui Zu understood that Yang Yan was really the rumoured Great Emperor, because the message Yang Kai gave him explained all of this.
On the other hand, Ye Xi Yun wasn’t too shocked; after all, she knew Yang Yan’s identity a long time ago, but regarding the other information, she couldn’t help frowning and saying, “Sect Master, according to the method Milady left behind, if you want to go to the Star Boundary, you must gather all nine Star Emperor Tokens as well as six Third-Order Origin Kings in order to activate the Void Corridor which connects to the Star Gate. Are you… planning to go to the Star Boundary?”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “Indeed!”
“Is it because of the Guardian issue Milady mentioned?” Ye Xi Yun asked.
“That’s not the entire reason,” Yang Kai shook his head with a contemplative expression on his face, “It is just that, as a cultivator, who doesn’t yearn for a higher Martial Dao?”
Ye Xi Yun’s beautiful eyes flashed a profound light as she nodded deeply.
“That’s right,” Yang Kai grinned. “Being satisfied with the status quo will only lead your path to its end. If I remain here, I will be able to reach the Third-Order Origin King Realm sooner or later and stand at the pinnacle of this Star Field, but so what? If another Wu Sheng Feng were to appear, he would be able to trample me under his foot.”
If Yang Kai was such an easily satisfied person, he would have stayed in the Central Capital or Tong Xuan Realm and there would be no High Heaven Sect now.
“But the conditions for opening the Void Corridor are too harsh, can they even be satisfied?” Gui Zu frowned, “Although collecting the nine Star Emperor Tokens won’t be too much of a problem for Sect Master, finding six Third-Order Origin Kings… Where would we even begin to look? I’m not sure there even are six such masters in the entire Star Field, and even if there are, all of them have secluded themselves from the world, disappearing without a trace.”
“Everything depends on our own efforts,” Yang Kai grinned and patted Gui Zu on the shoulder, “Elder, I’m counting you among these six!”
“Me?” Gui Zu was shocked and waved his hands quickly, “This old master knows his own ability best. Although this old master has hope to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm in this life, he has no idea when that turning point will arrive.”
“Ten years! Within ten years, Elder must break through to the Third-Order!” Yang Kai said with a solemn expression, “I will have Little Senior Sister fully cooperate with you and supply an unlimited number of Spirit Pills, but Elder still must not advance recklessly.”
“Ten years…” Gui Zu frowned, pondered for a while, before suddenly nodding, “Alright, this old master will enter retreat for the next ten years and he will definitely live up to the Sect Master’s expectations!”
Yang Kai smiled next at Ye Xi Yun and said, “You as well, if you can break through to the Third-Order within ten years, you can follow me to the Star Boundary.”
“I’ll try my best,” Ye Xi Yun smiled bitterly and nodded. Having said that, she also knew that this was absolutely impossible. She had only just broken through to the First-Order Origin King Realm, so how could she reach the Third-Order in just ten years? Only a monster like Yang Kai could achieve such a feat.
“Even if the three of us meet the conditions, where can we find another three?” Gui Zu worried again.
“I’m not in a hurry to find others just yet. I’ll collect the Star Emperor Tokens first,” Yang Kai smiled lightly. “I’ll be leaving Shadowed Star in a few days so I must entrust the Sect to the both of you.”
“Sect Master can rest assured, with Senior Brother and I here, not even blind fools would dare act presumptuous,” Ye Xi Yun smiled lightly.
Purple Heaven Star, one of the three great forces of Star Field’s, Purple Star’s Home Star.
Together with Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Water Moon Star and Sword Union’s Sword Star, they made up the top three Cultivation Stars in the entire Star Field. These three Cultivation Stars not only possessed rich World Energy but also a wealth of materials, causing the average strength of all cultivators who lived on them to far exceed that of other Cultivation Stars.
If Cultivation Stars had a strict classification hierarchy, Tong Xuan Realm would undoubtedly belong to the lowest class, Shadowed Star would be ranked in the middle, and these Cultivation Stars would rank at the peak.
Purple Star City occupied a large swath of land and had many magnificent buildings in it. Spacious streets were crisscrossing each other, lined with prosperous shops selling a dazzling array of wares as rivers of cultivators flowed through.
This was the headquarters of Purple Star.
For any Purple Star cultivator, this city symbolized honour and glory.
Purple Star City was located atop a top-level Earth Vein, so the aura in the city was no worse than that of any spirit mountain or cultivation paradise. The inner city’s aura was the richest and most important location on Purple Star. Not just any member of Purple Star would be granted entry to this holy ground.
On this day, a stream of light shot forward at a rapid pace and only came to a halt about a thousand metres away from Purple Star City. When the light dissipated, the figure of a young man appeared.
It was none other than Yang Kai.
Starting from High Heaven Sect, even though he had managed to save a great deal of time by using two Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays, it still took Yang Kai half a year to fly through the Star Field to Purple Heaven Star.
The purpose of his trip here was simple, to obtain the Star Emperor Token inside Purple Star’s Treasure Vault.
Of course, if he had other gains, it would be for the best; after all, the place where the Star Emperor Token was hidden was where Purple Star kept all its most valuable treasures as well.
Releasing his Divine Sense for a bit, Yang Kai was also secretly surprised by the grandeur and scale of Purple Star City. A city of this size could only be built and maintained by a super force.
Just the city walls alone were three hundred metres high and radiated a purple light. Yang Kai could not identify what material had been used to build this wall and only knew that it gave off the aura of a powerful barrier.
It was conceivable that if a foreign enemy invaded, Purple Star City could simply activate this Sect Defending Array to resist.
However… Yang Kai felt it unlikely there was anyone who would dare come here to find trouble.
“This is Purple Star City?” Yang Kai seemed to be muttering to himself as he narrowed his eyes and looked ahead.
The next moment, however, a faint voice reached his ear, “Replying to Young Master Yang, this is indeed my Purple Star’s headquarters, Purple Star City. Young Master Yang acts decisively, I haven’t felt much time pass but we have already arrived here.”
The voice was extremely faint, and as a Divine Sense Message, only Yang Kai was able to hear it.
Naturally, this voice belonged to Zi Dong, who was still hiding in the Soul Sustaining Bowl.
Yang Kai daring to rush into Purple Star’s headquarters single-handedly was not because he was a hot-tempered fool, but because he had access to a source of inside information like Zi Dong. With this Purple Star Young Master as his guide, as long as he acted carefully, Yang Kai felt he shouldn’t have any trouble entering Purple Star’s Vault.
Of course, the premise was that this boy was not plotting something.
After associating with him for a while, Yang Kai determined that although this boy’s talent was on par with that of Xue Yue and Gu Jian Xin, he was far behind in terms of Martial Heart. At this moment, Zi Dong no longer had any of his former spirit and had degenerated into a dog who could only beg for his life. He was respectful of Yang Kai in every way and did not dare show any disobedience.
“I see. Do all of the Starships in this sky belong to Purple Star?” Yang Kai raised his head and looked up to see some twenty or thirty Starship floating in the distance. Because they were so far away, Yang Kai was unable to perceive what grade these Starships were, but since they were floating atop Purple Star City, they were surely of high quality.
“Most of them,” Zi Dong replied proudly. “What Young Master Yang sees here is just the tip of the iceberg. My Purple Star’s influence extends across the entire Star Field and many other great forces send Starships here for various purposes like trade.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Conceal your aura, I am going in.”
“Yes!” Zi Dong replied obediently before quickly hiding inside the Soul Sustaining Bowl.
Yang Kai flew down and landed before walking towards the towering city gate. The gate was like the maw of a giant beast, as tall as the city wall and just as daunting. The cultivators who came to Purple Star City for the first time would definitely be affected by this, feeling so shocked and humbled by the imposing pressure of the city gates that they would not dare act presumptuously in Purple Star City.
There was a long line outside the gates with many cultivators waiting to enter the city.
Yang Kai didn’t want to be too conspicuous, so he obediently lined up at the back.
As time passed, people at the head of the line would pay a certain amount of Saint Crystals, receive a special permit, and walk into the city.
Suddenly, a dissatisfied cry came from the front, “Sir, why did you only charge the man who just entered a hundred High-Rank Saint Crystals but now you’re charging me a thousand? Isn’t this a flaunting of the rules?”
“Rules?” A sneer replied, “Father here is the city’s gate guard, my words are the rules! Now either hand over the Saint Crystals or scram!”
“You…” The person who spoke before became angry. “Do all Purple Star cultivators bully people like this? I refuse to accept!”
Most of the cultivators who were waiting in line to enter also showed a disgruntled look, but in the end, this was not their domain so even if they were displeased, no one raised a fuss.
Yang Kai raised his eyes and looked over to find that the one arguing with the city gate guard was a middle-aged man who seemed to be about thirty years old. This man was dressed plainly, and after sweeping him with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai determined he was just a Second-Order Saint King. It was really a wonder why such a man was stirring up trouble for just a thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals.
Yang Kai shook his head secretly, feeling that this person’s situation was worrisome.
“Bully others?” Suddenly, an elderly voice sounded. Everyone turned to see that the source of the sound was an old man who had been sitting to the side. This old man had a very wrinkled face and snickered as he stood up and walked over, the ground trembling beneath his feet as he rolled up his sleeves, seemingly getting ready for a fight, his eyes filled with cold indifference causing others to gulp unconsciously.
[Third-Order Origin Realm!] Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly as he felt Purple Star’s reputation was not undeserved. Even the gate to enter the city was guarded by a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator!
The old man walked a few steps forward while staring at the troublemaker coldly and speaking loudly, “Well said, this old master will let you know today what the meaning of bullying is!”
As soon as his voice fell, the old man’s figure suddenly flickered and appeared directly in front of the middle-aged man and under the latter’s horrified gaze stretched out his hand towards his head.
The middle-aged man was only a Second-Order Saint King, so how could he resist the sudden attack of a Third-Order Origin Realm master?
Immediately, the middle-aged man cried out and tried to retreat.
But the old man’s hand seemed to exude an irresistible suction force that held him firmly on the spot, and with a scream, a stream of energy visible to the naked eye was sucked out of the middle-aged man’s head and flowed into the dry old man’s hand.
Outside the city gate, everyone took a few steps back in shock as they stared at this scene in horror.
“Mercy! Senior! I’ll pay the Saint Crystals!” The middle-aged man yelled.
“Regretting now? Why didn’t you regret it sooner?” The old man remained unmoved and instead pushed his Saint Qi even more violently.
In just three breaths, the middle-aged man was drained until he became old and withered before collapsing to the ground. There was no aura of vitality coming from him anymore and instead the old man’s complexion had become a bit rosier, like he had become a dozen years younger.
There was silence outside the city gate as every cultivator felt a deep chill run up their backs.
After the old man finished all this, he walked back to where he was sitting before as if nothing had happened and continued to meditate with his eyes closed.
“Many thanks, Deacon Min,” The gate guard bowed to the old man with a flattering smile on his face before turning around and putting on an imposing air as he shouted. “This man was a spy sent by an enemy force to infiltrate my Purple Star City but he was seen through by Deacon Min and killed on the spot to serve as a warning. Take this filth and throw him into a pit somewhere outside the city.”
With those words, two Purple Star cultivators came out and quickly carried away the withered corpse.
Everyone knew that this guy was sleep-talking with his eyes wide open, but none dared to refute him.
“It will be getting dark soon and there are still many who haven’t entered the city yet, but when the gates close at sunset, no one will be allowed in. Heh, as for what will happen outside at night, I’m afraid you all know…” After the gate guard finished speaking, he stopped paying attention to the crowd.
However, the cultivators waiting in line had their complexions pale slightly and they hurried forward to pay the required Saint Crystals to enter the city, as if some huge danger was lurking outside just waiting for nightfall.
Although the murder of the middle-aged man made some of the people present feel a sense of pity in their hearts, who had the bigger fist and who was causing trouble was obvious. Just to save a trivial thousand Saint Crystals, that man dared to act insolently here, which was nothing short of courting death.
The city guards did not seem to have any criteria for collecting Saint Crystals and just named prices arbitrarily. Oftentimes, when a beautiful woman walked up, they would simply flirt a little then let them pass by for free.
Sometimes there would be a man who the guards felt was unpleasant to the eye and would thus be charged a large amount of Saint Crystals.
However, no one dared to complain.
Soon, it was Yang Kai’s turn.
The city guard looked up at Yang Kai and coldly snorted, “Five thousand!”
Yang Kai frowned as this number was the highest he had heard so far. He didn’t know what it was about him this guard didn’t like, but despite being disgruntled, he didn’t want to raise a fuss here, so he simply wiped his Space Ring and dumped the required Saint Crystals in front of the guard.
The guard shot Yang Kai a look of surprise, as if he did not expect the other party to be so cooperative.
Fiddling with the pass in his hand, the guard grinned meaningfully, “Friend, five thousand was just the cost of this pass, but if you want to remain in the city for a long time, you’ll have to pay another ten thousand Saint Crystals.”
“Heh…” Yang Kai could not help but laugh, wondering if this guard thought he was some kind of fool.
“Something funny?” The gate guard also looked at Yang Kai with a smile on his face.
“You were telling a joke just now, weren’t you?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he found that the other party was still looking at him without fear.
Five thousand, ten thousand, this number of Saint Crystals really meant nothing to Yang Kai. With High Heaven Sect at his back and all the masters he had killed and robbed, the number of Saint Crystals in his Space Ring totalled at least a hundred million.
But the other party reaching out for a yard after taking an inch displeased Yang Kai greatly.
“Do you think I’m telling you a joke? Boy, are you also a spy sent by enemy great forces to infiltrate my Purple Star City?” The city guard snorted coldly as he played with the pass in his hand and casually threatened Yang Kai.
As soon as this statement came out, the faces of the cultivators waiting in line to enter the city changed drastically.
They had witnessed what end the middle-aged man who had caused trouble before suffered with their own eyes, and that was just half a cup of tea’s time ago. Was this well-dressed young man planning to follow in that man’s footsteps?
Suddenly, everyone’s eyes filled with pity as they looked at Yang Kai.
“There’s no lack of pretext to falsely incriminate a man!” Just as Yang Kai’s annoyance reached a boiling point, someone suddenly appeared behind him and gently pushed him to the side before hurriedly smiling and addressing the guard, “This Sir must be joking. He isn’t a spy, he’s with our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce and was just with us handling some matters outside the city.”
As soon as this statement came out, the city gate guard was taken aback, and even Yang Kai was surprised.
Furrowing his brow, Yang Kai glanced over at the person standing in front of him and found that it was a woman, but because her back was to him, he couldn’t see her face clearly. However, her long black hair was done up in a neat bun and revealed a slender white neck while her long dress outlined her slender waist and shapely bottom.
At this time, someone was willing to stand up for him?
Yang Kai was quite surprised but that did not stop him from having a good impression of this woman.
“President!” A few exclamations sounded from behind, ones mixed with fluster and anxiety as someone even rushed forward and shouted, “He’s…”
“Shut up!” The woman turned her head and glared at the speaker.
The woman seemed to hold high prestige among this group of people as with just a few words the man immediately fell silent; however, he still glared at Yang Kai while the women’s other companions also gave him an ugly look.
“Sir must know that our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce often travels outside Purple Star City to trade goods, so how could one of our members possibly be a spy? This child is a bit hot-tempered and inadvertently offended Sir. You Meng hopes this little gift will be enough to settle this unfortunate affair.” Saying so, she took out a bag from her Space Ring and placed it in the guard’s hand.
[Child…] Yang Kai could not help touching his nose hearing this.
The guard weighed the bag in his hand lightly and his eyes lit up, grinning happily, “Five Paths Chamber of Commerce? I have also heard of you. If I am not mistaken, the President of your chamber of commerce is called Hua You Meng? Yes?”
The woman smiled lightly and said, “I had not expected my trivial name had reached Sir’s ears. This Mistress is truly honoured.”
“Why would it not have?” The guard looked at Hua You Meng with bright eyes as an obscene expression crept onto his face, “Since President Hua has come forward to testify and paid enough Saint Crystals, this Sir won’t be unreasonable.”
“Many thanks, Sir!” Hua You Meng was overjoyed.
“But…” The guard’s tone suddenly dropped as he cast a cold look towards Yang Kai, “If President Hua can promise me two conditions, I will let this matter end here, otherwise…hmph!”
Hua You Meng smiled stiffly and softly asked, “Please name them, Sir.”
“I don’t like the look in this little brat’s eyes. Before, he dared talk back to me, so he must apologize,” The guard looked at Yang Kai coldly before turning his gaze to Hua You Meng and smirking. “Secondly, President Hua must have just returned from afar. After Haishi, this King happens to be free and would like President Hua to accompany him to dinner. I wonder if President Hua is willing to accept this invitation? The eastern city’s Free Wind Restaurant would be nice.”
He phrased his words as a question, but his tone indicated he would not tolerate Hua You Meng’s rejection.
Hua You Meng’s face changed slightly as she forced herself to keep smiling, “This… would it be fine to discuss this another day? I’ll let this boy apologize to Sir first.”
As she said so, she turned her head and signalled imploringly to Yang Kai.
Only now did Yang Kai catch a glimpse of her true face.
Yang Kai’s eyes couldn’t help brightening slightly as he saw that, although this Hua You Meng wasn’t a Heaven-Defying beauty; she was still very pretty and had a mature charm about her. Her whole body exuded an aura of calm and confidence, probably from running around all-year to maintain her Five Paths Chamber of Commerce and her body itself gave off a light fragrance.
This was not some exotic fragrance, but a natural one that was both fascinating and enchanting.
It was understandable why this city guard could not keep his eyes off of her.
At this moment, not only was Hua You Meng secretly winking at him, but the others from this Five Paths Chamber of Commerce were also glaring at Yang Kai, silently telling him to follow along or else.
Yang Kai smiled helplessly.
He had not expected that just entering the city would cause such a scene.
But he did not blame Hua You Meng for this; after all, she had stepped forward out of good intentions to help him…
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai cupped his fists to Hua You Meng and said, “This one is grateful for President Hua’s kindness.”
Hua You Meng frowned slightly as she suddenly had a bad premonition in her heart.
Sure enough, Yang Kai continued, “But this all happened because of me and has nothing to do with you, so I must ask President Hua to stand back.”
After speaking, despite Hua You Meng’s astonishment, Yang Kai smiled at the gate guard and sneered, “You want me to apologize to you?”
“President Hua, what’s the meaning of this? Why does it sound like this little brat is not part of your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce? Was President Hua trying to deceive me? Do you know what the consequences of such a crime are?” He did not put Yang Kai in his eyes and instead shouted at Hua You Meng.
Hua You Meng did not expect that her good intentions would be rejected like this, or that this young man would be so unyielding, causing cold sweat to drip from her forehead as she waved her hands quickly, “Sir, let me explain to you, this boy, he…”
“There is nothing to explain! President Hua, you are in great trouble this time. If you can’t give a reasonable explanation for this matter, don’t even think about escaping punishment!” The city gate guard roared, without giving Hua You Meng any face, causing her to turn pale.
“There really is nothing to explain,” Yang Kai sneered as he took a step forward and swept his hand towards the guard.
*Pa…*
With a loud clap, the city guard was sent tumbling through the air before falling several dozen metres away with half his teeth missing from his bloody mouth.
“Is this enough explanation?” Yang Kai looked ahead coldly.
“Huh?” Hua You Meng was stunned, her instincts telling her that she had really found herself in deep trouble this time and for a moment unable to think of what to do next.
“You… you dare to hit me?” The city gate guard staggered up from the ground, covered his cheek with his hands, and cried out hoarsely, a vicious look flashing across his eyes, “I am a Purple Star City guard! How dare you hit…”
Before he could say anything more though, Yang Kai swatted the air again.
The guard screamed as the remaining half of his teeth were sent flying.
“Bold!” Deacon Min, who had been keeping his eyes closed and meditating, finally moved, his figure leaping up and flying towards Yang Kai like an eagle striking from the heavens. The Shi of a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master burst forth and shrouded a ten-metre radius around Yang Kai as Deacon Min thrust his palm out.
Hua You Meng and the several Five Paths Chamber of Commerce cultivators all gasped involuntarily as under this huge pressure their knees bent and their Saint Qi circulation was disrupted. The two with the lowest strength fared even worse, coughing up blood on the spot.
“Daring to strike my people in Purple Star City, do you not put this old master in your eyes?” Deacon Min yelled as he radiated murderous intent towards Yang Kai.
“What the hell do you count for? Do I need to put you in my eyes?” Yang Kai sneered, “I didn’t want to cause trouble for no reason, but you are insisting on seeking death.”
Saying so, Yang Kai sent out a casual palm of his own.
*Hong…*
When the two palms touched, a huge shockwave was sent out and Deacon Min’s original anger and menacing murderous intent abruptly gave way to a look of horror as he was blown away like an old sack.
*Kacha…*
The sound of bones breaking rang out as Deacon Min flew through the air, spraying blood from multiple wounds all over his body.
*Hua…*
Outside the city gate, an uproar sounded.
The conflict between Yang Kai and the city guard, as well as Hua You Meng’s intervention, was seen by everyone. All of them had thought Yang Kai was courting disaster, but it was actually the city guard, and even Deacon Min, who had been the ones to suffer in the end.
With just a palm, Deacon Min had been sent flying, his life or death undetermined.
Everyone looked at Yang Kai like he was some kind of monster.
Although Deacon Min’s status in Purple Star was not high, he was still a Deacon identity. Being able to hold such a position in a behemoth like Purple Star proved he was at least a Third-Order Origin Realm master.
A Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator had been wasted with just a single palm though, so how strong was this young man? Could it be that he was an Origin King?
When this thought emerged, everyone was shocked and could no longer calm down.
After all, Origin Kings were the strongest cultivators in the entire Star Field, and even a power as strong as Purple Star wouldn’t provoke an Origin King for no reason.
Everything happened so fast that no one’s thoughts were able to keep up. President Hua You Meng of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce felt her jaw drop as she stared in shock at the scene before her eyes.
At the gate of the city, there were originally a dozen guards that were going to join Deacon Min in capturing Yang Kai and the members of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, but after seeing the half-dead Deacon Min, how could they dare step forward? All of them froze in place as they exchanged extremely nervous looks, worried Yang Kai would suddenly strike out and slaughter them.
Yang Kai, however, just stretched out his hand and summoned back all the Saint Crystals he had paid before as well as the bag Hua You Meng had handed over before coldly snorting, “Seems you don’t want my five thousand Saint Crystals, so I’ll be taking them back. President Hua, I believe these are yours.”
Saying so, he tossed the bag towards Hua You Meng.
The latter caught the bag on reflex but felt that it was slightly hot in her hand.
“Let’s go, what are you still gawking at,” Yang Kai grinned at Hua You Meng before leading the way forward.
“Eh, ah,” Hua You Meng seemed unable to even think for herself at the moment, so after hearing Yang Kai’s call, she simply followed him into Purple Star City while the other cultivators of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce all did the same.
The gate guards didn’t dare to stop them, all looking at Yang Kai as if he was some kind of scourge to be evaded at all costs. The cultivators who lined up outside to enter the city also took this as a chance and swarmed forward.
The city gate descended into chaos for a moment as the dozen guards were unable and even unwilling to stop these people. Only after some time did one of them come back to his senses and call out, “Quickly, check Deacon Min’s condition!”
With this shout, the other guards seemed to wake from their daze and several of them rushed over to Deacon Min’s side to investigate with concern.
“Inform… Sir Lu Tian Feng!” Deacon Min forced out a few words before coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground, passing out again.
The guard who spoke first hurriedly took out his communication artifact, poured his Divine Sense into it, and ground his teeth fiercely, “Boy, you’re dead! Daring to beat my Purple Star City’s people, even if it’s the King of Heaven, he won’t be able to save you now.”
The other guards all wore angry expressions as well as they glared at Yang Kai’s disappearing back.
After Yang Kai raised such a disturbance, one they were unable to prevent, they would certainly be punished harshly, so how could they not resent him?
For so many years, no one had dared act presumptuous in Purple Star City, but such a big fuss occurred at the city’s main gate today. If this matter wasn’t handled properly and examples weren’t made, Purple Star would become a laughing stock. Clearly, these guards wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences of such a loss in face.
Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters, inside a small meeting room.
Hua You Meng and the others sat there blankly, each with a look of panic on their faces.
Yang Kai was also sitting here, observing the room, looking calm and relaxed, not showing the slightest awareness of the trouble he had caused, even seeming to be having fun.
“Little brat, why did you follow us here?” After a long silence, a burly bald-headed man suddenly snapped as he turned his head and glared at Yang Kai, his eyes full of hostility.
“That’s right, why are you here?” Another male cultivator finally recovered and looked at Yang Kai curiously.
“Oh… This is my first time in this city and I’m not familiar with it yet. Just now, President Hua was kind enough to invite me over, and since I had no reason to refuse, I humbly accepted,” Yang Kai smiled lightly and explained.
“Me?” Hua You Meng looked at Yang Kai blankly and thought for a moment before gently nodding, “Yes, yes… that’s right.”
On the way here from the city gate, this group of people from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce had behaved like soulless drones, completely lost and acting on instinct. This wasn’t surprising though, as Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was just a small organization. It had survived in the cracks left behind by the various giants which ruled the Star Field and had always acted discreetly and cautiously in Purple Star City so as not to create trouble, but this time, they had gotten involved in an incident where Deacon Min was beaten badly enough to cough up blood at the city’s main gate, his life or death uncertain.
For Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, this was no different from the sky collapsing on their heads.
No one even noticed that Yang Kai had come together with them to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. Hua You Meng only managed to regain her senses now, take a deep breath, and fix her beautiful eyes towards Yang Kai as she muttered quietly, “Sister Hong, please arrange a guest house for him so he can rest.”
Hearing this, a beautiful woman in a glamorous red dress responded and waved to Yang Kai, “Follow me.”
“I’ll be troubling you then,” Yang Kai nodded lightly before he got up to follow.
“President…” The burly bald-headed man called out anxiously when he saw Yang Kai get up to leave.
Hua You Meng just shot him a glare and he fell silent, not daring to speak any further, only able to glare angrily at Yang Kai’s back while gritting his teeth.
Yang Kai followed the beautiful woman named Sister Hong forward as he observed his surroundings, only after a while chuckling lightly, “Madam, it seems your Chamber of Commerce has some good heritage.”
“Why do you say that?” The beautiful woman looked back at Yang Kai, her expression cold.
“Although this is the first time I have come to Purple Star City, since it is Purple Star’s headquarters, every inch of ground must be worth its weight in gold. If your chamber of commerce can occupy such a large space, it’s finances must be strong.”
A vigilant look appeared in the beautiful woman’s eyes as she snapped lightly, “This is all the result of President’s and everyone’s hard efforts for more than twenty years. Many of our brothers and sisters died out in the Star Field to make this little space in Purple Star City our own, so what great financial strength could we have? “What’s more… we’ve been caught up in such big trouble this time that the future of our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce is now in question.”
Yang Kai smiled apologetically, “Sorry, I seem to have caused trouble for your Chamber of Commerce.”
“As long as you understand,” The beautiful woman’s expression brightened slightly as she stopped talking and continued to lead Yang Kai.
After a short while, she came to a guest pavilion and opened the door, “It’s a bit crude, but you can stay here for the time being.”
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
The beautiful woman then turned around and left, only to pause after a few steps and turn back.
“What advice does Madam have?” Yang Kai looked at her suspiciously.
The beautiful woman lightly opened her vermilion lips, “Our President is compassionate and does not like seeing others bullied. Many of our brothers and sisters are here today supporting her because they have received kindness from her, myself included. If not for the President’s assistance, I would have died ten years ago. As such, I won’t blame her for now standing up to help you, but… if Purple Star City wants to hold someone accountable, I hope you can take the initiative to stand up and settle this matter, not allowing any harm to befall President. She is a good person, so I don’t care how strong you are: If anything happens to her because of you, even if I have to do so as a ghost I won’t let you off.”
Yang Kai’s facial expression became serious as he nodded, “I understand.”
“I hope so.” After the beautiful woman finished what she had to say, she turned and left.
In the previous room, the burly bald-headed man paced back and forth anxiously like an ant on a hot wok.
“Uncle Yao, can you calm down? My eyes are going blurry just watching you,” To the right, a woman who appeared to be in her twenties looked helplessly towards the burly bald-headed man.
“With everything that’s happened, how am I supposed to calm down?” The burly bald-headed man yelled angrily, “You saw what happened just now, this time I’m afraid it’s all over for us.”
At the head of the room, Hua You Meng gently rubbed her forehead with her hand and smiled bitterly. She hadn’t expected that she would get into such trouble today. She just didn’t want to see the tragic end previously exemplified by the middle-aged man befall Yang Kai as well. How could she have known that Yang Kai would be so resolute and unyielding that he even dared to hit the city guards and Deacon Min right outside Purple Star City?
“Yao Qing, sit down. Now that things have gotten to this point, there’s no point in getting agitated,” Hua You Meng was also getting a bit dizzy watching Yao Qing pace back and forth, so she had him settle down.
As soon as she spoke, Yao Qing stomped his feet before walking back to his chair and sitting down; however, as if his cushion was made from thousands of needles, he simply couldn’t sit still, his expression constantly twitching as he shifted back and forth, a stiff and ugly look plastered over his face.
Hua You Meng cast her gaze towards the elderly man sitting nearby, who had kept his eyes closed since they returned, making his thoughts impossible to read.
Pausing for a moment, Hua You Meng finally asked, “Uncle Xia, you are the most experienced and knowledgeable in the Chamber of Commerce. I wonder if Uncle Xia has any way to resolve our current predicament?”
Xia Jing Wu slowly opened his eyes and frowned for a moment before letting out a sigh, “This is a difficult situation.”
“Even Uncle Xia doesn’t have a way?” Hua You Meng’s heart sank to the bottom when she heard this.
Xia Jing Wu smiled bitterly, “Although this old master has always claimed to be the strategist of the Chamber of Commerce, this old master is nothing but a Third-Order Saint King. With such low strength, there aren’t many methods that he can use. President, you understand just who we have offended this time…”
Hua You Meng’s beautiful eyes darkened and her expression turned extremely bitter. The Chamber of Commerce had experienced many catastrophes in the past, but they had weathered all of them thanks to Xia Jing Wu’s meticulous arrangements and advice, but this time, even Xia Jing Wu was helpless.
“President, you were too reckless this time,” Xia Jing Wu shook his head slowly.
“Uncle Xia, don’t say that about the President. President was simply acting on her conscience, she didn’t seek trouble intentionally,” The woman in her twenties whispered softly, seemingly unable to bear the sight of Hua You Meng being reprimanded.
“This old master doesn’t mean to accuse the President of anything. Which one of us sitting here has not received kindness from her? If the President didn’t have such an upright moral code, there wouldn’t be a Five Paths Chamber of Commerce today. In fact, it’s likely that none of us would even be sitting here,” Xia Jing Wu said slowly.
Everyone nodded gently and deeply agreed. It was because of Hua You Meng’s kindness that they had survived to this day.
“It’s just, this time… haa…” Xia Jing Wu sighed heavily. After a while, he looked up at Hua You Meng and said, “President, there are only two options now.”
Hua You Meng’s beautiful eyes lit up and she smiled, “I knew that Uncle Xia would have a way. Please elaborate.”
Yao Qing and the woman in her twenties also hurriedly looked at Xia Jing Wu with great expectation.
“President thinks too highly of this old man. En, the two plans this old man has may not resolve the Chamber of Commerce’s crisis, but… we have to try something,” Xia Jing Wu reached out and stroked his beard before quickly saying. “The first option we have is… to capture that boy and hand him over to Purple Star City!”
Hua You Meng immediately frowned.
“This problem was caused by that boy, so it should be resolved by him as well. As long as we hand that boy over, we might be able to avoid Five Paths Chamber of Commerce taking on the full responsibility. Of course, some punishment will likely still be meted out, but the future is still far, and as long as the President is here, our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce can rise again.”
“Yes, it’s just as Uncle Xia says. I’ll go catch that boy now and hand him over to Purple Star City,” Yao Qing didn’t wait for Hua You Meng to get a word in before quickly jumping to his feet.
Hua You Meng just shot him a glare and firmly shouted, “Sit down!”
Yao Qing’s neck shrank immediately before he quickly sat down obediently. It could be seen that Hua You Meng’s words held great authority to him.
Xia Jing Wu stroked his beard and continued, “Yao Qing, don’t be impulsive. I don’t know what the strength of that young man is exactly, but since he can defeat Deacon Min with one palm, he is definitely not someone you can capture. Even if everyone in the Chamber of Commerce were to join forces, we likely would not be his opponent. If you really went to provoke him now, you will only bring shame upon yourself!”
Yao Qing thought about it for a moment and an embarrassed look appeared on his face as he knew it was true. The more he thought about it, the more he began to sweat.
Hua You Meng looked at Xia Jing Wu with a wry smile and said, “This method won’t work; please talk about the second one, Uncle Xia.”
Xia Jing Wu sighed, “I knew that President wouldn’t agree to this proposal.”
How could Xia Jing Wu not know what kind of temperament Hua You Meng possessed? As someone who was charitable and caring, even able to stand up for a stranger like Yang Kai outside the city gate, how could she be willing to turn him over to Purple Star City for punishment now? If she were to really do this, she would not be Hua You Meng anymore.
“Since we cannot capture and hand him over, we can only choose the second option to avoid this crisis,” Xia Jing Wu said before solemnly declaring. “President must bring some people here and leave the Chamber of Commerce quickly; this old master will stay behind and manage the fallout.”
Hua You Meng was surprised when she heard these words and said in amazement, “Uncle Xia, what are you…”
“Since the crime has already been committed, someone must naturally take responsibility. It is impossible for Purple Star City to simply let the matter drop. In fact, we should not have even entered the city just now and left directly; but at the time, all of us were in a daze so it couldn’t be helped. Now that we are already inside the walls though, I’m afraid that trying to leave will be as difficult as ascending to the Heavens. However, now is a time for decisive measures! This old man has been in the President’s care for many years and hopes that in the end he can serve the President one last time,” Xia Jing Wu stood up and straightened his short body, seemingly preparing himself to meet whatever end was to befall him.
“I’ll stay with Uncle Xia!” Yao Qing got up quickly.
“I will stay too!” Outside the door, the beautiful woman named Sister Hong walked in and said in a deep voice.
“You can’t!” Hua You Meng’s expression finally changed as she flatly rejected the idea.
“Hehe, you truly can’t. If you all stay, who can assist the President in the future? If that happens, our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce will really meet its end, so all of you must go. Bring as many of the Chamber of Commerce’s value assets with you as you can while this old man stays behind to bear the burden,” Xia Jing Wu smiled lightly, as if already indifferent to the prospects of life and death. “Not to mention, this old man has some friendship with a certain Sir in Purple Star City. If I can contact him, I may not lose my life.”
“No!” Hua You Meng shook her head vigorously and said, “If Purple Star City really wants to make an example of someone, it is absolutely impossible for me, as the President, to not be here. I am the one who should remain while the rest of you leave.”
The group immediately began to argue, no one able to convince anyone else about who should go and who should stay.
After a fruitless debate, Xia Jing Wu slapped his thigh anxiously, “President, time is running out. If you continue to argue with this old man anymore, none of us will be able to leave! Do you want this old man to kneel and beg you? Good, this old man will kneel and beg!”
Saying so, he actually kneeled down towards Hua You Meng.
“Uncle Xia!” Hua You Meng’s complexion changed drastically as her figure disappeared from the chair she sat on and arrived right in front of Xia Jing Wu.
Just when she was about to reach out to support Xia Jing Wu though, Xia Jing Wu suddenly raised his hand and tossed a fistful of powder towards Hua You Meng.
How could Hua You Meng imagine that Xia Jing Wu would do something like this to her at such a time? Before she was able to react, she had already breathed in some of the powder and in the next moment, her whole body went limp. Staring at Xia Jing Wu in a daze, she called out in shock, “Flower Petal Raindrops!”
“Uncle Xia, what are you doing!?” When Yao Qing saw that something was wrong, he roared and rushed towards Xia Jing Wu in anger.
“Stop!” The beautiful woman named Sister Hong quickly understood what was happening and warded off Yao Qing before supporting Hua You Meng in her arms.
“Uncle Xia… you…” Although Hua You Meng felt incredibly weak, she did not fall unconscious.
Xia Jing Wu chuckled wryly, “Since President recognizes this Flower Petal Raindrops, she must also know its effects. Even if the President has a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, you won’t be able to use your Saint Qi for at least an hour!”
Having said so, he then shouted abruptly, “Gao Hong, quickly take the President away from the Chamber of Commerce and find a safe place to hide in the city until things calm down. Once they do, find a way to leave Purple Star!”
The beautiful woman’s tender body shook and her eyes leaked tears as she stared at Xia Jing Wu for a moment before she nodded solemnly and said, “Uncle Xia may rest assured. Even if this Gao Hong must give her life, she will ensure the President is safe!”
“Yao Qing, Hai Tang, you go too!” Xia Jing Wu turned his head and looked at the other two in the room.
Yao Qing and the twenty-something-year-old woman heard this and nodded one after another.
Yao Qing, despite his rugged exterior, could not help crying at this moment, “Uncle Xia, you must take care.”
“Hoho, rest assured, this old man won’t die,” Xia Jing Wu smiled lightly before motioning to them to hurry.
Under his urging, Gao Hong picked up Hua You Meng while Yao Qing and Hai Tang quickly gathered up whatever they could get their hands on, preparing to leave the Five Paths Chamber of Commerce before disaster struck.
“Loyal and righteous, the people from this small chamber of commerce are quite interesting,” Yang Kai sat cross-legged in his pavilion and could not help raising his brow as he nodded in approval.
Although he was some distance away, the argument between the Five Paths Chamber of Commerce members could not evade his senses. Among these people, Hua You Meng was the strongest at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, while the cultivations of the others were mixed. With Yang Kai’s Second-Order Origin King strength, if he wanted to spy on them, none of them would be able to notice much less stop him.
“En, the situation is somewhat different from what I had expected,” Yang Kai rubbed his forehead as he muttered to himself. His original intention was to sneak into Purple Star City quietly, then steal what he needed from Purple Star’s Treasure Vault under the guidance of Zi Dong and be done with it.
With his current methods and powerful cultivation, Yang Kai was certain he could accomplish this without anyone noticing. Even if he was discovered, Yang Kai was confident he could escape any siege.
However, the incident at the city gate had destroyed all those plans.
Yang Kai knew that beating Purple Star’s people in Purple Star City would create complications for him, and although he did not need to fear such minor problems, the people from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce were certainly going to suffer.
So, when Hua You Meng unconsciously invited him to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce after entering the city, Yang Kai happily agreed.
She had stuck her neck out to help him and was suffering this disaster because of him, so Yang Kai could not just ignore her.
Yang Kai also knew that the Five Paths Chamber of Commerce members thinking they could escape now was nothing more than a naive dream.
“They’re here!” Yang Kai frowned as his Divine Sense picked up a large number of cultivators approaching the chamber of commerce. After these cultivators entered the building, they immediately began using force, causing all the cultivators who had come here shopping to flee in panic while the employees were knocked to the ground as they cried out in pain.
Before Gao Hong and the others, who had just run out into the backyard, had time to escape, a number of extremely powerful auras suppressed them in place.
The man who seemed to be the leader of this group of masters then shouted angrily, “Injuring my Purple Star City’s guards then trying to flee? Your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce is absolutely lawless!”
As soon as these words fell, this man punched forward.
Gao Hong was the first to bear the brunt of this assault, causing her pretty face to pale as she hurriedly shielded Hua You Meng who she was holding, exposing her back to the attack.
Yao Qing and Hai Tang also screamed as they hurriedly summoned their artifacts to resolve the fierce attack.
*Hong long long…*
After a loud bang, most of the backyard of the Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was destroyed while Gao Hong, Yao Qing, and Hai Tang were all sent flying. Coughing up blood mid-air, all of them crashed to the ground looking pale and bloodless.
*Hualala…*
Countless armoured cultivators flooded in from the back door, each of them holding a spear in their hands as they quickly sealed off the backyard.
A burly figure stepped forward to the front of this group next, his hands folded behind his back and a cold, indifferent expression adorning his face.
“Senior Bai!” Xia Jing Wu, who rushed out after hearing the ruckus, could not stop his heart from sinking as he saw who the leader of this group was and hurried forward to greet him.
He recognized at a glance that this man was a Vice Commander of the Purple Star City Guard, Bai Zheng Chu.
Purple Star City’s Guard was led by Commander Lu Tian Feng, an Origin King Realm master, and directly beneath him were eight Vice Commanders, all of whom were peak Origin Realm cultivators. The Guard managed the peace of the city and was responsible for handling various disputes.
Bai Zheng Chu was one of these eight Vice Commanders and would never show up for trivial matters. This time, because Deacon Min had been injured, he had come to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.
When this man arrived, Xia Jing Wu realized the situation had become far more dangerous.
According to rumours, Bai Zheng Chu was the most ruthless of the eight Vice Commanders, a man who killed others like flies and destroyed any business he targeted. Over the years, he had served as a Vice Commander, even if a hundred businesses were not demolished at his hands, there were at least eight. Not only had those businesses been forced to close down, all the personnel who worked there had also had their lives destroyed if not lost completely.
Xia Jing Wu could not help trembling as he felt that this time Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was truly doomed.
“Scram!” Bai Zheng Chu did not even look at Xia Jing Wu and just yelled angrily, his voice containing a force that slammed into the old man’s body and made him collapse to the ground, seemingly suffering some internal injuries.
In the backyard, everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce wore an ashen expression as despair flashed across their eyes. The menacing glares of the Purple Star City Guard all made them shiver in fear.
Bai Zheng Chu turned his head around for a moment before coldly snorting, “Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, haha. There’s no need for it to continue to exist.”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone’s expressions changed wildly. Bai Zheng Chu’s words were tantamount to condemning the chamber of commerce to death.
Hua You Meng, who was still being held by Gao Hong, said weakly, “Senior Bai, this matter is all just a misunderstanding. Can you… let this Mistress explain it to you.”
Bai Zheng Chu turned his attention to Hua You Meng and simply snorted once more, “There’s no need to explain, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce will be disbanded from today and all its staff will be sent to Purple Star Frozen Prison.”
“Purple Star Frozen Prison!” Gao Hong exclaimed.
The Frozen Prison was an ominous existence in Purple Star City. Officially it was a place used to detain prisoners, but no one who entered ever left alive.
Entering there was no better than being executed on the spot.
“You two aren’t bad though,” Bai Zheng Chu reached out and drew Hua You Meng and Gao Hong to him before declaring lightly. “Good, if you spend some quality time with us brothers here, you can avoid suffering in the Frozen Prison.”
His tone was indifferent, but his words were no less terrifying.
Gao Hong and Hua You Meng both went pale as the guards who had gathered around them laughed lewdly. Obviously, this was not the first time they had done this.
“Senior Bai…” Xia Jing Wu’s sweat dripped down his forehead as he forced out a smile, walked over, and cupped his fists. “Senior Bai, this lowly one is Xia Jing Wu and had the good fortune to meet Senior Bai three years ago. I wonder if Senior Bai still remembers?”
Bai Zheng Chu looked over at him coldly, “What thing are you?”
“Haha…” Xia Jing Wu chuckled, “Senior Bai need not remember such trivial things, en, however, this one has some friendship with Senior Bai’s subordinate, Senior Kang Sheng. Out of respect for that friendship, would Senior Bai be willing to enter the hall for a moment to allow this one to explain the situation in detail?”
While speaking, Xia Jing Wu took off the Space Ring from his hand and handed it to Bai Zheng Chu stealthily.
Almost all of his belongings were inside this Space Ring, but Xu Jing Wu had still handed it over without hesitation because he knew that, if the Chamber of Commerce could not survive this catastrophe, there was no way he could keep these things anyways.
“You know Kang Sheng?” Bai Zheng Chu glanced over at Xia Jing Wu in surprise.
Xia Jing Wu nodded repeatedly and bowed, “It is this one’s good fortune.”
Bai Zheng Chu sneered, “How could Kang Sheng associate with such trash? It seems he doesn’t need his patrol captain position anymore.”
As soon as this statement came out, Xia Jing Wu’s face changed drastically.
His words had now dragged the patrol captain named Kang Sheng into these muddy waters and brought disaster to him. After this incident, even if Bai Zheng Chu did not destroy Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, Kang Sheng certainly would not let them off.
The friendship between him and Kang Sheng was entirely based on Saint Crystals, and such a friendship was naturally quite fragile.
“Your courage isn’t small, daring to bribe a Vice Commander in front of everyone’s eyes!” Bai Zheng Chu coldly snorted before reaching out and seizing Xia Jing Wu’s Space Ring. Without even looking at it, he tossed it to one of his subordinates before declaring, “Five Paths Chamber of Commerce committed violence, flaunted Purple Star City’s laws, and attempted to bribe a Vice Commander to cover up their crimes, for these three charges, all of them are to be arrested.”
“Yes!” The group of cultivators snorted and surrounded everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.
Besides Hua You Meng, who was a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, only the woman named Gao Hong had reached the First-Order Origin Returning Realm out of the chamber of commerce’s members. Everyone else was just a Saint King. If Hua You Meng was at her peak, she may have been able to struggle, but under the effects of Xia Jing Wu’s Flower Petal Raindrops, she was now the weakest of all. Although she was still conscious, she could not use her Saint Qi and could only watch as her brothers and sisters were captured.
Soon, everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was taken down, with Xia Jing Wu and Yao Qing being the most bruised and swollen.
“We didn’t attack anyone, so why are we the ones being captured? I refuse to accept this!” Yao Qing yelled as he thrashed about.
“Oh? You did not hit anyone? So many people outside the city witnessed your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s people commit the act, could they all be lying?”
“If I say it wasn’t us, it wasn’t us!” Yao Qing ground his teeth and roared.
“Senior Bai…” Gao Hong wore a hesitant expression for a moment before she called out, “Reporting to Senior Bai, the one who committed violence was indeed not from our Chamber of Commerce. That person defeated Deacon Min with one move after all; how could our small Five Paths Chamber of Commerce hire such a master? Senior is wise and insightful, so surely you have seen through this already, yes?”
Bai Zheng Chu narrowed his eyes and stared at Gao Hong coldly as he snapped, “Are you accusing this Vice Commander of confusing right and wrong?”
“I wouldn’t dare!” Gao Hong trembled under the pressure as she grits her teeth and continued, “However, if Senior Bai only arrests us innocent people while letting the true culprit off, should this matter become known to Commander Lu, I don’t know whether Commander Lu would believe Senior Bai is confusing right and wrong and failing to execute his duties.”
“Impudence!” Bai Zheng Chu shouted sharply, his eyes becoming fierce.
Gao Hong forced herself to endure this pressure and stared up at him.
After a while, Bai Zheng Chu grinned meaningfully, “I did not expect that there were so many in this small chamber of commerce who don’t know how to fear the Heavens, good! Since you say the culprit is not from your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce… where is he?”
“He’s still here!” Gao Hong could not help but breathe a sigh of relief and quickly replied.
“Gao Hong!” Hua You Meng’s pretty face changed slightly as she directed a look of blame towards Gao Hong.
Gao Hong smiled sadly, “President, that person caused this trouble himself, so we can’t let our chamber of commerce take responsibility. Whether you blame me or not, I must tell the truth.”
Saying so, she stretched out her hand and tapped Hua You Meng’s neck, making it impossible for her to speak, only able to watch.
“The attacker is still in your chamber of commerce, yet you dare say he’s not one of you?” Bai Zheng Chu looked at Gao Hong with a sneer, “Do you take this Vice Commander for a fool?”
Gao Hong quickly explained, “Because he is not a member of our chamber of commerce, this one did her best to have the real culprit remain here to await Sir’s arrival so that the situation can be resolved.”
“Glib!” Bai Zheng Chu smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with the answer, “Good, in that case, you lead the way. I want to see which bastard dares act presumptuously in my Purple Star City!”
“Sir, please!” Gao Hong stretched out her hand and immediately led the way.
Even if she was leading the way, she did not put down Hua You Meng though, whose body was still limp.
Gao Hong narrowed her eyes towards the pavilion where Yang Kai was located, her expression fluctuating. But after a moment, her beautiful eyes became firm, as if she had made some kind of big decision. Lowering one of her hands quietly, she pinched a few seals with her fingers.
Xia Jing Wu, who was following behind, saw this and his expression became solemn.
A moment later, under the leadership of Gao Hong, a group of people crowded around outside the guest house Yang Kai occupied.
“Sir, the person is inside. If Sir does not believe me, just tell him to come out and confront him, and you will know whether what I said before is true or false,” Gao Hong stood aside and pointed forward.
Bai Zheng Chu ignored her as his focus was on the pavilion in front of him. Releasing his Divine Sense, he probed the situation.
He had noticed that there was someone inside, but when he tried to spy on the other party’s cultivation, he found that his Divine Sense was unable to uncover anything. The moment it penetrated the other party’s body, it was like a stone sinking into the vast sea.
This discovery made Bai Zheng Chu stare blankly for a moment, aware that the opponent’s strength was not low.
This made sense though; after all, anyone who could defeat Deacon Min with a single blow was certainly not weak. At least, Bai Zheng Chu was unable to achieve such a feat.
As such, Bai Zheng Chu did not dare act too presumptuous and quickly took his Divine Sense back. However, this was still Purple Star City and he was used to being arrogant and domineering as a Vice Commander, so he still did not put Yang Kai in his eyes and shouted loudly, “Your Excellency dares wound my Purple Star City’s people? Quickly show yourself!”
No sound came from inside.
Bai Zheng Chu’s face suddenly became gloomy as he sneered, “Friend, if you know what’s best for you, come out on your own. I do not care what your background is or how powerful your cultivation is, anyone who dares act presumptuously in Purple Star City will have a miserable end. If you cooperate obediently, you may still have a chance to survive, otherwise…”
He waited for a while with a calm face, but still didn’t get a reply, causing him to become angry out of shame and shout furiously, “Playing cheap tricks! Just wait for this Vice Commander to throw you into the Frozen Prison. Let’s see if you can act so arrogant after that!”
Saying so, Bai Zheng Chu waved his hand and said to six nearby cultivators, “Go inside and capture him.”
The six cultivators were not stupid and knew that the man inside this pavilion was not someone to be provoked easily, but since Bai Zheng Chu gave them an order, they did not dare to disobey and could only charge in.
Everyone thought there would be some commotion next, and at worst, some sounds of fighting from inside the room, but on the contrary, after these six went in, they seemed to completely disappear, making not a single sound at all.
If it were not for their life auras not disappearing, everyone would have assumed they had simply vanished.
Bai Zheng Chu’s face grew more solemn.
The people from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce also looked at each other, unable to understand what happened inside.
A moment later, several figures flew out from inside and fell to the ground one by one, motionless.
Naturally, it was the six who just rushed inside, but each of them now wore a peaceful look on their face, as if they were asleep. On the surface, they did not seem to have suffered any harm and there was even one who wore a smile, seemingly dreaming a good dream.
*Ah…*
Bai Zheng Chu gasped audibly. These cultivators were all Origin Realm masters, and although they were just First-Order, they were not men who could be casually controlled. Even if he had taken action personally, he couldn’t achieve this.
Just who was it that was inside this house? Bai Zheng Chu’s heart began to pound nervously.
However, as one of the eight Vice Commanders of the Purple Star City Guard, he could not show weakness in this situation, so after steeling himself, he commanded, “Follow me.”
If he could not take down this troublemaker today, he would no longer be a Vice Commander. At this moment, he could only secretly pray that the other party was not an Origin King, otherwise, there was no way he could win.
A large group of guards rushed into the pavilion.
This time, it was no longer silent though as sounds of shouting and fighting immediately rang out. In the next moment, one cultivator after another was thrown out and fell to the ground, howling miserably.
In the blink of an eye, everyone who had rushed inside had been thrown out with the exception of Bai Zheng Chu, but from his continued screams, it was clear his situation was dire.
“Now!” Gao Hong, who had been watching coldly, suddenly yelled, held Hua You Meng tightly, and flew up into the sky.
Xia Jing Wu, who had already understood her intentions, also shouted, “Go!”
Yao Qing and Hai Tang did not react until this moment, but they still quickly followed after Xia Jing Wu and Gao Hong, wanting to escape from this chaos.
However, they only made it a couple dozen metres before a terrifying aura surrounded them. This aura was like a mountain pressing down on them, and before Gao Hong and the others were even aware of what was happening, they had been knocked back down to the ground.
In the sky above them, a series of ripples appeared and at their centre stood a figure which had appeared like a ghost.
It was impossible to know when this man had arrived, or if he had been here the whole time in secret. This man was wearing an Artifact Armour that exuded a stronger aura and was shouldering a long spear. A jade crown adorned his head, giving him a majestic and awe-inspiring image, like a great general on the battlefield.
The aura radiating from his body also made everyone suffocate.
His mere aura had pushed the group from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce back to the ground and even slightly injured them; however, his attention was not focused on Gao Hong and the others but was instead fixed on the pavilion Yang Kai was inside of.
“An Origin King!” Gao Hong’s beautiful face turned pale as she exclaimed.
The other party made no attempt to conceal his aura, so it was clear he was an Origin King. This discovery made Gao Hong’s heart sink as she realized that the Chamber of Commerce was really doomed.
“Ah!” A scream rang out and Bai Zheng Chu was flung out into the yard like a sack, his face bruised and swollen, in a much more miserable state than either Xia Jing Wu and Yao Qing. Bai Zheng Chu now had a swollen pig head, giving him an extremely comical appearance.
“You trash, how dare you disturb this King meditation, you deserve to be damned!” Yang Kai’s dissatisfied, extremely arrogant voice came from the room.
Although Bai Zheng Chu was beaten miserably, there was no danger to his life at the moment, but after hearing Yang Kai’s words, he shuddered and hurriedly got up from the ground. Just as he was about to escape though, he heard a cold snort coming from the sky. Bai Zheng Chu stiffened and looked up just in time to see the General-like cultivator staring at him with displeasure.
Bai Zheng Chu’s expression changed drastically, but he was overjoyed inside as he flew towards this man and shouted, “Lord Commander! Greetings, Lord Commander, this humble officer asks the Commander to take responsibility here. This bastard dared to injure the city’s gate guards, and when this humble officer came here to enforce the law, not only did he refuse to cooperate, he even attacked us. This humble officer has experienced this evil-doer’s skills and knows he is not his opponent, so he can only ask Lord Commander to uphold justice for Purple Star City!”
“En,” The Lord Commander snorted coldly and waved his hand, “Draw back, this man is an Origin King Realm, of course you are not his opponent.”
“Origin… Origin King!” Bai Zheng Chu nearly bit his tongue in shock. Although he had already guessed this, when he heard his Commander confirm his speculations, he could not help trembling slightly.
He had actually fought an Origin King just now. Moreover, he managed to withdraw with his life…
Considering this, Bai Zheng Chu could not help feeling a bit proud.
The people of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce were also stunned. Hua You Meng, who was still being held in Gao Hong’s arms, widened her beautiful eyes, as if she could not believe her ears… [Heavens, that young man really turned out to be an Origin King? He does not seem to be very old, does he? How could he already be an Origin King?]
When she thought back to how she had tried to ‘save’ him at the city gate, Hua You Meng could feel her cheeks becoming hot.
[He was an Origin King, yet I actually had eyes but failed to see and tried to stand up to speak for him…]
If she had not interfered at the time, with his cultivation, the gate guards and even Deacon Min would not have dared to provoke him; after all, Origin Kings were revered masters no matter where they went, and Purple Star wouldn’t offend one for no reason.
But instead, things had become more troublesome because she had intervened.
Thinking so, Hua You Meng was very embarrassed.
On the other hand, Gao Hong was staring excitedly and expectantly towards the guest house. She knew that whether the chamber of commerce would be able to escape this disaster all depended on whether this mysterious young man was powerful enough.
Her original plan was to lead Bai Zheng Chu and the others to Yang Kai and use him to deal with them.
Yang Kai being able to defeat Deacon Min with a single move obviously indicated that his strength was not low. Bai Zheng Chu was also a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator like Deacon Min, so since Yang Kai could take care of Deacon Min, he should not have any problems dealing with Bai Zheng Chu.
If the two parties fought, no matter who won or lost, it would be their chance to escape with their lives.
That was why she had spoken the way she did to Yang Kai before, and why she had secretly given Xia Jing Wu a signal on the way over, one the old man naturally understood.
Unfortunately for her, although her plan was good, the appearance of another master had cut off all hope of escape.
As for this newcomer… Gao Hong quietly looked over at the cultivator dressed as a General and combined with the way Bai Zheng Chu had just addressed him, she was easily able to identify the other party.
Purple Star City Guard Commander, Lu Tian Feng!
“Finally, someone slightly decent has come,” Inside the room, Yang Kai’s arrogant tone remained undiminished, not putting Lu Tian Feng in his eyes at all.
Hearing this, Lu Tian Feng’s face flashed an unpleasant look as he coldly snorted and said, “Slightly decent? Your Excellency’s tone is not small.”
“Whether it’s small or not, you’ll know if you try it,” Yang Kai snickered back.
“Friend, why do you insist on acting like this in my Purple Star City?” Lu Tian Feng frowned, unexpectedly not getting angry but instead asking cautiously.
The other party was able to cultivate to the Origin King Realm, so obviously he was not a fool. Since this unknown young man knew this was Purple Star City yet he still dared to act presumptuous, not even putting the city Guard Commander in his eyes, he undoubtedly had enough strength to back up his arrogance, or a powerful background that allowed him to act this way.
As the Guard Commander, how could Lu Tian Feng not think of this?
Which was why he had no choice but to act with discretion.
“If you want to know who I am, come down here and speak to me face to face rather than standing up there.”
Lu Tian Feng’s expression became cold, “Is Your Excellency trying to provoke this Lu?”
“What’s wrong? Does Commander Lu not have the courage?”
“Nonsense!” Lu Tian Feng snorted, “You think such paltry threats can intimidate this General? Fine… Since you are so confident, then this General must see if you are qualified to act so. However, if you are just some blind fool, heh heh… Then don’t blame this Lu for being impolite.”
Saying so, with his spear in hand, and as a strong wind whipped around him, he stepped down from where he stood.
Everyone held their breath as the atmosphere grew tense, all of them watching as if a great storm was about to hit; after all, this was a conflict between two Origin Kings; who among them had ever witnessed such a scene before?
Not long after, Lu Tian Feng arrived in front of the pavilion and displaying the boldness of a powerful master he pushed open the door directly and went inside.
With a squeak… the door closed after Lu Tian Feng.
Everything went so quiet one could hear a needle drop…
No fight broke out, and not even an argument occurred.
The atmosphere was quite strange, but heavy enough that everyone could hear their own heartbeat. Bai Zheng Chu even perked up his ears to listen, trying to hear what was happening.
The Five Paths Chamber of Commerce members all exchanged bewildered glances, none of them able to understand what their current situation was.
After a cup of tea worth of time, the door opened again.
Lu Tian Feng stepped out serious, then in front of everyone’s eyes, turned around, carefully closed the door and then bowed deeply, “Since that is the case, I hope Sir will rest early today. Tomorrow, this one will come to pay his respects to Sir again.”
“No need, this King prefers peace and quiet,” Yang Kai’s voice came from inside the house.
“Yes!” Lu Tian Feng replied respectfully.
“Good, you withdraw then. But first, the backyard of this Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was destroyed by your subordinates…”
“Sir may rest assured; this one will definitely give Sir a satisfactory explanation.” Lu Tian Feng quickly said.
“Some people were also injured…”
“This one will handle matters appropriately!”
“En!”
Once no more sounds came from the room, Lu Tian Feng turned around with a solemn expression.
By now, everyone’s jaws had dropped as looks of pure disbelief filled their faces.
What exactly just happened?
The famous Purple Star City Guard Commander Lu Tian Feng, a powerful figure with near-unlimited authority in Purple Star City, was acting so respectful and obedient towards the young man inside the pavilion. Just what was the background of this person?
Everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce could hardly process the scene before them and the burly bald-headed man Yao Qing even rubbed his eyes desperately, wondering if he was hallucinating because of his injuries.
“Lord… Lord Commander…” Bai Zheng Chu went forward to grovel, but Lu Tian Feng simply shot him a cold glare caused Bai Zheng Chu’s head to shrink back as he felt his situation becoming worrisome.
“I’ll deal with you later!” Lu Tian Feng ground his teeth and snorted coldly.
Bai Zheng Chu felt his head go blank as he stood there in shock.
“May I ask, who is in charge of this place?” Lu Tian Feng turned around once more and put on a friendly smile as he addressed Gao Hong and the others, a hint of flattery even apparent in his tone.
The members of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce felt like there was something wrong with their heads as they could not keep up with the changing situation, all of them just standing dumbfounded in place, unable to react.
It wasn’t until Lu Tian Feng called out to them that Gao Hong’s tender body trembled, and she put down Hua You Meng, who she had been holding in her arms the whole time, before offering her shoulder as support and introducing, “This is the President of our Chamber of Commerce. Does Commander Lu have some instruction for us?”
“I wouldn’t dare!” Lu Tian Feng’s hands fidgeted as he quickly put away his long spear artifact. Smiling at Hua You Meng, he asked in a respectful tone, “Dare I ask this lady’s name?”
Hua You Meng replied softly, “This Mistress is Hua You Meng, Lord Commander can simply address me by name. Please forgive this Mistress for being unable to offer a proper greeting at this time.”
“So it is President Hua, I’ve heard so much about you!” Lu Tian Feng put on a surprised expression, as if Hua You Meng’s name was as resounding as thunder, causing one’s ears to ring just from its mention. But Lu Tian Feng did not give her a chance to refute as he smiled widely and continued, “President Hua’s… um…”
“Five Paths Chamber of Commerce…” Bai Zheng Chu quickly informed him.
“En, this Lu has long heard of President Hua’s Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. Its reputation as an honest and upright establishment is well known, a model for all other chambers of commerce. En, seeing it today, it truly deserves its reputation, hahaha!”
Hua You Meng’s cheeks blushed bright red from this clearly nonsensical flattery.
Gao Hong and the others’ expressions were also extremely unnatural.
They were well aware of the chamber of commerce’s situation: Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was a small business that did not have many members. Even if there were not ten thousand such chambers of commerce in Purple Star City, there were at least eight thousand. What kind of status did Lu Tian Feng have? He was the City Guard Commander, one of the highest-ranking members of Purple Star. How could he possibly understand the situation of their tiny chamber of commerce? Suddenly being called a role model for all other chambers of commerce was a hat far too heavy for any of their heads to hold up.
However, everyone knew that this change in Lu Tian Feng’s attitude was completely due to that mysterious young man!
In Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s backyard, Hua You Meng, Gao Hong, and the others looked on in shock. Compared to Lu Tian Feng’s humility, they were more concerned about Yang Kai’s identity and why the Commander of Purple Star City’s Guard had changed his attitude so greatly after just meeting him.
None of the flattery Lu Tian Feng was touting even entered their ears as they only felt their heads spinning.
“There seems to have been a small misunderstanding here. I do not know where this Lu’s stupid subordinates heard such an outrageous rumour to make them believe a troublemaker was in this area, but it seems they acted hastily and came to make an arrest for no reason, causing varying degrees of damage to the personnel and property of your chamber of commerce. President Hua may rest assured, this Lu, as the Commander of the Guard, will absolutely not allow you to suffer a loss in vain. This Lu will deal with the situation promptly and seriously to give President Hua a satisfactory explanation,” Lu Tian Feng declared solemnly as he patted his chest and promised.
“Ah… en…” Hua You Meng smiled forcefully, “This matter cannot be entirely blamed on Vice Commander Bai, we are also somewhat responsible.”
Hearing what she said, Bai Zheng Chu’s eyes began to tear up as he looked towards Hua You Meng with eyes full of gratitude.
“Is that so?” Lu Tian Feng raised his brow before carefully glancing towards the nearby guest house and saying cautiously, “Since President Hua is so reasonable…”
“Hmph!” From the pavilion, a single snort sounded.
Lu Tian Feng shivered at this snort and sternly declared, “Even if President Hua is so reasonable, they should be punished for mistakes they made. As a member of the Purple Star City Guard, if they cannot follow the law, who will? If anyone can just rush into a business without cause and hit and abuse its employees, will any chambers of commerce ever open in Purple Star City? Vice Commander Bai, what do you say?”
How could Bai Zheng Chu not know he had kicked an iron plate this time? Walking up with a face filled with remorse, he bowed his head and said, “Subordinate acted rashly and mismanaged this situation. Subordinate apologizes to President Hua and asks Lord Commander to deliver appropriate punishment.”
Hua You Meng waved her hands frantically as she repeatedly claimed she wouldn’t dare.
Lu Tian Feng coldly and righteously declared, “For having eyes but failing to see, offended President Hua and Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. This sentences you to one month’s imprisonment inside the Frozen Prison, understood?”
“The Frozen Prison!” Bai Zheng Chu shivered, his face going pale.
Just now he had said he would throw Xia Jing Wu and all the others into the Frozen Prison, but through a twist of fate, he was the one who was going to be imprisoned there. As one of the eight Vice Commanders of the City Guard, how could he not understand the horrors of the Frozen Prison?
That was a natural frozen world where one would freeze their Saint Qi no matter how high one’s cultivation was. In other words, once one entered the Frozen Prison, they could only rely on their physical strength to resist the bone-chilling cold.
But without Saint Qi, how many cultivators could resist such a frigid environment?
A month in the Frozen Prison was no different from being thrown into the gates of Hell!
“Hm?” Lu Tian Feng glared as he did not receive an immediate answer.
“Subordinate understands!” Bai Zheng Chu shrank his neck and nodded repeatedly.
“As long as you understand. En, this is just the punishment for the violence you committed against these good people. As for the damage you caused to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce… Hand over all your Space Rings.”
With Lu Tian Feng issuing such a command, who would dare to resist? One by one, like they had just been told their parents had been killed, all the guards took off their Space Rings and handed them over, including Bai Zheng Chu.
Lu Tian Feng smiled before handing the rings to Hua You Meng and saying, “President Hua, this Lu hopes you can be forgiving and not lower yourself to the same level as this group of idiots. This is compensation for your healing expenses.”
“Senior Lu…” Hua You Meng was completely dumbfounded. Facing the dazzling array of Space Rings, she did not dare refuse or accept, putting her at a loss for a moment.
“President Hua, please… please don’t refuse.” Lu Tian Feng said solemnly with a look that was almost pleading Hua You Meng to accept.
The man inside the nearby pavilion was still watching him, and Commander Lu knew that, if he did not handle this matter well, losing his position as Guard Commander would be the least of his worries.
Xia Jing Wu hurriedly stepped forward, chuckled, and cupped his fists to Lu Tian Feng, “Since Commander Lu has personally presided over justice, our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce will cooperate fully. Many thanks, Commander Lu, Commander Sir’s moral righteousness is worthy of admiration!”
“It’s my duty…” Lu Tian Feng took the opportunity to shove the Space Rings into Hua You Meng’s hand before quietly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking that the matter was finally completed. Although things had not been settled perfectly, he had at least made his position clear.
“What are you still doing stupidly standing here? Scram to the Frozen Prison to serve your punishment!” Lu Tian Feng roared at Bai Zheng Chu and the others.
“Yes!” Bai Zheng Chu and the other guards quickly fled, trembling in terror.
After all his subordinates disappeared, Lu Tian Feng turned around, cupped his fists to the pavilion, and grovelled, “Sir, are you satisfied with the handling of this matter?”
Yang Kai’s voice soon came from the room, “Commander Lu surely jests, it is the Commander’s responsibility to maintain the peace in the city, rewarding the good and punishing the evil. As long as you are satisfied that justice has been served, what does it matter what this King thinks?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Tian Feng was immediately relieved, knowing the other party would no longer pursue this issue. Quickly bowing his head, he followed up, “What Sir says is absolutely correct. This Lu will take his leave then, please have a good rest, Sir!”
Saying so, he nodded politely to Hua You Meng and the others before quickly walking out.
Hua You Meng, Gao Hong, Xia Jing Wu, Yao Qing, Hai Tang, and all the other employees of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce stood dumbfounded, all of them wearing extremely strange expressions. Recalling the scenes that just played out before them, everyone felt like they were seeing some kind of impossible dream.
After a long silence, Hua You Meng snorted and exhaled fiercely, releasing a pink mist from her body. It was the remnants of the Flower Petal Raindrops that had been suppressing her Saint Qi.
“President, are you all right?” Gao Hong quickly looked over at her and asked.
Hua You Meng nodded lightly. She was, in fact, the only one who had remained unharmed in the conflict with Bai Zheng Chu just now; everyone else had suffered varying degrees of injuries.
“President, should we…” Gao Hong glanced in the direction of Yang Kai.
Hua You Meng slowly shook her head and said, “Uncle Xia, go close the shop and post notice that we will remain closed for the next five days. Have all the employees rest and tend to anyone who has injuries. Make sure we provide enough for everyone’s healing expenses. These rings… en, I’ll leave them in Uncle Xia’s care.”
“Yes.” Xia Jing Wu nodded while accepting the Space Rings.
“Yao Qing, Hai Tang, you two assist Uncle Xia,” Hua You Meng next called out to the side.
“En.” Hai Tang heard this and obediently nodded, but Yao Qing actually cast an indignant look towards the guest house and said, “I want to…”
“You want what?” Gao Hong cut him off abruptly, “Hurry up and get out!”
Yao Qing could not help rolling his eyes, but he still shut his mouth and followed Xia Jing Wu and Hai Tang out.
In a blink of an eye, only Gao Hong and Hua You Meng were left. The two women looked at each other and saw the hesitation in each other’s eyes as they passed messages between themselves using their Divine Sense.
After a while, Hua You Meng sighed, turned around, and said, “For today’s matter, this Mistress offers her sincere thanks.”
“President Hua is too polite, it was just a slight effort,” Yang Kai smiled calmly. He heard both a little awe, fear, and even blame, in Hua You Meng’s tone, but that was only to be expected so he did not care too much about it.
“Sir must be tired; this Mistress won’t disturb Sir any further. Tomorrow, this Mistress will pay a visit to Sir again,” Hua You Meng whispered.
“Very well. President Hua must have many things to attend to, just attend to your own business.”
Hua You Meng nodded, winked at Gao Hong, and the two women withdrew one after another.
Inside the guest house, Yang Kai wore a helpless smile on his face as he appreciatively played with a token in his hand, muttering to himself, “I didn’t expect this thing to be so useful. Even someone like Lu Tian Feng was like a mouse seeing a cat the moment he saw it.”
Lu Tian Feng was a First-Order Origin King, and even if Yang Kai could suppress him by force, the reason he had been so deferential and respectful was all because of this token.
“Of course it is, that is one of my Purple Star’s Purple Star Orders. Anyone who holds this token has status equal to my Purple Star’s Great Elder. Lu Tian Feng is only a Guard Commander, so how could he dare act presumptuously in front of an Order holder?” Zi Dong’s voice suddenly came out as his Soul Avatar appeared from the Soul Sustaining Bowl which had been placed to the side by Yang Kai.
“How many of these did your Purple Star create?” Yang Kai asked.
Zi Dong thought for a while before replying, “As far as I know, only two have been given out, and both to Second-Order Origin Kings. The Purple Star Order not only represents elite status but even grants a certain degree of authority to mobilize my Purple Star’s resources and personnel. As such, only those who have made great contributions to Purple Star will receive them.”
“So that’s how it is.” Yang Kai nodded lightly, better understanding the value of this token.
He had found this thing in Zi Long’s Space Ring, and although the materials used to make it were rare and precious, Yang Kai hadn’t paid any attention to it until today.
He simply had no choice. His original plan was to act sneakily; steal the Star Emperor Token and then leave Purple Star. However, after Hua You Meng and Five Paths Chamber of Commerce appeared, he could no longer proceed as planned.
Although he was not afraid of confronting Lu Tian Feng, this was Purple Star City after all, and if he really were to fight this Guard Commander, it would only attract the attention of stronger opponents.
So, Yang Kai had asked Zi Dong if he had a way to deal with the situation.
Zi Dong had then recommended he use the Purple Star Order.
Giving it a try, it had worked perfectly.
Lu Tian Feng had arrived fiercely but left with his head almost touching the ground. With practically no effort, Yang Kai was able to resolve today’s issue.
Unfortunately, Purple Star would begin paying very close attention to him after this, which would make it far more difficult for him to steal the Star Emperor Token. Yang Kai secretly felt a headache coming on as he had to re-think his plans from scratch.
Considering all this, Yang Kai looked at Zi Dong and said, “Tell me about your Purple Star’s situation. What kind of masters there are and are there are any internal disputes?”
Although Zi Dong was very reluctant to cooperate, with his Soul now in Yang Kai’s hands, he did not dare to resist. Having been asked and with no other choice, he began honestly explaining many things about Purple Star to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took down this information carefully because there was a chance some of it would be useful soon. He also asked a few questions when it came to key points, which Zi Dong coordinated with and explained everything he was able to.
The next day, early morning.
Hua You Meng came to the guest house as scheduled, holding a tray in her hands that contained several bunches of spirit fruits.
At first glance, it was obvious that these spirit fruits were not ordinary. They exuded a strong aura and rich fragrance. Obviously, they were treasures to cultivators.
Standing outside the door, just as she was hesitating about what to say, the door opened on its own initiative and Yang Kai, who was sitting cross-legged inside, smiled at her lightly.
“This Mistress greets Sir,” Hua You Meng hurriedly and elegantly bowed.
“President Hua is too polite, please come in,” Yang Kai gestured.
“Pardon me.”
Saying so, Hua You Meng stepped inside, put down the tray in her hands, and continued, “The place is quite simple, so this Mistress has taken the liberty to prepare some refreshments for Sir. I hope Sir won’t refuse.”
“Blue Blood Exquisite Fruits?” Yang Kai glanced at the bunch of amethyst grape-like fruits on the plate and was slightly surprised, nodding in approval, “President Hua’s consideration is appreciated.”
“As long as Sir is pleased,” Hua You Meng accompanied him carefully, standing to the side, seemingly both cautious and uneasy.
Even now, she was unaware of the other party’s identity or status, nor did she know why someone as powerful as Lu Tian Feng was so scared of him. If the events of yesterday had taken place in any other small chamber of commerce, it would likely have been totally destroyed, but not only was Five Paths Chamber of Commerce safe and sound, they had even received a great deal of compensation on top of a personal apology from Lu Tian Feng.
This was not something a man of ordinary high status could achieve. This young man was clearly so important that even masters like Lu Tian Feng had to treat him with reverence, so how could Hua You Meng dare act carelessly?
What troubled Hua You Meng the most though, was that she didn’t even know the other party’s name.
“Please have a seat, President Hua. There’s no need to be so formal,” Yang Kai looked at her with a smile.
“In front of Sir, this Mistress doesn’t dare to be presumptuous,” Hua You Meng pursed her red lips and squeezed out a slightly anxious smile, insisting on remaining standing.
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead, thought for a while, and said solemnly, “President Hua, do you still blame this one for what happened?”
Hua You Meng’s pretty face abruptly changed, and she quickly waved her hands frantically, “Why would Sir think so? If Sir had not stepped in yesterday, I’m afraid my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce would have been destroyed and all my brothers and sisters would not have escaped death. This Mistress only has gratitude for Sir, how could she dare blame him?”
“Haha, I hid my strength and identity, and ran into you for no reason, bringing such a disaster to you. Does President Hua truly have no complaints?”
Hua You Meng’s brow furrowed slightly as her innermost thoughts seemed to be seen through by Yang Kai, causing her to go somewhat speechless.
“Not just President Hua, but also your companions have similar opinions, no? They just don’t dare to show it,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Hua You Meng smiled forcefully and said, “Please don’t misunderstand, Sir. There is an old saying that when Immortals fight, mortals suffer. This Mistress and Five Paths Chamber of Commerce are just a small force in this area. Any great disturbance is enough to tear us to pieces.”
As she spoke, she seemed to gain more courage and began forming her words more clearly, “I am truly grateful to Sir for what happened yesterday, but I would not wish to experience it ever again. However, this Mistress’ experience is lacking so she really cannot understand what my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce possibly has that would attract Sir to stop here. With Sir’s identity and strength, is there anywhere in Purple Star City that you cannot go?”
“Indeed,” Yang Kai nodded. “But if I left yesterday, you would all definitely suffer, so I chose to stay. President Hua offered her aid to me at the city gates, so I could not just abandon you to your fate.”
Hua You Meng was startled but soon nodded lightly.
Yang Kai laughed, “Starting over, this one’s name is Yang Kai, and hiding my strength before was just for convenience. If I were to go around announcing I am an Origin King everywhere, wouldn’t that appear too arrogant? As for my status… it is inconvenient for me to say any more so please forgive me for holding back, President Hua.”
Hua You Meng nodded, “Sir must have his own considerations.”
“Yes, but you don’t need to concern yourself too much with any of this. Regardless of what my status and identity are, you should just treat me as an ordinary Origin King…”
Hua You Meng frowned and was a little dazed, but seeing that Yang Kai looked sincere, she didn’t know what to think right away. After some thought, she realized that, with Yang Kai’s strength, there was no reason for him to deceive her, so she simply replied seriously, “This Mistress was too suspicious. Please do not take offence, Sir.”
“There’s no need to address me as Sir, I’m also not used to it. Today I simply wanted to let President Hua know that everything that happened was just an unfortunate coincidence and I don’t have any plans or intentions towards your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce,” Yang Kai looked at Hua You Meng sincerely.
“This Mistress understands,” Seeing him act so forthright, Hua You Meng believed him and only hesitated for a moment before asking, “It’s just that if this Mistress doesn’t address you as Sir, should she call you… Senior?”
Yang Kai lightly coughed, “Just call me by name.”
“This Mistress wouldn’t dare!” Hua You Meng waved her hands in a panic.
“Forget it, just call me as you’d like,” Yang Kai didn’t insist and simply reached out to push the tray of spirit fruits back while saying, “This Blue Blood Exquisite Fruit is useless to me as anything but a delicacy. On the other hand, President Hua can purify her Saint Qi if she consumes them, so please take them back.”
Hua You Meng smiled and looked at Yang Kai with some gratitude, “Many thanks, Sir.”
She had bought this plate of spirit fruit at a very high price, and they were quite rare. If it weren’t for Yang Kai’s identity and strength, how could Hua You Meng have done this? She was a frugal President who would normally never spend so wastefully.
“En, someone is outside looking for you,” Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed as he glanced outside.
Hua You Meng looked out but did not see anyone outside the door, but just when she was about to ask, she saw Gao Hong hurriedly walking over.
Gao Hong’s face was filled with smiles, as if something good had just happened.
“Sir, please wait for a moment. This Mistress will quickly deal with this,” Hua You Meng said before hurriedly withdrawing.
When she met Gao Hong outside, the two women whispered to each other, and soon Hua You Meng wore a look of surprise and asked urgently, “Really?”
Gao Hong nodded seriously, to which Hua You Meng replied in pleasant surprise, “Let me go out and have a look.”
Saying so, she hurried back into the store.
Shortly after, Hua You Meng appeared neatly in Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s front foyer. At this moment, Xia Jing Wu, Hai Tang, and Yao Qing were waiting quietly together with a group of cultivators dressed in shining armour. At the lead of this group of cultivators was a pale-faced man who stood at attention while waiting silently.
Seeing their attire, these cultivators were easily identifiable as Purple Star City Guard, the same as Bai Zheng Chu and Lu Tian Feng from yesterday.
After seeing Hua You Meng, the lead man quickly cupped his fists and respectfully said, “I take it this Madam is the famous Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s President Hua?”
Hua You Meng was slightly taken aback but still replied promptly, “Not at all, Hua You Meng greets this Sir.”
“President Hua is too polite,” The pale-faced man smiled amiably. “Allow me to introduce myself, this one is Purple Star City Guard Vice Commander Qu Zheng!”
“This Mistress has long heard Vice Commander Qu’s honoured name, but I wonder what Vice Commander Qu has come to my humble chamber of commerce today for?” Although she had received some news from Gao Hong just now, Hua You Meng couldn’t be certain of anything yet, so she still took the time to ask.
“This Qu has come here today on orders of Senior Lu to hand these things over to President Hua.” Saying so, he took out a jade box from his Space Ring and handed it over respectfully.
Hua You Meng wore a solemn look as she reached out to accept the jade box.
Upon opening the jade box, Hua You Meng saw that it contained a number of neatly stacked papers, and after pulling out one and examining it, she couldn’t help calling out in shock, “Land deeds!”
“What?” Xia Jing Wu and the others were also shocked, with even Gao Hong’s jaw dropping.
Although Qu Zheng had said when he arrived that he had come to deliver a gift to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, he had not explained what that gift was, but seeing the land deeds at this moment, everyone finally understood.
“So many land deeds?” Hua You Meng was completely stunned as she began taking the deeds out one by one. There were more than thirty deeds in the box, each one representing ownership of a shop or plot of land.
“Ahaha, President Hua is too serious. En, these land deeds are for all the stores on Soaring Dragon Street, where Five Paths Chamber of Commerce is located,” Qu Zheng explained with a smile, “Senior Lu said that although Five Paths Chamber of Commerce is small, it has operated for many years with great integrity and made significant contributions to the development of Purple Star City, a model for all merchants. These land deeds are a special token of appreciation for the hard work your chamber of commerce has done and are being transferred to President Hua in hopes that others will follow the example of your chamber of commerce.”
“This…” Hua You Meng’s tender body trembled, unable to believe what she was seeing with her own eyes, simply feeling that the land deeds in her hands were so heavy that they were crushing her beneath them.
“President Hua, please don’t refuse,” Qu Zheng stretched out his hand and stopped her before she could say anything, declaring solemnly. “This Qu is here on orders. If President Hua refuses, then this Qu will not be able to fulfil his mission and will be punished with imprisonment in the Frozen Prison. This Qu has heard that President Hua has a kind heart, so this Qu begs her not to make things difficult for him.”
Hua You Meng looked at Qu Zheng as if she did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Qu Zheng immediately struck while the iron was hot, smiled, and said, “Good, this Qu will take it as President Hua accepting these, so he will now return now to report he has completed his mission.”
“How could that…” Hua You Meng was a bold and wise woman, but she was still somewhat overwhelmed right now, not knowing how to respond. After a moment, she hurriedly said, “Uncle Xia, prepare a gift for our honoured guest’s hard work.”
She knew from the words the other party had spoken that she couldn’t return these land deeds.
Uncle Xia responded and hurried to prepare some small offerings.
Qu Zheng, however, reacted with something akin to terror as he hurriedly cried out, “President Hua, there’s no need for that! This Qu is simply doing his duty, how could he dare accept any benefits? President Hua’s sentiments are more than enough.”
The other guards had also gone pale, as if the small gifts Xia Jing Wu wanted to offer them were some kind of deadly scourge to be avoided at all costs.
Qu Zheng stood on the spot anxiously, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead vigorously as he glanced towards the backyard from time to time.
After a while, he heard a voice in his ears, “Good, go back and tell Lu Tian Feng that he has handled the situation well this time and this King is very satisfied.”
Like he had received a pardon from the Heavens, Qu Zheng cupped his fists in that direction and bowed deeply while calling out, “Many thanks, Sir!”
Saying so, he quickly turned to Hua You Meng and said, “This Qu will take his leave. Good day, President Hua!”
As soon as his voice fell, he dashed out, his figure barely visible from behind as it raced off.
In the Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, everyone looked around at each other, still in shock and confusion, mixed with a great deal of pleasant surprise.
“President… are these land deeds really for the entire Soaring Dragon Street?” Gao Hong asked with a trembling voice. If so, the value of this box of land deeds was simply inestimable!
Under the leadership of Hua You Meng, the people of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce had worked hard for more than twenty years before finally managing to purchase a small shop on Soaring Dragon Street, and they weren’t even the official owners, simply renters with a thirty-year contract. Not only did they need to pay a large sum of money to Purple Star City’s administration every year, but the city would come to take back this shop when their contract was over.
But now, a box of more than thirty land deeds had fallen into Hua You Meng’s hands…
This box represented the ownership of more than thirty shops on a main street! Any merchant could see the massive value in it.
Gao Hong and the others almost fainted from happiness.
Hua You Meng’s hands were also trembling as she checked through the box again before she looked up at all the expectant eyes around her and haltingly said, “It’s true…”
“Hahahaha, it is our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s time to rise!” Yao Qing kept patting his bald head, seemingly too excited to even settle down, his eyes flashing a fierce light as he thought about the bright future ahead of them. “That damn Heavenly Yuan Firm next door has always been competing maliciously with us, hmph, now let’s see how they fight with us! Just wait, I’ll be sure to sweep them out of their store! That’s right, that Treasure Pill Hall down the street also needs to go. When I went with Hai Tang last time, those arrogant bastards berated us before throwing us out, but now their land deed is in our hands. Let us see if they dare throw Father here out now! Next time, Hai Tang and I will go over there and teach them a lesson!”
Hai Tang stood by his side and nodded vigorously, apparently holding a deep grudge about what had happened last time.
“Only villains seek petty vengeance!” Xia Jing Wu glared at Yao Qing, who only smirked and rubbed his head awkwardly, not daring to offer any rebuttal. In Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, Hua You Meng had the highest prestige, followed by Xia Jing Wu as the chamber of commerce’s strategist. Sometimes, his words carried even more weight than Hua You Meng’s.
“Uncle Xia, how do you see this matter…” Hua You Meng finally recovered from the huge shock and turned to Xia Jing Wu hesitantly.
The latter stroked his beard without any excitement, instead wearing a deep frown as he pondered, only quietly whispering to Hua You Meng a moment later, “President, the core of this matter is there.”
Saying so, he gestured towards the backyard before continuing, “Whether it is the attitude and compensation of Commander Lu yesterday or today’s land deeds, none of it is because of our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s abilities. Since the key to all of this does not lie with us, President might as well consult with the one whose opinion does matter. Perhaps, he will have a better understanding of what to do next.”
Hua You Meng thought for a moment before nodding lightly and ordering, “You’re all free to go about your business as usual, but keep what has happened today a secret. As for the chamber of commerce, it will remain closed today.”
Saying so, as if the wind was carrying her feet, Hua You Meng hurried back to the backyard.
Soon after, she returned to the guest house where Yang Kai was staying.
Yang Kai looked at her with a smile, apparently aware of what had just happened outside.
Hua You Meng took out the jade box without any hesitation and placed it on the table in front of Yang Kai before saying, “Sir, this is far too precious for my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce to enjoy. Keeping it will likely just provoke more misfortune for us, so I hope Sir can process it appropriately.”
After recovering from her shock and excitement, she gradually realized that Lu Tian Feng having someone deliver this box of land deeds to her was entirely because of Yang Kai. She did not know Yang Kai’s true background, but because he was here, just one day ago, Lu Tian Feng put on a humble and even reverent demeanour towards Five Paths Chamber of Commerce; however, if one day Yang Kai were to leave, these thirty land deeds would definitely become a disaster to them.
An ordinary man is innocent, but treasures can make one guilty. In Purple Star City, even in the outer city, land deeds were extremely rare and precious treasures that only the most powerful merchants and organizations were qualified to possess. Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was simply too small to have such qualifications.
Would Yang Kai always be there to shelter Five Paths Chamber of Commerce? Hua You Meng knew the answer was no; after all, the other party was an Origin King. It was already the accumulated good karma of their ancestors that he had been willing to help them once, so how could they expect him to continue protecting them from now on?
Yang Kai glanced at her thoughtfully before saying, “Since they were given to you, President Hua should accept them. In any case, these things are worthless to me; even if I accepted them, they’d have no use.”
Hua You Meng gave a wry smile, “But…”
Yang Kai stretched out his hand to interrupt her, “No buts. You can relax and just accept them without any worries. I will bear all the consequences if there are any.”
Hua You Meng stared at Yang Kai in a daze as she was able to understand what kind of commitment he was making. Gratitude welling up inside her heart, she took a deep breath and declared, “Since Sir has said so, this Mistress will simply offer her sincere thanks.”
Although her cultivation was not bad, she was a businesswoman at her core, and no businesswoman would refuse this box of land deeds.
Yang Kai smiled and said, “But I want to know, how does President Hua plan to deal with these land deeds?”
“How do I plan to deal with them?” Hua You Meng froze for a moment before saying, “I have always had a dream: I always wanted to hold the land deed of my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce in my own hand, but land deeds in Purple Star City are so expensive that they are quite difficult to acquire. Our original plan was to spend another ten years or so to save up enough Saint Crystals and buy our land deed, then use this shop as a foundation to slowly develop from a small chamber of commerce to a large chamber of commerce. Standing shoulder to shoulder with a giant like Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce may be impossible, but I wish to one day stand tall enough to not be bullied by anyone!”
As she spoke, she seemed to let go of her restraints and caution, her pretty face turning ruddy with a hint of excitement, “This is not just my personal dream though, but also Uncle Xia, Sister Hong, Yao Qing, and Hai Tang’s dream. We have been working hard towards this dream, doing everything from street peddling to wandering aimlessly to sell our wares. After living such a life, who would not want to have a stable home? Now, this dream has been achieved so easily… With these land deeds, my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce can expand to more than ten times its original size. We will be able to hang our sign above the entire Soaring Dragon Street now and my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce will be able to sell our goods throughout Purple Star City!”
Reaching the end of her speech, Hua You Meng felt her heart racing as her eyes flashed brilliantly, as if she could see a beautiful picture of the future unfold in front of her, sinking her into a wondrous dream.
It was not until she noticed that Yang Kai was looking at her with a smile that Hua You Meng’s expression turned embarrassed, her face going quite red as she whispered, “I’ve shown Sir something embarrassing…”
“Everyone’s dream is sacred, why would I laugh at yours?” Yang Kai said seriously, “President Hua should have struggled very hard these past decades, yes?”
“There has been much hard work, but with my fellow brothers and sisters by my side, hard work is not a problem,” Hua You Meng smiled sweetly, dazzling Yang Kai for a moment.
Seemingly perceiving the change in Yang Kai’s eyes, Hua You Meng quickly lowered her head as her heart began to pound violently, feeling quite nervous as she hoped he would not suddenly take interest in her.
However, when she thought about it again, it actually didn’t seem like a bad proposition to catch the eye of such a young and promising Origin King. Although she had not been in contact with him for long, Hua You Meng was quite proud of her ability to read others. Yang Kai was different from those other Origin Kings who only knew how to act lofty and arrogant. Not only was he approachable, but his appearance wasn’t bad either, having a brave and heroic face and a well-built body…
[What are you thinking about!?] Hua You Meng suddenly screamed to herself as she could not wait to find a hole to crawl into and disappear.
“Good, President Hua seems to have a comprehensive plan for the future, but I wonder if you would be willing to listen to my advice?” Yang Kai naturally didn’t know what Hua You Meng was thinking about, so he simply continued the conversation.
“Sir is the benefactor of my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. If you have any advice, please do say it,” Hua You Meng quickly composed herself and said.
“These land deeds… Don’t keep any of them, sell them all!” Yang Kai quickly said.
“Huh?” Hua You Meng was startled, not having expected that Yang Kai would say such a thing. If she did this, then the future dream she had just described would disappear.
All her dreams would never be realized.
“Do you trust me?” Yang Kai looked at Hua You Meng sincerely, staring straight into her eyes.
Being stared at with such a focused gaze, Hua You Meng suddenly became flustered and put aside her eyes before nodding subconsciously, “This Mistress naturally trusts Sir.”
“Very good. While it is not convenient for me to give a specific reason, you can’t keep these land deeds. It would be best to deal with them as soon as possible. One day, you will understand why I am giving you this advice.”
He came to Purple Star City this time to steal their Star Emperor Token, and there was no doubt he would soon come into conflict with Purple Star. Although Lu Tian Feng deliberately showed his favour because of the existence of the Purple Star Order, even sending over so many land deeds, once Yang Kai’s real purpose was exposed, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce would definitely be implicated. At that time, they would definitely not be able to remain in Purple Star City and these land deeds would all become worthless.
The best option for them would be to gather a large number of Saint Crystals while by selling off the land deeds now.
As long as they had enough Saint Crystals, what worry would they have about their chamber of commerce’s future?
Although Hua You Meng did not understand why Yang Kai asked her to do this, after calming down and thinking for a while, she vaguely thought of something and couldn’t help trembling as she nodded, “I understand.”
Yang Kai looked at her deeply and smiled, “President Hua is really an intelligent person.”
“I’m just a small woman who is following Sir’s advice. En, can I ask for Sir’s assistance in a certain matter then?”
“What matter?” Yang Kai became curious.
“Could you accompany me out?”
“What for?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“It’s like this…” Hua You Meng explained, “There are too many land deeds here, and if we really must sell them, I’m afraid my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce won’t be able to do so for a good price, as that is simply beyond our ability. This Mistress wants to hand over these land deeds to Clear Sky Auction House for them to process, that way they will promote them at their auction on our behalf and allow us to maximize our profit while minimizing our risk.”
“You want to sell them at an auction?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “Good idea, President Hua really has a talent for business!”
“Sir surely jests!” Hua You Meng flushed.
“No no, I sincerely admire your talent. An ordinary person can’t think of such a good idea in such a short period of time.”
“Then does Sir agree?” Hua You Meng looked at Yang Kai in pleasant surprise.
“En, I wanted to go out for a walk to see the richness of Purple Star City anyways, so I’ll have to trouble President Hua to be my guide,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Hua You Meng quickly got up and said happily, “Then please wait a moment, Sir. I’ll be right back after I inform Uncle Xia and the others about my plan to sell these land deeds.”
“Go on, I’ll wait for you outside,” Yang Kai nodded.
Some time later, Hua You Meng walked out of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.
Regarding the sale of the thirty-odd land deeds, everyone in the Chamber of Commerce had different thoughts. Some, like the previous Hua You Meng, wanted to keep all the land deeds to grow the Chamber of Commerce; after all, this was a rare opportunity that no one wanted to miss. Some wanted to compromise, selling half while keeping the other half, this way, not only would they have enough shops, but also enough Saint Crystals.
However, in the end everyone agreed to Hua You Meng’s decision to sell all the land deeds.
Although they did not know why Yang Kai would suggest this, they dared not disregard the words of an Origin King. However, because of this, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce would miss an opportunity to establish themselves in Purple Star City, making many sigh.
Hua You Meng looked around and saw Yang Kai squatting in front of a stall not far away, bargaining with its owner.
[Do Origin Kings actually buy things like this?] Hua You Meng felt strange just seeing this scene and quickly walked over. Soon, the voices of Yang Kai and the seller reached her ears.
“Brother, my Red Copper Web Crystal is a good Artifact Refining material that took me a lot of effort to mine. Using it, one can definitely refine a Saint King Grade High-Rank artifact. Isn’t your offer of 10,000 High-Rank Saint Crystals a bit outrageous?” The seller exclaimed angrily.
“Ten thousand isn’t low,” Yang Kai ignored the seller’s argument entirely and just said back with a smile.
“Good, good, you drive a hard bargain. I’ll sell it to you for 80,000 Saint Crystals. Consider it my respect for your business skills.”
“10,000!”
“70,000. This is really my bottom line, I can’t lower it any further!”
“10,000!”
“Are you serious? Bumping into a fellow who cannot tell the quality of goods is my misfortune it seems… Fine, you look like a handsome and intelligent man my brother, so I’ll give you a bit of face. 65,000!”
“10,000!”
“60,000!”
“10,000!”
“Damn it, which of my enemies sent you to mock me? Do you think I won’t hack you to death here!?” The seller was so angered by Yang Kai after a while that he drew out a Saint King Grade sabre and pointed it at his nose while fiercely cursing, seemingly saying he would not tolerate any more nonsense.
Yang Kai let out a hearty laugh, quickly got up, and rushed away.
“Damn fool!” The seller saw him run off and stowed his artifact before yelling out towards the disappearing Yang Kai, “Don’t let me see you here again, or I’ll beat you senseless!”
“Sir…” Hua You Meng appeared next to Yang Kai with a deep frown on her face, “This… this is…”
She could not believe what she had just seen. A dignified Origin King Realm master actually bargaining back and forth over a few thousand Saint Crystals with a Saint King Realm cultivator for half an hour, in the end not actually buying anything and being driven away.
Was he really an Origin King? Did he not care how offensive that seller had been to him? If that seller knew he had just cursed out and pointed a weapon at an Origin King, it was really hard to imagine just what his expression would be.
“I was just experiencing the local customs of Purple Star City while passing the time away,” Yang Kai explained with a smile. “En, the temper of Purple Star City’s cultivators is a bit hot.”
Hua You Meng did not know whether to laugh or cry, thinking that anyone who was pestered so endlessly would react similarly.
“Anyways, let’s head to that Clear Sky Auction House to deal with the land deeds,” Yang Kai motioned. “Lead the way.”
“En,” Hua You Meng responded and obediently led the way.
Yang Kai kept looking around as they walked forward, as if he was a countryside hick who had just come to the big city for the first time, everything giving him a fresh feeling.
As for Hua You Meng, her head was a mess. Yang Kai’s performance completely subverted her perception of Origin Kings.
In her imagination, Origin Kings should be like Lu Tian Feng, arrogant and aloof, but when she saw Yang Kai mix into the crowd, he seemed no different from an ordinary cultivator, even somewhat naïve compared to most. If she were to have met him right now, Hua You Meng would not believe he was an Origin King.
Soon after, Hua You Meng arrived at a carriage rental stall.
The carriages were pulled by two monster beasts that looked similar to horses. The carriages were spacious and comfortable. After Yang Kai and Hua You Meng boarded one, the carriage driver swung his whip and the carriage moved forward smoothly.
“These Snow Treading Colts are Fifth-Order Monster Beasts, and although they don’t have much combat power, their speed is quite good, so Purple Star City raised many of them to use as a means of transportation in the city for cultivators. Because flying is not permitted, and the city is quite large, these carriages are very popular with everyone, but the cost to use them even once isn’t low, five thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals,” Hua You Meng explained to Yang Kai as they rode.
“Fifth-Order Monster Beasts…” Yang Kai nodded. “Purple Star certainly lives up to its reputation.”
Although Fifth-Order Monster Beasts were not anything special on their own, if you wanted to fill the entire city with carriages pulled by them, at least tens of thousands would be necessary. This was not something an ordinary great force could achieve. Purple Star must have mastered some special techniques for breeding these Monster Beasts in captivity and had methods for domesticating them.
While talking to Hua You Meng, Yang Kai frowned suddenly and looked up into the sky.
Under his gaze, the roof of the carriage was as good as glass, unable to block his sight at all.
“What happened?” Hua You Meng asked in surprise when she saw his expression change.
“Is fighting allowed in Purple Star City?” Yang Kai asked rhetorically.
“Of course not. Is there some blind fool trying to act presumptuously here?” Hua You Meng was shocked.
“Interesting,” Yang Kai smiled slightly before stretching out his hand and releasing an invisible field around the carriage to shield it.
The next moment, there was a violent series of noises in the sky, accompanied by several explosions.
Hua You Meng’s face changed as she suddenly became slightly nervous.
Although she was not affected by the aftermath of the fight because of Yang Kai’s protection, she was also a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator and realized that it was an Origin King who had acted just now.
She finally understood why Yang Kai did what he just did. Obviously, he was trying to avoid having the Monster Beast pulling their carriage become startled.
Because after this battle, the Snow Treading Colts pulling other carts were neighing and running about chaotically while the cart she and Yang Kai were in was safe.
This scene puzzled the driver of their carriage greatly.
However, the battle ended just as quickly as it began, and by the time Hua You Meng released her Divine Sense to investigate, no one remained up in the sky. All that was there was a damaged Starship.
“Hm? Is that…” Hua You Meng’s brow furrowed as she quickly opened the curtains of the carriage and looked up, a moment later her complexion changed greatly as she quickly sat back down.
“What did you find?” Yang Kai asked.
Hua You Meng looked at him and said, “If I’m not mistaken, that Starship belongs to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.”
“Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, are you sure?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“En, the emblem on that Starship is definitely Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s!” Hua You Meng nodded sincerely.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense again to confirm this and soon found that just as Hua You Meng said, the somewhat damaged Starship did have a special emblem on it that he vaguely remembered seeing embroidered on Xue Yue and Ni Guang’s robes.
[Was this Starship really from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce?]
[So, just now, the cultivators of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce fought with Purple Star?]
After being silent for a moment, Yang Kai asked, “Why is a Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship in Purple Star City?”
Hua You Meng smiled, “Although Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is a massive super force, it’s primary focus is still commerce. In this Star Field, wherever there are cultivators, there will be their business opportunities. Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce coming to Purple Star City isn’t strange, but as for why the two sides suddenly fought, that is not something this Mistress can speculate on.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, checked the Starship one last time, then set the matter aside.
No matter what kind of friction there was between these two super forces, as long as it didn’t affect his plan, he didn’t care.
The carriage continued to move forward steadily, at a speed like that of the wind.
After a while, the pair arrived at a huge auction house.
After getting off the carriage, Hua You Meng pointed to the front and said, “This is Clear Sky Auction House. It is also one of the three largest auction houses in the outer city and its reputation is quite loud. I heard that they will be holding an auction in five days with many rare items appearing.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly before turning his head and glancing at Hua You Meng and asking, “President Hua, why do you seem a little nervous? Is this the first time you’ve come here”
Hua You Meng flashed a wistful smile as she replied, “It’s not the first time I’ve been here. I’ve been here several times, in fact, to participate in auctions, but I’ve rarely won anything as the prices are simply too high for this Mistress to afford. However, this is the first time I’ve been here to sell something… Perhaps, it will also be the last.”
“I’m with you, so don’t be afraid!” Yang Kai cast an encouraging look at her.
Hearing what Yang Kai said, Hua You Meng calmed down immediately, remembering that she was being accompanied by an Origin King, and an extraordinary one at that. Even Lu Tian Feng had to treat this Sir with respect, so although Clear Sky Auction House was a powerful force, she was here to auction a valuable item, so they should not embarrass her, right?
Moreover, the reason why she pulled Yang Kai along was that she wanted to use his identity as a deterrent, otherwise, if her tiny Five Paths Chamber of Commerce were to suddenly take out so many land deeds, it would likely cause lots of trouble.
Considering all this, Hua You Meng immediately collected herself and stepped forward.
Inside Clear Sky Auction House, the lobby was spacious and bright, with people coming and going, making for a lively scene.
As soon as Yang Kai and Hua You Meng entered, a young woman came up to greet them with a smile and respectfully said, “Greetings Honoured Guests, how may I serve you today? Are you here to enter an item into Clear Sky Auction House’s upcoming auction? Or do you have other important business to discuss?”
Yang Kai glanced at this young woman and was easily able to sense her cultivation with his powerful Divine Sense.
This young woman was a First-Order Saint King, and although her strength was not high, it also was not low. Her being placed in the lobby as a receptionist was a testament to Clear Sky Auction House’s strength.
What’s more, there were at least eighty others just like her inside the lobby.
“We’re here to enter something into the auction,” Hua You Meng calmed herself and smiled lightly. “How should we proceed?”
“So Honoured Guests are here to auction an item,” The young woman smiled sweetly. “Honoured Guests should know that our auction house does not accept items that are worth less than a million Saint Crystals. If honoured guest’s item is worth more than one million but less than five million, this servant can handle it for you. If Honoured Guests’ item is worth more than five million but less than fifty million, this servant will have to summon one of the auction house’s stewards to process it.”
“What if it exceeds fifty million?” Hua You Meng asked in a low voice.
Although Hua You Meng did not know the exact value of these thirty-odd land deeds, she was certain they well exceeded fifty million.
The young receptionist’s face changed slightly, but she soon smiled like a flower and replied, “If that is the case, the auction house’s manager will personally receive it. This way please!”
With just Hua You Meng’s words, this young woman understood that the item these two honoured guests wanted to auction could not be handled by a mere steward, so she did not hesitate to lead them into the auction house’s interior.
At the same time, this receptionist felt joyful in her heart, as she would receive a percentage of the profits from any business that she brought to the auction house. In other words, as long as these two guests successfully negotiate a deal with the auction house, she would receive a rich reward.
From beginning to end, Yang Kai did not speak and simply stood silently behind Hua You Meng like a guard. This made the young woman feel that Hua You Meng’s background was not simple, so she did not dare act negligently.
Once through the bustling lobby, the trio entered a hallway leading further into the complex and soon arrived at a secluded courtyard. Entering this courtyard was like entering a different world, the noise of the outside world completely disappearing and being replaced by the babbling of a small brook that flowed under a small, wooden bridge. There was even some light music that played in the background, adding to the refreshing atmosphere.
Walking along a winding path, the trio eventually came to an oval arch. The young woman then took a communication artifact from her Space Ring and poured her Divine Sense into it.
A short time later, there was a faint flash of light from the arch, which was obviously a sign that a barrier had been opened.
The young woman turned around and said respectfully, “Please enter inside, Honoured Guests. Someone will welcome you on the other side.”
Saying so, she turned and left.
Hua You Meng and Yang Kai exchanged a glance before stepping through the arch and entering another courtyard.
A woman who seemed to be about forty years old walked over at that moment and said elegantly, “Are Two Guests here to auction an item?”
“Indeed,” Hua You Meng nodded and replied.
“En, then please follow me!” The woman turned to lead the way, but as she did, she glanced suspiciously at Yang Kai, as if she had just received a surprise.
Yang Kai also smiled at her meaningfully, causing the woman’s expression to change slightly and her steps to become slightly unsteady.
After walking for a while, the trio came to a stone pavilion from which the fragrant scent overflowed. Inside, there was a woman in a floral dress brewing tea with elegant and refined movements.
“Young Lady, the guests have arrived,” The woman walked closer and called out before standing to the side silently.
“Manager Li?” Hua You Meng asked with some surprise. She had not expected that the person in charge of this huge auction house to be a woman, and a stunning beauty at that. Observing her face and temperament, Hua You Meng could not help feeling slightly inferior.
“Is this guest surprised?” Manager Li looked up at Hua You Meng, pursed her lips, and winked at Hua You Meng playfully, “Why, did Honoured Guest think I should be a man?”
“No no!” Hua You Meng waved her hands quickly, “I only felt slightly surprised as well some… admiration.”
“Oh?” Manager Li took a serious look at Hua You Meng before immediately seeming to understand something, nodding and saying, “It seems that this guest is also the leader of a certain force. It seems we have something in common.”
“It is only a small chamber of commerce, nothing compared to Manager Li’s formidable business,” Hua You Meng said modestly.
“The strength of the force is irrelevant. As a leader who bears the expectations of all her brothers and sisters, as well as their lives, the burden is always… heavy.”
Hua You Meng agreed with this sentiment and nodded firmly.
These two women, as soon as they met, got along well, and once they found a common topic to discuss, they immediately became immersed in conversation.
The middle-aged woman who had escorted Yang Kai and Hua You Meng here eventually could not help lightly coughing, “Young Lady, these two guests are here to auction an item!”
“Hehe,” Manager Li smiled apologetically. “My apologies, meeting someone of similar interests and position has made me forget myself. Honoured guests, please have a seat.”
Hua You Meng hesitated for a moment before taking a seat at a stone table.
Manager Li was about to speak when suddenly she looked down at a jade token on her waist and in the next moment, she raised her head again and looked at Yang Kai solemnly, “Sir, this Mistress had faulty eyes and committed an offence. I also hope Sir won’t take it to heart.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai glanced down at the jade token on Manager Li’s waist with a smile and said with some surprise, “This thing can actually sense my cultivation?”
“I’ve shown Sir something embarrassing,” Manager Li said softly, “This Mistress interacts with many people each day, and there are always some powerful masters who hide their cultivation like Sir. This Mistress is just a small Origin Realm cultivator and is not always able to see through others’ depths, so she had this item specially made to ensure she does not unintentionally offend a great master. This Mistress assures Sir she had no malicious intent.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “I understand, but why must you act so frightened? Without even mentioning that Clear Sky Auction House is a powerful entity in Purple Star City, with the protection of this Madam here, Manager Li should have nothing to fear, yes?”
While talking, Yang Kai glanced over at the mature woman with a smile.
The mature woman’s face changed slightly as she openly said, “Your Excellency’s strength is truly profound. Not only are you able to conceal your own strength from this Mistress, but you can also see through this Mistress’s depths!”
“Thank you for the compliment,” Yang Kai smiled slightly. When he saw this mature woman earlier, he immediately realized that the other party was a First-Order Origin King, but she had clearly cultivated some kind of concealment technique that hid all signs of her being one from the outside. Only if the one she was facing had far superior cultivation would they be able to discover anything.
Yang Kai was now a Second-Order Origin King, and his Soul was extremely powerful, comparable to a Third-Order’s, so this mature woman could not hide her strength from him.
This auction house had an Origin King protecting it. It was obvious Clear Sky Auction House had a deep background.
With just a sentence or two, the atmosphere became tense.
However, Manager Li simply giggled and said, “Please don’t take these minor matters too seriously, everyone has their own circumstances, after all. En, let’s talk about business.”
With her words, the atmosphere immediately relaxed.
“En, this Mistress’s name is Li Nuo; might I ask what it is two guests had brought to auction this time?” After introducing herself, Li Nuo turned to Hua You Meng and asked.
“I’ve brought this.” As Hua You Meng spoke, she took out the box containing the land deeds and placed it in front of Li Nuo.
Li Nuo took the box curiously and began inspecting it, soon determining that, although the box itself was precious, it was not priceless treasure, so she immediately understood that what mattered was inside.
Upon opening the box, the land deeds appeared before her eyes.
Li Nuo lifted one of them and her beautiful eyes shrank as she exclaimed, “This is…”
The mature woman’s eyes also swept over, and she too was shocked, “Land deeds? Are these Purple Star City land deeds?”
“En, they’re all land deeds for Purple Star City,” Li Nuo checked carefully one by one, her expression growing more solemn by the moment, “There are so many, and they’re all for the same street?”
Hua You Meng smiled slightly, “These land deeds are for the entire Soaring Dragon Street.”
Li Nuo’s tender body trembled. Although she was accustomed to great winds and waves, seeing countless valuable treasures in her time, she still could not help feeling shocked.
Purple Star City land deeds were each incredibly valuable on their own, but these land deeds were actually for the entire Soaring Dragon Street.
Just by encompassing an entire street, these land deeds would likely double in value!
Suddenly, Li Nuo seemed to think of something and turned to look at Hua You Meng in amazement, “Is Elder Sister a member of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce?”
This time it was Hua You Meng who was stunned, “Manager Li has heard of my Five Paths Chamber of Commerce?”
She was incredibly surprised; after all, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce wasn’t some big force in Purple Star City. To be blunt, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was among the lowest tier of businesses that struggled just to survive. If there were not ten thousand similar businesses in Purple Star City, there were at least eight thousand.
Clear Sky Auction House on the other hand was a powerhouse, so how could its Manager have even heard of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce?
“I hadn’t heard of it before, but over the past two days…” Li Nuo took a deep look at Yang Kai and said, “I heard that someone who doesn’t fear the Heavens appeared in Five Paths Chamber of Commerce and beat the city guard and Deacon Min to a pulp. However, after that rampant act, not only was that man remained safe and sound, Commander Lu Tian Feng even personally visited him to apologize and offer compensation! Once Elder Sister brought out these land deeds, Junior Sister knew they must be some form of compensation from Commander Lu, as only Commander Lu is qualified to move these things.”
“Has the news spread so quickly?” Hua You Meng frowned.
“Rather than the news having spread quickly, I think it would be better to say Manager Li’s methods and network are impressive, yes?” Yang Kai looked at Li Nuo with a smile.
Li Nuo’s pretty face turned red as she smiled shyly, “Sir surely jests; when doing business in Purple Star City, one naturally has to stay well informed. En, not many people know about this incident yet, but my Clear Sky Auction House is among those that do. However, what happened at the city gates yesterday will likely be known to everyone soon, and Five Paths Chamber of Commerce will certainly become quite famous at that time.”
“The entire city will know?” Hua You Meng paled.
Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was just a small force, but it had suddenly become the centre of attention for the entire city. Knowing this would bring more trouble than benefits, Hua You Meng could not help casting an entreating glance towards Yang Kai, to which he just smiled lightly and motioned for her not to worry. Seeing this, Hua You Meng somehow managed to calm down.
“Is Elder Sister sure she wants to auction all these land deeds?” Li Nuo was a businesswoman herself, so the moment business came to her door, she set aside all other matters and quickly entered negotiations with Hua You Meng.
“En,” Hua You Meng nodded. Although she had her own plans, these things were only given to her because of Yang Kai’s existence. Since Yang Kai suggested that she sell them all, she would not object.
“That’s a pity,” Li Nuo sighed lightly. “If you kept them for yourself, it wouldn’t take ten years for Five Paths Chamber of Commerce to become famous with Elder Sister’s methods.”
“Manager Li must be joking, I don’t have such skill,” Hua You Meng waved her hands quickly.
“Why does Elder Sister insist on being so modest? Although Five Paths Chamber of Commerce is not well-known today, with this Sir assuming…” She was halfway through her words when she noticed Hua You Meng smiling bitterly and understood that Yang Kai was likely just a passerby and would not be staying in Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. As such, she didn’t bother continuing this topic and smiled, “Good, since Elder Sister wants to sell all these land deeds, Junior Sister will accept; however, does Elder Sister want to auction these land deeds separately or as a package?”
Hua You Meng frowned and fell into contemplation.
As a businesswoman, she knew the difference between selling these land deeds individually or together.
If they were split apart, it was guaranteed that these land deeds would easily sell out; after all, although each land deed was expensive, there were many chambers of commerce or great forces that could afford them. However, splitting them apart would mean losing the appeal of owning the entire Soaring Dragon Street.
On the other hand, if all the land deeds were auctioned off together, the price would be so high that not many great forces would be able to fight for them. The final selling price would still likely be much higher than if these land deeds were sold individually.
The two methods both had advantages and disadvantages, and it was not clear which was the better choice.
Helpless, Hua You Meng turned her eyes to Yang Kai, hoping for him to advise her.
Yang Kai just chuckled though, “I only know how to fight. Business is completely foreign to me. It would be better to ask Manager Li for her opinion.”
Hua You Meng’s eyes lit up as she looked towards Li Nuo eagerly.
Li Nuo pursed her lips and said with a smile, “Since Sir has offered such generous praise, this Mistress won’t hold back. Elder Sister, Junior Sister suggests auctioning these off as a set with a starting price of 100 million Saint Crystals.”
“1… 100 million!” Hua You Meng’s pretty face changed drastically as her voice trembled audibly.
She almost fainted from happiness after hearing this number. Together with her thirty or so brothers and sisters from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, Hua You Meng would need to work all year round just to earn one million Saint Crystals in revenue, but after wages and expenses were subtracted, the chambers of commerce would be able to save 200,000 Saint Crystals at best!
To her, 100 million was simply inconceivable.
“Does Elder Sister believe this is too expensive?” Li Nuo smiled. “If Elder Sister thinks about it, it shouldn’t be too surprising actually. Although Soaring Dragon Street is not in the most prosperous area of the outer city, it is not a poor location either. As a street to do commerce on, it should rank around the middle. Each land deed on Soaring Dragon Street would allow one to set up a shop with a good fifty-metre frontage, making the base cost for each one about five to eight million Saint Crystals; however, that is still a low estimate. In the busiest areas, a single land deed should be worth at least twenty million. Let us say the average land deed on Soaring Dragon Street is worth six million, since there are around thirty such deeds, that alone is 180 million… What’s more, these land deeds are all connected together, which makes it far more convenient and attractive for those great forces or large commercial firms. This alone will push the value up by at least twenty percent. With that said, does Elder Sister still think a base price of 100 million is unreasonable?”
Hua You Meng was stunned on the spot, unable to speak for a long time, her tender body trembling constantly.
The impact of Li Nuo’s words on her was too great.
Although she had realized before that these thirty land deeds were not low in value, she had never had the presence of mind to calculate it out carefully. Now that Li Nuo had explained it to her in plain words, Hua You Meng realized just how immense the wealth she stood to gain was.
This was something she would not be able to accumulate over an entire lifetime with just Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.
Seeing her so stunned, Li Nuo did not hurry her but instead picked up the tea she had just brewed and poured a cup for Hua You Meng and Yang Kai each.
Yang Kai raised his cup and asked, “Manager Li, if these are auctioned as a package, how many great forces in Purple Star City could swallow it?”
“There are at least ten companies that have this ability. Sir must not underestimate the great forces in Purple Star City. Although it would not be easy to take out a few hundred million Saint Crystals on the spot, all that is needed is to let out some rumours ahead of time and many firms will be able to gather enough funds.”
“Good, in that case, let us auction it as a whole. President Hua, what do you think?” Yang Kai asked while turning to Hua You Meng.
Hua You Meng let out a faint breath as her face flushed with excitement and she said blankly, “I trust Sir to make this decision.”
“Then let’s do this,” Yang Kai chuckled. He knew that Hua You Meng was too shocked to think straight right now, so he took the initiative to decide on her behalf.
“Sir, please rest assured. There are still five days before the next auction is held, so this Mistress will properly advertise these land deeds so your chamber of commerce can sell them for a good price,” Li Nuo assured Yang Kai.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you with that,” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
“En, according to our auction house’s regulations, after the auction is successful, we will take a five percent service fee, but since this time’s transaction is so large, this Mistress will give Sir a discount. How about two percent?”
Although it was only a three percent difference, this was still a massive number of Saint Crystals because the selling price would undoubtedly be sky-high.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment, but since he had no reason to refuse, he simply said, “Then on behalf of President Hua, I will offer Manager Li thanks for this favour.”
Li Nuo was slightly startled as she understood the meaning behind Yang Kai’s words, but not dwelling on them too much, she smiled and turned to the mature woman beside her and said, “Aunt Chun, take out two VIP invitations for this Sir.”
“Yes.” Aunt Chun responded and took out two golden invitation cards from her Space Ring, placing them in front of Yang Kai.
Li Nuo smiled and explained, “In five days, Sir and President Hua can enter the auction house with this invitation. This Mistress will arrange everything. There will be many good things at the auction, so Sir should definitely attend. Perhaps there will be a treasure that interests you.”
“I’ll certainly come,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded, putting away the invitation before immediately taking Hua You Meng, who had not yet recovered, and walking out of the stone pavilion.
Aunt Chun saw them to the exit of the auction house before returning.
“Young Lady, why did you show such goodwill to that man? Is it because of the Second Young Master?” Aunt Chun looked at Li Nuo with a worried face and asked.
“En, why else does Aunt Chun think I would take the initiative to take three percent off from the auction fee? Those three points represent some ten million Saint Crystals,” Li Nuo smiled bitterly before sighing again. “But he is a very sharp and cautious individual.”
“En,” Aunt Chun also sighed.
What Yang Kai said at the time was ‘On behalf of President Hua, I will offer Manager Li thanks for this favour’. It could be seen from this sentence that Yang Kai was being cautious of them. Rather than saying he had personally accepted Li Nuo’s kindness, he simply gave thanks in Hua You Meng’s place, pushing the favour onto her while making Li Nuo feel helpless.
“Second Young Master’s status is uncertain, but there was some fighting above the city not long ago. Could Aunt Chun perceive what happened clearly?” Li Nuo asked the woman.
“Everything happened too fast,” Aunt Chun shook her head, “I’m afraid that Second Young Master and his people tried to escape from Purple Star City but failed.”
“Haa….” Li Nuo sighed, “The President is too cruel, sending his own flesh and blood to this place. Why send Second Young Master here while allowing the Third Young Master to enjoy riches and honour…”
“Young Lady!” Aunt Chun was taken aback and quickly cut her off.
Li Nuo simply smiled though, “I know, Aunt Chun, but there are no outsiders here. I only wanted to complain a little in front of you. We cannot make any overt moves, let alone reveal ourselves rashly; for now, we can only borrow the help of others. The origins of that Sir with Five Paths Chamber of Commerce are unknown, but from Lu Tian Feng’s attitude, it is obvious he is someone of great strength and status. I originally wanted him to inquire about the Second Young Master on our behalf, but it seems that won’t be possible now.”
Aunt Chun frowned and said, “Young Lady should not worry. Although Second Young Master sometimes acts a bit rashly, he is not someone who lacks discretion, so it is unlikely that anything extreme will happen to him. What’s more, even though Purple Star is not weak, it wouldn’t really dare move against our people, especially the Second Young Master who has an honourable identity. There’s no need to worry about his life, but some suffering is probably unavoidable.”
“That is precisely what I’m worried about though. Second Young Master has been pampered since childhood so his tolerance for suffering cannot be too high.”
Nodding, a light of determination flashed across Aunt Chun’s eyes as she said, “If Young Lady is really unable to feel relieved, I will go speak with Elder Peng.”
“Peng Hu?” Li Nuo frowned, “That man is nothing good, filled with greed and lust. Aunt Chun shouldn’t interact with him!”
“Young Lady need not worry,” Aunt Chun smiled lightly. “Although that old man Peng Hu is impudent, it is precisely because of his nature that we can take advantage of him. At worst I will give him some small benefits and that will be it. In any case, his strength is lower than mine, so I certainly won’t be the one to suffer.”
While talking, Aunt Chun seemed to make up her mind and declared, “Good, I will go find him now!”
“Aunt Chun!” Li Nuo wore a stern look, but Aunt Chun disappeared in the next moment. Helpless, Li Nuo could only silently pray that Aunt Chun really did not suffer a loss at Peng Hu’s hands.
Yang Kai and Hua You Meng left Clear Sky Auction House with the latter still in a daze, her cheeks flushed and a bounce in her step as she was unable to calm herself when thinking about those 100 million Saint Crystals…
Glancing over at Yang Kai once in a while, her beautiful eyes filled with gratitude.
Without this person, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce would have been razed to the ground yesterday, and all her brothers and sisters would have been severely punished. Yet now, such great blessings were practically raining down on them. At this moment, Hua You Meng suddenly understood the feeling of being able to rely on someone.
This warm and comfortable feeling soon infatuated her.
For so many years, she had helmed Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, and just as Li Nuo said, everyone’s future and lives were resting on her shoulders, a heavy burden her tender body struggled to bear.
But she currently had someone to support and protect her, letting her experience the feeling of relying on others.
She was unable to extricate herself for a while as she imagined what a future together with such reliable support would be like… wouldn’t it be wondrous?
“Isn’t it President Hua?” Just as Hua You Meng was lost in her own thoughts, a voice suddenly called out from the side. After hearing this voice though, Hua You Meng could not help frowning as she turned her head toward its source.
Not far away, a man who seemed to be about thirty years old walked straight toward the pair, a lewd smile on his face as his two eyes constantly swept over the sensitive parts of Hua You Meng’s body.
This man was dressed in luxurious clothes and had overall good looks, but his narrow eyes gave him an insidious air. When he stared at her like this, Hua You Meng suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Behind this man, there are two Origin Returning Realm cultivators with cold expressions on their faces, obviously guards.
“Jiang Chao!” Hua You Meng’s beautiful eyes could not help flashing with a light of disgust and fear, but soon, she thought that she was not alone now and was being accompanied by Yang Kai, so she quickly restored her indifference.
“Haha, meeting President Hua here by chance. This must be fate,” Jiang Chao didn’t seem to notice Hua You Meng’s revulsion and spoke to her with great enthusiasm.
“President Jiang surely jests. You and I are both Presidents of our respective chambers of commerce. As the saying goes, your closest peers are also your rivals, there is certainly no fate between you and me,” Hua You Meng said coldly.
“Rivals?” Jiang Chao didn’t pay her insults any mind and simply grinned widely, “I prefer the saying that one is most intimate with their rivals. If that’s the case, this Young Lord would very much like to be President Hua’s rival.”
Hearing this blatant innuendo in his words, Hua You Meng could not help her pretty face from sinking as she snapped, “President Jiang, please show some propriety!”
“Haha, why need does this Young Lord have to show propriety in front of you? We will soon become one family after all.” Jiang Chao laughed, “By the way, have you considered the proposal I made to you six months ago? This Young Lord’s patience is running a bit thin. President Hua suddenly left Purple Star City half a year ago, making it impossible for this Young Lord to find you, but now that we’ve encountered one another again, I hope you can give this Young Lord an answer.”
Hua You Meng’s expression was extremely ugly as she ground her teeth and glared at him.
Jiang Chao saw this but simply sneered, “President Hua, you should know well that your little chamber of commerce is incapable of accomplishing anything significant on its own, yes? Since that is the case, it would be best to merge it with this Young Lord’s Saint Yuan Chamber of Commerce. Under this Young Lord’s leadership, what worry will you have about being able to develop in the future? If it were not for President Hua being a woman, with such small shoulders to carry such a heavy burden, do you think this Young Lord would offer you such a big opportunity? This Young Lord always shows tender affection and simply cannot bear to watch a beauty suffer.”
“President Jiang, I already gave you an explicit answer last time. My Five Paths Chamber of Commerce will never merge with your Saint Yuan Chamber of Commerce. Please give up and never bother me again,” Hua You Meng finished speaking and quickly turned to Yang Kai. “Let’s go.”
“Go?” Jiang Chao’s narrow eyes narrowed further as he moved quickly to block Hua You Meng’s path, “You think you can just leave? Since we have met today, don’t even think of leaving without giving me a satisfactory answer. Today, you have to agree to my proposal, even if you don’t agree!”
“You can’t stop me!” Hua You Meng exclaimed, “This is Purple Star City…”
“Ha!” Jiang Chao sneered, “So what if it is Purple Star City? President Hua seems to be misunderstanding this Young Lord’s previous courtesy for weakness. Have you forgotten about my identity? This Young Lord truly has not done anything yet, but even if he did, so what? What’s more… This Young Lord has heard that your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce made some trouble at the city gate yesterday. Although this Young Lord does not know why nothing has happened to you yet, if this Young Lord were to seize you and hand you over to the guards, surely he would be rewarded rather than punished.”
Hearing him mention his identity, Hua You Meng seemed to have remembered something and her pretty face could not help paling slightly, looking quite fearful.
Seeing her hesitancy, Jiang Chao sneered, “President Hua, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a loss. This Young Lord only has so much patience. Give me a satisfactory answer now and we will still be one family. If not…”
Hua You Meng looked helpless and had no choice but to turn to Yang Kai imploringly.
Yang Kai sighed, knowing that he would not be able to stay out of this matter anymore and took a step forward, patting Hua You Meng’s shoulder before having her step back behind him. Looking at Jiang Chao in front of him, Yang Kai suddenly chuckled, “Friend, did you forget to bring something when you went out today?”
Jiang Chao looked Yang Kai over with his slit eyes and spat fiercely, “Where did you come from little brat? You dare speak to this Young Lord?”
Seeing Hua You Meng’s docile and submissive appearance towards Yang Kai, he suddenly felt flames of jealousy burning in his heart, so he didn’t choose to be polite.
“You dare to call yourself ‘Young Lord’ in front of me, it seems you really forgot something when you went out today,” Yang Kai smiled.
Jiang Chao coldly spat, “Boy, why don’t you tell me what this Young Lord forgot!”
Yang Kai lifted his hand lightly, and before Jiang Chao could even react, Yang Kai tapped his finger on his forehead, smiled, and said, “Didn’t this friend forget his brain when he went out?”
Jiang Chao stumbled back several steps as a look of horror appeared on his face. He was a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, yet he could not even resist a light tap on his forehead, showing just how great the gap in strength between him and his opponent was. Given that, if the other party had any murderous intent just now, wouldn’t he already be dead?
Thinking so, Jiang Chao suddenly broke out into a cold sweat while simultaneously becoming angry out of shame and shouting, “Bastard, you dare mock me?”
Yang Kai laughed heartily and shook his head, “If you really brought your brain with you, how could you not understand the reason why we are still doing fine after beating someone up at the city gate yesterday?”
“What? Why is that?” Jiang Chao was confused by Yang Kai’s words.
“So, it turns out that friend didn’t go out without his brain but instead has a pig’s brain!” Yang Kai showed a sudden look of understanding.
*Puchi…*
Hua You Meng heard this and could not stop herself from laughing, but quickly realizing she was acting inappropriately, she hurriedly covered her red lips with her delicate hand.
“Impudence!” Jiang Chao was furious and his Saint Qi unconsciously burst forth as he charged forward, wanting to beat Yang Kai up.
The expressions of the two cultivators who had been following him changed drastically when they saw this and they both hurried forward to grab him, one of them seeming to realize something and quickly whispering into Jiang Chao’s ear.
Jiang Chao snorted and shouted angrily, “Has some kind of background? Even if he does, could it be stronger than this Young Lord’s? This Young Lord is a member of the Jiang Family! My Grandfather is Purple Star’s Eighth Elder! Whose background could be bigger than mine?”
Yang Kai took a look at Hua You Meng in amazement, “Is Purple Star’s Eighth Elder from his Jiang Family?”
“En, Elder Jiang Chang Feng is one of his Jiang Family’s Ancestors,” Hua You Meng nodded solemnly. Because of this, she was helpless regarding Jiang Chao’s harassment. Although Jiang Chao and the Eighth Elder were separated by many generations, possibly only meeting a few times a year and making them practically strangers, he could still walk sideways in Purple Star City with such a background.
Jiang Chao had taken an interest in Five Paths Chamber of Commerce and Hua You Meng personally for more than just a day or two, and if it were not for Hua You Meng actively avoiding him, it was difficult to say how things would have ended up already.
“Boy, are you scared?” Jiang Chao looked at Yang Kai triumphantly, “Kneel down and admit your mistakes now and this Young Lord may spare you, otherwise…”
“Otherwise?” Yang Kai looked at Jiang Chao with a smile, without any fear.
“Ignorant boy!” Jiang Chao raged and his anger overcame his hesitation, waving his hand as he commanded, “Take him for me!”
The two cultivators behind him hesitated, knowing that Yang Kai was not someone they should provoke, but since Jiang Chao had given an order, they had no choice but to obey. With a flicker, the two of them rushed towards Yang Kai one after another.
Both of these guards were Third-Order Origin Realm masters, and their personal strength was quite good, so although they were unable to figure out Yang Kai’s depths, they thought that the other side wouldn’t be able to resist when they teamed up.
But reality was destined to surprise them. Just as they rushed out towards Yang Kai, before they could even use any of their methods, they saw Yang Kai grin at them and simply wave his hands lightly.
This action was carefree and casual, as if he was driving away an annoying fly.
However, these two light slaps caused them to be simultaneously involved in a vortex of power they could not break away from.
“This is…”
“Not good!” The two yelled at the same time as they madly pushed their Saint Qi to resist, but in front of the powerful vortices, their Saint Qi was as vulnerable as weak as paper and was instantly shredded.
Two screams rang out as the two guards were thrown to the left and right respectively, smashing the shop walls on either side of the street and leaving behind gaping holes.
Suddenly, much cursing and scolding sounded from the nearby shops as many cultivators rushed out of the damaged buildings, searching for the one who dared stir up trouble in Purple Star City.
Jiang Chao standing stunned, his slit eyes bulging wide as he drew a sharp break and stared at Yang Kai in amazement, instantly understanding something and calling out in alarm, “Origin King Realm!?”
Although his two guards were not masters that stood at the apex of Origin Realm, they were definitely not weak, but the two of them had been defeated swiftly with just a light slap to the air. Only an Origin King would be able to accomplish this.
This simple-looking young man, who was definitely less handsome than him, was actually an Origin King? And he had just cursed him as a bastard?
Jiang Chao’s teeth began to chatter as he stared at Yang Kai in horror, feeling like the light smile on the other party’s face now looked quite terrifying.
He wanted to escape, but was shocked to discover that he couldn’t even circulate his Saint Qi at all. His feet seemed to be fixed in place and he was only able to watch as Yang Kai stepped towards him slowly.
The aura of death which began to shroud him caused Jiang Chao to shiver in fright!
“Who dares act dissolute in Purple Star City!” An angry shout suddenly came from far away and a group of guards flew out of the crowd, instantly surrounding the place where Yang Kai and Jiang Chao stood, glaring at the two troublemakers with gloomy faces.
“Purple Star City expressly forbids fighting and killing! If anyone dares disobey, their cultivation will be wasted, and they will be thrown into the Frozen Prison or immediately killed. Commander Lu has publicly proclaimed this several times, yet there seems to be some who still don’t take it seriously. This Vice Commander is here to ensure that those who refuse to obey Purple Star City’s laws… ah… So, it was Sir here… Qu Zheng greets Sir!”
Purple Star City Guard’s response time was fast. It had only been five breaths or so since Yang Kai swatted away the two Third-Order Origin Realm cultivators, yet someone had already rushed to the scene.
What’s more, the one who appeared was Qu Zheng, one of the eight Vice Commanders of Purple Star City’s Guard!
Hearing Qu Zheng’s stern shout, all the onlookers felt that Yang Kai was about to face great trouble and would possibly even lose his life.
In Purple Star City, there were very few fights so the guards had nothing to do all day; as such, when even a small dispute broke out, they would deal with it harshly. Yet today, someone thrashed two Origin Realm cultivators in the street, so how could this young man’s fate possibly be good?
After hearing Qu Zheng’s voice, Jiang Chao became so excited tears nearly left his eyes. Right now, he was like a wronged young wife who saw her in-law’s family come to her rescue. Staring at Qu Zheng, Jiang Chao was eagerly awaiting him to uphold justice for him…
However, Qu Zheng’s abrupt change in attitude caused Jiang Chao’s anxiety to resurface.
Qu Zheng actually called this bastard ‘Sir’ and was now bowing to and flattering him…
[Just who the hell is this boy?] Jiang Chao was completely confused.
“So it is Vice Commander Qu!” Yang Kai recognized at a glance that this person was the Vice Commander who came to deliver the box of land deeds to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. Although the two had never met face to face, with Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, he naturally remembered Qu Zheng’s appearance.
The reason why Qu Zheng was able to recognize Yang Kai was some simple deductive reasoning.
At this moment, a young man who he could not see through stood next to Hua You Meng. Besides the Great Sir Commander Lu told him about, who else could it be?
After hearing Yang Kai’s voice, Qu Zheng immediately confirmed his guess and knew that this was the Sir who even Commander Lu had to treat with great respect!
Qu Zheng immediately became even more humble and waved his hand quickly, “I dare not! Sir is too polite. How could this Qu call himself Vice Commander in front of Sir?”
After speaking, he asked carefully, “Sir, what happened here?”
“Nothing much,” Yang Kai chuckled and pointed at Jiang Chao. “This friend here wanted to rely on his status to annex President Hua’s Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, but after being rejected by President Hua, he became angry out of shame and tried to use force. This King couldn’t just stand by and watch so he simply gave him a small lesson.”
“What?” Qu Zheng was furious, “Who doesn’t fear the Heavens and dares to use force against President Hua? Are they impatient to die?”
Saying so, he cast a menacing glance towards Jiang Chao, but after seeing the other party’s face clearly, Qu Zheng could not help being startled, “Young Master Jiang?”
Upon recognizing Jiang Chao, Qu Zheng’s mood turned gloomy…
Jiang Chao, a mere rich second generation, had a conflict with Sir. What was Qu Zheng supposed to do? Although Jiang Chao was a waste, he was still the descendant of Elder Jiang Chang Feng, not someone a small Vice Commander like him could afford to offend. This mysterious Sir, however, was someone even Commander Lu treated with reverence. Sandwiched between these two, how was Qu Zheng supposed to settle this matter?
Qu Zheng suddenly wished he had never come to this place…
However, there was no point in regretting now. Qu Zheng could only curse Jiang Chao in his heart while wondering how this good for nothing rich second generation could be so blind as to offend this Sir.
“So it is Vice Commander Qu! Please enforce justice for this Young Lord!” Jiang Chao saw Qu Zheng’s apprehensive look and was immediately overjoyed, putting on a pitiful expression as he pleaded, “Vice Commander Qu, this Young Lord was not trying to use force on President Hua and was simply trying to have a discussing with her about merging our two chambers of commerce. Vice Commander Qu must also know that in business, both parties must meet to agree on mutual terms in order to be successful, but this man came in out of nowhere and indiscriminately attacked my two guards! Vice Commander Qu, just look at them! They haven’t even gotten up yet! Who knows if they’re even alive or dead? I don’t know whether they have families of their own or parents they need to care for, but in their condition…”
Speaking with emotion, Jiang Chao began shedding tears and snot.
“This…” Cold sweat broke out on Qu Zheng’s forehead as he constantly lifted his hand to wipe it. This was no longer a situation a small Vice Commander like him could handle. No matter who he sided with, he would offend the other.
“Vice Commander Qu, you just said that Purple Star City does not allow anyone to fight or kill within its borders, and if there are violators their cultivation will be crippled and they will be thrown into the Frozen Prison, or they will be executed on the spot! This man clearly despises our Purple Star City’s laws. I ask Vice Commander Qu to enforce the law impartially to preserve the peace of Purple Star City!” Jiang Chao said with a rousing tone, secretly celebrating to himself as he imagined the scene of Yang Kai being brought down and shamed.
Yang Kai only looked at him like a fool.
Qu Zheng’s expression had gone completely ugly and he could not wait to slap Jiang Chao’s mouth shut.
Purple Star City indeed had such rules, but everything depended on who those laws were aimed at. People with enough background could ignore these rules, and the Sir standing in front of Qu Zheng was obviously one such person.
Qu Zheng did not dare to deal with Yang Kai, much less the ability, but he was backed into a corner by Jiang Chao’s words, so now he felt like he was being roasted on a fire, uncomfortable all over. More than anything though, he hated Jiang Chao to death.
“Vice Commander Qu, do you want to arrest this King?” Yang Kai looked at Qu Zheng with a smile.
“Sir surely jests! I wouldn’t dare!” Qu Zheng’s forehead was now dripping wet and his face was flushed red, “The circumstances here are unclear. This Qu needs to investigate before making a decision.”
Jiang Chao slit eyes widened as he exclaimed in dissatisfaction, “Vice Commander Qu, why are you speaking such nonsense? My two guards being injured is a clear fact, what more needs to be investigated?”
[Damn your eighteen generations of ancestors!] Qu Zheng cursed viciously in his heart…
Just when he was at a loss and did not know how to deal with the matter though, Qu Zheng suddenly raised his head and perked up his ears, as if he had heard something, his face soon filling with joy.
In the blink of an eye, Qu Zheng restored his calmness and he cast a stern gaze towards Jiang Chao. Under the Young Lord’s stunned gaze, Qu Zheng yelled, “Young Master Jiang, the truth of this matter has been illuminated. What happened today is not the fault of this Sir but is instead a result of your endless pestering and disrespect. This Sir only acted to give some slight punishment for your offence.”
“Huh?” Jiang Chao was taken aback, never having expected Qu Zheng would dare to say this. What’s more, Qu Zheng only stood in place and did nothing, so how could he now ‘know the truth of the matter’?
“Young Master Jiang, since you are the guilty party, please come with this Vice Commander,” Qu Zheng was already incredibly angry with Jiang Chao, so now that he had someone stronger supporting him and didn’t have to fear any consequences, he was looking forward to dealing with Jiang Chao.
“Qu Zheng, you dare!” Jiang Chao shouted, “You dare arrest me?! This Young Lord is the grandson of Eighth Elder! If this matter today is brought to Eighth Elder’s attention, do you think you’ll have a good end?”
Qu Zheng’s face changed slightly, but he soon sneered and shouted, “Young Master Jiang’s courage is great! This Vice Commander is responsible for enforcing the law on behalf of Purple Star City and Purple Star! Even if this matter is brought to Eighth Elder’s attention, he will not raise any objections, but you dare try to intimidate and threaten this Vice Commander? Do you not put Purple Star in your eyes?”
“What bullshit are you spouting?” Jiang Chao roared at the injustice he felt, never having imagined things would develop like this.
“You have no say in this matter, come with this Vice Commander immediately.”
“Qu Zheng, don’t use chicken feathers as arrows! Think carefully about this Young Lord’s identity before you act!” Jiang Chao tried to act strong and snarled.
Qu Zheng simply waved his hand impatiently and shouted, “Take him!”
Several Purple Star City guards rushed forward and subdued Jiang Chao.
Jiang Chao struggled violently while cursing everyone around him.
Qu Zheng frowned and said, “Seal his meridians.”
When the guards holding down Jiang Chao heard this, they slapped their palms onto his back and rendered him immobile, unable to even speak.
“Vice Commander Qu enforces the law impartially and acts with high character and integrity. This King is impressed!” Yang Kai smiled at Qu Zheng and cupped his fists.
Qu Zheng flushed and said humbly, “Sir is too polite, this is only this Qu’s duty. En, since the culprit has been caught, this Qu won’t disturb Sir any further.”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Qu Zheng bowed once more before leading the guards off quickly.
The many onlookers were still in shock to this point, unable to believe that Jiang Chao, who had always walked sideways in Purple Star City, had actually been captured and taken away by Qu Zheng. When everyone looked at Yang Kai now, their expressions contained a mix of awe and fear, wondering just what this young man’s origins were that actually made Qu Zheng favour him so heavily over Jiang Chao.
Hua You Meng’s face was also blank.
Although she knew that Yang Kai could even scare Lu Tian Feng and his identity must be extraordinary, in front of everyone’s eyes, Qu Zheng had actually given no face to Eighth Elder Jiang Chang Feng to support him!
How high did Yang Kai’s status have to be for Qu Zheng to make such a choice?
Was he even more powerful than Purple Star’s Eighth Elder?
Hua You Meng stared at the stalwart figure in front of her in a daze, like she was trying to see through a cloud of mist shrouding a giant mountain, confusing her beautiful eyes.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai whispered to Hua You Meng before walking towards the direction of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. Before leaving though, Yang Kai glanced up in a certain direction and grinned slightly.
“Ah… en,” Hua You Meng followed in a kind of trance.
A thousand or so metres away from where Yang Kai and Jiang Chao’s little conflict occurred, there was a restaurant called First Under Heaven.
This First Under Heaven establishment had nine floors. The first through third were for ordinary cultivators to drink and have fun while the fourth floor and above were reserved for those with strength and status. The higher the floor, the higher the requirements to enter.
The ninth floor only entertained peak-level masters and it was not possible to enter it with money alone; one needed to have a high reputation and status as well.
It was said that First Under Heaven was actually the private industry of several Elders from Purple Star.
At this moment, two people were sitting by a window on the ninth floor looking down at the scene below.
One of these two was an old man with half-squinted eyes. This old man’s aura was reserved to the limit, but the occasional energy fluctuations that came from him indicated he was an Origin King.
Opposite the old man sat a young man dressed up in noble attire. This young man had a folding fan in his hand and wore a proud and aloof expression that seemed to come from his very bones. His temperament and aura were quite extraordinary.
Both the old and young man stared at Yang Kai’s fading back, remaining silent for quite some time. The old man wore a solemn expression, but the young man seemed to be quite interested in Yang Kai, even showing a faint smile on his lips.
After Yang Kai’s back disappeared from his vision, the young man smiled slightly, “Interesting!”
“Rude boy!” The old man coldly snorted.
“Why does Old Ji say that?” The young man looked at the old man in surprise.
Ji Jun snorted, “That boy discovered that this old master and Second Young Master were sitting here, and also seemed to realize that the change in Qu Zheng’s attitude had something to do with us, but rather than thank us he simply chose to leave. How is that not rude?”
The young man was slightly surprised, “That person was even able to sense where Old Ji was hiding?”
Ji Jun nodded, “Second Young Master may not have seen it clearly, but that man glanced towards us directly before he left. Obviously, he found us long ago.”
The young man raised his brows, “Old Ji is a master at the peak of the First-Order Origin King Realm. Without a Divine Sense equivalent to a Second-Order Origin King’s, it should be impossible to find Old Ji. Doesn’t that mean this person really has a Second-Order cultivation?”
Ji Jun frowned slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, “This old master didn’t dare to probe too much, so he is unable to judge the cultivation of this person exactly. Although Lu Tian Feng had direct contact with him, according to him, he also could not see through the other party’s strength… so it seems that even if this person isn’t as strong as this old master, he may not be far off. As for whether he is a Second-Order or not, that remains to be verified.”
The young man grinned, “Good, good! It seems he dares act so arrogant because he has the strength to back it up; en, very much to this Young Lord’s liking.”
“Second Young Master…” Ji Jun looked at the young man hesitantly, “Do you want to recruit this person?”
The young man nodded, “Yes, the waters in Purple Star City have become turbulent for some time now. The faction headed by Great Elder is actively acting and has already touched many things it shouldn’t. If this Young Lord does not act decisively, then Purple Star’s surname will surely change.”
Ji Jun’s face changed slightly as he coldly snorted, “Great Elder’s faction must be seeking death if that’s really the case. After Master returns, they will all definitely be held accountable. However, Second Young Master, you… you have been keeping a low profile for so many years, so why are you anxious this time? Master and Young Master have been missing for almost two years, but after the Master left two years ago, he said that he and the Young Lord would be going out to take care of some important matters. They may return any time now. If Master returns and finds Second Young Master has… Second Young Master should understand. With Master’s ability, there are not many people in the Star Field who can threaten him, and fewer who can kill him. He will return sooner or later.”
A faint worry flashed across the young man’s eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly as he chuckled and said, “What Old Ji said is true, but it is not that this Young Lord is anxious, it’s just… time will not wait for me. What’s more, I am not doing this for my sake, but for the Zi Family. Even if Father comes back, he won’t blame me for my actions.”
“I hope so,” Ji Jun nodded worriedly, seeing the young man in front of him insist on this, ceasing his admonishing.
“Old Ji, from your perspective, do you think I can win this person over?” The young man stared in the direction Yang Kai was leaving and asked.
“Everyone has a price, it only depends on whether Second Young Master can afford it.”
“En, what Old Ji said is true,” The young man smiled lightly. “In that case, we need to find out this man’s wants. Heh, Purple Star’s Third Venerable… This is a force that cannot be underestimated. At this point, he must not be allowed to slip away from this Young Lord’s palm!”
As he spoke, he clenched his fist, as if to clench the entire world, his purple hair flying out behind him…
When Yang Kai and Hua You Meng returned to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, he could not help frowning as he narrowed his eyes towards the inside.
He discovered that there was an Origin King in the chamber of commerce, sitting in the backyard at this moment. Yang Kai did not know what this person was here for, only that the aura wasn’t familiar, so it definitely wasn’t Lu Tian Feng.
At that point in time, Gao Hong hurriedly came out from the chamber of commerce to greet them with an anxious look on her face.
“Sister Hong, what happened?” Hua You Meng looked at Gao Hong suspiciously.
Gao Hong glanced at Yang Kai and said softly, “Eighth Elder is waiting in the back… for Sir!”
“Eighth Elder?” Hua You Meng’s mind went dizzy as she almost fell over, her beautiful eyes glancing over at Yang Kai with a complicated look in them, feeling quite uneasy.
Since Yang Kai appeared in their Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, these great Sirs, who Hua You Meng only knew of before by reputation, were visiting her small shop one after another, causing her to feel like she was caught in some kind of strange, fantastical dream.
It was almost like the small Five Paths Chamber of Commerce had become a giant invisible vortex that was drawing in these powerful masters one by one.
What worried Hua You Meng was that any one of these Sirs could grind the chamber of commerce into dust with a single finger. Worse yet, it was actually Eighth Elder, the ancestor of Jiang Chao from before, who had come here. Could it be that the Eighth Elder’s sudden visit was related to what happened just now?
Hua You Meng panicked suddenly and could only turn to Yang Kai pleadingly, “Sir.”
Yang Kai just frowned slightly before saying, “I’ll go take a look.”
Although he had already expected to be embroiled in countless troubles once he took out the Venerable Token, he hadn’t expected trouble to find him so quickly.
Yang Kai had never met Purple Star’s Eighth Elder, but the latter was no doubt an Origin King Realm master. Yang Kai also did not know what purpose the other party had in coming here, but he was at least certain it had nothing to do with Jiang Chao; after all, the timing was too tight. This Eighth Elder could not possibly have taken action so quickly for such a minor matter.
It seemed this Eighth Elder had some other business with him.
In the backyard, a white-faced old man was waiting gloomily, an extremely impatient look on his face. It was none other than Purple Star’s Eighth Elder, Jiang Chang Feng. To the side, Xia Jing Wu, Yao Qing, Hai Tang, and several others were standing nervously, stiff smiles pasted on their faces as none of them dared to even breathe loudly.
How were they even supposed to handle a Sir of this status? Although many came and went in Purple Star City, the overwhelming majority were Origin Returning Realm masters or Saint Kings. In fact, before recently, none of them had even spoken to an Origin King before.
The encounter with Lu Tian Feng last night was the first time any of them had been close to such a master.
But today, an Elder with even higher status than Lu Tian Feng had appeared! What’s more, this Eighth Elder didn’t seem to be in a very good mood. An oppressive aura radiated from his body, causing Xia Jing Wu and the others’ blood to roil. It was only with some difficulty that all of them managed to suppress the rioting of their vitality, so they didn’t cough up blood.
“You call this tea?” Jiang Chang Feng impatiently took a sip from the teacup on the table before furiously throwing it onto the ground and shouting, “You’re quite bold! This Elder came here in person, yet you dare use such poor quality tea to entertain him? Could it be that you don’t put this Elder in your eyes?!”
Xia Jing Wu shivered with fright as he was forced to the ground by the other party’s coercion and tremblingly said, “Eighth Elder, please understand, that was not our intention. This Distant Mountain Fog Tea is the best our Five Paths Chamber of Commerce has to offer.”
“This is your best tea? It’s nothing but garbage!” Jiang Chang Feng coldly snorted, his expression extremely displeased.
Xia Jing Wu smiled bitterly just thinking of the other party’s strength and status. How could the tea their small chamber of commerce possibly compare to the tea this Eighth Elder drank on a day to day basis?
This Distant Mountain Fog Tea was a rare and expensive brew for Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, but it was directly rated as trash by Eighth Elder.
Hai Tang and Yao Qing looked at the tea splashed on the floor and distressed expressions flashed across their faces. They were quite reluctant to drink this tea themselves and reserved it only for entertaining honored guests.
“Sir, please calm yourself. If this tea does not suit Sir’s taste, shall this old man go out and buy some better tea?” Xia Jing Wu accompanied him carefully.
“Hmph, there’s no need,” Jiang Chang Feng said gloomily, “This Elder didn’t come here to drink tea. Where is the one I’m looking for? Why is he still not here?”
“This…” Xia Jing Wu turned his head and looked out the door, but not seeing any approaching figures, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead, “Reporting to Eighth Elder, that Sir went out with our President early in the morning and I don’t know where they went.”
“Then why aren’t you out looking for him?” Jiang Chang Feng was in an irritable mood and as he asked, he exerted an even stronger pressure onto Xia Jing Wu and the others and shouted, “I’ll give you a stick of incense worth of time, if you can’t find him by then…”
“You’ll do what?” Before Jiang Chang Feng’s words were finished, a different voice sounded from the chamber of commerce. As soon as this voice spoke, a person suddenly appeared from the building and quickly stood in front of Xia Jing Wu and the others, lifted his hand, and gently scattered the pressure weighing on them.
“Sir!” Xia Jing Wu and the others stared at Yang Kai’s back joyfully, “You’ve returned.”
Yao Qing and Hai Tang also looked at Yang Kai with grateful expressions. Although they were not familiar with Yang Kai, him appearing at this moment and helping them earned their gratitude.
As an Origin King himself, Yang Kai faced this Eighth Elder without any fear.
Yang Kai swept his eyes back and frowned when he saw Xia Jing Wu and the others’ condition, a trace of anger flashing across his face as he stretched out his hand to pull them up one by one before saying, “You can leave now.”
“Yes!” Xia Jing Wu and others did not raise any objections hearing these words and quickly ran out, panting heavily after they reached the interior of the shop, their faces pale.
In the backyard, Yang Kai turned his head to look at Jiang Chang Feng coldly before sneering, “Your Excellency certainly has an imposing air!”
Jiang Chang Feng frowned as he looked at Yang Kai, releasing his Divine Sense blatantly to probe him, seemingly wanting to spy on Yang Kai’s cultivation, but in the next moment, he realized that he could not see through the other party’s background.
Just when Jiang Chang Feng wanted to take his Divine Sense back, a look of amazement appeared on his face, because the other party’s body seemed to have turned into a whirlpool that drew in his Divine Sense continuously.
Jiang Chang Feng was shocked and desperately urged his Divine Sense to break free.
At that exact moment, the whirlpool that was holding his Divine Sense disappeared strangely.
Jiang Chang Feng couldn’t stop his actions in time, so his Divine Sense was drawn back forcefully, causing a powerful gust of wind while also rocking his Knowledge Sea.
With a muffled snort, Jiang Chang Feng stumbled back a few steps, his face turning pale as if he had suffered some small injuries.
There was a sneer at the corner of Yang Kai’s mouth as he looked at him mockingly.
This grin made Jiang Chang Feng a little bit embarrassed as he realized he had kicked an iron plate. More-so irritated though, he shot back, “Friend, what is your intention here?”
“What do you think my intention is?” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Seeing Yang Kai not give him any face, Jiang Chang Feng glared but didn’t dare try to test him again; after all, he had wanted to use his Divine Sense to probe Yang Kai’s depths but how could he have known this young man would have such strange methods, causing him to suffer a small loss?
Taking a deep breath to calm his roiling vitality, Jiang Chang Feng suppressed his anger and said, “Is this friend my Purple Star’s Third Venerable?”
Yang Kai looked at him lightly and did not even respond, instead walking over to the table, picking up the pot of Distant Mountain Fog Tea, pouring himself a cup, then taking a sip before putting on a look of ecstasy and praising, “Good tea, good tea!”
Jiang Chang Feng’s old face was incredibly cold and gloomy as he knew this young man was doing this deliberately because of what happened just now. His annoyance at not being given any face began irritating him again. Regardless of anything else, he too was an Origin King; when had he ever been so despised? Unable to contain himself any longer, Jiang Chang Feng coldly snorted before proceeding, “This old master is Purple Star’s Eighth Elder, Jiang Chang Feng. Dare I ask if this friend is my Purple Star’s Third Venerable?”
Yang Kai picked his ear indifferently before sitting down and glancing back at Jiang Chang Feng frivolously, “Old Thing, in front of whom are you calling yourself ‘old master’? Who exactly are you calling your friend?”
“You…” Jiang Chang Feng was furious, trembling with anger.
Yang Kai just coldly snorted though, “You know that this King is a Purple Star Venerable, yet you still dare to show such disrespect? Have you lived all these years in vain?”
Since he knew that the one he was dealing with was Jiang Chang Feng, Yang Kai didn’t even make an effort to be civil. If the upper beam was crooked, the lower beam would be too. Yang Kai had just witnessed Jiang Chao’s disgraceful behaviour, so he was certain Jiang Chang Feng was also another waste.
Seeing Xia Jing Wu and others being persecuted by Jiang Chang Feng so ruthlessly without cause, Yang Kai only felt more annoyed.
What everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce experienced was essentially Yang Kai’s fault, so he was going to get some justice for them and did not display a courteous attitude.
Those who held a Purple Star Order were Purple Star Venerables, a position that was not below the top three Elders of Purple Star in terms of rank and privilege. Jiang Chang Feng was only the eighth-ranked Elder, so it stood to reason that when he saw Yang Kai, he should assume the stance of a subordinate. Yang Kai took full advantage of these rules, making Jiang Chang Feng helpless even if he was enraged.
As such, when Yang Kai’s words were uttered, Jiang Chang Feng could only endure.
Taking a deep breath to calm his anger again, Jiang Chang Feng narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “Just because Your Excellency says he is a Venerable, he is? Only those who hold a Venerable Token personally granted by the Sect Master can become one of my Purple Star’s Venerables. So far, Sect Master has only granted such tokens to two people, and as far as this old master knows, Your Excellency is not one of them!”
Yang Kai glanced at him faintly before taking out the Purple Star Order and tossing it over while snapping in an arrogant tone, “See with your own dog eyes if this Venerable Token is real or fake.”
Jiang Chang Feng hurriedly caught the Venerable Token and began carefully inspecting it. After he finished though, a look of confusion appeared on his face as he muttered, “This Venerable Token is real, but… why have my Purple Star’s Elders never been informed about the appearance of a third Venerable? When did Sect Master give Your Excellency this Venerable Token?”
“Is that any of your business?” Yang Kai sneered, “Or what? Does Eighth Elder believe your Sect Master needs to report his actions to you?”
Jiang Chang Feng’s face changed drastically as he said in a flurry, “Naturally not! This Jiang has no right to question how Sect Master acts.”
“Since you have no right to question then keep your mouth shut.”
Jiang Chang Feng’s expression fluctuated several times, but he eventually managed to choke down his anger before holding the Venerable Token in both hands and walking over to Yang Kai, “This Venerable Token is indeed authentic, so it is a certainty that Your Excellency is my Purple Star’s Third Venerable. This Elder had previously offended Third Venerable and asks to be forgiven!”
Yang Kai glanced at him sideways before continuing to drink his tea. A moment later, he clearly enunciated, “Do you think this King wanted to be a Venerable of your Purple Star? If it were not for Zi Long’s persistent pleading, this King would never have accepted this Venerable Token. What a farce!”
Jiang Chang Feng’s jaw dropped wide in astonishment as he stared at Yang Kai in shock. He did not know if these words were mere bluster or the truth; after all, the facts couldn’t be verified by anyone.
However, regardless of the case, holding onto the Venerable Token was inappropriate so seeing Yang Kai make no effort to take it back, Jiang Chang Feng could only respectfully place it onto the table before backing away.
“Eighth Elder appearing here is not just to verify the identity of this King, is it?” Yang Kai spat out a tea leaf as he looked at him indifferently.
Jiang Chang Feng’s heart clenched as he suddenly remembered he had an actual purpose in appearing here and quickly said, “Please understand, Venerable. This Jiang came here on orders from the Great Elder.”
“Great Elder?” Yang Kai’s brow rose.
“Indeed, Great Elder was very pleased to hear that my Purple Star had received another Venerable, so he instructed this Jiang to come here especially to invite Venerable to the Inner City to chat.”
“Not interested!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully.
“Huh?” Jiang Chang Feng looked at Yang Kai in amazement with a stunned expression.
“You can’t understand simple words? I said I am not interested. You can go.”
Jiang Chang Feng suddenly burst out into cold sweat as he hastily said, “Venerable, this Jiang is here to invite you on behalf of the Great Elder!”
“I heard it, so what?”
[So what?] Suddenly Jiang Chang Feng found out all the humiliation he just endured was not unjust. This enigmatic Venerable did not even give face to Purple Star’s Great Elder, so how could he care about a mere Eighth Elder?
Suddenly, Jiang Chang Feng felt less stifled in his heart.
However, having received orders to come here, Jiang Chang Feng could not just go back like this, so he frowned and said to Yang Kai solemnly, “Venerable, Sect Master is not currently here to assume command of Purple Star City, so all of Purple Star’s affairs are being managed by Great Elder. Isn’t Venerable refusing this invitation a bit inappropriate?”
“Inappropriate how?” Yang Kai looked at Jiang Chang Feng with a smile.
“That is…” Jiang Chang Feng could only think that Yang Kai was intentionally acting dense. How could not giving Great Elder face possibly be appropriate?
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “This King is Purple Star’s Venerable, not some Purple Star lackey. Even if Zi Long wants to see me, he has to visit me personally. If he has some request for me, he must first discuss it with this King and receive this King’s agreement. Go back and tell Gong Sun Liang that if he wants to see this King, he can come here himself! This King doesn’t have so much leisure time to listen to his nonsense!”
The Gong Sun Liang Yang Kai mentioned was none other than Purple Star’s Great Elder! A powerful Second-Order Origin King.
Jiang Chang Feng’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he finally realized just how arrogant and domineering this new Venerable was, and while somewhat disturbed in his heart, he also could not help laughing wryly to himself.
“Get out!” Yang Kai saw Jiang Chang Feng still lingering and shouted impatiently. Mixed in with Yang Kai’s shout was the power of his Divine Sense, which caused Jiang Chang Feng to tremble and a look of horror to fill his face. Hastily, he nodded, “Since that is the case, this Jiang will take his leave. Please excuse me, Venerable!”
Saying so, he tried to quickly depart.
“Wait!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted again.
Jiang Chang Feng was shocked, turned around to Yang Kai in confusion, and asked, “What else does Venerable have to say?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and said in a cold tone, “Since today is our first meeting, and this is your first offence, just leave some Saint Crystals as compensation. When you go back, bring a message to Gong Sun Liang: If any blind fool comes here to trouble Five Paths Chamber of Commerce and frighten this Venerable’s friends, the matter won’t be resolved with just some Saint Crystals. This King will go to the Inner City in person and have a good chat with him.”
When he spoke the word ‘chat’, Yang Kai put a heavy emphasis on it while wearing a fierce grin.
Jiang Chang Feng was stunned for a moment before he seemed to understand what Yang Kai meant and a strange expression appeared on his face, “Venerable is asking this Jiang to leave Saint Crystals here to compensate those people?”
“After wounding others in their own home, you want to just leave?” Yang Kai looked at him sarcastically, “It’s fine if you don’t want to leave any Saint Crystals. Where there is grievance, there is revenge. This King will simply make a move, as long as you withstand it, you can go!”
Jiang Chang Feng was taken aback by this. Although he had not been in contact with Yang Kai for long, he understood that the other party was strong enough to back up his arrogant behaviour. With his First-Order Origin King cultivation, he would never be able to compete. Taking a single move from Yang Kai couldn’t kill him but being injured was certain.
After weighing his options in this situation, Jiang Chang Feng did not hesitate to take out some Saint Crystals from his Space Ring before angrily spitting, “As per Venerable’s command, this Jiang would not dare disobey. This Jiang will be certain to convey Venerable’s words to Great Elder precisely!”
“That would be best!” Yang Kai smiled wickedly, as if he didn’t even fear the Heavens.
Jiang Chang Feng snorted coldly before turning around and walking away.
After Jiang Chang Feng left, Yang Kai frowned imperceptibly and began to think.
He suddenly felt that there were some swirling currents under the calm appearance of Purple Star City.
When he went out with Hua You Meng today, he encountered a conflict between the people from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and Purple Star, then someone secretly showed favour to him as they were returning back where he then found Jiang Chang Feng waiting for him.
There were indications that Purple Star City was about to undergo some great change and experience a period of unrest.
“Sir…” Hua You Meng walked in, and after seeing Yang Kai sink into deep thought for a while without saying a word, she could not help calling out worriedly.
“What’s the matter?” Yang Kai looked up at her.
“These Saint Crystals…” Hua You Meng pointed at the Saint Crystals which had been scattered all over the floor. Although she did not have an exact count, she was certain there were at least 300,000 piled up, a dazzling sight to behold.
“Oh, these are the compensation given by Jiang Chang Feng to Uncle Xia and the others. Have them share them amongst themselves,” Yang Kai explained with a smile.
“Compensation… compensation?” Hua You Meng’s expression was dazed and surprised.
“Yeah, just now, Elder Jiang’s anger frightened Uncle Xia and the others quite a bit. Elder Jiang felt sorry for his rash actions and left some Saint Crystals to comfort them.”
Hua You Meng showed an expression somewhere between laughing and crying hearing this. With her shrewdness, how could she not know Yang Kai had extorted this compensation for Uncle Xia? As Purple Star’s Eighth Elder, Jiang Chang Feng was aloft and arrogant, not caring at all about the life or death of ordinary cultivators and he certainly wouldn’t take the initiative to compensate one unless someone forced him to do so.
Understanding this, Hua You Meng nodded gratefully to Yang Kai and said, “Many thanks, Sir.”
“By the way, can I trouble you to do something for me, President Hua?”
“Sir only needs to issue an order and Five Paths Chamber of Commerce will do everything in its power to carry it out. Also… Sir does not need to call this Mistress ‘President’ anymore, it’s not a title this Mistress can afford before Sir. Sir should just… address this Mistress by her… name,” As she spoke, Hua You Meng blushed and lowered her head.
Yang Kai lightly coughed and said, “Ah, en, I want you to investigate if there have been any signs of unrest or trouble in Purple Star City recently. Your chamber of commerce has operated in Purple Star City for a few decades now so surely you have some sources of information.”
“Signs of trouble?” Hua You Meng frowned but did not ask too much, immediately replying in a serious tone, “Sir may rest assured, this Mistress will go all out!”
Late at night, the moon was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds.
In Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s backyard guest house, Yang Kai, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes, formed a seal with his hands, pushed his Space Force and disappeared.
A moment later, near the Inner City, Yang Kai appeared in the darkness.
It had been two days since he came to Purple Star City, and although he had been delayed because of the issues with Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, he had never forgotten his original purpose. So tonight, he was going to try to sneak into Purple Star Palace to steal the Star Emperor Token.
If he managed to succeed, he would immediately leave. The undercurrents and upheaval in Purple Star City had nothing to do with him.
As for the people from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, he would carry them off with him at worst. Yang Kai was not planning on abandoning them to take the blame for him.
Purple Star City was divided into Inner and Outer Cities. The Outer City could be entered by any cultivator as long as they paid a certain amount of Saint Crystals, but the Inner City was open only to cultivators belonging to Purple Star. Of course, the Inner City of Purple Star City was the most prosperous and World-Energy-rich area.
Many of Purple Star’s Elders, Protectors, Deacons, and other various high-level officials lived in the Inner City, occupying good pieces of land and enjoying endless cultivation resources.
In the Inner City, there was a guard every three steps and a watchtower every five steps. The defence was extremely strict.
Nevertheless, these defences were practically useless in front of a powerful cultivator like Yang Kai. He did not even need to deliberately use his Space Force to conceal himself; simply wrapping himself in his Divine Sense was enough for him to break into the Inner City. Even if he passed close to a guard, they would not notice his presence.
The average cultivation in the Inner City was much higher than that in the Outer City, and as Yang Kai infiltrated, he was secretly shocked to discover more than one Origin King aura. Each of these Origin Kings was like a dormant lion, entrenched in their own territory. Any signs of trouble would be enough to disturb these masters.
Fortunately, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was extremely powerful, so he was able to avoid all dangers in advance while concealing himself perfectly.
Walking in the dark, his footsteps were neither fast nor slow, his body not releasing any discernible fluctuations. Quickly, Yang Kai approached a huge palace compound at the centre of the Inner City.
Purple Star Palace!
This was a symbol of Purple Star’s power, a sacred place revered by the billions of cultivators who lived under Purple Star’s rule.
The entire palace complex was built of a type of purple jade, giving it an extreme magnificence. From a distance, Purple Star Palace was like a purple torch flame that stretched up into the sky, almost as if the sun would rise from it in the next moment to illuminate the world.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense slightly to observe the movement inside Purple Star Palace while muttering to himself, “Five, six, ten, twelve… good, here.”
Moving along a certain path, Yang Kai quickly came to a certain location where the defensive barrier was weaker. Smiling with satisfaction, his body flickered as he directly entered.
Zi Dong’s knowledge was indispensable to him being able to enter Purple Star Palace so smoothly.
Although Purple Star Palace was enormous, it still had a powerful barrier arranged outside it that was impossible to pass through without a special token. Once anyone tried to force their way in, the barrier would react and alert everyone inside; however, things were different with guidance from Zi Dong. He was Purple Star’s Young Master and had lived in the Purple Star Palace all year round, so he knew the weakness of this barrier very well.
As the saying went, a thief in the family is the hardest to ward against.
Although there were not many barriers or defensive arrays inside Purple Star Palace, each one was extremely powerful and extremely well hidden. Yang Kai’s goal this time was stealth, so he did not want to expose his position. This was where Zi Dong came in handy.
Before coming here, Yang Kai had asked Zi Dong about the situation inside Purple Star Palace. Zi Dong did not dare to hide anything, explaining everything he knew about Purple Star Palace’s defensive arrangements. This knowledge, of course, was not comprehensive as Zi Dong, Purple Star’s Young Master, wasn’t responsible for such things.
Fortunately, this information was enough, and Yang Kai felt that, there would not be any problems as long as his luck wasn’t too bad.
While observing the surrounding environment and avoiding various barriers and traps, Yang Kai quietly approached a palace in the centre of Purple Star Palace.
This was where Purple Star’s Vault was located, and it was also the palace with the strongest defences. However, it was still easy to reach this place for Yang Kai because Zi Dong knew the situation here well. Yang Kai also had the key to open the vault.
As long as he could get close to that palace, his chances of success were high!
Time passed slowly as Yang Kai moved closer and closer to the palace.
With only a third of the distance left to his destination from where he entered, Yang Kai, who was still walking stealthily, suddenly came to a halt as his face sank. At that moment, he felt he had touched some kind of barrier, which sent out energy fluctuations to the surroundings.
[Shit!] Yang Kai’s face turned green as he never expected that the barrier arrangements in Purple Star City would be so well concealed that even his Divine Sense could not find them all.
In the next moment, Yang Kai felt two powerful Divine Senses sweeping towards him.
Both of these Divine Senses could only have belonged to Origin Kings, so someone had obviously noticed the movement here.
Despite Yang Kai being a powerful master himself, he could not help feeling a cold sweat at this moment. Though he was proficient in the Dao of Space and was a Second-Order Origin King, this place was still the centre of another’s territory, with countless masters present. Neither the conditions nor the terrain were to Yang Kai’s advantage. If he were really to become entangled here, it was difficult to say whether he could escape.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai’s fled quickly.
But at that moment, a powerful Domain pressed down out of thin air, one that seemed capable of sealing off this space, making it impossible for Yang Kai to leave immediately.
“What rat dares run wild in my Purple Star Palace!?” An angry shout came from afar, shaking all the cultivators in Purple Star Palace before a massive vortex suddenly appeared above Yang Kai’s head. From that vortex, a giant palm that seemed to cover the Heavens and Earth manifested and pressed downward.
“Second-Order Origin King!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and immediately judged the true level of the person who was attacking him.
This opponent wasn’t actually present but was instead attacking from afar. Such ability was not something a First-Order Origin King could possess, only a master who had reached the Second-Order many years ago could have such means.
The palm formed from the concentration of energy pressed down while a seemingly irresistible suction force came from it, trying to draw Yang Kai into it and not let him break free.
This was definitely a powerful Secret Technique, and if Yang Kai had only been a First-Order Origin King, he may not have been able to easily block it, but now that he was a Second-Order master, equivalent to the cultivation of his attacker, Yang Kai naturally didn’t have anything to fear.
Instead of resisting, Yang Kai straightened his body and rushed towards the giant palm.
Midair, Yang Kai stretched out his hand to eject several dozen Golden Blood Threads, which released a blinding golden radiance that shot forward with Yang Kai following closely behind.
*Hong…*
With a loud explosion, the world shook.
The golden radiance penetrated the giant palm, causing it to shatter and disperse. At the same time, the force which was sealing the surrounding space collapsed.
Yang Kai immediately tore space and disappeared.
In the next moment, three figures arrived at the scene of the incident, one after another. The first to arrive was an old man with a beard that hung down to his chest, grey hair, and a cold, gloomy face. Scanning the surrounding area though, a clear look of shock flashed across his eyes.
Soon after, a man and a woman appeared, but before they were able to figure out what was happening, they saw the old man standing mid-air and immediately wore respectful looks, cupped their fists together, and shouted, “Great Elder!”
This old man was none other than Purple Star’s Great Elder, Gong Sun Liang!
A Second-Order Origin King and one the strongest masters in the Star Field, one whose prestige was not inferior to that of Purple Star’s Sect Master Zi Long.
“Great Elder, what…” The female Origin King asked hesitantly.
“Someone trespassed into the Purple Star Palace!” Gong Sun Liang shouted with a gloomy face.
“What?” The other male Origin King’s complexion changed, “Who would dare be so presumptuous?”
“I don’t know!” Gong Sun Liang shook his head and narrowed his eyes, “Whoever it was, he was strong, able to break through this old master’s Extinguishing Void Palm, a feat no ordinary person could achieve.”
The two Origin Kings exchanged a glance and both saw the shock on each other’s face.
They had been far away just now, so although they had noticed the energy fluctuations here, they had not seen exactly what happened and did not know that someone had actually exchanged blows with the Great Elder and even broke his Extinguishing Void Palm until now.
The female Origin King hesitated before asking, “Doesn’t that mean that the other party was a Second-Order Origin King?”
As soon as she said this, she herself was shocked. If a Second-Order Origin King really wanted to cause trouble in the Purple Star Palace, it would be a disaster. Besides the Great Elder, everyone else was just a First-Order.
There was a world of difference between the First Order and Second Order!
“Whether he was a Second-Order or not is something this old master cannot determine, the opponent took action rapidly before disappearing, and their speed of escape is…” Gong Sun Liang’s brow furrowed deeply, unable to understand how this mysterious intruder had just vanished in the blink of an eye. Even when he pushed his Divine Sense to its limits, Gong Sun Liang was unable to notice any of the other party’s aura.
It was almost like the scene just now was a play he had put on himself.
While these three had been speaking, more masters who were alarmed had rushed over.
Even Zi Wu Ji had flown over together with Ji Jun.
“Second Young Master!” Everyone saluted Zi Wu Ji. Although everyone knew that Zi Dong would be the next Sect Master of Purple Star, Zi Wu Ji was still Zi Long’s son after all, so they could not simply disregard him.
Only Gong Sun Liang stood firm without offering any form of greeting.
“Wu Ji greets Great Elder!” Instead, Zi Wu Ji needed to salute Gong Sun Liang.
This all stemmed from the fact that he was not Purple Star’s Young Master; if it had been Zi Dong here, the situation would be different.
Gong Sun Liang did not utter any words, simply nodding lightly with an indifferent expression.
Seeing this behaviour, Zi Wu Ji’s eyes flashed a cold light before he wore a light smile and asked, “Great Elder, what’s going on here? How come this Wu Ji sensed someone fighting?”
But Gong Sun Liang turned a deaf ear to him, as if he had not heard Zi Wu Ji’s question, not even bothering to acknowledge it.
Everyone’s expressions fluctuated when seeing this, and the atmosphere quickly became tense.
Since there are people asking why there is a next chapter Patreon link, it is cause there were people who asked where they can read ahead.
Also, this has been done for all novels on this site when I was still doing it manually (for MP, it was around chapter 15xx). Just that Martial Peak stretched from Monday to Sunday, meaning that you don’t see it since I schedule that chapters on Sunday. (For other novels that end on Friday, you can technically see the Patreon link on Saturday, which will be updated to link to the chapter on Sunday.)
Now that it is automated, and I no longer manually set the links on each chapter, I just set it to how it was suppose to be.
Well, I guess most of the readers don’t know this since they don’t read the other novels on this site. But for those that do, this should not be that much of a surprise.
Anyways, I won’t address this anymore even if some don’t read this footer note.
Though, I want to address an issue, which is that the Patreon link is still there even though the latest chapter is already out. This is more of a caching issue on the CDN. We messed around with the code some more and it should be fixed now. If you see Next Chapter (Patreon), that means you are getting the updated template of the chapter. If it is still an issue, for now, you can just go to the index or the homepage to get to the new chapter.
There another method, such as entering the number of the browser and tab, it would auto-fill. Not sure if it works for you. I use Vivaldi so yeah.
Although everyone knew that the Second Young Master and Great Elder were incompatible, they had always maintained a public sense of decorum up until now. Unfortunately, the relationship between the two parties seemed to have become more and more volatile over the past year.
The reason was simple: The Great Elder was Young Master Zi Dong’s grandfather, and his daughter, Gong Sun Yu, was Zi Dong’s biological mother. With this kind of relationship, Gong Sun Liang spared no effort to support Zi Dong, waiting for him to become the Sect Master of Purple Star.
Zi Wu Ji’s mother, on the other hand, was just a woman from a small family on Purple Star; as such, how could he compare with Zi Dong?
Gong Sun Liang had always looked down on Zi Wu Ji.
Roughly two years ago, Zi Long and Zi Dong had left Purple Star together and had yet to return. So, those with power on Purple Star had begun struggling for power and profit.
Especially over the past year, Zi Wu Ji had secretly moved to win over many masters. Gong Sun Liang had also begun to amass support, and the conflict between the two parties had become almost impossible to hide.
The actions of these two sides had caused many of Purple Star’s masters to split into three distinct factions. One of these factions supported Zi Wu Ji while another faction was headed by Gong Sun Liang, both taking advantage of Purple Star’s Sect Master and Young Master’s absence to further their own agendas. The rest were cultivators who were waiting for Zi Long’s return without joining either side.
Since the two were secret opponents, Gong Sun Liang certainly would not be willing to talk to Zi Wu Ji.
Zi Wu Ji frowned as some displeasure appeared on his face; after all, he was still Purple Star’s Second Young Master. Gong Sun Liang not giving him any face in front of so many masters was a difficult insult to swallow.
“Gong Sun Liang, how dare you act so dissolute!” Ji Jun, who had been standing behind Zi Wu Ji, suddenly shouted, “Second Young Master asked you a question, why have you not answered?”
Gong Sun Liang’s eyes flashed as he looked down at Ji Jun coldly, snorting as he said, “Who are you accusing of acting dissolute? This old master is Purple Star’s Great Elder. With Sect Master not here, all decisions fall to this old master. What thing are you to dare yell at this old master?”
Ji Jun smiled coldly, “Gong Sun Liang, don’t think that others don’t know what you are thinking. With the tiger not home, the monkey acts like a king. When Sect Master returns, we’ll see how arrogant you can be.”
“Who did you just call a monkey?” When had Gong Sun Liang ever been so insulted? He could not help angrily glaring at Ji Jun.
“You know it in your heart,” Ji Jun sneered again.
“You court death!” Gong Sun Liang was furious and the Saint Qi in his body surged fiercely, seemingly on the verge of attacking Ji Jun.
Everyone’s face changed drastically.
“Great Elder, please restrain your anger!” Zi Wu Ji suddenly stood forward and blocked Ji Jun, hurriedly cupping his fists and saying lightly, “Old Ji has always been blunt with his thoughts, if he has offended you, this Wu Ji will apologise on his behalf and hope that Great Elder will not take it to heart.”
“Hmph,” Gong Sun Liang coldly snorted in a noncommittal manner.
Zi Wu Ji simply chuckled in response, “This is not the time for infighting. Right now, what’s most important is to figure out who it was that broke into Purple Star Palace. I do not know what this person’s objective is, but if they have malicious intentions, the situation is worrying. What does Great Elder think?”
Gong Sun Liang also recognised that this was not the time to fight with the other party. The sudden intrusion of a Second-Order Origin King to Purple Star Palace had simply agitated him a bit too much. As such, he quickly held his tongue.
Zi Wu Ji continued, “With my father not here and my eldest brother out accompanying him, Purple Star Palace currently has no leader. Although this Wu Ji is willing to offer his assistance, he is somewhat powerless to help. Since Great Elder is in charge of all matters in the palace, I will have to entrust Great Elder to find out who this intruder is and what his purpose is. I hope Great Elder can find this villain and tear his corpse into ten thousand pieces to serve as a warning. Otherwise, what face would our Purple Star have?!”
Gong Sun Liang frowned and quickly spat, “There is no need for the Second Young Master to say anything more, this old master will handle the matter appropriately. Second Young Master should withdraw.”
“En, Wu Ji will take his leave!” Zi Wu Ji nodded and smiled before leaving calmly with Ji Jun.
After he left, Gong Sun Liang shouted, “Spread out and search the palace, don’t let off even the slightest clue! That person could not have gone far and must be using some kind of Secret Technique to conceal their aura. If you find them, don’t engage, notify this old master and he will arrive as quickly as possible!”
“Yes!” Everyone agreed and dispersed.
For a time, Purple Star Palace was abuzz with activity with masters combing every path and flying across the sky. Powerful Divine Senses continuously swept every corner of the grounds as they continued an exhaustive search…
“Second Young Master, why must you show such tolerance to that old fart?” Ji Jun asked in a disgruntled tone on the way back.
A sneer appeared on Zi Wu Ji’s face as he snorted lightly, “It’s not time to tear face with him yet. Let that old thing act arrogant for a while more.”
Ji Jun frowned, but having received such an answer, he didn’t refute.
“However… the thief who suddenly appeared this time has helped me greatly,” Zi Wu Ji smiled lightly. “No matter who this person is, this Young Lord must offer his sincere thanks.”
Ji Jun frowned and thought about it for a moment before asking, “Second Young Master means that this intruder helped you distract that old fart?”
“That is part of it,” Zi Wu Ji smiled slightly, “The person who appeared is clearly very strong, capable of casually exchanging blows with Gong Sun Liang before freely leaving. He must also be a Second-Order Master and Gong Sun Liang finding him will not be easy. Old Ji, think about it, if that old thing can’t find this person, what face will he have left?”
“Indeed!” Ji Jun’s eyes flashed with joy, “If he can’t find that person, that old fart will be disgraced. Hahaha, no wonder Second Young Master was so eager to withdraw just now, so it was for this reason!”
“Why else do you think this Young Lord would act so cooperative? Although this matter is somewhat troublesome, it can also be a good opportunity to accumulate prestige if handled properly,” Zi Wu Ji stroked his chin lightly. “But… who would dare to break into my Purple Star Palace? Among the Star Field, Second-Order Origin Kings are a rarity, and each of them is a well-known master. None of them would need to act so sneakily.”
For some reason, when Zi Wu Ji said this, Yang Kai’s image suddenly flashed across his mind.
Yang Kai was Purple Star’s Third Venerable and only recently appeared in Purple Star City. Tonight, Purple Star Palace was broken into, so Zi Wu Ji naturally thought of Yang Kai.
“Could it be him?” Zi Wu Ji couldn’t be sure, but a thick suspicion appeared between his brow that he could not dismiss.
In a certain courtyard inside Purple Star Palace, Yang Kai was concealing himself while silently observing the masters of Purple Star Palace search for him.
He had made this trip in vain now that he had been noticed, and to make matters worse, he could not leave freely at the moment. With so many masters’ Divine Senses probing around, he would definitely be noticed if he made too much movement.
As such, he could only endure and wait for an opportunity to present itself.
Time passed slowly, but Yang Kai was not in a hurry. The coming and going masters in the sky passed by not far away, but not one of them ever noticed him.
Suddenly, a familiar figure fell not far away, took a look around, then walked straight towards a certain pavilion.
In front of this pavilion were several Origin Realm masters standing guard. After seeing this visitor though, all of them saluted, “Subordinate greets Seventh Elder!”
“En,” This Seventh Elder gently nodded and asked, “Nothing has happened inside, right?”
“Reporting to Seventh Elder, there has been nothing unusual,” The lead Origin Realm guard replied respectfully before asking suspiciously, “Seventh Elder, what happened just now? Why did this subordinate sense someone was fighting?”
“Someone trespassed into Purple Star Palace. Great Elder was concerned they might have come for the people inside, so he asked me to come and have a look. Open the barrier.”
“Yes,” The several Origin Returning Realm masters heard this and without hesitation took out a kind of stone tablet like artifact from their Space Rings and poured their Saint Qi into them. The next moment, a layer of ripples appeared around the pavilion as a barrier opened.
Seventh Elder then walked straight inside. A short while later, an angry series of curses rang out from inside.
However, these curses quickly turned into miserable cries, as if whoever was shouting was being beaten by this Seventh Elder.
Seventh Elder walked out a moment later with a hint of irritation on his face, coldly snorted, and said, “Overconfident fool, daring to act against this old master. If you did not have some use left, I would have taken all your lives! Watch these people well, if any of them manages to escape, it will be all of your heads!”
The Origin Realm guards all wore terrified expressions as they hurriedly nodded in acknowledgement.
Seventh Elder then flew off into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
After the Seventh Elder left, the several Origin Realm masters looked at each other with solemn expressions, preparing to activate the barrier again.
In his hiding spot, Yang Kai wore a strange expression as he stared towards the pavilion with a suspicious look on his face.
From the voices that were angrily cursing just now, he seemed to have heard one that was familiar to him!
This was a completely unexpected development.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai made up his mind, and before the barrier was raised again, his figure flickered and rushed directly into the pavilion.
The Origin Realm masters who were opening the barrier frowned as at that moment they all felt a slight sense of unease, but that feeling disappeared in the next instant, leaving them all at a loss.
However, none of them discovered anything wrong, so they did not pay this incident any mind and simply activated the barrier again.
Inside the pavilion, Yang Kai revealed himself leisurely.
Before he could see the scene inside the room clearly, two figures suddenly rushed up and tried to attack him.
Yang Kai’s face sank and his Domain burst forth, completely solidifying the surrounding space. Under his delicate control, the Domain field he formed was extremely small, only covering the interior of the pavilion, without touching any of the barriers outside.
“Shhh…” Yang Kai quickly stretched out his finger and gestured.
Only then did he see the situation inside the house clearly.
There were a total of five people inside, all of whom were Origin Realm cultivators, the strongest of which was a Third-Order. Four of these people were complete strangers to Yang Kai, but one young man was actually familiar to him.
At this moment, the young man was held mid-air by Yang Kai’s Domain and had a suspicious expression on his face as he stared at Yang Kai fiercely, but in the next moment, his eyes bulged and he pointed towards Yang Kai as he haltingly called out, “You…”
Yang Kai grinned, “Brother Shen Tu, the world is really too small. I trust you’ve been well since we last met?”
The young man in the house turned out to be Shen Tu, the son of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President Ai Ou and Xue Yue’s Second Brother!
When Yang Kai was first trapped on the floating continent, Shen Tu was among the others with him. Both of them had low strength at the time, only Saints with Shen Tu’s cultivation being slightly higher at the Third-Order.
The two had cooperated with each other on the floating continent and also formed a friendship.
Later, after escaping from the floating continent, Yang Kai followed Shen Tu to the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce: Water Moon Star. Since then, several dozen years had passed.
Yang Kai never expected to meet Shen Tu on Purple Star, so this sudden reunion came as quite a surprise.
Shen Tu also looked at Yang Kai as if he could not believe what he was seeing. Only after Yang Kai took the initiative to say hello did Shen Tun rub his eyes vigorously and ask, “Yang Kai?”
“It is this Yang!” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Why are you here?” Shen Tu frowned and asked in amazement.
“That’s a long story… Brother Shen Tu, can you let these… en, can you calm them down?” Yang Kai looked at the other four cultivators who were glaring at him sternly.
Shen Tu gently nodded and called out, “All of you stop, Brother Yang… he’s an old acquaintance of mine!”
The four Origin Returning Realm masters looked at each other and withdrew their Saint Qi one after another. Yang Kai saw that they were no longer aggressive and withdrew the Domain.
In an instant, everyone in the pavilion regained their freedom.
“You’ve actually reached the Origin King Realm?” Shen Tu was shocked by Yang Kai’s sudden appearance just now and only now realized his true cultivation, his face filling with disbelief.
His cultivation had been slightly higher than Yang Kai’s back then, but after a few dozen years, he had only reached the First-Order Origin Returning Realm while the Yang Kai had arrived at the Origin King Realm. Comparing the two sides, it was only natural for Shen Tu to be shocked.
One had to know that breaking through from the Origin Returning Realm to the Origin King Realm was no simple feat. Throughout the ages, how many promising talents had become stuck at this juncture, unable to make progress for a lifetime?
Every cultivator that was able to break through to the Origin King Realm was not just talented, they also needed great luck and opportunity.
“I was just lucky,” Yang Kai chuckled lightly.
Shen Tu shook his head slowly. As the son of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President, his vision and experience were naturally extraordinary, so how could he believe Yang Kai was simply ‘lucky’. Obviously, Yang Kai was just acting humble. However, this was not a good opportunity to discuss this matter. Frowning slightly, Shen Tu looked at Yang Kai with a solemn expression in silence for a while before asking in a solemn voice, “Brother Yang, I have to ask… you suddenly appearing here, are we… friends or enemies?”
“Friends… not enemies!” Yang Kai said sincerely.
Shen Tu looked overjoyed and could not help but laugh, actually walking forward and giving Yang Kai a bear hug, patting him on the back vigorously as he said, “Brother Yang, it’s been several dozen years! I’ve missed you!”
He was so enthusiastic that Yang Kai actually felt a bit embarrassed.
Shen Tu then said, “Back then, I learned that something happened to you after you took that Starship to leave Water Moon Star. Almost all the cultivators on that ship perished, and there has been no news from you since then, making this Shen Tu feel quite guilty!”
“That had nothing to do with you, it was just bad luck,” Yang Kai felt his sincerity and his heart warmed.
When he left Water Moon Star that year, he had chosen a Starship at will. No one thought that Xue Yue would also take that same Starship, becoming targeted and destroyed as a result.
When they reached a certain Asteroid Sea, they were bombarded by a special type of explosive artifact that killed everyone else aboard except for Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
It was also on that occasion that Yang Kai accidentally discovered that Xue Yue was a woman, leading to many subsequent matters.
After a while, Shen Tu let go of Yang Kai and said with emotion, “For so many years, I have been inquiring about you. Third Brother seemed to know something, but he would not say anything no matter how I asked. In fact, he would beat me severely each time!”
Shen Tu gritted his teeth in frustration, “That bastard, he’s so disrespectful! If it wasn’t for my strength being inferior, I’d have already taught him a lesson.”
Yang Kai’s face twitched slightly when he heard this. At that time, Xue Yue had lost all face in front of him, and was even taken advantage of; Shen Tu asking about that incident was nothing short of asking for a beating.
“Everything is alright now, I’ve finally seen you alive and well again,” Shen Tu exhaled heavily, as if he was breathing out all the anxiety that had been weighing his heart down for the past few decades, feeling much more relieved.
“I’ve been fine, sorry for worrying Brother Shen Tu.”
“Second Young Master, this is…” One of the Origin Returning Realm masters who had been watching patiently until now finally couldn’t help but ask.
Shen Tu laughed heartily and introduced, “This is Brother Yang Kai, he is a life and death friend with this Young Master. Come here quickly, greet Brother Yang!”
When these four heard this, they didn’t dare to neglect, quickly stepping forward and cupping their fists, “Greetings, Senior Yang!”
Yang Kai was an Origin King Realm, as well as a brother to Shen Tu, so they could not show any disrespect.
Shen Tu touched his chin and pondered for a moment before asking, “Yes, Brother Yang is now an Origin King, so should I call you Senior too?”
“Brother Shen Tu must be joking!” Yang Kai waved his hand, “However, I’m quite curious. Why are you here… and seemingly under arrest?”
Listening to what Yang Kai said, Shen Tu was immediately filled with outrage and cursed, “Damn it! This Young Master also doesn’t know what’s going on. This time, I received an order from the chamber of commerce to deliver a batch of materials ordered by Purple Star, but how was I supposed to know that I would be captured as soon as I entered Purple Star City? I still haven’t even been able to ask what this is all about, it’s a great misfortune.”
“Purple Star captured you without saying anything?” Yang Kai was shocked. “Don’t they know that you are from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce?”
“How could they not know?” Shen Tu grumbled angrily, “That group of Purple Star bastards have truly eaten some bear hearts and leopard galls, daring to attack this Young Master! Just wait, when this Young Master escapes one day, he will bring a hundred Starships here to raze Purple Star to the ground!”
A thoughtful look appeared on Yang Kai’s face at that moment as he speculated, “So, the battle in the city during the day was related to you?”
“En,” Shen Tu nodded, “I wanted to escape, but I failed and was shamefully captured again.”
“Second Young Master, this Elder feels like Purple Star is undergoing some kind of upheaval!” A sallow-looking old man said from the side.
“Why does old Sir say that?” Yang Kai looked at him.
“It’s just a feeling. Since entering Purple Star City, this Elder felt that something was not right. It’s as if something is churning in the darkness. What’s more, they knew our identities yet they still dared to detain us for some unknown purpose… Although Purple Star is strong, it’s not stronger than our Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. If there wasn’t something happening inside Purple Star, this Elder simply can’t comprehend their actions.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “I also think something is happening inside Purple Star.”
“Let them sort out their own problems, this Young Master just wants to leave this damned place now,” Shen Tu said angrily before suddenly turning to Yang Kai again and asking, “By the way, Brother Yang, why are you here?”
“Haha, I’m here to steal something,” Yang Kai grinned and explained what had happened just now.
The several people in the room were dumbfounded as they directed looks of admiration towards Yang Kai.
Daring to sneak into Purple Star Palace to steal something required a boldness and courage that no ordinary master could possess. What’s more, even after being discovered, he had still managed to elude capture, causing everyone to raise their evaluation of Yang Kai’s strength once again.
“Now that I’ve alerted the enemy though, I can only put my plans aside for now,” Yang Kai helplessly rubbed his forehead.
“Brother Yang, can you leave here?” Shen Tu asked while looking at Yang Kai.
“The barrier outside is very powerful, and if I forcefully break through, I will definitely be discovered, but if you can help me attract some attention, I can leave safely.”
“Not a problem, just leave it to us,” Shen Tu grinned, “Brother Yang, can you help me bring someone a message after you leave here?”
“Who?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously.
Shen Tu leaned forward and whispered something into Yang Kai’s ear.
Yang Kai’s expression quickly became strange hearing this message.
“I’ll leave the rest up to you, Brother Yang!” Shen Tu cupped his fists sincerely.
“Rest assured, I’ll deliver your words,” Yang Kai nodded. “Don’t worry too much, I’ll find a way to get all of you out.”
“I’m not worried,” Shen Tu smiled broadly, “With my identity, these Purple Star dogs wouldn’t dare do anything extreme to me unless they really want to start a war between our two great forces.”
After saying so, he suddenly took a step back and began shouting, “Bastards! Kill me! Just kill me!”
While shouting, he winked at the other Origin Realm masters behind him.
Everyone immediately understood and began yelling while pushing their Saint Qi violently, raising as much of a fuss as they could.
The movement inside the pavilion quickly spread out, causing the expression of the Purple Star cultivators outside, who were in charge of guarding, to change dramatically.
After a moment, one of the guards called out in alarm, “Not good, they’ve gone crazy! Quickly, stop them!”
None of them dared to neglect and they quickly opened the barrier to rush inside and quell the riot.
The moment the barrier was lowered, Yang Kai’s figure flickered, and he rushed out to seek a hidden corner to conceal himself.
Inside Purple Star Palace, many masters conducted an extensive search, but none managed to discover anything.
After waiting for a long time, Yang Kai found a suitable opportunity to tear space and silently depart.
Although he failed to achieve his original objective, the unexpected discovery of Shen Tu’s situation meant Yang Kai did not leave without any gains.
Inside Clear Sky Auction House’s inner courtyard, Li Nuo was sitting cross-legged in meditation but was unable to calm her restless emotions.
“Who!?” Suddenly, Aunt Chun’s shout rang out outside.
At the same time, a man’s voice rang in Li Nuo’s ears. When she heard this voice, Li Nuo went stiff, but a look of pleasant surprise soon appeared on her face as she quickly raised her head to stare out the window.
Unfortunately, the sky was pitch black, with only the faintest rays of light appearing in the east.
Dawn was about to break!
A smile appeared at the corner of Li Nuo’s lips as she called out, “Aunt Chun, come back, the one who came is harmless. In fact, he’s brought me some good news!”
For the next few days, everything was calm.
After sneaking into Purple Star Palace that night and alerting his enemies, Yang Kai did not act rashly again. He believed that the level of alert in Purple Star Palace had been raised to the extreme now, and even with his abilities, he was not certain he could sneak in again.
Hua You Meng took advantage of her connections to probe into the situation in Purple Star City over the recent period and reported everything she learned to Yang Kai.
It was then that Yang Kai learned that, because Zi Long and Zi Dong had been away from Purple Star for such a long time, the other leaders in Purple Star had split into several factions. Among these factions, the ones led by Second Young Master Zi Wu Ji and Great Elder Gong Sun Liang were by far the strongest and were now secretly clashing with one another.
Although Purple Star’s higher-ups tried to conceal this matter, paper could not cover fire and word had already begun to leak out, allowing Hua You Meng to easily uncover the truth.
But the information she was able to obtain was all well-known, nothing specific or particularly insightful.
Yet this was enough. It allowed Yang Kai to understand just what was brewing beneath the calm façade of Purple Star City.
There were only two things that Yang Kai cared about right now: Stealing the Star Emperor Token and getting Shen Tu and his entourage out safely. Unfortunately, no good opportunity had presented itself yet, so he could only continue to wait patiently.
Time flew by, and the day of Clear Sky Auction House’s auction soon arrived.
Yang Kai had nothing else to do at the moment, so he gladly accompanied Hua You Meng to the auction after all. The value of the land deeds that were being auctioned on behalf of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce this time was too large, so if there was no master present, it was impossible to guarantee that others would not get malicious ideas.
Hua You Meng was incredibly happy to see this as she had been wondering how to invite Yang Kai to come with her. Now that he had volunteered to accompany her, her gratitude towards Yang Kai rose even higher.
On the day of the auction, Hua You Meng dressed up in a tight-fitting purple dress that perfectly complemented her figure and noble temperament. As she walked next to Yang Kai down the street, she drew the attention of many.
Presenting the invitation she had received, a member of Clear Sky Auction House’s staff led Yang Kai and Hua You Meng to one of the private rooms, offered some spirit fruits and tea, then respectfully withdrew.
Hua You Meng stood sternly to the side, and only after Yang Kai urged her several times, did she restlessly take a seat.
There was still some time before the auction started, so Yang Kai looked around to ease his boredom.
After a short while though, he could not help frowning as a hint of suspicious appeared on his face.
“Sir, has something happened?” Hua You Meng’s attention had always been on Yang Kai, so seeing his expression change at this moment she could not help asking quickly.
“Is there something extremely valuable being auctioned today?” Yang Kai frowned and asked.
“I don’t know…” Hua You Meng smiled awkwardly.
“En, never mind,” Yang Kai smiled slightly before taking back his Divine Sense and frowning slightly.
Just now, he had noticed that there were many Origin Kings in this auction house!
This was quite strange. There were not many things that could attract the attention of Origin Kings in this world, and even if something like that did appear, it shouldn’t have made it all the way to Clear Sky Auction House’s auction floor.
An Origin King would not visit this kind of auction house for no reason. In fact, if not for him accompanying Hua You Meng today, Yang Kai would not have even considered coming here either.
But now, there were at least five Origin Kings present besides him.
Private Rooms A1 through A4 all had Origin Kings in them. Of special note was room A1, where even Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was being blocked slightly. Obviously, someone very strong was inside.
What’s more… the aura coming from this room gave Yang Kai a familiar feeling.
In fact, the person in room A1 was none other than Purple Star’s Great Elder Gong Sun Liang, whom Yang Kai had fought with a few days ago!
This auction was actually able to attract Gong Sun Liang, which showed that there was definitely something good here!
This discovery immediately raised Yang Kai’s interest in this auction.
After a short wait, a beautiful figure appeared lightly on the high platform in the middle of the auction house. It was Li Nuo.
Smiling faintly in her sleeveless, low cut cyan dress that exposed her slightly pinkish arms as well as part of her deep valley to the air, Li Nuo appeared particularly seductive. Her long, beautiful legs were also adorned with a pair of special jade sandals that drew the eyes of many of the cultivators to her. From the crowd, countless greedy looks were directed towards her unscrupulously.
Li Nuo paid these gazes no mind and simply smiled warmly as she spoke, “Thank you all for coming to today’s auction. This Mistress is grateful for your attendance, as it brings great honour to my Clear Sky Auction House. This Mistress is Li Nuo, and will serve as the host of today’s auction. I hope that everyone will treat this Mistress favourably.”
Saying so, she gave an elegant salute.
“Without further delay, today’s auction will officially begin, however… let this Mistress first say that among today’s auction items, there are many extremely valuable treasures. Ones that will satisfy the desires of everyone present!” While saying so, she glanced towards the A Block private rooms, and although she did not state things clearly, her meaning was self-evident.
Yang Kai smiled knowingly and thought to himself that with Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce backing it, Clear Sky Auction House was certainly out of the ordinary. Otherwise, it would have never been able to come up with items that could even tempt Origin Kings.
“Let’s have a look at the first auction!” Li Nuo called out before gesturing to the side. The next moment, a woman dressed as a maidservant and with a brilliant smile on her face brought out a tray.
This tray was covered with a red cloth that was made of some unknown material that seemed capable of blocking the Divine Sense of most of the cultivators in the auction house, causing everyone to feel somewhat eager and to crane their necks to get a better look.
There was also a curious look in Hua You Meng’s beautiful eyes as she stared at this tray fixedly.
Although it was not the first time that she had participated in an auction, it was the first time she had the privilege of entering a private room, a completely different experience compared to squeezing into the seats in the auction house’s lower section.
“It’s just an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact, you don’t need it,” Yang Kai saw the eager look on her face and immediately spoke.
Hua You Meng was taken aback, “Sir, can you see what is beneath that cloth?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “That red cloth is made from the silk of a Red Snow Heavenly Silkworm. Its only effect is to block Divine Sense, but its effects are limited to Origin Realm cultivators. It can’t block the Divine Sense of an Origin King.”
Hua You Meng gently nodded as a look of longing appeared in her eyes. She was also a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator now. If she had enough opportunity, she could also try to break through to the Origin King Realm, but the chances of that were not very good. She had broken through many years ago, but she had still yet to condense her Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, much less touch upon the mysteries of Domain.
In all likelihood, breaking through again in this lifetime was hopeless!
On stage, Li Nuo smiled lightly, walked forward, and lifted the red cloth covering the tray, revealing the contents to everyone.
Sure enough, it was an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact, a delicate-looking dagger that exuded a deep chill.
Li Nuo picked up the dagger, twirled it in her hands, then poured her Saint Qi into it, causing the dagger to buzz and reveal a flowing set of runes on its blade.
In an instant, the already strong chill became even more piercing.
Li Nuo held the dagger in her hand as she pushed her Saint Qi again, “This Severing Yuan Dagger was forged from Deep Sea Cold Iron with Cold Ocean Sand and the fangs of a Ninth-Order Black-Eyed Tapir Monster Beast by an Origin Grade High-Rank Artifact Refiner. It is capable of releasing extremely frigid energy and specializes in piercing protective Saint Qi. Please observe.”
Saying so, she actually stabbed her arm.
Everyone saw as the tip of this dagger quickly struck Li Nuo’s Saint Qi protection, and the layer of Saint Qu around her body was torn through.
Fortunately, Li Nuo’s control of her strength was excellent, so despite the dagger piercing her protective Saint Qi, she was not injured in the slightest.
Withdrawing the dagger, Li Nuo smiled and said, “Although the Severing Yuan Dagger is only an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact, if used properly, it can provide a great boost even when fighting Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators. What’s more, it is easy and quick to refine. This Mistress does not need to explain further how valuable such an artifact is. The starting price is 150,000 Saint Crystals, please!”
As soon as Li Nuo’s voice fell, bids flew out from the house seats as many were obviously extremely interested in this artifact.
Hua You Meng also looked interested as this dagger was small and suitable for women, but remembering Yang Kai’s words just now, she reluctantly held herself back.
At that moment, Yang Kai spoke, “This dagger has a slight defect. If I’m not mistaken, it is probably a failed product.”
“Failed product?” Hua You Meng was startled when she heard these words.
“Yeah, did you notice that, when Li Nuo was demonstrating the power of the dagger just now, she intentionally used an Ice Attribute Secret Technique first? One probably needs to cultivate an Ice Attribute Secret Art or Secret Technique in order to use this dagger. Seeing how you don’t have any cold attributes in your Saint Qi, even if you were to obtain this thing, it won’t be of any use.”
“Is that true?” Hua You Meng was shocked, “Then isn’t Li Nuo deceiving others by doing this?”
Yang Kai smiled and shook his head, “You can’t say that. At most, you can only say she didn’t give a complete explanation. What’s more, if this dagger is really obtained by someone who cultivates an appropriate Secret Art, its power will still be commendable.”
“En, this Mistress understands,” Hua You Meng gave an enlightened nod.
In the hall, the bids continued to come in and the base price of 150,000 quickly rose to 280,000.
The first item being so popular made Li Nuo happily smile.
The most important thing about an auction was to have a good start. This would stimulate the enthusiasm of the participants and raise the price of all the following items.
After the price climbed to 320,000, the bids gradually became scarce; after all, this was about the upper limit of the price of an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact, any more and it wouldn’t be worth it.
Not every cultivator had so many spare Saint Crystals. Even if one was able to earn a large amount of Saint Crystals, they would still need to buy a variety of pills and also use Saint Crystals for their cultivation. In the end, artifacts were just auxiliary tools.
Eventually, this Severing Yuan Dagger was bought by a male cultivator in the hall for 350,000 Saint Crystals.
The auction continued in full swing. After the first item sold for such a good price, the enthusiasm of a large number of cultivators was high and each subsequent item that was brought out was steadily bid on, filling the hall with excitement.
Artifacts, pills, herbs, ores, even Secret Arts and Secret Techniques… all kinds of items were available at this auction.
Time flew by, and soon the auction had reached the two-hour mark. Almost every auction item brought out during this period sold for a very high price, allowing Clear Sky Auction House to earn a hefty profit.
However, the cultivators who participated in the auction up until now had almost all been from the lower seats while very few from the private rooms had made any bids. As for the five Origin Kings in the A Block private rooms, none had even spoken so far, making Yang Kai wonder all the more, what they were waiting for.
Hua You Meng, on the other hand, had participated twice and managed to obtain both an artifact and a powerful Secret Technique which she was currently studying happily.
The auction was approaching its end, so Yang Kai knew that the main event would soon make an appearance, raising his own enthusiasm a bit.
“The next item to be auctioned is a Spirit Pill, an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill!” Li Nuo said with a smile on the auction stage.
As soon as her voice fell, there was an uproar in the hall as many looked at Li Nuo in surprise.
After all, Origin King Grade Spirit Pills were extremely rare, no matter where one went, and it was even rarer to see one appear at an auction. Generally, the cultivators that obtained Origin King Grade Spirit Pills would do everything in their power to conceal its existence and either use it for themselves or their family. The other option would be to privately look for a master to exchange such a pill for a large amount of Saint Crystals. A Spirit Pill being auctioned off was an unusual occurrence.
Only auctions with strong heritage would auction Origin King Grade Spirit Pills.
Although Clear Sky Auction House was a well-known institution in Purple Star City, it was by no means the biggest, and it had never auctioned truly expensive items before. Yet this time, it had suddenly brought out an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill to auction, exceeding everyone’s expectations and immediately raising the excitement in the hall.
In private room A5, Hua You Meng also stopped what she was doing and looked down at the stage with interest.
Li Nuo smiled lightly, walked out a few steps to a maidservant who had just appeared, reached out to pick up a jade bottle from the tray, shook the bottle, and immediately smiled, “This jade bottle contains an Origin King Pill!”
*Hong…*
The cultivators in the hall immediately erupted after Li Nuo’s voice fell.
“What, an Origin King Pill?”
“It’s actually an Origin King Pill? Lady Li Nuo, are you serious?”
Li Nuo smiled and said, “This is my auction house, so how could I dare deceive you. This Spirit Pill is indeed an Origin King Pill. Please see for yourselves.”
Saying so, she opened the jade bottle and poured out a round pill. When this pill appeared, its fragrance filled the air and many cultivators instantly wore looks of ecstasy as they felt their bottlenecks loosening slightly.
Just smelling the fragrance of this pill had such a magical effect, so how amazing would it be to actually take it?
Sure enough, it was an Origin King Pill!
The Origin King Pill was a Spirit Pill that all peak Origin Returning Realm masters craved for because it could increase the chance of them breaking through to the Origin King Realm. After taking this Spirit Pill, one would be able to more easily sense the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao. Allowing them an easier time to condense their own Domain.
Although this kind of pill was not a miracle cure that could bring someone back from the dead, it had a fatal temptation to all Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators.
The Origin King Pill was an Origin King Grade Low-Rank Spirit Pill, which meant it needed to be refined by an Origin King Grade Alchemist. What’s more, the ingredients required to refine the Origin King Pill were quite scarce, so Origin King Pills were a rarity throughout the Star Field.
Combining all these factors made every Origin King Pill invaluable.
“I believe this Mistress doesn’t need to explain what role this pill is to perform,” Li Nuo seemed to have expected the crowd’s reaction and smiled. “This Origin King Pill’s base price has been set at 20 million Saint Crystals. Everyone, please!”
When her voice fell, the entire hall went silent, with no one even daring to bid.
20 million Saint Crystals was not a sum an ordinary cultivator could take out. Only those with the backing of a great force or a big family or Sect would have such strong financial resources.
However, Li Nuo was not in a rush because she knew that this Origin King Pill would definitely sell, it’s just that those who wanted it weren’t in a rush to bid.
*Huchi… huchi…*
In room A5, the sound of heavy breathing rang out. Yang Kai turned his head and saw that Hua You Meng was anything but calm, her tender body trembling lightly as her cheeks flushed and her fists clenched together, her pair of beautiful eyes staring at the Origin King Pill on the stage.
She was also a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, and although she had not made much progress in her cultivation since she had reached her current realm, how could she possibly remain calm with an Origin King Pill appearing right in front of her? This wasn’t just any Spirit Pill, it was an opportunity to reach the Origin King Realm.
If she could really use this Origin King Pill to break through to the Origin King Realm, let alone 20 million, even 200 million would be worth it.
In her excitement, she unconsciously blurted out, “20 million!”
Her voice broke the treacherous silence at the scene, causing Li Nuo to look up and cast a kind smile towards room A5.
“25 million!” As soon as Hua You Meng’s voice fell, a voice from the B Block private rooms immediately followed, directly increasing the price by 5 million.
No one could sit still any longer and new bids began flooding in, all of them from the private rooms.
In just ten breaths of time, the price had risen to 80 million.
Hua You Meng pretty face could not help going slightly pale as she realized that she was unable to compete for this Spirit Pill. 80 million was simply an unbearable number for her, and although there was still the thirty land deeds that were about to be auctioned off, just how many Saint Crystals could she obtain from that?
The competition for the Origin King Pill had only just begun, so who knows what kind of final price it would fetch.
Maybe it would not be enough even if she used all the Saint Crystals she gained from auctioning the land deeds, and she didn’t have the courage to do so anyway.
“100 million!” From a private room in B Block, an old voice called out. Although this voice tried to sound calm, everyone could hear the excitement and anxiety in it.
As soon as this price was called, the scene fell silent again.
An Origin King Pill was indeed precious, but it only increased the chances of one successfully breaking through, it was not a guarantee. It only brought a glimmer of hope.
A price of 100 million had already reached the limit of what most cultivators could afford.
So, after the initial enthusiasm, many people began to calm down and stopped increasing the price.
For a time, no new bids were made.
Li Nuo was not worried at all though. Standing on the stage, she smiled and asked, “The old gentleman from room B8 has bid 100 million. Is there any higher offer?”
“There isn’t, quickly begin the count!” The cultivator from room B8 yelled anxiously.
He could not easily take out 100 million Saint Crystals, but it would be worth it to obtain an Origin King Pill, so he was quite fearful someone else would try to compete with him now and urged vigorously.
“Haha, 110 million!” At that moment, hearty laughter came from one of the private rooms, raising the price by 10 million.
“Who!? Which bastard dares to bid against this old master, damn it!” The cultivator in room B8 was incensed and immediately cursed.
However, when he noticed that the voice actually came from room A2, his face changed drastically.
He was only in room B8, while the other party sat in room A2, meaning the other party’s status was no doubt higher than his own.
At that moment, from room A2, a powerful Divine Sense burst forth and blasted towards the cultivator in room B8.
A muffled snort sounded as the old man in room B8 turned pale, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth as he stared at room A2 in horror and shouted, “Origin King!”
“Hmph, since we’re here to participate in the auction, obey the rules. The next time you show such disrespect, this King will take your life!” Another voice sounded from room A2.
“Yes, yes. What Sir said is correct,” The cultivator in room B8 did not dare to complain, simply nodding in fright as cold sweat dripped down his forehead. Although the room was isolated by a barrier, and he could not see the other side’s face, just the fact that the other party was an Origin King meant he could not provoke them.
“Bold. In Purple Star City, someone actually dares to say they will kill people at will. Do you not put the rules of Purple Star City in your eyes?”
Suddenly, another old voice sounded out and everyone was stunned when they heard it. It seemed that things were destined to not be calm today. Looking towards the source of the voice, everyone quickly discovered that the speaker turned out to be in room A1!
This was the noblest room in the entire auction house, and many had been trying to guess who had been occupying it, but as soon as this voice came out, someone immediately called out in alarm, “Great Elder, it’s Great Elder!”
“Heavens! It’s Great Elder! I was fortunate enough to witness Great Elder scolding someone from far away two years ago. There’s no doubt, it’s Great Elder’s voice.”
“Why is Great Elder here too?”
For a time, the auction house was abuzz with conversation.
But if Great Elder Gong Sun Liang was really sitting in room A1, this was an understandable reaction; after all, Great Elder had the highest authority on Purple Star currently.
This made many wonder who was sitting in room A2 though, as it seemed Great Elder didn’t have a very cordial relationship with him.
“This old master wants this Origin King Pill. 200 million!” Gong Sun Liang said unhurriedly.
*Hua…*
The cultivators in the hall went into an uproar again, not only because Gong Sun Liang was taking part in the auction, but also because the bid he made was so terrifying, directly increasing the price of this Origin King Pill from 110 million to 200 million.
Everyone couldn’t help feeling a sense of admiration towards this Purple Star Great Elder. The wealth he carried on him was probably something that an ordinary cultivator couldn’t spend in a hundred generations.
“210 million!” To everyone’s surprise, the person who had previously bid in room A2 actually bid again.
“300 million!” Gong Sun Liang said with a cold snort.
“310 million!”
“500 million!”
…..
Everyone’s expression went dull as their eyes bulged listening to the bids coming from these two private rooms in A Block.
Even Yang Kai frowned as he showed a strange look.
Although an Origin King Pill was of great value, wasn’t a price of 500 million Saint Crystals too unreasonable? Moreover, with Gong Sun Liang’s cultivation, this Origin King Pill was of no use to him at all. Even if he wanted to buy it for one of his Juniors or a descendant, he still would not normally spend such a massive amount to do so.
Yang Kai was quite confused.
As soon as Gong Sun Liang’s 500 million Saint Crystal bid came out, the bidding from room A2 suddenly stopped, seemingly unable to keep up with this furious pace.
At that moment, in Room A2, Zi Wu Ji gloomily stared in Gong Sun Liang’s direction, his fists clenched tightly around bits of broken wood from what was once his chair’s armrest.
Ji Jun, who was standing next to him, also had an ugly face.
“Second Young Master, this old fart is absolutely doing this intentionally!” Ji Jun exclaimed angrily.
“This Young Lord is not a fool. How can I not know this?” Zi Wu Ji ground his teeth, “I was wondering why he suddenly appeared today at Clear Sky Auction House. It turns out he came here deliberately to cause trouble for this Young Lord. That old dog really has too much free time.”
Ji Jun said with a cold face, “This old fart is definitely afraid that you, will gain more strength, Young Lord. That is why he is so insidiously trying to hinder you.”
“One day, this Young Lord will make him pay the price!” Zi Wu Ji swore sternly.
The sky-high price of 500 million had exceeded his expectations, and although he was Purple Star’s Second Young Master, because he had been concealing his ambitions for so long, he had no force of his own and thus lacked deep financial resources. All the resources from Purple Star were put towards his big brother, Zi Dong.
If it hadn’t been for Zi Long and Zi Dong going missing for the past two years, Zi Wu Ji would have chosen to keep lying low.
But if he wanted to fight with Gong Sun Liang now, he needed great strength and prestige, so this Origin King Pill was particularly important to him. If he could use this pill to help him quickly break through to the Origin King Realm, it would be a great boost to his current position.
An Origin King Pill was something even he could not obtain easily!
After pondering for a moment, Zi Wu Ji did not shrink back but gritted his teeth and shouted, “600 million!”
600 million Saint Crystals was already his bottom line! It was also the largest amount he could bring out right now. If Gong Sun Liang increased the price again, he could only give up.
Unsurprisingly, Gong Sun Liang did not give him any face and quickly said, “1 billion!”
The way he called out, it was as if it was just 100 thousand, or 100 million, not 1 billion.
As soon as this bid was made, everyone’s complexion changed. Even Li Nuo, who was standing on the auction stage with a smile on her face, could not help wrinkling her brow slightly as she had a bad premonition in her heart.
“1… 1 billion!?” One of the cultivators down below exclaimed, “Am I hearing things? Did Great Elder just bid a billion Saint Crystals?”
“I must be hearing things also; how could such a high price be called?”
“En, an Origin King Pill is, of course, expensive, but one can’t sell for a billion Saint Crystals. The last time the Glorious Source Auction House sold an Origin King Pill, it only went for 580 million.”
“As expected of Great Elder, he is simply too wealthy, a billion is like nothing to him!”
Various opinions appeared, but some with shaper minds noticed a deeper meaning behind this bid.
Gong Sun Liang’s unrestrained increase in price was obviously because he had some kind of disagreement with the people in Room A2, but even if that was the case, wasn’t taking out a billion Saint Crystals a bit too much?
“Gong Sun Liang, are you deliberately making trouble?” From Room A2, Ji Jun couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted accusatorily.
*Hong…*
The hall erupted again as everyone stared towards Room A2 in shock, wondering who was so bold to dare call Great Elder directly by his name.
An originally unremarkable auction, because of these successive changes, had suddenly become treacherous, and a dangerous aura now permeated the entire auction floor.
On the stage, Li Nuo’s palms had also begun to sweat as a faint uneasy look flashed across her beautiful eyes.
Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Gong Sun Liang didn’t get angry and warmly smiled instead, “Ji Jun, what do you mean by this? This Elder has taken a fancy to this Origin King Pill, what’s wrong with him bidding for it?”
“What’s wrong, you know it in your heart!” Ji Jun coldly snorted and said, “Even if you are Purple Star’s Great Elder, one billion Saint Crystals can’t be taken out casually. Fine! Now that you have already bid, I want to see how you plan to pay for it! Lady Li Nuo, this old master suspects Gong Sun Liang is fraudulently bidding and is simply not capable of paying a billion Saint Crystals here and now! I ask that you confirm the authenticity of his bid.”
“Well…” Li Nuo showed hesitation. Asking Gong Sun Liang to prove he could pay a billion Saint Crystals, wasn’t the same as courting death?
Gong Sun Liang had already made his bid, and whether he could pay it or not, this Spirit Pill was already his. Even if Clear Sky Auction House suffered a loss here, they could only choke it down.
“Nonsense! Questioning the credibility of Great Elder, are you seeking death, Ji Jun?!” From Room A1, another voice rang out before Gong Sun Liang could respond.
Yang Kai’s expression changed when he heard this voice as he recognized it as Eighth Elder Jiang Chang Feng who had visited Five Paths Chamber of Commerce before.
“I am only seeking to enforce justice! If Great Elder can really pay the billion Saint Crystals, this Ji will have nothing to say,” Ji Jun did not back down.
“Ji Jun, you dare!” Jiang Chang Feng yelled, a strong Saint Qi fluctuation bursting from Room A1, as if a fight was about to break out.
In the hall, all the cultivators panicked, their faces filled with fright.
If these two parties really fought, they were the ones who would suffer. The fallout from a battle between Origin Kings was not something they could withstand.
“Why bother stooping to his level, Eighth Elder?” Gong Sun Liang chuckled, “Since he wants to verify if this old master’s words are credible, then let him. Lady Li Nuo, please bring that Spirit Pill here.”
“Yes,” Li Nuo heard this and stepped towards Room A1.
A moment later, she entered the room with a smile on her face, placed the jade bottle in her hands in front of Gong Sun Liang, and said, “Great Elder, this is the Spirit Pill you won.”
“En.” Gong Sun Liang nodded lightly, not even glancing at Li Nuo directly.
To the side, Jiang Chang Feng coldly took out a ring and gave it to Li Nuo before saying loudly, “Lady Li Nuo, please confirm whether there are a billion Saint Crystals inside.”
Li Nuo took the ring solemnly and used her Divine Sense to sweep its content, her complexion changing slightly as she did as a smile soon reached her lips, “The quantity is confirmed, this transaction is thus complete. Great Elder is a man of integrity and did not make a fraudulent bid.”
“With the transaction taking place in your room, who knows if it is real or not?” Ji Jun sneered again.
Jiang Chang Feng snorted gloomily, “Ji Jun, Lady Li Nuo has personally verified the amount, how could this transaction be fake? As the owner of this auction house, she would never compromise when it comes to business.”
“Lady Li Nuo is nothing but a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, how could she dare say otherwise under your despotic power?”
“Enough, Old Ji. There’s no need to say anymore,” In Room A2, Zi Wu Ji said lightly.
Ji Jun’s face remained irritated, but he obediently stopped speaking.
Zi Wu Ji chuckled, turned to Room A1, and said, “Congratulations Great Elder for winning this Spirit Pill.”
Gong Sun Liang replied in kind, “Second Young Master is too polite, winning an auction is just a matter of wealth. However, this Spirit Pill has no use for this old master. On the contrary, it would be of some small use to you, Second Young Master. If Second Young Master wants it, this old master can give it to you, what do you say?”
In Room A2, Zi Wu Ji frowned deeply before relaxing and smiling, “Great Elder must be joking, how could this Wu Ji bear to accept such a precious gift?”
The words the two spoke now were said in a normal, almost cordial tone, as if the whole dispute just now never even happened.
Only now did everyone in the hall learn that Room A2 was occupied by Purple Star’s Second Young Master, Zi Wu Ji.
Thinking about the competing bids between the two parties and the various rumours which had been swirling around recently, everyone immediately understood that the discord between the Second Young Master and Great Elder was real. After understanding this, many people felt a sense of anxiety.
For most cultivators, who was in charge of Purple Star didn’t matter to them; however, they had no choice but to care about being involved in the confrontation between these two sides.
The auction of the Origin King Pill came to an end, with no one knowing whether Li Nuo had truly received the billion Saint Crystals.
The next item to be auctioned was the land deeds that Hua You Meng handed over to Clear Sky Auction House.
Only merchants from big firms were interested in these land deeds, so none of the masters from the A block participated. On the other hand, many from the B Block competed fiercely over these.
If all the shops on Soaring Dragon Street could be owned and operated by a single firm, that chamber of commerce would be able to make a massive profit, so how could any merchant miss this opportunity?
As such, the competition quickly became fierce.
The starting price of 100 million Saint Crystals rose steadily and finally stopped at 260 million.
In Room A5, Hua You Meng nearly fainted from happiness.
Although Li Nuo had explained to her before, Hua You Meng had still never expected that these land deeds would really sell for such a high price.
A million Saint Crystals was already a huge number to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, let alone hundreds of millions.
With 260 million, the development of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was no longer just a dream. On top of that, it would allow all of them to boldly purchase cultivation resources to enhance their own strength.
With greater strength, the development of the chamber of commerce would also become smoother, creating a kind of snowball effect.
And all of this was brought to her by the man sitting beside her.
Hua You Meng looked at Yang Kai in a daze, with a look filled with gratitude on her face.
“Sir, would you taking ninety percent of these Saint Crystals and leaving us with ten percent be acceptable?” Hua You Meng looked at Yang Kai timidly. Even if it was just ten percent, that was still more than 20 million.
Yang Kai glanced at her and chuckled, “These Saint Crystals are from selling your land deeds, why should I take ninety percent?”
“Even if that is technically true, how could this Mistress have acquired those land deeds without Sir?”
Yang Kai just waved his hand lightly, “Saint Crystals are meaningless to me. The things I need cannot be bought with Saint Crystals.”
“But…”
“There’s nothing more to discuss,” Yang Kai interrupted her with a smile.
“Sir…” Hua You Meng whispered, almost sobbing from her speechlessness as she felt so touched. If at this moment, Yang Kai asked her to give herself to him, she likely would not even hesitate…
“The next item to be auctioned will be the final one,” On the stage, Li Nuo said loudly, “However, please forgive this Mistress and the appraisers of Clear Sky Auction House for their limited vision. What this item is exactly is not known.”
“Huh? You dare to put out an item to auction you can’t identify? Isn’t your Clear Sky Auction House being a bit unreasonable?”
“Yes, don’t think that ordinary cultivators like us are so easy to deceive! Our Saint Crystals aren’t so light they can be carried off by the wind.”
“Why make such a fuss? Since this item is the last one to appear, it must be of great value, perhaps even more precious than that Origin King Pill. Let us take a look at it first.”
The cultivators in the hall immediately began to argue.
Li Nuo turned a deaf ear to the shouts of the cultivators in the audience and simply gestured sideways, summoning a maidservant to immediately present the auction item.
This time, there was no red cloth to conceal the item, so everyone was able to see that it was actually some kind of ore.
This ore was about the size of a small melon, its whole-body round and radiant, exuding a light blue colour.
Judging from the posture of the maidservant holding it, this item was not heavy.
The noise in the audience gradually subsided as everyone’s eyes were attracted to this ore, many staring curiously while Divine Senses were also being extended from the private rooms, constantly scanning this unknown item.
However, no one was able to see any clues.
Even Yang Kai frowned with a suspicious look on his face.
One had to know that there were few things in this world he could not see through with his current Divine Sense, but this ore was one of them. From this fact alone, even if this last auction item was not a priceless supreme treasure, it was still a rare and valuable item.
Yang Kai’s interest was thus stimulated.
On the central platform, Li Nuo lightly curled her red lips and said softly, “This item was something my Clear Sky Auction House coincidentally obtained, and ever since we did, we have been studying it; unfortunately, no one from Clear Sky Auction House has been able to identify its use as of yet and we were only able to conclude that it is a good Artifact Refining material. Today, with so many powerful masters present, perhaps there is a Sir who will be able to identify this bead and knows its true purpose. This Mistress hopes that if any Sir is able to do so, please enlighten me to dispel this Mistress’ doubts.”
“What nonsense are you spouting? How could you bring something like this out to auction?” Someone immediately yelled impatiently.
Li Nuo just smiled lightly however and declared, “The final auction item, the unknown Artifact Refining material, base price…30 million!”
In the hall, many cultivators burst into laughter after experiencing a brief silence. Obviously, they all felt that Li Nuo’s reserve price was ridiculous.
Li Nuo did not care though, and just stood atop the stage with a smile on her face.
As she had said, this item had been studied by Clear Sky Auction House for many years, but nothing was ever discovered about it. Even Aunt Chun was unable to judge what it was for, but that did not hinder its value.
Li Nuo had compared it with some Origin King Grade Artifact Refining materials already but discovered that no matter which Origin King Grade material it was, it was not as firm as this.
In other words, this ore was at least Artifact Refining material at the Origin King Grade.
It would be best if this thing could be sold, but it also did not matter if it couldn’t be. It would be perfectly acceptable for this auction to fail.
After a long time, with no one bidding, it seemed this last auction item was destined to not be sold. Li Nuo glanced around with her beautiful eyes, and couldn’t help showing a look of disappointment realizing this.
“Lady Li, could you allow this King to investigate that item?” Suddenly, a calm voice spoke from one of the private rooms.
Li Nuo followed the voice to its source and discovered it belonged to the occupant of Room A5. Smiling lightly, she nodded and said, “Naturally that is not a problem. Please wait a moment, Sir.”
Saying so, she gestured to the maidservant and had her quickly walk towards the room where Yang Kai was.
In Room A5, Yang Kai frowned as a solemn look appeared on his face.
Hua You Meng asked in surprise, “Sir, do you recognize this thing?”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “I’m not sure, that’s why I want to take a closer look.”
Hua You Meng nodded.
Nearby, in Room A1, Jiang Chang Feng’s face changed slightly as his expression turned sullen, “Great Elder, the one who spoke just now is ‘that’ man.”
Gong Sun Liang raised his brow before narrowing his eyes, “My Purple Star’s Third Venerable?”
“Indeed!” Jiang Chang Feng nodded sincerely, “Just a few days ago, this Jiang was ordered by you to invite this person to the Inner City, but he rudely refused. This Jiang specifically explained that Great Elder had requested to meet with him, but he refused to give any face. This man is simply too arrogant.”
Gong Sun Liang stroked his beard and snickered, “Anyone who has the ability can be arrogant. This old master wanted to find a chance to meet this person another day, but I didn’t expect to meet him here today. Since that’s the case… we can talk now. This old master wants to see if this Venerable’s strength is real or if he is just a fraud!”
Jiang Chang Feng was surprised when he heard these words as a grin appeared on his face just imagining Yang Kai’s coming misfortune. He knew that, while Gong Sun Liang acted as if he did not care on the surface, in truth, he was very upset about not being given any face.
Inside Room A5, Yang Kai held the unknown auction item and observed it solemnly, probing it with his Divine Sense.
Hua You Meng and the maidservant did not dare to bother him.
At first, nothing unusual stood out, but at a certain moment, Yang Kai’s complexion could not help changing and a piercing light flashed across his eyes, as if he had been attacked by someone and he pushed his Divine Sense madly to condense a barrier around him.
*Pa…*
A faint sound rang out as Yang Kai’s Divine Sense defense was broken in an instant, but just as he was about to resist again, suddenly, everything subsided.
The entire auction house was now silent, with ninety-nine percent of the cultivators present pale and trembling.
The moment when Yang Kai Divine Sense broke out, it was as if a dormant dragon had stuck its head out from its cave, causing everyone to cower in fear.
Fortunately, this ominous pressure disappeared as quickly as it appeared, otherwise, many in the audience would have had their minds crushed.
Inside the private room, a light of pleasant surprise flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes, and immediately after, he returned the auction item to the maidservant with a calm expression and said lightly, “That will be all. You can return.”
“Yes!” The maidservant took the auction item and hurriedly left, not daring to even breathe heavily.
“This old master would also like to observe the item, I wonder if Lady Li Nuo can be accommodating?” Gong Sun Liang’s voice came from Room A1.
He was also quite curious. He did not know why Yang Kai suddenly released such a powerful Divine Sense fluctuation, but whether it was because of something Yang Kai did himself or because of this final auction item, Gong Sun Liang was determined to find out.
“Naturally, there is no problem if Great Elder wants to look,” Li Nuo pursed her lips and smiled.
The maidservant quickly turned around and brought the last auction item to Gong Sun Liang.
Gong Sun Liang observed it for much longer than Yang Kai, but he did not cause a sensation like the latter did. The entire audience remained on edge, but they began to breathe a sigh of relief after a while, thinking that the Great Elder was truly the Great Elder; how could some outside powerhouse be comparable to him?
With Yang Kai and Gong Sun Liang taking the lead, the masters in the private rooms all put forward similar requests.
The last auction item was passed between the hands of many masters and did not return to the auction stage until after a stick of incense worth of time.
Li Nuo smiled and said, “Now that so many Sirs have seen, I wonder if there is anyone who can tell this Mistress what material this is? If anyone is willing to inform this Mistress, if that Sir is able to obtain it in the coming auction, this Mistress can offer that Sir a ten percent discount.”
“Lady Li Nuo, this old master is not talented and can only tell that this material is extremely hard, Origin King Grade at the least,” From one of the B Block private rooms, an old voice sounded immediately.
“What point is there in saying that? This old master can also tell that this is a piece of Origin King Grade material, but what it is exactly is unknown.”
“Could this be a piece of Phoenix Star Silver? It is rumoured that Phoenix Star Silver is formed when an Ancient Divine Spirit True Phoenix releases its fire breath to smelt together extremely hard ores, sealing some of its Fire Attribute essence into it. This old master can sense a hint of heat overflowing from this object which is remarkably similar to the rumoured Phoenix Star Silver.”
“Old Xu, are you blind? Phoenix Star Silver should be a fiery red colour, this thing is a pale blue. Obviously, it’s something else!”
“This…” The person who had spoken before was speechless, apparently feeling that his guess was too arbitrary.
“Hehe,” Li Nuo stood on the stage and smiled slightly, “Sirs, please calm yourselves, let us auction this thing first and then discuss it, shall we?”
She could also see that this group of people did not recognize what this last auction item was and therefore wasn’t prepared to waste any more time.
“It is as Lady Li Nuo says.”
“Good, this old master bids 30 million!” From a B Block private room, the old man who just hypothesized the item was Phoenix Star Silver called out.
Regardless of this thing’s true identity, there was no doubt that it was a piece of Origin King Grade material, and a very large piece at that. If this item could be brought back and refined into an artifact, it would definitely be worth spending some Saint Crystals on.
An Origin King Grade artifact could become a family heirloom. Many Sects didn’t even have a single Origin King Grade artifact.
“31 million!”
“33 million!”
After being investigated by the various masters, this last auction item suddenly became a popular one, and although its price did not rise very high, it at least avoided the fate of being unsold.
Soon, the price rose to 42 million.
By this time, many people had gradually withdrawn.
Perhaps in the hearts of these people, it was not cost-efficient to spend so many Saint Crystals on an unknown item. Only three or five people were still bidding. If no one else stepped in now, this item would likely be sold for around 50 million.
This was indeed the case as, after another round of price-raising, the bids finally came to a halt at 51 million. At this time, no one tried to increase the price further.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Li Nuo’s eyes seeing this, but just as she was about to ask if there were no other bidders, a voice from Room A5 spoke, “60 million!”
Yang Kai had made a bid.
Li Nuo raised her eyes towards Room A5 as a trace of shock flashed across them.
Yang Kai had remained silent until just now, so she thought he had no interest in this item. Now, she knew he did not want to waste his time bidding against these people and simply wanted to swoop in at the end and have the last word.
This was a tactic used by powerful cultivators and was tried and tested.
Was he able to identify this material? Li Nuo was suspicious; after all, Yang Kai was the first to check the auction item just now and he had also made a stir while doing so.
If someone told her that Yang Kai paid such a high price without knowing anything, Li Nuo would not believe it.
However, she knew better than to ask anything and simply waited for the final price to be called.
Yang Kai making a bid here caused others to suddenly become dumbfounded.
Without even mentioning that this price had exceeded everyone’s bottom line, just Yang Kai’s immense strength was enough for them to not dare challenge him.
As such, after the price of 60 million was called, no one tried to enter another bid.
Li Nuo also spoke very quickly, “This Sir has bid 60 million, is there any higher offer? If not, this Mistress will begin the count…”
Li Nuo had a good impression of Yang Kai, not only because Yang Kai gave her an approachable feeling when she first met, but also because of the message that night.
Li Nuo heard at the time that it was none other than Yang Kai who secretly sent her that message!
As such, she naturally considered Yang Kai an ally, and now seeing him bid, she of course did not hesitate to support him, planning on quickly ending the auction so he could acquire this item.
At the same time, she felt a bit annoyed in her heart. If she knew that Yang Kai was interested in this thing, she would not have put it out for auction and simply given it to him. However, this did not matter much. At worst, she could simply return his Saint Crystals later to not let him suffer a loss.
Various thoughts floated across Li Nuo’s mind as she kept talking, “60 million once…”
“70 million!” Before Li Nuo could make it to the second count though, another bid came in.
Li Nuo raised her head in amazement and looked to the side to discover that the new bidder was none other than Great Elder Gong Sun Liang, causing her to frown slightly.
Inside from A5, Yang Kai also raised his brow, feeling quite surprised, but soon, he quoted a new price, “100 million!”
*Si…*
The cultivators in the hall gasped.
In the past, few items exceeded 100 million Saint Crystals during Clear Sky Auction House’s auctions, but today, the last three items met this standard. The Origin King Pill even managed to reach a billion Saint Crystals in price.
This unknown Artifact Refining material had also broken the 100 million mark, and this was just the beginning…
For a time, everyone became excited. The confrontation between two Origin Kings, whether in terms of strength or wealth, was always quite thrilling. How could they miss this good show?
As soon as Yang Kai’s voice fell, Gong Sun Liang called out, “200 million!”
Everyone was stunned as their hearts shook!
Gong Sun Liang had only participated in the bidding for two auction items today, but the way he increased the price for each item he bid on was so arrogant and unrestrained that it was like he did not put his opponent in his eyes.
This wasn’t just bidding anymore; it was simply overwhelming others with money.
Thinking so, many people showed a thoughtful look, wondering whether the Sir in room A5 had somehow offended the Great Elder, causing Great Elder to deal with him in the same manner he dealt with the Second Young Master.
“Haha, Great Elder’s financial strength is truly great, this one is impressed!” Inside his private room. Yang Kai smiled lightly and called out directly, allowing everyone in the hall to hear his words.
“This friend is too polite; it is just a trivial 200 million Saint Crystals. When one reaches the realm that friend and I have, Saint Crystals are meaningless,” Gong Sun Liang replied indifferently.
“What Great Elder said is correct,” Yang Kai agreed, “In view of that, then…”
Yang Kai’s voice paused slightly, causing all the cultivators in the hall to turn sideways and perk up their ears, as if trying to hear more clearly.
“500 million!”
As soon as these words came out, the hall boiled again, with everyone’s eyes bulging as they stared around blankly, wondering if they had heard wrong.
Great Elder’s price increase was ruthless, but this person was even more ruthless than Great Elder! What were the origins of this man, daring to so blatantly compete with the Great Elder? Doesn’t he know how to write the word ‘death’?
Atop the high platform, Li Nuo’s beautiful eyes filled with restlessness as she secretly scolded herself for putting this thing up for auction at all. Now, this had caused a hostile relationship to form between this Sir and the Great Elder. If things were not handled well now, it would be a disaster. While worrying in her heart, she quietly sent a message to Aunt Chun who was hiding nearby, asking her to look for an opportunity to settle this matter peacefully.
Inside room A1, Gong Sun Liang’s voice called out once more, “Friend, are you sure you want to pay 500 million for this thing?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “What’s wrong? Great Elder was willing to spend a billion Saint Crystals on a worthless Origin King Pill, so why can this King not spend 500 million on this unknown Artifact Refining material?”
Gong Sun Liang coldly snorted.
Yang Kai addressing himself as ‘this King’ in front of him upset him greatly. In addition, the last time he asked Jiang Chang Feng to invite Yang Kai, the other party did not give him any face, so his tone became cold, “There is nothing wrong with it, I’m just afraid Your Excellency might be too caught up in the bidding and not be able to pay up later.”
“There’s no need for Great Elder to worry about that,” Yang Kai chuckled, “Great Elder can afford to pay a billion Saint Crystals, so naturally this King can too.”
Being rebuffed again, Gong Sun Liang became even more unhappy and said without hesitation, “600 million!”
“One billion!” Yang Kai did not back down.
These few words caused the price of this unknown Artifact Refining materials to rise to the same level as the previous Origin King Pill, which was not only shocking but also quite ironic.
Is there anything in this world worth a billion Saint Crystals? An Origin King Pill was certainly not worth that much, and this unknown Artifact Refining material was not either, only face was worth so much.
A cold light flashed across Gong Sun Liang’s eyes but just as he was about to increase the price again, Zi Wu Ji’s chuckle suddenly came from room A2, “You two have such immense wealth, Wu Ji is deeply impressed. However, Great Elder, you just spent a billion Saint Crystals, so do you still have the ability to increase the price?”
Zi Wu Ji was still quite disgruntled at the moment. He had been defeated earlier by Gong Sun Liang, losing out on the Origin King Pill, so he was in a foul mood. At this moment, he saw Yang Kai fighting against Gong Sun Liang, so how could he just sit on the sidelines? Immediately he stood up to help Yang Kai.
The enemy of your enemy is your friend! Zi Wu Ji thought clearly in his mind. On top of that, he wanted to win over Yang Kai in the first place, so how could he not support him now? This was the perfect time to sell a favour so Zi Wu Ji spoke without hesitation.
“Is this old master’s ability to pay any concern of Second Young Master’s?” Gong Sun Liang’s expression was gloomy as he spat coldly.
“Wu Ji naturally has no right to interfere with Great Elder’s private affairs, but… now that my honoured father and eldest brother are not on Purple Star, Great Elder leads Purple Star. Great Elder’s reputation is not just his own now, but also that of all of Purple Star, so due care must be taken when matters of integrity and credibility are concerned. Before, Great Elder managed to acquire that Origin King Pill, but no one saw whether Great Elder paid the full billion Saint Crystals he bid. Of course… Wu Ji has confidence in Great Elder’s character and does not doubt his righteousness, but there are thousands of cultivators in this hall now, so it is difficult to say whether everyone has the same trust Wu Ji has. I’m afraid that even now some are suspecting Great Elder acted deceptively and forcibly acquired that Origin King Pill.”
“Impudence!” Jiang Chang Feng roared, “Whether the billion Saint Crystals were paid just now or not, Lady Li Nuo knows best. Lady Li Nuo has personally verified this matter already. What are Second Young Master’s intentions still trying to dispute the truth of this matter?”
“Hehe, it is as Eighth Elder said. Those billion Saint Crystals were surely paid just now!” Zi Wu Ji chuckled.
“Exactly!” Jiang Chang Feng’s face went dark.
“However, doubt only grows when proof is repeatedly denied,” Zi Wu Ji ignored Jiang Chang Feng’s clamour and continued. “Since Great Elder now represents all of Purple Star, even the slightest suspicion against him cannot be tolerated, otherwise my Purple Star will have no credibility at all. Great Elder stands below one but above ten thousand, everything he says and does is an example to my Purple Star, so certainly he does not want such uncertainty to persist.”
Inside room A1, Gong Sun Liang’s eyes were half-squinted, but after Zi Wu Ji finished speaking, he said indifferently, “Then in Second Young Master’s opinion, how should this old master win the trust and others? Please enlighten us, Second Young Master!”
“Wu Ji would not dare act so presumptuous, Great Elder is too serious!” Zi Wu Ji quickly acted humbled, “This matter can be solved simply: If Great Elder wishes to bid again, he only needs to provide proof his offer is real, so… why not send the appropriate number of Saint Crystals to the stage for all to see so none may doubt my Purple Star’s reputation again!”
Zi Wu Ji clever use of words, trying to entrap him, annoyed Gong Sun Liang greatly, so he silently motioned to Jiang Chang Feng. The latter understood his intentions and immediately shouted, “Nonsense, how could there be such an auction in this world…”
“Good idea,” Yang Kai smiled and interrupted Jiang Chang Feng’s words, using his Divine Sense to render the other party unable to speak as he said, “I have no objections. Since I want to bid, I don’t want to be accused of fraud, that would only make me look foolish. En, Young Master Wu Ji’s thoughts are quite keen!”
“This Sir is too polite,” Zi Wu Ji was ecstatic and while answering he quietly whispered to Yang Kai, “Sir, this Wu Ji has 600 million Saint Crystals here, if Sir needs them, this Wu Ji will definitely help!”
“No need. Second Young Master’s kindness, this Yang has noted,” Yang Kai echoed, “I wonder what Great Elder thinks?”
Gong Sun Liang was now even more annoyed, but he was also riding a tiger and could only nod, “Fine, this old master will accompany you!”
He was Purple Star’s Great Elder and had the strongest financial resources in Purple Star City, competing with him this way was the height of folly!
“Since the two Sirs have reached an agreement, this Mistress will do everything she can to facilitate,” Li Nuo sighed secretly. Although the atmosphere in the auction room was still quite tense, there were at least no signs a fight would immediately break out. Turning in Yang Kai’s direction, she called out, “This Sir just bid one billion…”
“En, I don’t have that many Saint Crystals,” Yang Kai replied lightly.
“You don’t have enough Saint Crystals yet you still dare to bid, haha, isn’t this exactly the fraud you spoke of just now?” Jiang Chang Feng laughed.
“Eighth Elder, this Sir only said he does not have so many Saint Crystals, not that he couldn’t pay. Does this Sir perhaps have other items he wishes to barter?” Zi Wu Ji immediately cut in.
“Second Young Master is correct,” Yang Kai nodded slightly, “I don’t have so many Saint Crystals, but I do have other treasures that can be offered. Lady Li Nuo, does this violate your auction house’s regulations?”
“No, my Clear Sky Auction House can accept other items of corresponding value,” Li Nuo said seriously.
“Good, then please take a look at this,” Yang Kai said while throwing a jade bottle casually, which under his exquisite Saint Qi control flew precisely to the stage.
Countless eyes fixed onto the jade bottle as everyone wondered what pill was inside that could possibly be worth a billion Saint Crystals.
Li Nuo caught this jade bottle suspiciously, opened its lid, and peeked inside, only to call out in alarm in the next moment, “This is… an Origin King Pill!”
“What? An Origin King Pill?”
“It couldn’t be?”
“This Sir actually has an Origin King Pill in his hands?”
As soon as Li Nuo’s voice fell, the cultivators in the hall erupted, all of them stretched their necks to try to get a better look at the stage, their eyes seemingly trying to penetrate the jade bottle to see whether there was really an Origin King Pill inside or not.
Li Nuo knew that further words would be pointless so she quickly poured out the contents of the jade bottle.
In an instant, a rich pill fragrance filled the hall.
When the original Origin King Pill was taken out, everyone had smelled its unique fragrance, so after smelling it again so soon, everyone was able to conclude this new pill was an Origin King Pill.
If there was any difference, it was that this pill fragrance… seemed to be more intense.
“Look, isn’t this Origin King Pill slightly bigger than the one from just now? Could its quality be better?”
“Nonsense, how can you judge the quality of a Spirit Pill by its size… however, judging from the colour and richness of its scent, it does seem higher quality than the one from earlier.”
“Isn’t that what I just said?”
“Uh… in a sense.”
The cultivators on the auction house floor endlessly called out while, in Room A2, Zi Wu Ji’s eyes were glued to the Origin King Pill on the stage, joy nearly bursting from his heart.
The Origin King Pill that was auctioned off before was snatched from him by Gong Sun Liang, causing him to feel helpless and annoyed, but just when he thought he had missed this opportunity, Yang Kai had unexpectedly taken out another Origin King Pill, one of even higher quality at that.
How could Zi Wu Ji not be pleasantly surprised?
No matter what, he needed to find a way to obtain this Origin King Pill. With the help of this Spirit Pill, he could attempt to break through to the Origin King Realm as long as he could prepare appropriately!
Once he succeeded, he would have a far stronger position with which to challenge Gong Sun Liang!
“How much is this King’s Spirit Pill worth?” Yang Kai’s voice floated out from his private room.
Li Nuo eyes flashed for a moment before she laughed lightly, “Because the Origin King Pill just now was sold at a price of one billion, this Origin King Pill is naturally worth such an amount in this Mistress’ eyes!”
Obviously, she was assisting Yang Kai.
A haze flashed across Gong Sun Liang’s eyes as he snorted coldly, “Lady Li Nuo, you should think clearly. This old master was willing to spend a billion to buy that Origin King Pill, but that does not mean it is really worth that price. If you intend to say it is worth a billion Saint Crystals, this old master will not agree.”
Li Nuo frowned and was about to say something when Zi Wu Ji’s voice suddenly came out, “Great Elder, don’t worry, this Wu Ji will purchase this Spirit Pill for a billion Saint Crystals.”
Although he did not have a billion Saint Crystals on him now, with his status and position, it would be fine to just give Li Nuo an IOU.
Li Nuo nodded lightly before turning to smile towards Gong Sun Liang, “Since that’s the case, does Great Elder still have any objections?”
“Hmph,” Gong Sun Liang just coldly snorted and quickly declared, “1.1 billion!”
“Great Elder, please send enough Saint Crystals or items of corresponding value to the stage to show fairness!” Zi Wu Ji needled loudly.
Gong Sun Liang said nothing as he sent a Space Ring from Room A1 towards the stage.
Li Nuo stretched out her hand, grabbed it, and began to investigate with a solemn expression.
Zi Wu Ji grinned lightly and said, “Please look carefully, Lady Li Nuo; after all, this is a huge number, not something that can be counted in a short time.”
As soon as this statement came out, many people could not help showing a thoughtful look and silently nodded to themselves. How could such a large number of Saint Crystals be counted at once? But when Li Nuo went to Room A1 to count Saint Crystals just now, she had confirmed the number instantly. Was there something nefarious afoot?
Great Elder could not have actually failed to pay the appropriate number of Saint Crystals, right? If that was the case, it would simply be going too far.
This time, Li Nuo counted for a full incense stick worth of time before smiling and declaring, “The number is confirmed, it is indeed 1.1 billion Saint Crystals!”
“Great Elder is indeed wealthy; this one is truly impressed!” Yang Kai smiled and acknowledged.
“If Your Excellency is unable to increase the price, this last auction item will belong to this old master,” Gong Sun Liang replied lightly.
Yang Kai just chuckled, stretched out his hand, and threw out an object from his private room to land in front of Li Nuo.
It was another jade bottle!
“A pill again?”
“Could it be another Origin King Pill?”
“Of course not, the Origin King Pill can only be refined by an Origin King Grade Alchemist, and its main ingredient is extremely scarce. It is a rare treasure one can only hope to see once in a lifetime, so how could another one possible appear today? This jade bottle must contain some other type of Spirit Pill.”
“That makes sense, but this Sir has an extraordinary background. I think the value of this new pill shouldn’t be any lower than that of an Origin King Pill.”
Everyone was immersed in discussion as they curiously speculated about the pill inside the jade bottle, wondering what kind of treasure Yang Kai had put out this time.
Li Nuo opened the jade bottle and glanced inside suspiciously, only to have her tender body shake noticeably as a look of pure shock appeared on her face as she shouted, “Another Origin King Pill!”
“What? It really is another Origin King Pill?”
“How many Origin King Pills does this Sir have in his hands!”
“Sir, do you want a servant? This old man has a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation. If Sir is willing, this old man would like to offer Sir a lifetime of service!”
“Bullshit! Old Chen, you want to follow this Sir even at your age? You want that Origin King Pill that desperately? With your aptitude, even if you get an Origin King Pill, you can’t break through to the Origin King Realm. Giving it to you would only be a waste! Sir, please take a look at this Sun’s aptitude. This Sun is already a pinnacle Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator with solid Saint Qi and Shi just below the grand accomplishment stage. Please let this Sun offer his service to Sir!”
“Old Sun, you dare to slander this Chen’s reputation? This Chen will fight with you!”
“You two old fools, how could you think yourselves worthy of serving this Sir? Sir, this Mistress has a Special Constitution, and although it does not compare to the legendary Wonderful Furnace Divine Body, it is not far off. Is Sir interested in having a taste? Although this Mistress is only a small Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator now, she will definitely be able to break through to the Origin King Realm sooner or later. If Sir is willing to accept, this Mistress will offer herself as a maid or servant!”
“You whore, how many thousands of men have you been sullied by already? Do not dirty this Sir with your filth! Sir, please accept this Mistress as your servant, I promise I have never been touched by a man before and still retain my purity.”
“No, choose me! I know several boudoir arts that will definitely please Sir!”
The entire auction hall suddenly became as noisy as a hawkers market, with numerous Origin Returning Realm cultivators shouting in the direction of Room A5, everyone trying to promote themselves while some women even shamelessly tried to use seduction.
Yang Kai had taken out two Origin King Pills at once, so everyone could see how wealthy he was. If he could take out two so easily, there may be more. An Origin King Pill was a priceless treasure for any Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator and had a near-fatal temptation to them. If any of them could follow Yang Kai and obtain an Origin King Pill, a lifetime of service was really a cheap price to pay.
Inside the private room, Hua You Meng’s pretty face distorted as she watched a sea of women who had clearly been deflowered throwing coquettish glances towards the man next to her, her brow twitching from a mixture of disgust and disdain.
However, when she cast her beautiful eyes towards Yang Kai, even she could not help being somewhat tempted; after all, she was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator as well!
On the stage, Li Nuo looked at the funny scene below with a wry smile, not knowing what she should do. She had hosted many auctions before, but she had never seen a situation like this.
Her limelight had actually been stolen by a bidder, but she didn’t complain, only feeling this was all… quite strange.
At the critical moment, Yang Kai coughed lightly and said, “Everyone’s sincerity, this King has noted, but this King has no intention of taking any followers. What’s more, these Origin King Pills were only obtained by this King by chance. There are only two, no more.”
Yang Kai really only had two. He had refined them himself on the floating continent in case he needed to take one during his breakthrough to the Origin King Realm, but his breakthrough had gone smoothly in the end so he no longer had a use for these Origin King Pills.
As soon as Yang Kai finished speaking, many cultivators showed looks of disappointment and besides a few people whose eyes still shone brightly, the rest sat down and no longer shouted.
Yang Kai then directed his attention to Li Nuo and asked, “How valuable is this Origin King Pill?”
Li Nuo said without hesitation, “Since the Origin King Pill just now was worth a billion, then this one is the same.”
Gong Sun Liang angrily snapped, “Can you find another person who is willing to spend a billion to buy it?”
Li Nuo suddenly showed a look of embarrassment.
Yang Kai let out a hearty laugh at this and said, “Lady Li Nuo does not need to make things awkward, just mark its value at 500 million.”
Li Nuo showed a look of gratitude and nodded, “Since Sir has said so, then 500 million it is. Does Great Elder have any objections?”
Gong Sun Liang coldly snorted in response.
Everyone knew the value of an Origin King Pill was between 500 to 600 million, with many people even willing to spend more than that. As such, an estimate of 500 million was actually quite low. With Yang Kai being so generous, if Gong Sun Liang still objected, he would only look petty.
Li Nuo smiled slightly, “This Sir from Room A5 has offered 1.5 billion. Does Great Elder want to increase the price?”
Inside Room A1, Gong Sun Liang’s eyes flashed with struggle.
Jiang Chang Feng whispered from the side at that moment, “Great Elder, what special use does that thing possess? Why are you and that person willing to bid such a large amount of money to win it?”
Gong Sun Liang just glanced at him, sneered, and said, “Nothing, we are competing for face.”
“Uh…” Jiang Chang Feng began to leak cold sweat, thinking that a battle over face could actually cost a billion Saint Crystals. These two were truly prodigal. After grumbling silently to himself, he followed up, “If that is the case, Great Elder should not fight with him anymore. This is Purple Star, does Great Elder need to worry about him not giving face?”
A gloomy light flashed across Gong Sun Liang’s eyes before he finally nodded and said, “Fine, this matter will stop here.”
Although he still had the ability to continue bidding, just looking at Yang Kai’s momentum, he wasn’t sure he would be the ultimate winner. As Jiang Chang Feng said, this was Purple Star, where he was the one in charge. What did it matter if he allowed the other party to have a small win for now?
Saying so, his figure actually flickered and he disappeared from the private room.
In Room A1, Jiang Chang Feng looked helpless, knowing that Gong Sun Liang had thrown this to him to clean up and causing him to curse silently to himself.
On the stage, Li Nuo waited for a while, but seeing that Gong Sun Liang still had no intention of increasing the price, she began the countdown joyfully. After a full three count, the unknown Artifact Refining material went to Yang Kai.
When the maidservant brought the unknown material to Room A5, Yang Kai directly stuffed it into his Space Ring, his face filling with joy.
Hua You Meng was very curious, wondering what secrets this material had that it could actually make Yang Kai so happy.
The auction then came to an end, and the cultivators who came to participate left one after another. After most people had gone, Jiang Chang Feng stealthily went to find Li Nuo to retrieve the Saint Crystals that Gong Sun Liang had previously given to her.
That was 1.1 billion Saint Crystals, so they could not just be abandoned.
In Room A2, Zi Wu Ji paced back and forth uneasily, looking up from time to time, as if waiting for something.
After a long time, the door was opened wide and Ji Jun’s figure was revealed.
Zi Wu Ji’s expression shook as he asked urgently, “Old Ji, how did things go?”
Ji Jun grinned, cupped his fists, and said, “This old man has not failed Second Young Master. Both matters were successful.”
“Really?” Zi Wu Ji was overjoyed, “Excellent! After everything is settled, this Young Lord will not forget Old Ji’s valuable contributions!”
Ji Jun just shook his head and said, “Second Young Master is too serious. This old master has watched over you since you were but a small boy, so doing this much is only natural. There is no need to give this old master any credit.”
Saying so, he took out a jade bottle and said, “Second Young Master, please have a look. This is the Origin King Pill that this old master just bought from Lady Li Nuo. Lady Li Nuo offered her thanks to Second Young Master for lending his aid to her during a difficult situation and decided to sell this Origin King Pill to Second Young Master at the last price you bid, 600 million Saint Crystals.”
“Oh?” A look of surprise flashed across Zi Wu Ji’s eyes, “Was Li Nuo always so bold?”
Ji Jun also wore a suspicious expression on his face, “There is no good or evil in business, and Li Nuo is a shrewd businesswoman, taking the initiative to abandon 400 million Saint Crystals… this old master does not believe she doesn’t have a reason… Perhaps she is acquainted with that Sir.”
Zi Wu Ji thoughtfully said, “What Old Ji means is that she is thanking me for assisting that Sir by giving me such a big discount?”
“Besides this, I cannot think of another reason!” Ji Jun nodded sincerely.
“Is that so,” Zi Wu Ji pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement with Ji Jun’s speculation, “If that is the case, then we need to give greater care to this Clear Sky Auction House. En, enough about this for now though, what about the other matter I asked you to do?”
“That Sir has agreed. I have asked Lady Li Nuo to arrange a secret room for Second Young Master and him to meet privately. Please come with me, Second Young Master!”
Zi Wu Ji’s eyes flashed with joy as he quickly left with Ji Jun.
Behind Clear Sky Auction House, in a secret room with multiple barriers isolating it, Li Nuo and Hua You Meng stood quietly outside. Not long after, Zi Wu Ji and Ji Jun arrived.
The two women hurriedly saluted with Li Nuo smiling and saying, “That Sir is inside. Second Young Master, please.”
“Many thanks, Lady Li Nuo,” Zi Wu Ji cupped his fists politely.
“Second Young Master is too polite, it was but a small effort.”
“Regardless, this Young Lord will not forget what happened today. If there is a chance in the future, he will certainly repay this favour!”
Li Nuo smiled and did not say anything more.
Zi Wu Ji then brought Ji Jun and stepped forward.
Inside the room, Yang Kai sat alone on a chair, his eyes closed tightly, as if he was comprehending something.
Seeing this scene, Zi Wu Ji immediately held his breath and motioned to Ji Jun, signalling for him to go out.
Ji Jun frowned and said in a low voice, “Second Young Master…”
“Old Ji, I have a sense of discretion,” Zi Wu Ji looked at Ji Jun sincerely.
Seeing this, the latter had no choice but to withdraw.
Soon, there was only Yang Kai and Zi Wu Ji left in the room. Yang Kai did not move, didn’t open his eyes, and didn’t speak, so Zi Wu Ji didn’t dare to disturb him rashly, instead just standing back and waiting quietly.
He mistakenly thought that Yang Kai was comprehending something, but in reality, Yang Kai had sent his consciousness into the Small Sealed World.
Inside the Small Sealed World, there was no one else besides Yang Kai’s huge Embodiment, Firebird Liu Yan and Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao.
The Embodiment was formed by refining the entire floating continent and was naturally far too big to fit inside a Space Ring. Only an Emperor Artifact like the Small Sealed World was capable of accommodating it.
Since the last time he had collected his Embodiment, Yang Kai had not paid much attention to it, so at this moment, Yang Kai suddenly realized that his Embodiment had actually become much smaller.
Yang Kai was ecstatic. It seemed that as time passed, his Embodiment would continue to purge the impurities from its body, so although it was becoming smaller, its strength was actually growing.
This was similar to Artifact Refining in a sense, and the innate Divine Ability of the Stone Puppet clan was enough for the Embodiment to accomplish it. It seemed that in the future, it would become smaller and smaller.
Of course, it couldn’t return to the size of Xiao Xiao’s natural state, and Yang Kai did not have any desire to see that. As long as its size of his Embodiment could be reduced by half, that would be enough. The current Embodiment was so massive it gave any enemy it faced a strong sense of oppression, but being too large also made it inconvenient to move about, which was a negative.
Liu Yan was still devouring and refining some strands of Sun’s True Fire, an extremely time-consuming process, but with each successful refinement, her strength would noticeably increase.
Xiao Xiao was doing something similar.
Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan were two of Yang Kai’s biggest supporters, so he could not favour one over the other. Now that he had allowed Liu Yan to absorb as much Sun’s True Fire as she wanted, he could not allow Xiao Xiao to fall behind.
But Xiao Xiao’s actions were a little different from Liu Yan’s. Liu Yan would absorb a strand of Sun’s True Fire, then refine and absorb it into her body to increase her strength, while Xiao Xiao would directly swallow the Sun’s True Essence!
This approach was more domineering and dangerous than Liu Yan’s, but it had higher growth potential.
When Yang Kai arrived, his two big helpers were working hard cultivating, but even after so many years of consumption, the piece of Sun’s True Essence remained essentially unchanged, in the same exact state Yang Kai had first found it, exuding a terrifying heat.
Worthy of being refined from the core of a Sun Star, it was truly a priceless treasure. The energy contained inside this small fist-sized ore was impossible to estimate.
Yang Kai brought the unknown Artifact Refining material into the Small Sealed World with him, and with a thought, summoned both Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan.
The next moment, Liu Yan in her human form appeared in front of Yang Kai and said lightly, “Greetings Master, what orders does Master have?”
“You two, swallow and refine the outer layer of material from this thing,” Yang Kai pointed to the unknown material that he spent two Origin King Pills to obtain.
“This is…” Liu Yan stared at the melon-sized ore for a moment before a look of astonishment appeared on her face, “Master, what is this? Why do I feel that it is of great help to me!”
“The outer layer is Phoenix Star Silver!” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
During the auction, one cultivator had speculated that this was a piece of Phoenix Star Silver, and he was not wrong. Phoenix Star Silver was formed when an Ancient Divine Spirit True Phoenix used its flames to smelt together various types of ores and left behind some of its aura inside the resulting ingot, making it extremely valuable.
Liu Yan was originally an Artifact Spirit and her innate form had been that of a Firebird. In this world though, the noblest species of Firebird was naturally the Ancient Divine Spirit True Phoenix!
This was also the reason she could feel that the outer layer of Phoenix Star Silver was of great help to her. If she could devour and refine this Phoenix Star Silver, she might be able to comprehend some slight inheritance of the True Phoenix which formed it.
“The outer layer?” Liu Yan showed a thoughtful look, “That means there is something inside?”
“En, leave what’s inside of it, it’s useful to me!” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
“Master, what is inside this thing?”
“An Origin Essence Crystal!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and uttered a few words solemnly.
“Origin Essence Crystal?” Liu Yan was shocked, “The Origin Essence Crystal that only a Third-Order Origin King can condense?”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded heavily. Although he was now a Second-Order Origin King, he had only just broken through to this realm and was ignorant about how to go about forming an Origin Essence Crystal of his own.
However, he had at least come into contact with a real Origin Essence Crystal before!
The mission entrusted to him by Monster Emperor Star’s Red Moon Tribal Lord was to enter the Blood Prison Trial and obtain the Origin Essence Crystal of Monster King Mad Crocodile!
However, that Origin Essence Crystal was from a Monster Race master, so in terms of form, it more closely resembled a Monster Core. What existed inside this Phoenix Star Silver was no doubt the Origin Essence Crystal of a Human Race master!
It was for this reason that he had spared no expense to compete with Gong Sun Liang for it!
Yang Kai believed that even if Gong Sun Liang did not know what was inside the outer layer of Artifact Refining material was an Origin Essence Crystal, he definitely knew it had extraordinary value, which was why he kept raising the price.
In that auction room, only he and Gong Sun Liang had reached the Second-Order Origin King Realm, and only their Divine Senses could pass through the outer layer of Phoenix Star Silver to see a trace of what really lay inside. No one else was capable of this, making it impossible for anyone else to judge the true value of this Phoenix Star Silver.
The biggest difference, however, was that Yang Kai was certain about what was inside while Gong Sun Liang only had a guess.
If Gong Sun Liang had been certain, there was no way he would have given up so easily. In all likelihood, he would have fought Yang Kai to the bitter end to obtain it.
An Origin Essence Crystal was of unimaginable value to an Origin King Realm cultivator as it could provide great assistance in making a breakthrough from the Second-Order to the Third-Order. Chi Yue had asked Yang Kai to help her obtain the Origin Essence Crystal from Mad Crocodile for this exact reason.
The current Yang Kai was comparable to Chi Yue from that time, so this Origin Essence Crystal was of great use to him.
Throughout the entire Star Field, how many Third-Order Origin Kings were there? These people were all old monsters who the general public didn’t even know were still alive. When these old monsters really reached the end of their lives, they would choose to die in seclusion, causing their Origin Essence Crystals to become lost.
As such, an Origin Essence Crystal was a treasure that simply could not be bought with money.
Yang Kai was able to obtain this Origin Essence Crystal because of pure luck. Compared with the Origin Essence Crystal that existed inside, the value of Phoenix Star Silver was not worth mentioning, so Yang Kai generously gave it to Liu Yan and Xiao Xiao to swallow and refine. Phoenix Star Silver was of great use to Xiao Xiao, while the True Phoenix aura contained in the Phoenix Star Silver was of great significance to Liu Yan. Coupled with the Sun’s True Essence, Yang Kai believed that his two big helpers would see even greater improvement in the future.
As for why this Origin Essence Crystal was wrapped in Phoenix Star Silver, Yang Kai did not know.
Perhaps a Third-Order Origin King was burnt to death by a True Phoenix many years ago, causing their Origin Essence Crystal to fuse together with some nearby ore.
This was nothing more than a guess, but it was probably close to the truth.
It was precisely because of the existence of the Origin Essence Crystal inside that the colour of this Phoenix Star Silver was so unique.
After dealing with matters inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai sent his consciousness back to his body and opened his eyes leisurely.
Glancing faintly at Zi Wu Ji who was standing to the side, Yang Kai said, “Take a seat, Second Young Master.”
Although he had been dealing with the Origin Essence Crystal inside the Small Sealed World just now, Yang Kai was still aware of Zi Wu Ji’s arrival, so he wasn’t surprised at all.
Seeing him act so amiable, Zi Wu Ji smiled happily and quickly said, “In front of Sir, Wu Ji can stand and talk.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes lightly before saying, “Young Master Wu Ji is Purple Star’s Second Young Master. Our statuses aren’t too different, so it would be inappropriate for you to stand up and talk.”
Zi Wu Ji only cupped his fists and said in neither a humble nor overbearing tone, “If that is the case, then Wu Ji asks Venerable to forgive his presumptuousness.”
Saying so, he sat down opposite Yang Kai before taking the initiative to pick up the teapot and pour a cup for Yang Kai, showing extreme courtesy.
Yang Kai smiled slightly and said, “This King must first thank Second Young Master for his follow up a few days ago.”
Zi Wu Ji was startled but quickly realized what Yang Kai was referring to and hurriedly said, “Venerable is too serious, Jiang Chao is nothing but a pitiful weakling. Daring to offend Venerable is a sin worthy of death. Although Wu Ji ordered Vice Commander Qu Zheng to arrest him forcefully, Great Elder’s influence is simply too great, so that waste was eventually released and ultimately not punished.”
Yang Kai simply chuckled, “Since Second Young Master also knows that Jiang Chao is just a pitiful weakling, how could this King care about him?”
Zi Wu Ji immediately cupped his fists and said, “Sir Venerable is benevolent, this Wu Ji is impressed.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Enough idle talk, Second Young Master having Li Nuo make this arrangement in secret is not for such trivialities, is it?”
Zi Wu Ji looked straight ahead and said, “Wu Ji heard that Purple Star’s third Venerable had appeared. Sir Venerable’s strength is also profound, a true blessing for my Purple Star…”
“Get to the point!”
Zi Wu Ji’s voice stopped abruptly, and he pondered for a moment before standing up and bowing deeply, “Wu Ji respectfully requests Venerable assist me in taking control of Purple Star!”
His expression was firm and his voice was sonorous and powerful, but after he said these words, big beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Obviously, he was extremely nervous and still struggling deep in his heart.
After not receiving any response for some time, Zi Wu Ji quietly looked up only to see Yang Kai looking at him with a smile. This smile was very meaningful, and although the other party’s gaze didn’t seem to give off any kind of pressure, they were so piercing that it was as if they could see straight into his soul.
Zi Wu Ji heart jumped as he suddenly felt that all his secrets were seen through, but he still grits his teeth and shouted, “Please assist this Wu Ji, Venerable!”
“Bold!” Yang Kai slammed his fist on the table and shouted with a cold, gloomy tone.
Zi Wu Ji shivered as he seemed to understand something and stared towards Yang Kai in amazement.
Yang Kai sneered, “Second Young Master, I didn’t expect you to be so treasonous! You know that this King is a Purple Star Venerable, under one but above ten thousand, a representative of Purple Star’s majesty and strength, yet you dare ask this King to help you subvert your father’s rule? Are you trying to force this King to kill you?”
Zi Wu Ji hurriedly said, “Please restrain your anger, Venerable. As Purple Star’s Second Young Master, Wu Ji understands the order of things, it’s just…”
“It’s just, what?” Yang Kai glared at Zi Wu Ji, releasing his Domain to enshroud him, as if he would kill him in the next instant if he dared utter something dissolute.
The sweat on Zi Wu Ji’s forehead fell like raindrops, and for the first time in his life, he felt a real threat of death. Under the pressure of Yang Kai’s Domain, he almost lost the ability to think and collapsed to his knees.
But at the critical moment, he bit his tongue and cleared his mind just enough to say, “If this was an ordinary time, Wu Ji would not dare to have these unreasonable thoughts. Purple Star has been commanded by my Zi Family for generations, and my father Zi Long is the sole overlord of this world, Wu Ji’s most respected and admired person. How could Wu Ji dare be disrespectful to him? But… father has already fallen, and eldest brother has disappeared, so Purple Star is currently a dragon without a head. If this Wu Ji does not stand up here, who else can?”
“What did you just say?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared hard at Zi Wu Ji, a true murderous intent rising from the depths of his heart.
He never expected that Zi Wu Ji knew that Zi Long had died.
Although he didn’t know how he learned it, it was clear this was not some random guess but a statement made with full confidence.
But apart from Yang Kai and Gui Zu, there was no one else present when Zi Long died, so how could Zi Wu Ji know about this? Yang Kai completely couldn’t figure it out.
Zi Wu Ji seemed to have calmed down a lot and his speech gradually became clear. Looking directly into Yang Kai’s eyes without fear, he replied, “Venerable does not need to deceive Wu Ji. Wu Ji learned about his father’s death long ago.”
Saying so, he laughed despondently and said, “Venerable must be suspicious of how Wu Ji knows about this. It’s rather simple actually, my father had a Life Lamp that continued to shine as long as he was alive. Only one person in the world knows about the existence of this Life Lamp and this is my mother! Even my eldest brother Zi Dong does not know of this Life Lamp.”
“A Life Lamp?” Yang Kai raised his brow. Although he had never heard of such a thing, he figured it was similar to the Ice Soul Bead that Su Yan had condensed before. If it broke, it meant the person it represented had died.
“En,” Zi Wu Ji nodded sincerely, “Although my father has many wives and concubines, Wu Ji’s mother is his favourite, so she was given this Life Lamp. After the Life Lamp broke, Wu Ji was informed about this matter by his mother.”
“Since Zi Long cares about your mother so much, why not train you as his successor?” Yang Kai sneered.
Zi Wu Ji smiled bitterly, “Venerable only came to Purple Star recently, so he is probably not clear about the situation. Purple Star is indeed headed by my honoured father, but under father, Great Elder is the most powerful person, and my eldest brother’s mother is the daughter of Great Elder…”
“En, I understand,” Yang Kai nodded lightly. In short, this was a political move by Zi Long. This also explained why such a weak-minded boy like Zi Dong had become Purple Star’s Young Master. Yang Kai had thought Zi Long had simply spoiled his son too much, but now it seemed there were other reasons as well.
“Venerable doesn’t seem to be surprised by the news that my honoured father has fallen. Wu Ji assumes Venerable already knew, yes?” Zi Wu Ji looked at Yang Kai and asked lightly.
“What makes you think so?” Yang Kai asked back.
“Haha, when my father went out with Eldest Brother before, he went to the legendary Severed World… an extremely dangerous and crisis-ridden place. Even my father was not certain he could return safely. My father should have fallen there… Venerable, you suddenly appeared in Purple Star City after that event, and Wu Ji had never heard of you before. Wu Ji guessed that you should have met my father in the Severed World and become my Purple Star’s third Venerable there. Perhaps Venerable was even there when Father fell, making it impossible for you to be surprised by this news.”
“Your analysis is reasonable!” Yang Kai nodded approvingly, but in the next instant his face suddenly became cold and a thick murderous intent burst from his body, “But today’s situation could also be explained by this King having killed Zi Long. Did Young Master Wu Ji not consider this possibility?”
Zi Wu Ji’s complexion changed slightly but he didn’t become flustered, instead calmly saying, “Wu Ji naturally considered such a possibility, but he decided the chances of that being the case were negligible. It is not that Wu Ji questions Venerable’s strength, but Venerable was able to obtain my honoured father’s approval, so there is no doubt Venerable possesses shocking strength and means. Despite that, Venerable should not have the ability to kill a character like my father. As such, my honoured father’s death should have nothing to do with Venerable.”
Ordinarily, there would be nothing wrong with Zi Wu Ji’s speculation, but he had seriously underestimated Yang Kai’s strength and the situation before was not just Yang Kai and Zi Long fighting, but Gui Zu and Yang Kai’s Embodiment battling together.
“Besides, there is another more important reason. My eldest brother is still alive. If my father had really been killed by Venerable, eldest brother would definitely not have survived.”
“Your elder brother also has a Life Lamp?” Yang Kai asked in astonishment.
“Naturally,” Zi Wu Ji nodded.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling fortunate that he had not destroyed Zi Dong’s Soul, otherwise, his arrival on Purple Star would have begun with an encirclement from all of Purple Star’s masters.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s eyes gradually softened and he sighed, “Young Master Wu Ji, you are quite smart! If I were Zi Long, I would definitely train you as my successor!”
Zi Wu Ji smiled happily and humbly said, “Venerable is too polite, Wu Ji is only doing his best to survive.”
Yang Kai then sighed and said, “You are correct. Zi Long did fall in the Severed World. I also met Zi Long there and shared a life and death experience with him. He invited me to join Purple Star after we managed to survive and this King also agreed, but who would have thought that there was a Divine Bird Seven Coloured Radiant Peacock in that damned place. That wicked beast was stronger than an ordinary Third-Order Origin King, and your father was unfortunately struck by its Seven Coloured Radiant Light when it went on a rampage, causing his demise.”
Listening to what Yang Kai said, Zi Wu Ji immediately cried bitterly and sorrowfully, with tears trickling down his face…
Yang Kai looked at him coldly as he secretly admired his acting skills.
This Zi Wu Ji was definitely a talented schemer and was putting on quite a convincing performance, as if he was really devastated by this news, but it was precisely because of his desperation that he appeared artificial.
After all, he had learned of his father’s death long ago because of the broken Life Lamp. Now that Zi Wu Ji was appearing in front of Yang Kai, his current ‘sorrow’ was clearly nothing more than an act, but this also made it difficult for Yang Kai to determine if Zi Wu Ji bought his story or not.
However, whether Zi Wu Ji believed him or not didn’t really matter, Yang Kai just needed to take one step at a time.
After crying for some time, Zi Wu Ji gradually composed himself and after wiping his tears, he said in a trembling voice, “I’ve shown Venerable something disgraceful.”
“It is only natural for Second Young Master to be saddened!” Yang Kai patiently comforted.
“Venerable, this Wu Ji still has something he is unclear about and hopes Venerable can provide some clarity,” Zi Wu Ji quickly recovered, seemingly turning his grief into strength.
“Go ahead,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“My eldest brother… where is he now?” Zi Wu Ji asked in a low voice.
Yang Kai looked at him and smiled lightly, “And why do you want to know that?”
Zi Wu Ji quickly said, “The Severed World is so dangerous that even a master like my honoured father fell inside, so my eldest brother should not be safe. Perhaps, it was thanks to Venerable that he was able to survive, so the only one who would know my eldest brother’s whereabouts would be Venerable.”
“So?” Yang Kai’s brow rose, “What’s wrong? Does Young Master Wu Ji want this King to hand over your eldest brother to you to ‘deal’ with?”
Zi Wu Ji waved his hand in trepidation, “Wu Ji wouldn’t dare! Wu Ji never had such intentions! Eldest brother and Wu Ji are both the same now. With Father having already fallen, how could Wu Ji possibly have any ill intent towards his brother? It’s just that Wu Ji would like to ask if Venerable coming to Purple Star at this time was because he was entrusted to by eldest brother?”
“Nonsense, what kind of identity does this King have? Even if he is Purple Star’s Young Master, has no right to command this King,” Yang Kai sneered.
Zi Wu Ji was overjoyed hearing this and nodded, “Then everything is simpler. Venerable had a fated friendship with my honoured father, so Venerable definitely cannot bear to watch Purple Star fall into the hands of outsiders. If that truly happened, how would my father ever rest in peace? Venerable, please help Wu Ji to prevent that from happening!”
Yang Kai remained silent, seeming in deep thought.
Zi Wu Ji, however, decided to strike while the iron was hot and said, “Venerable has already met my eldest brother and certainly knows what his character is. From Venerable’s point of view, who would be more appropriate to sit in the position of Purple Star’s Sect Master between us?”
When he said this, Zi Wu Ji didn’t bother concealing his ambition anymore, his eyes flashing a brilliant light.
Yang Kai said lightly, “Although Zi Dong has a good aptitude and steady temperament, he is inferior to Young Master Wu Ji in terms of strategy. He may become a powerhouse, but he will never become a ruler.”
“Many thanks for your praise, Venerable!” Zi Wu Ji accepted this evaluation without hesitation before quickly saying, “Venerable, father and eldest brother have been missing for nearly two years now so their reputations still carry great prestige, but Great Elder has not stopped manoeuvring behind the scenes, and if things continue this way, Purple Star’s situation will soon become worrying. Venerable has accepted the Venerable Token from my honoured father, so Wu Ji considers him to be of similar faith. If Venerable were to lend his assistance now, Wu Ji is assured of success.”
“You have such confidence?” Yang Kai frowned.
Zi Wu Ji smiled confidently, “My Zi Family is supreme on Purple Star! Wu Ji has been keeping a low profile for many years, but now that I dare to jump out and fight with that old fart, I have prepared well. All that is missing is someone who can compete with that old fart head-to-head! Venerable’s arrival gives Wu Ji great hope!”
Yang Kai looked at Zi Wu Ji in surprise as he realized he had been slightly underestimating him. From Zi Wu Ji’s tone, it was apparent he already managed to win over many powerful cultivators to work for him.
Yang Kai did not care about the power struggles inside Purple Star one bit; after all, his purpose here was only the Star Emperor Token, but the last time he went to Purple Star Palace, he had alerted the enemy, making a stealthily approach far more difficult. As such, Yang Kai now felt that using Zi Wu Ji to get his hands on what he wanted was a good alternative.
At this point, Yang Kai pretended to think.
Zi Wu Ji did not dare to bother him rashly and could only stand in unease and wait.
After a long time, just when Zi Wu Ji’s anxiety was about to boil over, Yang Kai suddenly said, “Young Master Wu Ji being so open and honest pleases this King greatly. I believe that if Zi Long knew all the effort Young Master Wu Ji was putting forth, he would laugh heartily from his place of eternal rest.”
“Does Venerable mean…” Zi Wu Ji looked at Yang Kai in surprise and joy.
“It is not impossible for me to help you. As a Venerable, I should contribute to Purple Star’s prosperity, and this King is not so cold-blooded he can just stand by and watch as Purple Star’s foundation falls into the hands of others, but…”
“What are Venerable’s requirements? Please just speak them and if Wu Ji can handle it, he will definitely not refuse!” Zi Wu Ji was very eager for success and didn’t even wait for Yang Kai to finish speaking.
“Very well,” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction, “This King only has two requirements. The first is that this King wants to enter your Purple Star’s Vault to take something from it. This was an agreement your father made with me when I became a Venerable!”
“The Vault!” Zi Wu Ji looked surprised before immediately revealing a bitter smile, “Venerable may not know, but Purple Star’s Vault is the most heavily guarded location in Purple Star Palace. Although Wu Ji can approach it, he cannot open it as he does not possess the key. Wu Ji has never actually entered the Vault before. Only my honoured father and eldest brother have the right to do so.”
“I have the key,” Yang Kai said, “Second Young Master need not concern himself about this point.”
“Father’s key is in Venerable’s hands?” Zi Wu Ji was shocked.
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded.
Zi Wu Ji’s face changed slightly, seemingly thinking of something, but he quickly composed himself and nodded, “If that’s the case, then it shouldn’t be a difficult matter to handle. As the Second Young Master, Wu Ji naturally has the right to approach the Vault.”
“Very good,” Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction, “The second thing is to release the people of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce that are being held captive.”
Zi Wu Ji heard this and immediately wore a look of distress as he helplessly said, “Venerable may not be aware, however, those people were not imprisoned by Wu Ji, but rather by Great Elder. The ones guarding them all belong to Great Elder.”
“Of course I know he is responsible,” Yang Kai said coldly snorted. “Second Young Master is too busy just taking care of himself now, how could he have time to meddle with Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce? However, this King is very curious: Why would Great Elder do this?”
Zi Wu Ji’s face turned gloomy as he explained, “If Wu Ji has not guessed wrong, it was probably that old dog’s method to suppress me.”
“Oh? Do explain!” Yang Kai frowned.
“Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is a behemoth that, while not stronger than my Purple Star, is also not weaker,” Zi Wu Ji said in a low voice, “The one who came to Purple Star this time and was detained by Great Elder seems to be the son of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President. If Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce learns about this, they will take action. This matter could be made bigger or smaller quite easily. At worst though, it could lead to a war between our two forces. However, this matter could also be solved with some simple compensation. If Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce really gets news of this incident, as long as no one of importance has died, Great Elder just needs to hand over a scapegoat to settle the matter, making big things small and small things nothing. If that happens, I believe that Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce will not try to escalate matters further, as they would not want a war with Purple Star either. Of course, the scapegoat that is delivered must be of a certain status or this plan will not work. No ordinary cat or dog would be enough to quell the anger of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce!”
“And that scapegoat is you?” Yang Kai suddenly understood.
“Apart from me, who else in Purple Star can take on this role?” Zi Wu Ji sneered, “If Wu Ji is handed over, then Purple Star will have to change its surname.”
“So that’s how it is,” Yang Kai finally figured out why Purple Star would suddenly detain Shen Tu. It was a method Great Elder was planning to use to deal with Zi Wu Ji. It could only be said that Shen Tu had bad luck when he set out on this mission, entering into this undercurrent without any knowledge.
“So, if Venerable wants to save those people, that old fart needs to be dealt with first!”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Venerable, are you… familiar with those Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce people?” Zi Wu Ji couldn’t restrain his curiosity and asked.
Yang Kai just glanced at him lightly.
Zi Wu Ji immediately smirked and said, “Wu Ji has said too much.”
“Enough, this King now wants to know how Second Young Master plans to deal with Great Elder. Don’t tell me you don’t have a complete plan?”
“Naturally not!” Zi Wu Ji’s face showed a confident look, “Wu Ji has been preparing a long time for this day to come. With Venerable’s help, this matter may finally succeed. Wu Ji’s plan is like this…”
Zi Wu Ji then began to detail his thoughts and ideas.
Yang Kai listened calmly while secretly feeling surprised in his heart. He didn’t expect that, with Zi Wu Ji’s means and abilities, he was actually able to endure until today before revealing his true face. Moreover, the number of masters on Purple Star he had won over was considerable.
This boy really knew how to bide his time and wait for his opportunity.
After listening, Yang Kai silently summed the matter up and felt that it had a high chance of success, immediately causing him to raise his evaluation of Zi Wu Ji and comment, “If the Purple Star can be controlled by Second Young Master, its future will definitely be more brilliant.”
“Venerable surely jests,” Zi Wu Ji smiled humbly.
“Alright then, it’s getting late. This matter will end here for today. When the day arrives, this King will go to find Second Young Master.”
“Wu Ji respectfully sees off Venerable!” Zi Wu Ji got up and bowed.
Outside the room, Yang Kai greeted Li Nuo before taking Hua You Meng back to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.
Inside the room, Zi Wu Ji could not hide the joy on his face as he smiled silently.
When Ji Jun came in and saw him like this, he was pleasantly surprised and asked, “Young Lord, did you reach an agreement with that Sir?”
Zi Wu Ji nodded.
Ji Jun palmed his right fist with his left and exclaimed, “Excellent, after so many days, we can finally breathe easy. However, Young Lord, is that Sir credible?”
Hearing Ji Jun’s question, the joy on Zi Wu Ji’s face reduced as he said, “It should be possible. That Sir does not have a strong sense of belonging to my Purple Star, so he will not be loyal to any side. As long as I can meet his requirements, he can be used by me. But having said that, we should still take precautions… Old Ji, follow me back to Purple Star Palace to see my mother.”
Ji Jun looked stern as he asked, “Young Lord is going to ask that Sir to intervene?”
Zi Wu Ji nodded, “Yes. My Purple Star has more than one Venerable.”
…..
After returning to Five Paths Chamber of Commerce with Hua You Meng, Yang Kai entered retreat while also asking the people from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce to not go out for the time being.
In fact, there was no need for him to even ask this, as when Hua You Meng returned with more than 200 million Saint Crystals, Xia Jing Wu and others were completely shocked.
None of them had even dreamed they would see such a huge number of Saint Crystals in their lifetime, yet now this massive wealth was right in front of them.
None of them could believe it at first.
After half a day, everyone gradually accepted this reality, and under the instructions of Hua You Meng, they allocated 20 million Saint Crystals to buy precious cultivation resources.
Over the next few days, everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce only wanted to enter secluded cultivation; how could they even think of going out?
Time flew by, and half a month later, it was the day Purple Star paid tribute to its ancestors.
On this day each year, Purple Star’s high-level officials would gather to pay their respects to their ancestors under the leadership of Purple Star’s Sect Master, to comfort their ancestors in the afterlife.
There was a huge ancestral hall set up in Purple Star Palace where tablets for all the Elder level figures from Purple Star were set up. Not just those from the Zi Family, but all who had made great contributions to Purple Star were memorialized here.
This was a major event for Purple Star, and no one dared to treat it carelessly.
Purple Star’s senior management spent great effort every year to prepare for this ceremony, considering all aspects.
As such, all of Purple Star’s executives would arrive at Purple Star Palace on time and gather in the direction of the ancestral hall.
Almost all eyes were focused on the ancestral hall at this time, so the protection of other places was largely ignored.
Yang Kai also came to Purple Star Palace at this time.
After showing his Venerable Token to the guards at the palace gate, he was welcomed inside respectfully.
After a short walk, a figure suddenly appeared and said to the guard, “Withdraw, this old master will take charge from here.”
“Yes.” The guard bowed and retreated quickly.
Yang Kai looked at the man and cupped his fists lightly, “Elder Ji!”
This person was none other than Ji Jun who had always been following Zi Wu Ji.
Ji Jun smiled and replied politely, “Ji Jun greets Venerable Yang. Venerable, please come with me. Second Young Master has already arranged everything.”
“En, lead the way!” Yang Kai nodded lightly before following Ji Jun inside.
Ji Jun was undoubtedly familiar with Purple Star Palace and led Yang Kai through a series of paths for half an hour before arriving at a well-secured palace at its centre. This palace was built from some unknown material that appeared extremely solid and had many defensive barriers erected around it.
However, no cultivators were guarding this place at the moment, obviously all having been transferred away.
Standing in front of this palace, Ji Jun wore a nearly frantic look that could not be concealed. Taking a deep breath to calm his rampaging mood, he quickly said, “Venerable Yang, this is Purple Star’s Vault. Second Young Master has said that all that is necessary to open it is the unique key and a drop of Blood Essence from a direct descendant of the Zi Family.”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed hearing this, “I still need a drop of Blood Essence from the Zi Family’s direct line? How come I haven’t heard about this until now?”
Whether it was Zi Dong or Zi Wu Ji, neither had told him this secret. Zi Wu Ji concealing something from him, Yang Kai could understand, after all, the two weren’t close and although they had reached an agreement with one another, this was a relationship built on benefits, not trust.
However, Zi Dong not saying anything about this, annoyed Yang Kai greatly.
Ji Jun chuckled, “Please calm yourself, Venerable, this is only a minor matter. Young Master Wu Ji has already prepared a drop of his Blood Essence for Venerable.”
Saying so, he wiped his Space Ring and took out a transparent bottle. This bottle had a drop of red blood in it that gave off a faint purple brilliance. It seemed that there was some mysterious power contained in this drop of blood.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and before Ji Jun realized what had happened, Yang Kai had already seized the drop of Blood Essence, causing the latter’s face to change drastically.
He was a First-Order Origin King, but before he noticed Yang Kai had been able to snatch something from his hand. It was obvious from this alone how great the gap in their strength was.
“Venerable, this…” Ji Jun looked at the drop of Blood Essence anxiously and stammered.
“How do I use this thing? Tell me,” Yang Kai spoke lightly, but his tone was filled with a commanding presence that allowed no resistance.
Ji Jun’s face was ugly, but he did not dare to disobey and replied, “Just apply this drop of Blood Essence to the key.”
Yang Kai nodded, stretched out his hand, and opened the bottle cap. With a surge of Saint Qi, Yang Kai made the drop of Blood Essence fly out of the jade bottle and directly splash onto the key he had taken out at some point.
The golden key seemed to come alive at that moment and quickly swallowed Zi Wu Ji’s Blood Essence. There was even a faint sucking sound. The next moment, the golden key turned into a tiny dragon with two horns and a faint purple halo. Circling the air a few times, it then plunged into the front door of the Vault.
The heavy door which seemed to be impregnable suddenly flickered as a series of ripples appeared on its surface.
“Elder Ji should wait here for a moment, I’ll be right back,” Yang Kai spoke before his figure flashed and flew into the Vault.
“Wait!” Ji Jun had received Zi Wu Ji’s instructions to not let Yang Kai out of his sight, so how could he allow him to enter the Vault all alone? However, before Ji Jun could follow, the Vault door returned to its normal state, barring him from entering.
Everything happened so fast that Ji Jun nearly smacked into the door.
“This is bad!” Ji Jun jumped anxiously as he cursed Yang Kai mercilessly in his heart.
This was Purple Star’s Vault, which had stored its most precious treasures for countless years. Although there were not many things inside, each item was a key part of Purple Star’s heritage and foundation. Now that Yang Kai had entered all alone, only the Heavens knew what he would do. Would he really keep his promise to only take a single item?
Because of this concern, Zi Wu Ji had told Ji Jun to follow Yang Kai closely, firstly to prevent Yang Kai from becoming greedy, and second because he wanted to know what Yang Kai wanted to take away.
No one expected Yang Kai’s movements to be so fast though, to the point where even a First-Order Origin King like Ji Jun was caught completely off guard.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Ji Jun’s face was as ugly as if his father had just died thinking about how he would explain this to Zi Wu Ji later. All Ji Jun could do now was pray that Yang Kai would not be too greedy and only take what he had been promised.
Inside the Vault, Yang Kai looked around and soon found that this place did not occupy a very large area and there weren’t many things inside. However, everything he saw made his eyes shine brightly.
Even with the current height of his vision, the content of Purple Star’s Vault amazed him.
There were no Saint Crystals here, but there were many big and small jade bottles, all kinds of artifacts, various Secret Arts and Secret Techniques…
Even without investigating them carefully, Yang Kai could tell that everything here was a rare treasure.
Yang Kai stood on the spot, grinned meaningfully, then immediately stretched out his hand and summoned the Soul Sustaining Bowl into his palm. His gaze becoming sharp, Yang Kai sent a pulse of his Divine Sense into the bowl.
The next moment, a miserable scream came from the bowl and Zi Dong’s Soul Avatar appeared in a flicker, crying out in pain and fear, “Sir, what happened?”
Yang Kai looked at him mockingly and revealed a vicious grin as he spoke, “Zi Dong, come take a look, do you recognize this place?”
Zi Dong turned his head and looked around and his face suddenly changed, muttering under his breath, “Purple Star’s Vault? How could you…”
Before he finished speaking though, he suddenly realized something and hurriedly put on a flattering smile, “Congratulations Sir, this is my Purple Star’s Vault, hehe…”
“Don’t feign stupidity in front of this King!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “To enter this Vault, one needs a drop of Blood Essence from your Zi Family’s direct line, why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
“Please calm yourself, Sir! This Dong simply wanted to wait until Sir was fully prepared before explaining this matter; however, there was simply no chance to do so. This Dong never intended to conceal anything!”
“Trying to act clever now?” Yang Kai sneered, “Do you think I don’t know what you were plotting? Did you want to borrow my hand to get rid of your second brother Zi Wu Ji?”
Zi Dong’s face paled as he went speechless.
Obviously, Yang Kai was right.
“Zi Dong, you may have thought you were acting smart, but you only harmed yourself in the end,” Yang Kai snickered.
“Mercy! Mercy Sir! This Dong won’t dare repeat this mistake!” Zi Dong’s Soul kowtowed directly in the Soul Sustaining Bowl.
“Now you want mercy? Why didn’t you think about your position earlier?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, and while talking, he pointed his finger towards Zi Dong’s Soul Avatar.
As soon as he pointed his finger, Zi Dong’s Soul Avatar was struck hard, and like a cloud hit by a burst of wind, it began to scatter. A terrified scream rang out, but even that quickly weakened, eventually disappearing altogether.
Yang Kai had no remorse in killing Zi Dong. This boy had made trouble for him again and again in the Severed World and even forced Xu Wei to try to kill him. If Zi Dong did not have some use still, Yang Kai would not have kept him in the Soul Sustaining Bowl.
At this moment, knowing that this boy was still trying to use him, how could Yang Kai let him survive?
With Zi Dong’s Soul being destroyed, Yang Kai simply stored the Soul Sustaining Bowl away. This was a very strange artifact, and it may have some role to play in the future.
Only now did Yang Kai begin to investigate the Vault’s contents.
Opening a nearby jade bottle, Yang Kai immediately became excited.
There were not many pills placed in this Vault, only eight different types in fifty-two different bottles, but each and every bottle held a Spirit Pill of Origin King Grade! These Spirit Pills would have a huge effect on the cultivation of any Origin King and were preserved here by Purple Star for many years.
Yang Kai was naturally not polite and swept all of them into his Space Ring.
The various artifacts were also not overlooked.
Five of the artifacts placed here were Origin King Grade, with the highest quality being Origin King Grade Mid-Rank, while the other four were Origin King Grade Low-Rank.
In addition, the rest were Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts.
These Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts were also different from ordinary Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts. Each of these artifacts had great power and even if they had not quite reached Origin King Grade, the difference wasn’t great.
There were also the Secret Arts and Secret Techniques that Purple Star had collected over the years. Yang Kai did not let these go either. Now that High Heaven Sect had thousands of disciples and was on its way to becoming a massive hegemon, if Yang Kai could bring back these Secret Arts and Secret Techniques, it would provide the disciples more choices to enhance their strength.
How could any Secret Art or Secret Technique placed in this Vault be bad? Cultivating these techniques would ensure that High Heaven Sect’s disciples had an advantage over average cultivators from the start. This would allow the disciples of High Heaven Sect to surpass their peers by a wide margin in the future.
In addition to these things, there were many rare and precious Alchemy and Artifact Refining materials.
Yang Kai stuffed everything he came across into his pockets.
All at once, he had made a massive profit.
Yang Kai did not have the slightest guilt about this. Although he had told Zi Wu Ji that he only wanted to take one thing, how much he took was beyond Zi Wu Ji’s control after entering this Vault.
Yang Kai never had a good impression of Purple Star, so acting ruthlessly towards them was no burden to him.
The harvest was huge, but Yang Kai still had not found what he needed.
However, he was not in a hurry and instead calmly cast his gaze on a few boxes which were placed in the most inconspicuous corner.
There were a total of three boxes over there, arranged one by one. If his guess was not wrong, the Star Emperor Token should be hidden in one of these boxes.
The Star Emperor Token was related to the key he needed to enter the Star Boundary and seek a higher Martial Dao, so Yang Kai naturally cared very much about it.
As of now, he had collected six of the nine tokens, and with the one from Purple Star, that would make seven, leaving just two more to gather before he could open the passage to the Star Boundary.
This was why he had put in so much effort here on Purple Star.
When he came to the three boxes, Yang Kai examined them for a while to confirm there were no barriers protecting them before reaching out and opening the first.
Inside this box there was something that resembled a crystal.
Yang Kai soon showed a weird look on his face as even after carefully investigating this crystal, he was unable to determine what it was. This crystal was round, pure, and flawless, while somewhat resembling a Saint Crystal.
However, it was definitely not a Saint Crystal.
A single piece of Saint Crystal could never have been preserved inside Purple Star’s Vault.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and picked up this round crystal from the box but after lifting it up, his expression only became stranger as he found no discernable energy fluctuations coming from it at all, almost as if it was just a useless decoration.
When he probed it with his Divine Sense though, his face abruptly changed as he whispered in amazement, “this powerful?”
At that moment, he felt an unimaginably mass of energy inside this unremarkable crystal!
This energy was vast like an ocean, and when Yang Kai poured his Divine Sense into it, he was stunned to discover that he simply could not estimate its total amount, as if it was endless, causing his heart to pound slightly.
“Is it really some kind of Saint Crystal?” Yang Kai was a little unsure as he could feel that the energy contained in this crystal had no impurities and could be easily absorbed and refined by a cultivator. This thing could absolutely be used as an auxiliary to cultivate, just like a Saint Crystal, but how could any Saint Crystals possess such powerful energy?
Yang Kai tried circulating his Secret Art to absorb the energy inside the crystal and found the process was incomparably smooth, the energy simply flowing into his meridians from his palm without resistance.
Yang Kai immediately felt refreshed, as if he was being enveloped by this massive warm energy.
After only a moment of absorption, Yang Kai found that he had taken in a few hundred Saint Crystals worth of energy, but this round crystal actually showed no signs of change, as if the energy it contained was limitless.
“Is this an Earth Vein Crystal?” Yang Kai suddenly remembered a rumour he had once heard, and his eyes lit up.
Earth Veins were the results of massive amounts of World Energy accumulating and solidifying underground over eons of time. Earth Veins could not be moved or transferred and where one existed, the ambient World Energy would generally be richer. Great forces would try to build their headquarters on top of Earth Veins so their disciples could have better cultivation environments.
The more powerful the Sect was, the more it tried to occupy an excellent Earth Vein.
Earth Veins were divided into three grades, with the most inferior type being quite common. Beneath every Spirit Mountain and River, there would be at least one Low-Grade Earth Vein. Mid-Grade Earth Veins, however, were few and far between, with High-Grade ones being extremely rare.
Below High Heaven Sect, there was a highest of High-Grade Earth Vein, which was why its ambient World Energy was so rich.
Earth Veins were not just divided by grade, but also by size. Some Earth Veins occupied vast areas while some only extended a few kilometers, every size was possible.
Legend had it though that in the highest quality Earth Veins, where World Energy had gathered in one place for many, many years, a crystal core could form, an Earth Vein Crystal!
Earth Veins could not be moved, but Earth Vein Crystals could be carried with you.
Carrying an Earth Vein Crystal was equivalent to carrying the highest quality Earth Vein on the person. With an Earth Vein Crystal, there was no need for a cultivator to have Saint Crystals anymore as they could simply absorb energy from the former, causing their cultivation speed to increase hundreds, if not thousands of times over.
Yang Kai had never seen an Earth Vein Crystal before and had only heard rumours about them.
But now, in this Purple Star Vault, there was actually an Earth Vein Crystal!
This was a Heaven defying treasure, and although it could only be used by one person at a time, unlike an ordinary Earth Vein that could be shared by a whole family or Sect, with this crystal, a cultivator being unable to cultivate quickly was simply impossible.
Holding this Earth Vein Crystal, Yang Kai’s grin nearly reached his ears.
At his current level of cultivation, there were very few things in this world that could hold his interest, but this Earth Vein Crystal was undoubtedly one of them.
Putting the Earth Vein Crystal into his Space Ring, Yang Kai did not think too much before picking up the second box.
Upon opening it, Yang Kai saw a special token lying inside. A faint Emperor Pressure pulsed from this token as the character for ‘Emperor’ was carved on its face. What else but the Star Emperor Token could it be?
Yang Kai stored this away with no trace of politeness.
At this moment, he had officially obtained his seventh Star Emperor Token.
Yang Kai then cast his eyes onto the last box.
The two previous boxes had an Earth Vein Crystal and a Star Emperor Token inside, both of which were priceless treasures, so Yang Kai was naturally looking forward to what was in this third box.
Upon opening the box though, Yang Kai did not even have time to see what was inside before his face drastically changed and he was forced to circulate his Secret Art madly to suppress the boiling of his blood.
At the same time, a shocking dragon roar sounded from his body.
The Verdant Dragon Bone Sword shot out uncontrollably and transformed into a giant dark green dragon, floating above him, its giant head staring down at the third jade box, seemingly transfixed by the object inside of it.
Yang Kai glanced up at his Dragon Bone Sword which had assumed its dragon form and quickly formed a series of seals to take it back into his body. Even after completing this though, Yang Kai felt his blood rampaging, like something inside this third box was calling out to it, making it run wild.
Yang Kai looked into the box cautiously and found that what was inside was a single, palm sized scale.
This scale had the same shape as a fish scale, but there were many mysterious patterns on it and it was releasing a kind of ancient and savage aura that caused one’s heart to palpitate just from a mere glance.
“Dragon Scale!” Yang Kai exclaimed in shock, “It’s actually a Dragon Scale!”
He had never imagined that what was inside this third box would be a Dragon Scale, a genuine Dragon Scale!
Yang Kai possessed a Golden Divine Dragon Source and had cultivated Monster Race’s Monster Transformation Secret Technique while his Dragon Bone Sword was refined from a piece of dragon bone and Dragon Bead. In this world, it was likely no one had a better understanding of True Dragons than Yang Kai.
So when he saw this scale, Yang Kai knew that it was an authentic Dragon’s Scale.
This was a scale from a legendary Ancient Divine Spirit Dragon!
The Dragon Pressure that radiated from this scale was so strong it was almost tangible and it resonated strongly with the Golden Divine Dragon Source in Yang Kai, making it impossible for him to calm his raging blood.
Ancient Divine Spirits only existed in legends. True Dragons, true Phoenixes, Qilins, Pixiu, all of them were Ancient Divine Spirits, but no matter which, no one alive had ever met one.
If Yang Kai had not obtained the Golden Divine Dragon Source and Dragon Bone Sword and heard personal testimony from Yang Yan, he would also probably believe Ancient Divine Spirits were nothing but myths.
His Golden Divine Dragon Source was obtained from Tong Xuan Realm’s Dragon Valley and the Dragon Bone Sword’s components were obtained from the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and both had ancient history to them. Now, in Purple Star Vault, Yang Kai had found a piece of authentic Dragon Scale.
Yang Kai’s eyes shined brightly as his heart filled with excitement.
Such a piece of Dragon Scale, and even the Dragon Bone Sword, to others, would only be excellent Artifact Refining materials, but they had a far more profound use for Yang Kai.
The first half of the Monster Transformation Secret Art Chi Yue had given him described how to draw out power from the Golden Divine Dragon Source in his body to transform himself into the shape of a Dragon and enhance his strength; however, this was still only borrowed strength.
The latter half of this Secret Art was about how to integrate various parts from ancient Monster Beasts to acquire the Divine Abilities of those Monster Beasts.
For example, if Yang Kai could integrate this Dragon Scale into his body, he would obtain defense like a true Dragon’s.
Even the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword and Yang Kai could fuse together, essentially replacing his spine with True Dragon Bone.
This was an unimaginable improvement and once successful, Yang Kai’s strength would surely soar.
However, up until now his strength had not been high enough for Yang Kai to dare attempt something like this, so he had always used the Dragon Bone Sword as an artifact instead. Now that he was a Second-Order Origin King though, he was nearly qualified to attempt this assimilation.
If he could take in his Dragon Bone Sword and this Dragon Scale, Yang Kai would be able to display some of a Dragon’s Divine Abilities.
This was almost unimaginable.
Yang Kai thought it would be difficult to see another authentic Dragon material in his lifetime, but now he had found a Dragon Scale here.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm the excitement in his heart, Yang Kai stretched out his hand to grab the Dragon Scale but unexpectedly, before he could, a terrifying force erupted from it and bombarded him.
This power swiftly wrapped around Yang Kai’s hand and held it tightly in place while simultaneously exerting a terrifying pressure, causing creaking sounds that make it seem like his bones would crack in the next instant.
Yang Kai showed a look of surprise at first but quickly recovered and coldly snorted, “Dragon Transformation!”
As soon as these words fell, a golden light burst forth and a billowing Dragon Pressure erupted from his body. The hand that Yang Kai stretched out suddenly became thicker as Dragon Scales condensed from his Saint Qi began to appear on its surface. Soon, Yang Kai’s right hand looked exactly like a Dragon’s Claw.
Dragon Pressure filled the air as faint howls and roars resounded.
Although this was a Dragon Scale, it had fallen off countless years ago whereas Yang Kai’s Golden Divine Dragon Source was essentially alive and came from an extraordinary true Dragon; how could a mere Dragon Scale resist its prestige?
The power which was locking Yang Kai’s arm in place was steadily worn down under the aura of his Golden Divine Dragon Source.
Soon, a dense crackling sound filled the air as the power from the Dragon Scale collapsed.
Yang Kai grasped the Dragon Scale and lifted it up, observing it for a moment before smiling and placing it back in its original jade box before tossing it into his Space Ring.
Once the Dragon Pressure dissipated, Yang Kai dismissed his Dragon Transformation and the atmosphere inside Purple Star’s Vault was restored to normal again. However, looking around, this small Vault was now completely empty, making it seem somewhat desolate.
Outside the door, Ji Jun paced back and forth anxiously, glancing at the gate to the Vault from time to time, but not seeing Yang Kai appear.
[That bastard is definitely ransacking the Vault!] Ji Jun understood what was happening, but was powerless to do anything about it, making him feel like his heart was being repeatedly stabbed.
While Yang Kai was cleaning out Purple Star’s Vault, a good show was also happening in the ancestral hall of Purple Star Palace.
Since Zi Wu Ji had decided to have a showdown with Gong Sun Liang today, he no longer restrained himself and instead took a forward and aggressive stance.
Gong Sun Liang noticed this, but he didn’t take it to heart, simply choosing to observe everything indifferently.
Many of Purple Star’s leaders also faintly felt that today’s atmosphere was slightly different and became somewhat anxious. Fortunately, everything proceeded as smoothly as usual, and the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the Heavens went off without a hitch.
Half a day later, everyone poured into the ancestral hall to prepare for the last worship ceremony.
The offerings had been prepared long ago, and inside the hall, Purple Star’s members were split into four ranks while Gong Sun Liang stood at the head of the hall and gave a speech praising the great achievements of Purple Star’s ancestors. The atmosphere in the ancestral hall was extremely solemn as everyone felt a sense of pride in their identity.
After a long time, Gong Sun Liang looked down and shouted, “Before our great ancestors, disciple Gong Sun Liang, on behalf of all of Purple Star, offers these tributes to the ancestors’ spirits. May the ancestors bless our Purple Star with eternal prosperity! Light the incense!”
When these words were spoken, three incense burners were lit.
Gong Sun Liang was about to receive these burners when suddenly a voice called out, “Great Elder, please wait!”
Gong Sun Liang frowned, turned his head to look in the direction the voice came from, half-squinted his eyes, and said, “Whatever it is Second Young Master wishes to discuss, it can wait until after this old master finishes placing these three incense sticks. No one may interfere with the Ancestral Worship Ceremony.”
Zi Wu Ji just smiled lightly though and said, “What Great Elder said is absolutely right, but Wu Ji thinks it is wrong to hand these three incense sticks to Great Elder.”
“This old master is Purple Star’s Great Elder, what is inappropriate about him placing these three sticks of incense?” Gong Sun Liang said lightly, his half-squinted eyes revealing a substantive coercion as he stared at Zi Wu Ji.
The latter showed not the slightest fear, however, and continued to speak, “In the past, this ceremony was presided over by my Lord Father and Eldest Brother, now that Lord Father and Eldest Brother are not on Purple Star, Wu Ji should be the one to take their place.”
“Second Young Master wants these three sticks of incense?”
“Of course!”
“Haha, Second Young Master surely jests, Master and Young Master are not on Purple Star, so this old as Purple Star’s Great Elder is responsible for fulfilling their duties in their absence. There is no need for Second Young Master to concern himself with this.”
“Great Elder, the Zi Family’s blood flows through this Wu Ji’s veins, and the Zi Family is the foundation of Purple Star. This matter most definitely concerns this Wu Ji.”
“Do you insist on this?” Gong Sun Liang stared at Zi Wu Ji indifferently.
“I hope Great Elder will cooperate,” Zi Wu Ji stared back at him in a neither humble nor submissive manner.
Gong Sun Liang grinned as he began pushing his Saint Qi slightly, trying to give Zi Wu Ji a little pressure. Placing the incense was only one step in the Ancestral Worship Ceremony, but it had extraordinary meaning. If he were to compromise today, it would mean acknowledging Zi Wu Ji’s status as equal to Zi Long or Zi Dong’s, something Gong Sun Liang would naturally not allow.
However, what Gong Sun Liang could not have imagined was that as soon as his Saint Qi left his body, a series of cracks would suddenly sound.
In the next moment, countless gasps could be heard.
Gong Sun Liang’s face sank as his eyes landed on Zi Wu Ji’s triumphant smile, a bad premonition suddenly filling his heart.
“The Ancestral Tablets have broken!”
“What?”
“Heavens, the Ancestral Tablets really broke!”
From all around, shouts rang out from all Purple Star’s leaders, causing Gong Sun Liang to swiftly turn his head around, only to have his old face go incomparably pale.
At this moment, most of the memorial tablets in the hall had broken. Even if a few of them had not shattered completely, they had countless cracks on their surface and were clearly on the brink of collapse.
These tablets represented the ancestors who had made great contributions to Purple Star in the past. Each of these ancestors had been a powerful master who was famous in his or her time and that even today was admired and respected by the trillions of cultivators who lived under Purple Star’s rule.
After their deaths, their descendants would place a tablet here to be forever remembered by future generations.
These tablets represented a kind of spirit, a kind of faith.
No one dared to be disrespectful to them! Even Zi Long, the current Sect Master of Purple Star, had to act respectfully when he entered this place.
But now, these symbols of belief had all crumbled into dust.
Gong Sun Liang’s heart trembled as he turned and glared at Zi Wu Ji.
After all, his grandfather’s ancestral tablet was among these.
Before he could speak though, Zi Wu Ji coughed out a mouthful of blood and with a face filled with sadness and despair, he pointed at Gong Sun Liang and haltingly shouted, “Great Elder… You are too vicious! Even if you are dissatisfied with this Wu Ji’s conduct, a small punishment or scolding would have sufficed, but in your rage, you’ve even gone so far as to shatter my Purple Star’s ancestral tablets? Do you even put my Purple Star in your eyes?!”
Gong Sun Liang was startled and immediately shouted angrily, “Zi Wu Ji, don’t talk nonsense…”
“Talk nonsense?” Zi Wu Ji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered, “With so many in the ancestral hall seeing what happened just now, how could this Wu Ji be speaking nonsense? Yes, Wu Ji did offend you, but this… how could this be necessary?”
“Great Elder, you’ve gone too far! Every ancestral tablet here contains a wisp of its owner’s Soul, destroying the tablet is tantamount to killing all of our ancestor’s Souls, allowing them to really disappear into nothingness! How can you even stand before them now so shamelessly!” Someone shouted right after Zi Wu Ji spoke.
“Such viciousness and cruelty! Great Elder, what is the meaning of this?”
“Great Elder, explain your actions immediately!”
Behind Zi Wu Ji, a group of cultivators stood up one after another to accuse Gong Sun Liang. Zi Wu Ji looked sad and indignant as he covered his chest with his hands, but a sense of pride flashed across the depths of his eyes.
Gong Sun Liang wore a deep and profound expression, as by now, he had figured out he had been led into a trap. He did urge his Saint Qi just now, but he just wanted to teach Zi Wu Ji a small lesson for his presumptuousness. How could he have known his Saint Qi’s fluctuations would actually break these tablets?
Saint Qi fluctuations of that degree could never have had such a drastic effect.
The only explanation was that these tablets have long ago been rigged to react to his Saint Qi.
“Zi Wu Ji! This old master looked down on your courage!” Gong Sun Liang did not even try to explain anything, instead just turning a look of admiration towards Zi Wu Ji. Daring to use these ancestral tablets was something even he had never conceived, so Gong Sun Liang could not help admiring Zi Wu Ji’s determination and cruelty.
“What does Great Elder mean? Wu Ji does not understand. Right now, Great Elder should be giving a reasonable explanation for what has happened to the ancestral tablets, not trying to distract us with nonsense!” Zi Wu Ji forced the issue back to the broken ancestral tablets, vowing to confront Gong Sun Liang to the death today!
“An explanation?” Gong Sun Liang sneered as his eyes swept over the masters behind Zi Wu Ji, causing all of them to tremble and look away in horror.
Although these people had decided to follow Zi Wu Ji and were impressed by his plans and methods, the Great Elder was still the Great Elder. He was a man who was both majestic and commanded great respect. All of them could not help feeling fear when so blatantly opposing Gong Sun Liang.
Zi Wu Ji was aware of this and cursed all of them in his heart as wastes. Blocking Gong Sun Liang’s line of sight, he shouted in a low voice, “Great Elder, do you really not put my Purple Star’s ancestors in your eyes? No? With such arrogance, what qualifications do you have to occupy the position of Great Elder?”
“Is that all you want to say?” Gong Sun Liang smirked, “Boy, you’re quite good. If not for Dong’er, Purple Star may really have fallen to you in the future, but unfortunately… you are destined to be just another pitiful weakling. Boy, if you want an explanation, this old master will give you one!”
As soon as these words fell, Gong Sun Liang stepped forward and reached out to grab Zi Wu Ji.
He knew that everything today was an elaborate trap set against him, and no matter whether those tablets had been rigged or not before, it was still a fact that he was the one who shattered them. There was simply no way to explain that away.
Since there was no way to justify himself, he simply decided not to try.
Determining who was right was not something that could only be done with words, it could also be done with fists!
Seeing Gong Sun Liang rushing at him, Zi Wu Ji was not shocked and instead rejoiced. Wearing a confused expression on his face, he retreated and shouted, “Gong Sun Liang, are you really trying to start a fight in the ancestral hall? This is an intolerable show of disrespect to the ancestors and nothing less than a betrayal of Purple Star! Although you committed a great crime today, you are still the Great Elder. If you simply remain in the ancestral hall for a decade to repent, you may still be forgiven, why make things even worse for yourself!?”
No matter what, Zi Wu Ji had to first push all the blame onto Gong Sun Liang today so that any action he took next would be justified.
“Impudence! How this old master acts, you have no right to comment on!” Gong Sun Liang shouted coldly, not paying any attention to Zi Wu Ji at all.
Just when he was about to grab Zi Wu Ji though, a figure swiftly rushed in from outside and barred his path.
Gong Sun Liang’s complexion changed as his claw turned into a palm that he pushed forward.
This newcomer also sent out a palm.
The two palms touched silently, causing the two figures to simultaneously retreat.
At that moment, a sudden burst of energy in the space between the two figures appeared, shattering space itself before radiating outwards and causing the entire ancestral hall to collapse while shaking the whole Purple Star Palace.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
All Purple Star’s masters flew out from the ruins one by one, their expressions gloomy to the extreme as they stared at the destruction below.
This ancestral hall had stood on Purple Star for over ten thousand years and was regarded as the most sacred place by all Purple Star cultivators, yet today it had been destroyed!
Everyone felt incredibly uncomfortable and saddened by this.
Up above, Zi Wu Ji had a pale face as fear lingered in his heart.
Although everything was still going according to plan, the moment Gong Sun Liang attacked him, he felt the aura of death pressing down on him. In front of a Second-Order Origin King, he simply had no power to resist.
[Strength! Only personal strength can be counted as real strength!] Zi Wu Ji secretly clenched his fists as he muttered to himself.
On the other side, Gong Sun Liang narrowed his eyes as he stared at the figure standing in front of Zi Wu Ji.
This man seemed to only be about thirty years old and had a fresh, mild-mannered look to him; however, his eyes reflected a type of vastitude that one could only acquire with age and experience, making him appear more mature and stable.
Even at this moment, this man had a wine bottle in his hand, one that was overflowing with a rich aroma.
After exchanging blows with Gong Sun Liang, this wine bottle didn’t spill a drop.
Looking at Gong Sun Liang with a smile, this man said, “Great Elder, I trust you’ve been well since we last met.”
A dignified look flashed across Gong Sun Liang’s face as he stared at this man and said, “Li Mao Ming! You really were in Purple Star City. It seems that you have decided to stand behind the Second Young Master and support him?”
The man named Li Mao Ming smiled upon hearing these words and replied, “Great Elder is too serious, this Li is Purple Star’s second Venerable, so when such a big event is happening in Purple Star, I cannot just stand idly by. As for supporting the Second Young Master, hm… that’s not quite right. I am here because I was entrusted to by another.”
Gong Sun Liang sneered, “I’m afraid that there’s only one person in this world who can move you. Li Mao Ming, even after so many years, you haven’t been able to extricate yourself it seems. It really amazes this old master.”
A sad look flashed across Li Mao Ming’s eyes, but he quickly shook his head and chuckled, “This Li doesn’t understand either. Let us not talk about this now though. Great Elder might as well accompany this Li to have a few glasses of wine instead. Why doesn’t everyone just sit down and talk things out? Everyone here is one big family, why make things difficult for one another?”
Saying so, he held the bottle of wine in his hand up towards Gong Sun Liang, as if he was really inviting him to have a drink.
The tense atmosphere that was on the verge of exploding suddenly became a bit more tranquil after Li Mao Ming made his appearance.
Some of Purple Star’s leaders frowned as they observed Li Mao Ming from afar, wondering who this man was. Purple Star indeed had two Venerables before, but very few knew who these two were.
Having arrived at this moment though, it was obvious this Li Mao Ming was one such Venerable.
“So, it’s him! I remember now!” Someone suddenly showed a look of enlightenment and called out.
Someone next to him immediately asked, “Brother Zhang, do you recognize this Venerable?”
“I have only heard rumours of him before, but this is the first time I have seen him,” The cultivator surnamed Zhang whispered back.
“Brother Zhang, can you tell us what the origins of this Venerable Li are? Why did Great Elder say that he has been unable to extricate himself?”
Hearing this person’s question, the cultivator surnamed Zhang suddenly became energetic and he whispered in a quiet tone, “This is a secret that only a few people know. Firstly, have you heard of the Second Young Master’s mother?”
“She was the number one beauty of Purple Star back then and her reputation was thunderous. How could anyone not have heard of her?”
“Then the rest is easy to explain. I heard that the woman Venerable Li loved the most was Second Young Master’s mother.”
“Huh?” The cultivator was taken aback and said in astonishment, “But, Second Young Master’s mother is Sect Master’s…”
“Yes, this Venerable Li was apparently a close brother and rival of Sect Master in his youth, but because of Second Young Master’s mother… Hey, you understand. Love is not something one gets to decide upon, everything is up to fate. That woman chose Sir Sect Master, and afterwards this Venerable Li disappeared. Even Sect Master apparently did not know where he had gone. The only one in this world who could invite him to appear here would be Second Young Master’s mother.”
“So something like that happened. With this Venerable here, doesn’t that mean Great Elder cannot do anything to Second Young Master?” The speaker was extremely excited, after all, he was also on Zi Wu Ji’s side. The stronger Zi Wu Ji was, the safer he would be.
“Possibly,” Although the cultivator surnamed Zhang seemed to know some secrets, he was not completely confident in his heart.
“Li Mao Ming, if you can retreat now, this old master will accompany you to enjoy some good wine another day,” Gong Sun Liang stared at Li Mao Ming and quickly asked, “What do you think of this old master’s proposal?”
“I’ve been entrusted by another to be here. This is a matter of loyalty, so it would be improper to simply retreat!” Li Mao Ming slowly shook his head, lifted the bottle, and drank from it casually before saying, “Wine does not taste as good when drunk alone.”
Gong Sun Liang frowned slightly for a time before muttering quietly, “What if this old master wants you to repay that favour from all those years ago?”
As soon as this statement came out, Zi Wu Ji, who has always worn a triumphant look, suddenly had a change in expression as he looked at Li Mao Ming in amazement as asked, “Venerable Li, do you owe this old thing a favour?”
Li Mao Ming blinked and thought about it for a while before he laughed somewhat awkwardly and said, “En, I really owe him a favour. If Great Elder did not mention it though, this Li would have forgotten.”
Gong Sun Liang’s lips curled slightly as he spoke, “Brother Li may have forgotten, but this old master hasn’t. That was no small favour. This old master paid a heavy price back then.”
Li Mao Ming looked straight ahead and cupped his fists, “Great Elder’s grace back then, this Li will keep in mind.”
“There’s no need for that, this old master only asks you to retreat now and then you and I will owe each other nothing.”
Before Li Mao Ming had a chance to say anything though, Zi Wu Ji cut in anxiously, “No, Venerable Li, don’t forget what you promised that person.”
Li Mao Ming frowned and nodded, “Naturally, I remember. You may rest assured, as long as I am here, no one can hurt you.”
Zi Wu Ji was immediately overjoyed, “Many thanks, Senior Li.”
Gong Sun Liang heard this and became angry, “Brother Li is apparently not a man of his word.”
Li Mao Ming felt a slight headache as he said, “Great Elder, there is a priority to everything in life. This Li already promised to protect Second Young Master’s safety, so Great Elder making things difficult now truly puts this Li in an awkward position.”
Gong Sun Liang was very annoyed at first, but after carefully parsing Li Mao Ming’s words, his eyes flashed brightly and he said, “You’re here to protect Second Young Master’s safety?”
“Exactly!” Li Mao Ming nodded sincerely, “The Zi Family’s blood flows through Second Young Master’s veins, after all. No harm should come to him.”
“Fine!” Gong Sun Liang laughed, “If that’s the case, then you can stand there and protect him, this old master won’t act against him!”
Saying so, Gong Sun Liang waved his hand and said with a sneer, “Take these people behind Second Young Master for me but be careful not to harm Second Young Master!”
“Yes!” Everyone heard this and responded immediately by rushing towards Zi Wu Ji; however, none of them attacked him directly and instead focused on the cultivators who had chosen to support him instead.
Before Zi Wu Ji’s people could react, they were already under attack.
Suddenly, a grand battle broke out in the skies above Purple Star Palace. Dazzling rays of Saint Qi and an endless stream of brilliant artifact attacks filled the air, causing the surrounding space to tremble and the ambient World Energy aura to become chaotic.
Zi Wu Ji’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Li Mao Ming in a panic, “Venerable Li, how could you act this way?”
Li Mao Ming glanced at him with a smile and said, “Second Young Master, I promised that person to protect you, so I will fulfil that promise, but the lives of others are not this Li’s concern.”
Zi Wu Ji was incredibly anxious, but there was nothing he could say. Sweeping his eyes around, he found that all the masters he had won over were now caught in a difficult fight.
Li Mao Ming spoke again, “En, the overall situation has been determined. Second Young Master, why not have a glass of wine?”
“If you want to drink, you can drink by yourself!” Zi Wu Ji was extremely annoyed at this moment, so how could he agree to such a ridiculous request.
Up in the sky, the battle quickly developed into a stalemate. Since Zi Wu Ji dared to confront Gong Sun Liang openly today, his side’s strength was naturally comparable. Basically, the two factions were equal to one another in terms of combat strength, so after the initial scramble, it became impossible to see who had an advantage.
However… Gong Sun Liang hadn’t taken action yet!
As a Second-Order Origin King, the balance would surely be broken once he joined the battle.
As if to manifest his fears, Gong Sun Liang rushed to the side of Purple Star’s Third Elder before Zi Wu Ji could organize his thoughts.
This Third Elder had a First-Order Origin King cultivation and was among the first to support Zi Wu Ji. He was regarded as Zi Wu Ji’s right-hand, but despite being a powerful master in his own right, when facing Gong Sun Liang, he was quickly suppressed, and it wasn’t long before he fell into grave danger.
Zi Wu Ji’s face darkened as he roared, “Venerable Yang, please make a move!”
As soon as his voice fell, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly appeared directly beside Gong Sun Liang, and with a slight sigh, he sent out a palm.
Yang Kai was extremely annoyed right now.
He had gained a lot from Purple Star’s Vault, and he planned to immediately leave after he was finished; after all, his goal had been achieved and he had no need to bother with Zi Wu Ji’s troubles.
The people of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce and Li Nuo of Clear Sky Auction House had already made preparations to leave Purple Star, so all that was necessary was for Yang Kai to depart.
But Yang Kai did not anticipate that Shen Tu and the others would be transferred away by Zi Wu Ji.
Yang Kai couldn’t find any trace of Shen Tu inside Purple Star Palace, so he had to quietly release Xiao Xiao to search for them.
Now that he had heard Zi Wu Ji’s call, he could only play along with him.
As soon as Yang Kai appeared here, a profound light flashed across Li Mao Ming’s eyes as he stared forward, a feeling of shock filling his heart.
Although he had long ago noticed that there was another Second-Order Origin King in Purple Star Palace, he was unable to see how Yang Kai had suddenly appeared here.
It was almost as if this Venerable Yang simply crossed space to appear!
As soon as this thought came to his mind, Li Mao Ming’s expression became solemn, his carefree and easy demeanour from before disappearing as he whispered, “Second Young Master, is this the Third Venerable I’ve heard so much about recently?”
“En,” Seeing Yang Kai appear, Zi Wu Ji’s expression finally calmed down and he asked. “What does Venerable Li think of this Venerable Yang?”
“He’s strong!” Li Mao Ming quickly said, “His Saint Qi is more vigorous than both mine and Great Elder’s.”
Zi Wu Ji smiled and said, “So Great Elder is not his opponent?”
Li Mao Ming slowly shook his head and said, “The strength of a cultivator cannot be judged by the quality of their Saint Qi alone. There are many other factors involved, but… if this person restrains Great Elder, Great Elder won’t be able to move about freely.”
“If Venerable Li can offer his assistance, today’s matter can be settled decisively,” Zi Wu Ji’s eyes lit up as he stared towards Li Mao Ming.
But the latter just laughed and shook his head, “I only promised to protect your safety. All the people present are fellow brothers and sisters of Purple Star. How can I, Li Mao Ming, attack them?”
Zi Wu Ji frowned hearing this and a trace of hesitation flashed across his eyes before he finally steeled himself and whispered quietly, “What if I were to help you court my mother, finally allowing you to fulfil your lifelong dream. Would that be enough to let you take action?”
“What did you just say?” Li Mao Ming’s face sank as he glared at Zi Wu Ji, “You know the words you spoke just now tarnish your mother’s reputation greatly! If I hear you speak similar words again, I’ll break all your limbs!”
Li Mao Ming had been laughing and joking since he appeared, but after hearing Zi Wu Ji’s words, his expression became extremely serious and his eyes pulsed with cold light.
Being stared at like this, Zi Wu Ji could not help shivering. He did not doubt the authenticity of the other party’s words and knew that Li Mao Ming would really break his hands and feet if he misspoke.
However, Zi Wu Ji also learned from Li Mao Ming’s reaction that his mother held a sacred and inviolable position in his heart, causing him to immediately become overjoyed.
After taking a moment to compose his thoughts, Zi Wu Ji continued, “Please calm your anger, Venerable Li, it was Wu Ji’s fault for being unclear just now. The truth is…”
Zi Wu Ji did not speak the following words out loud but instead stared at Li Mao Ming and moved his lips, apparently sending his message directly to the other party’s ear.
Li Mao Ming, who had always been as tranquil as an ancient well, suddenly showed a look of shock on his face as he exclaimed, “What did you say? Zi Long, he…”
“It’s true.” Zi Wu Ji nodded sternly, “Since she learned of this, my mother refuses to eat or drink and even has trouble sleeping. Venerable Li, Honoured Father, and my mother were all friends in the past so Wu Ji was hoping Venerable Li could find an opportunity to comfort her. Wu Ji fears that if she continues like this, it will begin to affect her health, or worse. If something extreme were to happen…”
Li Mao Ming, who appeared strong and heroic, staggered slightly as an expression of disbelief appeared on his face, his eyes flashing a complicated light as he seemed to be lost in reminiscence, a deep sadness apparent from his whole body. After remaining silent for quite some time, Li Mao Ming chuckled with bitter, wry laughter as he muttered, “Zi Long, you… you really…”
Li Mao Ming was unable to finish his words though as he seemed to choke on them.
“Venerable Li, you should consider what Wu Ji just said. Wu Ji is very worried about his mother’s condition,” Zi Wu Ji said softly.
Li Mao Ming took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and glanced over at Zi Wu Ji before saying coldly, “I will visit her, but that has nothing to do with today’s matter. This King will not treat this as a transaction. If you really are filial, you should respect and care for your mother, not use her as a bargaining chip! If you try to do something like this again, I won’t forgive you easily.”
Zi Wu Ji’s complexion changed slightly as he felt a deep annoyance in his heart, but he wore an obedient look on the surface and nodded, “Venerable Li is right, Wu Ji was mistaken.”
[Fool! No wonder he lost to Father in the competition that year. A loser deserves to be a loser for the rest of his life!] Zi Wu Ji cursed in his heart.
During the time these two spoke, Yang Kai and Gong Sun Liang had already exchanged hundreds of moves, and the World Energy around them had grown far more chaotic. No one dared to approach within a thousand metres of this battle. After hundreds of moves with neither side being able to gain an advantage, Yang Kai suddenly spoke audibly, “This King is a Purple Star Venerable. It is a matter of righteousness to defend the peace of Purple Star, why would he need any benefits?”
Gong Sun Liang’s whole face twitched visibly as, even though he knew Yang Kai was spouting nonsense, he could do nothing about it.
With a sullen look, he shouted in a low voice, “If that’s the case, then don’t blame this old master for being ruthless.”
Saying so, he formed a seal with his hands and pushed his Saint Qi madly.
Yang Kai frowned as he thought this old man was going to use some profound Secret Technique. Not daring to underestimate his opponent, Yang Kai hurriedly withdrew to put up a proper defence. Although he did not put Gong Sun Liang in his eyes, the other part was still a Second-Order Origin King, so acting cautiously was not unwarranted.
However, the moment Yang Kai fell back, Gong Sun Liang flashed a smirk and his figure flickered, splitting into two, then four, then eight…
In the blink of an eye, there were hundreds of Gong Sun Lians floating in the sky, each one of them extremely lifelike.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed!
This was undoubtedly an immensely powerful Secret Technique, and had utility as both a method of attack and escape.
Moreover, even using his Divine Sense, Yang Kai was unable to tell which of these Gong Sun Liangs was the real one as each of them gave off an identical aura.
As soon as this move was executed, not just Yang Kai’s complexion turned solemn, but Li Mao Ming, who had been spectating the battle from a distance, also turned serious. Li Mao Ming’s eyes flashed a lavender light as he swept them over these countless phantom images, as if trying to identify which one was the real one.
Gong Sun Liang’s laughter rang out from all around, “Second Young Master, you have forced this old master’s hand! I hope you can bear the consequences!”
Saying so, all these phantoms no longer paid any attention to Yang Kai and instead shot off into the battlefield.
“Ah…” A scream rang out as a cultivator who was locked in combat was suddenly blasted out by the Great Elder. A fresh palm print appeared on this unfortunate man’s chest which had clearly collapsed in from the impact.
Mid-air, this person bled profusely as bits of his shattered internal organs spewed out from his mouth. This man died even before he hit the ground.
A series of screams came out one after another, each of them belonging to a cultivator who had sided with Zi Wu Ji, all of them Origin Realm masters.
In the battlefield, Gong Sun Liang’s figure was everywhere, with no one able to tell which one was an illusion, and which wasn’t. It was as if all of them were real. After they took action, these phantoms were able to quickly cut down Zi Wu Ji’s people.
In an instant, everyone was in danger as all the cultivators who were approached by Gong Sun Liang panicked and fled.
But in front of a Second-Order Origin King, how could they escape?
In the blink of an eye, several people were brutally murdered, each of them a pillar among Zi Wu Ji’s supporters.
Blue veins throbbed on Zi Wu Ji’s forehead as he clenched his fists and turned in the direction of Yang Kai to roar, “Venerable Yang, stop him!”
Yang Kai just stroked his chin as he stood mid-air though and shook his head, “Second Young Master is asking for something quite difficult. This King cannot see any flaws in Great Elder’s technique, so how is he supposed to stop him?”
These words were polite but clearly insincere. Yang Kai had been forced into this battle and did not plan on exerting any real effort. It did not matter to him what became of Purple Star, much less the lives of these people.
He just wanted to stall for time.
Once Xiao Xiao rescued Shen Tu and the others, he could leave this place immediately.
However, even just standing still and observing for a while, Yang Kai had already discovered some clues and gained some insight into how Gong Sun Liang’s trick worked. What is more, if he used his Demon Eye of Annihilation, finding the real Gong Sun Liang would be simple.
Hearing Yang Kai’s irresponsible answer, Zi Wu Ji nearly coughed up blood from anger.
If all his people were killed, he wouldn’t need to keep fighting; after all, without any supporters, what point would there be in struggling any further? Glaring at the situation in front of him grimly, Zi Wu Ji eventually roared, “If that’s the case, then I ask Venerable Yang to seek a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood!”
Yang Kai raised his brow when he heard this and showed a smirk, “That’s easy enough.”
Saying so, he stretched out his hand and released several dozen Golden Blood Threads, all of which transformed into sharp flying blades that shot off in all directions like arrows.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Wind-splitting sounds echoed through the sky and soon, several screams rang out.
Eight Origin Realm cultivators who were heavily engaged and had lost track of their surroundings were hit by Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Threads and their defensive Saint Qi and artifacts were instantly destroyed. The Golden Blood Threads penetrated their vitals and directly reaped their lives.
With Yang Kai’s current cultivation, how could these Origin Returning Realm cultivators, who were already in the midst of battle, resist his sudden attack?
The Golden Blood Threads flew back and forth again, once again taking a number of lives.
After only ten breaths, Yang Kai had caught up to Gong Sun Liang in terms of kills.
Gong Sun Liang roared in anger. Origin Realm cultivators were the indispensable backbone of any great force; after all, very few could reach the Origin King Realm. Often, the strength of a great force depended not only on the number of Origin Kings it commanded but also on the number of Origin Realm masters it could dispatch.
After today’s war, no matter who won and who lost, Purple Star’s foundation would suffer severe damage.
This was a result that neither Gong Sun Liang nor Zi Wu Ji were willing to see, but it was an unavoidable result.
The end of one era and the arrival of another was always accompanied by much blood and sacrifice.
High up in the sky, all the Origin Realm masters, and even the First-Order Origin Kings were terrified. The situation at this moment was almost as if Yang Kai and Gong Sun Liang were engaged in a competition to see who could kill the most people the quickest, a contest to see who would be unable to bear the cost first and back down…
In front of these two Second-Order Origin Kings, no one was able to put up meaningful resistance.
Standing next to Zi Wu Ji, Li Mao Ming, who seemed to be uninterested in everything in the world, wore a heavy look on his face as he realized that Purple Star would really be finished if he did not make a move.
He never expected that things would develop to this point.
If he made a move now though, it would be akin to dropping a stone on his own foot because of what he had just said.
Just as he was feeling a terrible headache from this internal conflict, Gong Sun Liang suddenly roared, “Li Mao Ming, if you still remember the favour from all those years ago, you will help this old master stop that boy first! You don’t want to see Purple Star suffer such a heavy loss, right?”
Li Mao Ming frowned and hesitated, “This Li does not want to see his brothers and sisters die needlessly, but Second Young Master’s safety…”
“This old master won’t make things difficult for you! This old master swears he won’t move against Second Young Master, and even if this old master ends up controlling Purple Star in the end, he will ensure Second Young Masters safety and prosperity!”
Li Mao Ming’s expression turned to one of struggle.
Zi Wu Ji stared at Li Mao Ming in amazement, “Venerable Li, you wouldn’t…”
“Things have reached this point, so I cannot remain idle,” Li Mao Ming sighed, “You may rest assured. With me, no one in this world can hurt you, mother and child. I will fight with my life on the line to protect you both.”
Saying so, his figure flickered and disappeared from where he stood.
Zi Wu Ji was stunned for a moment before he began cursing angrily, accusing Gong Sun Liang of being sinister and contemptible and Li Mao Ming for failing to keep his word. At this moment, he no longer had any scruples, completely discarding his prior elegant demeanour.
He was truly angered.
Li Mao Ming was constrained by the favour he owed Gong Sun Liang and was forced to fight Yang Kai. As a result, Zi Wu Ji was bound to suffer a complete defeat in today’s battle. Even though Li Mao Ming said he would protect his safety and Gong Sun Liang also promised his safety and prosperity, the leadership of Purple Star, a position which stood above trillions of others, was not something he would ever get a chance to acquire again.
The only hope was if Yang Kai could defeat both Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming!
But how could that be possible? All three of them were Second-Order Origin Kings, so their strengths should be similar. In that situation, one person couldn’t defeat two.
Despair soon filled Zi Wu Ji’s eyes.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The sound of air being cut apart rang out as the countless Gong Sun Liangs rapidly gathered and revealed his true body again. Standing in place, he stared at Yang Kai coldly without saying a word.
Not far from him, Li Mao Ming’s figure also appeared.
The two of them flanked Yang Kai from left and right.
Yang Kai just flashed a playful smile though as he stretched out his hand and summoned back his Golden Blood Threads.
Only now did everyone else breathe a sigh of relief. In a short thirty breaths of time, the total number of cultivators who died to these two Second-Order Origin Kings had exceeded sixty.
These sixty individuals were all Origin Realm Second or Third-Order masters, pillars of Purple Star!
Fortunately, the crisis seemed to be over now, leaving many with feelings of lingering fear as well as deep sadness.
As if everyone had come to some kind of silent agreement, the fighting ceased everywhere. The remaining Origin Realm masters knew that victory or defeat had nothing to do with them and would ultimately be decided by the three masters up above.
There was simply no meaning in them fighting anymore, so they did not bother trying to spill any more blood.
In an instant, the noisy battlefield calmed down and all eyes turned to stare at Yang Kai, Gong Sun Liang, and Li Mao Ming, everyone’s expression extremely solemn.
All the cultivators belonging to the Second Young Master’s side looked depressed, as if their parents had just died. They were not blind after all and understood that their chances of victory were slim. If Yang Kai lost this confrontation, they would become the losers, and the fate of the defeated was never good.
“What’s wrong? Do you want to team up to suppress me?” Yang Kai smiled as he looked around, not showing any kind of panic.
Gong Sun Liang coldly snorted and remained silent, as if he was extremely angry with Yang Kai. On the other hand, Li Mao Ming pondered for a moment and politely said, “Your Excellency, since your surname is Yang, this Li will call you Brother Yang. Brother Yang, since you have received the Venerable Token, you are my Purple Star’s Venerable, my Purple Star’s person. Today’s situation, I imagine you do not want to see either.”
Yang Kai chuckled, and said casually, “Naturally.”
Li Mao Ming gave a hearty laugh, “It’s good that Brother Yang thinks so. Since Brother Yang has Purple Star in his heart, why not hear this Li’s proposal?”
“Brother Li, please!” Yang Kai looked at him with a smile.
“Today’s matter should end here, otherwise, if we continue, it will damage Purple Star’s very foundation, which helps no one. There are no enemies here, so should we not be able to stop and talk things out?” Li Mao Ming sincerely asked Yang Kai.
Not far away, Zi Wu Ji was extremely nervous, his face filled with anxiety lest Yang Kai nod his head. If that were to happen, his defeat would be complete.
He could not help praying secretly in his heart that Yang Kai would vow to fight to the end, if he did, he would still have a chance.
What he did not expect though was that Yang Kai would nod without hesitation after listening to Li Mao Ming’s words, “What Brother Li said is correct, this Yang had similar thoughts and originally planned to stop here; after all, there are two of you, so I can’t win anyway, right?”
Zi Wu Ji’s face became stiff hearing this and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
At this moment, he understood that he really had no chance of winning. He had never expected that a Second-Order Origin King master like Yang Kai would be so spineless! Compared with him, Li Mao Ming was much more reliable.
Yang Kai agreeing so readily stunned Li Mao Ming for a moment. There was now no need for all the bitter-sounding persuasive remarks he had originally prepared, so he couldn’t help smiling and saying, “Brother Yang is truly righteous, this Li admires. Great Elder, what do you think?”
He turned his head to look at Gong Sun Liang.
Gong Sun Liang squinted at Yang Kai and quickly said, “Stopping here and making peace is permissible!”
Li Mao Ming was overjoyed, but before he could say anything, Gong Sun Liang continued, “But this Venerable Yang killed so many masters today that this matter cannot simply be dropped.”
Li Mao Ming frowned as a look of displeasure appeared on his face, wondering why Gong Sun Liang was acting so uncompromising.
“Then what do you suggest?” Yang Kai raised his brow as his eyes collided with Gong Sun Liang.
“Not putting the lives of Purple Star’s disciples in your eyes at all, what right do you have to occupy the position of Venerable? A position that is worshipped by all of Purple Star’s citizens?” Gong Sun Liang coldly snorted and said, “Your Excellency should return the Venerable Token to Purple Star. My Purple Star does not need a Venerable like you!”
As soon as he said this, Li Mao Ming’s face could not help changing slightly. Glancing over at Gong Sun Liang with complicated eyes, he seemed to want to say something, but ultimately, he just sighed and held his tongue.
With his intelligence, he naturally saw through Gong Sun Liang’s true intentions.
Today, even though these two had agreed to stop and make peace, an enmity had been formed between them, and Yang Kai was still technically supporting Zi Wu Ji’s side. If Gong Sun Liang wanted to completely control Purple Star, Yang Kai’s presence would be an obstacle, therefore it would be best to eliminate him here.
Otherwise, Gong Sun Liang would not be able to stabilize his position in the future.
For this reason, Gong Sun Liang made such a proposal.
However, this proposal was obviously very insulting, and Li Mao Ming did not know if this Venerable Yang would be willing to accept it. If he became angry and lashed out, the situation would be difficult to handle.
Li Mao Ming was incredibly anxious as he carefully observed the changes in Yang Kai’s attitude, preparing to intervene if anything went wrong to try to re-start negotiations.
Unexpectedly though, Yang Kai did not show the slightest signs of anger and instead just smiled casually, “So that’s what you’re after. Very well, this King also didn’t want to be a Venerable from the start. Since Great Elder wants this Venerable Token back, he can have it!”
Saying so, he summoned a token into his hand and tossed it towards Gong Sun Liang.
Gong Sun Liang swiftly caught the token which flew towards him and after taking a quick look, he saw it was indeed the Venerable Token, causing him to freeze in place.
He also did not expect that the other party really didn’t put the Venerable Token in his eyes and would simply give it back after he asked, causing some slight disbelief. Gong Sun Liang didn’t really want to deprive Yang Kai of his Venerable identity, he just wanted to create a situation where he could retreat in order to advance, making another less offensive request.
Yang Kai’s cooperation suddenly disrupted his plan.
Gong Sun Liang did not know what to say.
“Haha… Brother Yang is truly a free and easy person; this Li is extremely impressed!” Li Mao Ming looked at Yang Kai like he was some kind of freak before turning to Gong Sun Liang and saying, “Great Elder, Brother Yang has already returned the Venerable Token, so today’s matter…”
“This is not over yet!” Gong Sun Liang waved his hand, interrupting Li Mao Ming’s words as he stared at Yang Kai aggressively, “Although the Venerable Token has been returned, the fact that Your Excellency has killed so many people can’t just be left alone.”
“You have something more to say?” Yang Kai could not help but sneer. He truly did not care about being a Purple Star Venerable as this time he had only come to Purple Star to take the Star Emperor Token. Now that he had succeeded, he never planned to come here again, so the Venerable Token was useless to him. Since Gong Sun Liang wanted it, Yang Kai had no qualms about handing it over.
However, watching the other party still so reluctant to let things go annoyed Yang Kai greatly.
Gong Sun Liang continued, “For the crime of killing others, one should pay with their life! But Your Excellency is too strong for this old master to take your life, so why does Your Excellency not pay some compensation instead as an explanation to the people below!”
“Haha!” Yang Kai couldn’t help but grin as he stared at Gong Sun Liang with interest, “Compensation? Fine, what kind of compensation do you want?”
Gong Sun Liang looked at Yang Kai with a solemn expression as his lips moved.
Li Mao Ming did his best to eavesdrop on what was being said but was unable to tell what Gong Sun Liang had asked for, making him feel quite helpless.
In his opinion, it would be best if today’s affairs had ended here and now. He not only repaid Gong Sun Liang’s favour, but he did also so without having to fight Yang Kai. Now though, it seemed Gong Sun Liang had taken some awful medicine, which made his greed run wild.
Li Mao Ming believed that whatever Gong Sun Liang wanted Yang Kai to hand over was extremely valuable, and if they failed to reach an agreement, it would surely reignite the conflict.
Quite disgruntled with these developments, Li Mao Ming still raised his vigilance to prepare for any fallout.
Sure enough, after Gong Sun Liang’s secret message was sent, Yang Kai nodded, “So you want that thing, I understand.”
What Gong Sun Liang wanted was the Origin Essence Crystal he obtained in the auction half a month ago! This old man must have noticed it was something extraordinary back at the auction but wasn’t sure what it was at the time. However, it seemed that after these past few days, he had managed to determine the true identity of that object.
“Hand over that thing and this old master will let you leave!” Gong Sun Liang quickly said.
“And if I refuse?” Yang Kai squinted at him.
Gong Sun Liang said arrogantly, “Your Excellency best consider his situation carefully before speaking. Although your strength is good, if I join forces with Brother Li, defeating you will not be a problem. Are you really going to stand against this old master?”
“Laughable!” Yang Kai mocked, “It’s you who is reaching out for a yard after taking an inch! You want my things? Alright, take it yourself if you have the skill!”
As soon as Li Mao Ming saw this, he knew that these two had fallen out and he could not help wearing a gloomy expression.
“In that case, it’s useless to say more. Brother Li, accompany this old master!” Gong Sun Liang roared as his Saint Qi burst from his body and he summoned a short sword artifact into his hand. Grabbing this sword, he charged out.
Gong Sun Liang was an established Second-Order Origin King with great strength. Summoning his artifact only increased his combat capacity while at the same time he pushed his Domain towards Yang Kai in an attempt to suppress him.
In an instant, the space around Yang Kai became extremely viscous, with even the flow of World Energy seeming to freeze.
With a single step, he suddenly appeared over Yang Kai’s head and slashed down with his sword.
A dazzling brilliance and shocking energy fluctuation erupted from his sword as a wave that seemed capable of cutting the world apart flew out.
Yang Kai simply stood in place, staring at his opponent coldly. Just when the attack entered range though, Yang Kai suddenly stretched out his hand and summoned the bladeless Dragon Bone Sword into it to block the incoming sword.
*Hong…*
With a thunderous bang, a Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering shockwave visible to the naked eye exploded outwards from where the two swords clashed.
The attacking Gong Sun Liang’s face changed drastically as his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, staring at Yang Kai who was so close at hand in amazement with a look of disbelief on his face.
Although he had fought against Yang Kai just now, he had only been probing his strength and had not used his all, but just now, in order to obtain that Origin Essence Crystal, a treasure which would give him a chance to reach the Third-Order Origin King Realm, Gong Sun Liang had not held back.
The blow he just delivered had a hundred percent of his strength behind it but was easily blocked by his opponent.
Not only that, but the counterforce he felt from Yang Kai was almost irresistible. Under the impact of this force, Gong Sun Liang felt like he was on a small boat in a stormy sea, the waves crashing in on him from all sides, threatening to drown him at any moment.
Gong Sun Liang was terrified when he realized this and while struggling to resist, he shouted, “Brother Li, what are you waiting for!”
He had to ask for help from Li Mao Ming.
Li Mao Ming frowned and shook his head, “Why… why…”
While complaining though, he too used his Domain to suppress Yang Kai.
In the end, he still owed Gong Sun Liang a favour and Yang Kai had returned the Venerable Token, meaning he was no longer a Purple Star Venerable; there were no moral concerns about him making a move against Yang Kai now.
Even so, he did not want to fight against a cultivator who was in the same realm as himself, so this time he only released his Domain to exert some pressure on Yang Kai instead of actually making a move.
From the left and right, two Second-Order Origin King Domains pressed down like two giant mountains, trying to crush everything between them to dust.
And at the very centre point of this vice was Yang Kai.
This put Yang Kai under great pressure and forced him to divert part of his strength to resist Li Mao Ming’s Domain. Gong Sun Liang saw this and immediately moved to regain the initiative, quickly suppressing Yang Kai.
While putting pressure on Yang Kai, he grit his teeth and spoke to Yang Kai sincerely, “Young man, there is a saying ‘A wise man will submit to the circumstances.’ Hand over that thing and this old master will no longer embarrass you, you can even receive high-level treatment as a guest of Purple Star, what say you?”
“Why do you sound like victory is already within your grasp?” Although Yang Kai had a difficult expression on his face, his demeanour was still extremely leisurely as he glanced over at Gong Sun Liang and asked in a composed tone.
Gong Sun Liang laughed at this question and spat, “Because this old master already has victory in hand!”
“Is that so!” Yang Kai grinned viciously and in the next moment, his Domain burst forth.
*Weng…*
With a low hum, the surrounding space destabilized, as if it was about to collapse and cave in.
Like a giant rock had been dropped into a calm lake, the power of Yang Kai’s Domain formed visible ripples in space as it spread outward.
*Kacha…*
A faint, cracking sound spread out.
Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming’s faces changed greatly as the former exclaimed, “How can this be?”
He was shocked to discover that under the joint pressure of his and Li Mao Ming’s Domain, Yang Kai had not been suppressed; in fact, he was the one breaking their combined Domains apart.
Gong Sun Liang’s heart shook!
He had broken through to the Origin King Realm almost a thousand years ago and reached the Second-Order more than three hundred years ago. In other words, his Domain had been condensed and refined over nearly a millennium! For a thousand years, he had forged his Domain through his own unique comprehensions and insights. Few people in the entire Star Field could surpass him in this regard.
Li Mao Ming’s history was similarly profound.
But now, their two Domains combined could not push back Yang Kai’s and were literally cracking apart when faced with the latter’s. What did that mean? It meant that their two Domains put together were weaker than his!
This discovery made Gong Sun Liang’s blood run cold and his eyes filled with horror.
Only now did he realize that Yang Kai had never once used his full strength. Gong Sun Liang had overestimated Yang Kai’s strength as much as he thought possible, but he found he had still greatly underestimated his opponent, in the end.
“Not good!” Li Mao Ming shouted as he quickly withdrew his Domain, his face completely pale.
His Domain being cracked meant his foundation was cracked. If this continued and his Domain broke, it would most likely result in his realm regressing. Such a consequence was not something any Origin King would be able to bear.
Fortunately, he quickly realized what was happening and retracted his Domain, otherwise, he would have been in great danger.
With his Domain withdrawn, Gong Sun Liang alone could obviously not resist Yang Kai’s might and a dense series of cracks sounded through the air. Together with these sounds, Gong Sun Liang’s body trembled, and blood began to leak from his seven orifices.
His Domain, which had been condensed for a thousand years, was showing signs of collapsing.
After this battle, even if Gong Sun Liang did not die, he would need to enter retreat for at least a hundred years if he wanted to repair his Domain.
The battle was not over yet though, and from point blank range, Yang Kai pressed his Dragon Bone Sword fiercely towards Gong Sun Liang, sending an overwhelming force towards him that sent the latter flying.
*Huo…*
A resounding dragon roar filled the world as the Dragon Bone Sword transformed into a giant dark green dragon, its body swaying back and forth as its giant eyes fixed onto Gong Sun Liang. Diving towards its prey, it opened its giant maw and bit towards him, seemingly intending to swallow him whole.
“A Dragon Bone artifact!” Gong Sun Liang’s eyes bulged at this sight. Although he had felt that the other party’s artifact was somewhat different when Yang Kai had taken out the Dragon Bone Sword, he could not figure out why until now. This artifact was refined from Dragon Bone!
Those were the bones of an Ancient Divine Spirit! Any artifact created from such materials would be at least Origin King Grade.
The rich, nearly tangible Dragon Pressure impacted Gong Sun Liang’s Soul and body, causing him to tremble in fear and horror.
This was a kind of instinctual fear, as no one could face an Ancient Divine Spirit without having such emotions. This was something on a fundamental level!
Biting the tip of his tongue, Gong Sun Liang forcefully dispelled the discomfort in his heart and swiftly formed a series of seals with his hands while pushing his Saint Qi madly.
The next moment, his short sword artifact released a radiant light and transformed into a giant flood dragon.
This flood dragon gave off a dazzling multi-coloured light and had a mouth filled with sharp, jagged fangs. Releasing a roar, it shot towards the giant dark green dragon.
The two transformed Origin King Grade artifacts met mid-air and began to clash, releasing violent energy fluctuations that shook the whole of Purple Star City. The houses down below shattered like they were made from thousand-year-old rotten wood, bursting into pieces as massive gullies and trenches were dug out from the fallout of this great battle.
The surviving Origin Realm masters who had been observing from nearby were all hit hard as well, their expressions changing drastically as they did their best to retreat while defending themselves, each of them showing looks of shock from the terrifying aftermath they were subjected to.
Only a few of Purple Star’s Elders remained where they stood by relying on their high cultivations, but judging from their expressions, it was no easy task for them to resist the fallout from this battle. Each of these Elders’ expressions was extremely solemn but none of them were willing to withdraw or even close their eyes as they fixedly observed this raging conflict.
Battles between Second-Order Origin Kings were an extremely rare occurrence, and being able to spectate one was an even rarer opportunity. Anything they learned from observing this battle would surely benefit them greatly.
With a huge burst of energy, Yang Kai disappeared like a ghost, and when he reappeared, he was already right in front of Gong Sun Liang.
“You…” Gong Sun Liang gasped. At this moment, his momentum was already quite weak, and now that Yang Kai had mysteriously appeared within striking range…
Yang Kai did not say a word, his expression cold and determined as his fist flashed with five-coloured light, sending a punch towards Gong Sun Liang.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art!
This exquisite Body Tempering Secret Art was usable both offensively and defensively, able to penetrate the hardest of defences and protect against the most brutal of attacks. Yang Kai’s fist, covered in his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, was as solid and sturdy as an ordinary Origin King Grade artifact.
If this punch landed, Gong Sun Liang would take severe damage!
This fist was not swung very fast, and its path was extremely clear, but Gong Sun Liang was stunned to discover that he couldn’t dodge or avoid it at all.
This fist carried with it an absolute suppressive force! It was an attack that could not be resolved no matter what method he used!
If he was at his peak, Gong Sun Liang might have been able to retreat, but at this moment, having just suffered serious damage to his Domain, how could he resist? Only able to watch this glowing fist close in, Gong Sun Liang’s heart filled with panic.
At the crucial moment, a figure appeared in front of Gong Sun Liang. It was Li Mao Ming!
Li Mao Ming’s face was also extremely dignified as he lifted the wine bottle in his hand to his mouth and took a deep drink before spitting out fiercely.
*Hu…*
A blue flame burst forth from Li Mao Ming’s mouth and created a barrier between him and Yang Kai’s fist.
This flame was not hot, but extremely cold instead. As soon as this blue flame appeared, the whole surrounding world seemed to freeze over.
The five-coloured glow on Yang Kai’s fist flickered violently, as if it was about to be extinguished while at the same time a deep chill travelled up his arm all the way to his chest.
Yang Kai could not help trembling under this impact.
Glancing at the wine bottle and the blue flames in front of him, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he realized this was a rare and powerful treasure.
“Brother Yang, stop!” Seeing Yang Kai’s actions slow down, Li Mao Ming hurriedly shouted.
Yang Kai’s eyes simply narrowed though and ignoring Li Mao Ming’s plea, he shouted in a low voice, “Dragon Transformation!”
*Kacha…*
Yang Kai’s arm inflated to twice its normal size in that instant and under the shocked gazes of Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang, Dragon Scales condensed from Saint Qi covered his arm and his outstretched fist transformed into a terrifying dragon claw. The Golden Divine Dragon aura that diffused from Yang Kai’s arm caused the two men facing it to tremble.
The wall of blue flame which was separating the two sides was easily broken through as these flames were unable to harm Yang Kai’s dragon-scale-covered arm in the slightest.
Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang’s eyeballs bulged as they reacted instinctually and combined their strengths to counterattack, releasing a strike that was not weaker than an ordinary Third-Order Origin King’s attack towards Yang Kai’s terrifying dragon claw.
*Hong…*
High up in the sky, as if it was the end of the world, a brilliant burst of light erupted as a thunderous explosion rang out, blinding and deafening all who were observing.
In the next instant, three figures were sent flying out from the centre of this explosion.
All of Purple Star City shook as countless cultivators looked up into the sky towards the great battle, all of them filled with anxiety.
Ninety-nine percent of the people in the city didn’t know what was happening, only that there were extremely powerful masters engaging in a life or death battle. Everyone knew that when the city gates were on fire, it was the fish in the moat who would be affected first, so none of them wanted to get close, much less be involved.
Swiftly, throngs of people rushed towards the city gate, trying to escape from Purple Star City to avoid being swept up into the chaos.
There were also some courageous cultivators who, instead of running from the battle, ran towards it, hoping to fish in troubled waters.
The more dangerous a place, the greater the opportunity. This was an eternal truth.
Inside Purple Star Palace, Zi Wu Ji grinned silently as a fanatical look appeared on his face.
He never imagined that Yang Kai would be this powerful.
When Li Mao Ming was constrained by the favour he owed Gong Sun Liang and joined forces with him to fight against Yang Kai, Zi Wu Ji had thought that all was lost and his plans had ended in failure, causing him to feel desperate.
But now, his spirits had been lifted once more because, in the confrontation of the three Second-Order Origin Kings, Yang Kai actually had the upper hand against the combined forces of Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming.
Was this Venerable Yang really so amazing? Even his father Zi Long would not be able to compete with such methods, right? Zi Wu Ji could not believe what he was seeing, but that did not stop him from enjoying it. A beautiful picture of his future began to expand once more before him and Zi Wu Ji was so excited he could barely restrain himself shouting out loud for Yang Kai to cut down Gong Sun Liang once and for all.
Up in the air, Yang Kai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as he straightened himself up, his eyes gleaming as he stared ahead.
A few kilometres away, Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming both had pale faces as they stared back in shock.
In that head-on confrontation just now, none of them had profited and Yang Kai was certainly injured; however, Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang were not the least bit pleased as it was clear they were still worse off.
This result was unacceptable to both Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming!
Together, the two of them could exert strength almost on par with a Third-Order Origin King, but Yang Kai was able to repel them! Didn’t that mean that he was qualified to compete with a Third-Order Origin King all by himself?
Such a possibility subverted Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang’s entire perception of reality!
Although the Second Order and Third Order only differed by a single Minor Realm, the gap in strength between the two was as wide as the gap between Heaven and Earth. In the Origin King Realm, every step forward represented a massive promotion of strength. What’s more, there wasn’t the slightest sign of fear in the other party’s eyes. Instead, only an endless fighting spirit could be seen, causing both Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang to shiver…
Just what kind of freak was he? The two of them now found that they couldn’t understand Yang Kai in the slightest.
*Keng…*
A crisp sound rang out from above at that moment as the two Origin King Grade artifacts clash seemed to come to an end. The giant dark green dragon transformed back into its Dragon Bone Sword form while the flood dragon restored its short-sword appearance. Both the sword-shaped artifacts flew back to the hands of their respective owners.
The Dragon Bone Sword was still undamaged, its green halo as bright as ever.
On the contrary, Gong Sun Liang’s sword had gone dim and its aura was fluctuating somewhat chaotically!
Looking at his sword, Gong Sun Liang’s heart ached, causing his already tenuous condition to worsen. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, his aura weakened noticeably and became somewhat dispirited.
“Brother Yang, stop!” Li Mao Ming’s expression drooped as he stared towards Yang Kai solemnly. His tone was filled with an imploring tone as he truly did not want to fight anymore. He had only made an appearance today because he was entrusted by ‘that person’ to protect Zi Wu Ji’s safety. Later, he was forced to engage in a confrontation with a cultivator of the same realm, which he was reluctant from the start to do. Now, he found himself facing Yang Kai, a true monster he had never seen the likes of before.
“You say fight and I have to fight, then you say stop and I have to stop? Do I not have any face at all?” Yang Kai grinned grimly.
“What do you want in order for this to end? Just say it! No one is an outsider here so everything is open to discussion!” Li Mao Ming still regarded Yang Kai as one of them, seemingly valuing the Venerable position very highly.
“What I want is simple!” Yang Kai grinned and took a step forward, “A fight to the death! Whether you come at me one on one or both together, I don’t care!”
“You…” Li Mao Ming looked anxiously at Yang Kai and pleaded, “Why are you acting like this?”
He never thought that Yang Kai would make such a ridiculous request. Those at the Origin King Realm generally avoided head-on conflicts because no Origin King was good to provoke. Everyone had trump cards they held in reserve that they would only use under desperate circumstances. Li Mao Ming had never met anyone like Yang Kai who seemed so eager to wage what would normally be considered a self-destructive battle.
“I only broke through to the Second-Order Origin King recently and this is the first time I’ve run into opponents of the same level, so I want to verify where my bottom line is!” Yang Kai grinned ferociously.
“Bullshit!” Before Li Mao Ming spoke, Gong Sun Liang could not help but curse as he glared at Yang Kai angrily, an unforgettable hatred blazing in his eyes as he shouted, “An old monster still wants to pretend he’s young? Have you no shame?”
He also thought that Yang Kai was not very old at first; after all he still retained a youthful look, but after fighting with him, he immediately concluded that Yang Kai was a cultivator that had lived for a thousand or more years, otherwise it would be impossible for him to have such strength.
If he really did just break through to the Second-Order and could already suppress both him and Li Mao Ming, then Gong Sun Liang might as well just commit suicide and be done with it.
“Believe what you like, there is no other way to settle this matter today.” Yang Kai snorted coldly.
Seeing him act so aggressive, Gong Sun Liang’s eyes flashed with anger and he opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t find any words in the end.
He was deeply regretting his actions now.
If he had just settled for emerging victorious in the power struggle today, none of this would have happened, but because he was greedy and wanted to snatch the Origin Essence Crystal from Yang Kai’s hands, he had instead brought great trouble upon himself.
Already, his Domain had been damaged, his artifact had lost a great deal of spirituality, and his body had been injured…
If he wanted to completely recover, at least a century of secluded retreat would be necessary.
It was useless to regret now though, so Gong Sun Liang forcefully suppressed the bitterness in his heart.
“If the two of you won’t make the first move, I will!” Yang Kai declared as he began to condense his Saint Qi.
At that moment though, he suddenly frowned and looked in a certain direction.
At the same time, Gong Sun Liang, Li Mao Ming, and even the Origin King Elders of Purple Star had their faces changed slightly as they all looked in the same direction.
Over there, a figure had appeared on the horizon and seemed to be casually strolling towards them. At first, this figure seemed quite far away, but he appeared in the centre of the battlefield in the blink of an eye.
The newcomer was an old man with snow-white hair and a long beard that matched his linen robes. His appearance, while spotlessly clean, was also incredibly plain, making him look no different from an ordinary old man.
But Yang Kai’s expression was extremely solemn as he stared at this old man because he felt an incredible pressure radiating from him!
After arriving in the middle of the battlefield, this old man swept his eyes around with a gloomy expression on his face.
Everyone who came under his gaze could not help turning aside their eyes and lowering their heads.
The vast area fell silent suddenly as everyone even suppressed the sound of their breathing, lest they draw this old man’s attention.
“Hmph!”
After a long time, the old man snorted softly.
This sound seemed common, but it was laced with some kind of mysterious force that made it hit everyone’s chest like a drum, causing their bodies to shake and their blood to roil.
Yang Kai’s eyes widened as a brilliant light flashed across them.
Third-Order Origin King!
Since the old man showed up, he had his suspicions, but it was only now that he was able to determine that the other party was a genuine Third-Order Origin King!
This old man was a supreme existence whose equals in the entire Star Field could be counted on a single hand.
A name quickly popped into Yang Kai’s mind.
[Kuang Shi Zong!]
Zi Dong had once told him about the cultivation and quantity of Purple Star’s masters, so Yang Kai knew that Purple Star had a Third-Order Origin King supporting it, and that person was Kuang Shi Zong.
The seniority of this old man was terrifying, and even Zi Long had to address him as Martial Uncle when he saw him!
However, no one knew where this person was, as no one on Purple Star had seen him for two hundred years. Some people said he had long ago passed away, while others speculated he had travelled to some dangerous place in the Star Field to seek a higher Martial Dao. There were even some who thought he had shattered space and left the Star Field altogether…
No one had thought he had secluded himself in Purple Star City though and would appear at such a time.
Gong Sun Liang, Li Mao Ming, and all the Origin King Realm Elders finally recovered at this moment and respectfully bowed in the direction of Kuang Shi Zong, “Greetings, Martial Ancestor!”
Many of the Origin Returning Realm cultivators also knew who this old man was and did not dare show any negligence, each and every one of them bowing their heads in reverence.
“You still put this Martial Ancestor in your eyes?” Kuang Shi Zong looked at everyone coldly, causing cold sweat to leak from their foreheads. Even Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming had their heads lowered at this moment, like children who had been caught after making a great mistake, not daring to speak.
“It seems you’ve all made great progress these past two hundred years,” Kuang Shi Zong sneered sarcastically, “Reducing Purple Star City to such a state, you think you are worthy of the foundation passed down to you by my Purple Star’s ancestors?!”
Facing this question, everyone shivered in place as more cold sweat poured down their faces.
“If this old master didn’t appear, were you planning to completely demolish Purple Star Palace?”
“We wouldn’t dare!” Gong Sun Liang replied with trepidation.
“Why wouldn’t you dare? Don’t all of you have the courage? Or do you only have the courage to act but not the courage to admit?”
“Disciples have been unfilial, please forgive us, Martial Ancestor!” Gong Sun Liang cried out loudly.
“Disciples have been unfilial, please forgive us, Martial Ancestor!” Countless people shouted in unison from down below.
“What is this matter all about?” Kuang Shi Zong roared, his white hair blowing despite there being no wind, his face filled with anger, “Explain now!”
Gong Sun Liang’s body trembled but he did not dare to conceal anything, quickly explaining the cause and effect of today’s events.
In front of an old monster like Kuang Shi Zong, Gong Sun Liang didn’t dare to play any tricks, so his narration of the events of today contained no slander or embellishment.
When Kuang Shi Zong heard that all the ancestral tablets had been broken, he became furious and a terrifying pressure fell upon the audience. This pressure was so heavy it felt as if the sky had collapsed and was now weighing directly on everyone’s heart.
Kuang Shi Zong shot a fierce glare towards Zi Wu Ji at that moment, causing him to immediately cough up a mouthful of blood.
With his shrewdness, how could Kuang Shi Zong not understand that the broken tablets were something Zi Wu Ji had engineered. This was an intolerable disrespect to the ancestors, so he punished him.
Hearing that Yang Kai had fought two opponents at once and actually held the advantage, Kuang Shi Zong raised his brows and looked at Yang Kai with interest.
Yang Kai showed no fear though and simply grinned back at him.
After a while, Gong Sun Liang finished speaking and stood quietly in place, waiting nervously.
The atmosphere was solemn, and no one dared to speak. The place where Kuang Shi Zong stood was the focus of everyone present as no one knew what he was thinking at this moment.
Only after a long silence did Kuang Shi Zong suddenly say, “Why has this old master not heard about my Purple Star having a third Venerable? Boy, where did you obtain your Venerable Token?”
Yang Kai smiled lightly and said, “Senior’s question is quite strange, the Venerable Token was naturally given to me by Zi Long.”
“He gave it to you? When, where?” Kuang Shi Zong stared sternly at Yang Kai as he pointedly questioned.
Gong Sun Liang, Li Mao Ming, and all the others all looked suspiciously at Kuang Shi Zong, not knowing why he would ask these seemingly irrelevant questions.
Yang Kai frowned slightly as he suddenly had a bad premonition, but he still calmly said, “What does Senior mean by asking this?”
“What do I mean?” Kuang Shi Zong’s face suddenly became solemn as he took a step towards Yang Kai. It was only a step, but Kuang Shi Zong’s aura seemed to crash towards Yang Kai as a result, forcing him to retreat three steps as his face flushed slightly.
“Zi Long… Where is he? Is he dead or alive?” Kuang Shi Zong asked in a deep voice.
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly and did not make a sound. Kuang Shi Zong asking such a question obviously meant he either already knew the answer or was trying to force a response from Yang Kai in order to make a determination, so the best course of action was to not speak.
“Refusing to speak? Is that a confirmation of your guilty conscience?” Kuang Shi Zong sneered, “Boy, you may not know, but becoming a Venerable of Purple Star is not just about holding a Venerable Token. It is also required for this old master to consent before anything becomes official. Without a nod from this old master, Zi Long would never give out a Venerable Token no matter how much courage he had. You hold a Venerable Token, but this old master knows nothing about your existence, so does Zi Long no longer put this old master in his eyes or is there something else afoot here? Care to explain?”
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai could not help but chuckle and casually said, “Maybe Zi Long was planning to discuss the matter with Senior after thinking about it for a while, and… the Venerable Token has already been returned to Great Elder by me, so why don’t we end things here for today?”
“Hmph!” Kuang Shi Zong coldly snorted, ignoring Yang Kai and instead turning to Zi Wu Ji and coldly asking, “Is your father’s Life Lamp still intact?”
Zi Wu Ji had just suffered a heavy blow, but he was not critically injured and was currently adjusting his breathing. Hearing this question though, he trembled and hesitated, debating whether he should lie or not, but soon he resigned himself and answered honestly, “Reporting to Martial Ancestor, Lord Father’s Life Lamp… has broken!”
“What?” Everyone was shocked, and even Gong Sun Liang showed an expression of disbelief.
They naturally knew what a Life Lamp was and what it meant for it to have broken.
This meant that Zi Long had fallen! Purple Star’s Sect Master had died!
Only Li Mao Ming, who received the news from Zi Wu Ji earlier today, remained relatively calm, though a sad and bitter smile still adorned his face. He and Zi Long were as close as siblings when they were young, and though they had later parted ways because of a woman, they were still brothers, not enemies. When he learned that Zi Long had fallen, Li Mao Ming was not the least bit happy and instead was extremely sad.
“As I thought!” Kuang Shi Zong sighed, his already old face seemingly ageing noticeably.
After remaining silent for a moment, he turned to Yang Kai again, his eyes as sharp as a falcon’s, as if they could penetrate everything in the world, and quickly asked, “Where did Zi Long die?”
“The Severed World!” Yang Kai answered with a frown.
“Who killed him!?”
Yang Kai raised his brow and asked, “Oh? Does Senior feel that the death of Brother Zi Long has nothing to do with me?”
Kuang Shi Zong sneered, “Although you are quite good, you’re not qualified to kill Zi Long. If that weren’t the case, do you think this old master would be bothering to speak with you now? This old master would have already taken your life to avenge Zi Long.”
“Senior’s mind is sharp!” Yang Kai wore a look of admiration before immediately showing a pained look, “Brother Zi Long died under the Seven-Coloured Radiant Light, it was not under anyone’s hand!”
“Seven Coloured Radiant Light!” Kuang Shi Zong’s face changed. Obviously, he knew what the Seven Coloured Radiant Light was, perhaps he had even entered the Severed World before and thus knew of its power. Lightly nodding, he muttered, “If that is the case, then it was his own fault for acting reckless.”
“After Brother Zi Long died, I picked up his Space Ring, and as for the Venerable Token… haha…” Yang Kai smirked.
“What? You mean you never were my Purple Star’s Venerable?” Gong Sun Liang could not help but yell in a cracking voice.
“Great Elder, forgive me, forgive me!” Yang Kai cupped his fists at him with a smile.
“You… you!” Gong Sun Liang’s blood rushed to his head and his heart nearly burst from his chest.
Kuang Shi Zong glanced at him coldly before turning to Yang Kai and saying, “Boy, you are not my Purple Star Venerable, you deceived your way into this place, and damaged my Purple Star City! These sins is unforgivable!”
“It wasn’t just me!” Yang Kai protested.
“If it weren’t for you, how could today’s situation have happened?” Kuang Shi Zong looked at Yang Kai coldly, his murderous intent so strong it was tangible.
Yang Kai secretly became vigilant and condensed his Saint Qi, preparing to defend himself.
But to his surprise, Kuang Shi Zong did not immediately attack but instead said, “Boy, this old master will give you two options. One, this old master kills you here and now to comfort the departed souls of my Purple Star’s ancestors! Two, you join my Purple Star officially and work for my Purple Star! Choose!”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Why must Senior try to embarrass me? I don’t want to die, and I don’t want to join Purple Star, so what should be done?”
“Boy, do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, this old master appreciates talents and does not want to see someone like you die young, you should consider well before replying.”
“I have considered it thoroughly!” Yang Kai nodded sincerely.
Kuang Shi Zong narrowed his eyes as he stared at Yang Kai and said unhurriedly, “You pretending to be my Purple Star Venerable, even going so far as to infiltrate my Purple Star Palace and involve yourself in this muddy water was for more than just your own entertainment, yes? If this old master isn’t wrong… you came here for these people.”
Saying so, Kuang Shi Zong stretched out his hand and waved and from down below, a slight exclamation rang out, then a loud roar accompanied by violent energy fluctuations burst forth as Kuang Shi Zong’s face went cold and he clenched his fist.
Several figures flew over towards him uncontrollably at that moment and immediately arrived beside him.
Amazingly, it was Shen Tu and his entourage.
Behind Shen Tu and the others, Xiao Xiao held the Heaven Shaking Pillar and was in close pursuit. Xiao Xiao’s body had already swelled up to his Stone Giant form and seemed to be trying to save Shen Tu and the others, but was powerless to do so.
Shen Tu and the others wore panicked expressions at this moment. They had just been rescued by Xiao Xiao and were about to use the chaos to escape from Purple Star City when they were suddenly subdued by Kuang Shi Zong and instantly became the focus of everyone’s attention.
Kuang Shi Zong fixed Shen Tu and the others in place not far away before turning and frowning at the Stone Puppet below, some curiosity apparent in his gaze.
Even with his insight and experience, he could not tell whether the Stone Puppet was a creature or a puppet and could only vaguely feel that this stone-like thing was not simple.
“What is Senior’s meaning here?” Yang Kai squinted at Kuang Shi Zong.
“Nothing,” Kuang Shi Zong saw Yang Kai become somewhat anxious when Shen Tu and the others and couldn’t help but smile, “So you’re from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce? However, this old master has never heard of anyone like you in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Who are you?”
“Junior is an unknown person, Senior has naturally never heard of him, but I must say, a Senior of your level resorting to such underhanded methods… if word of this were to spread out, wouldn’t it invite ridicule?” Yang Kai’s face was as cold and gloomy as ice.
“Who would dare laugh at me? This old master will kill him and all his family,” Kuang Shi Zong said indifferently. “I will give you one last chance, swear allegiance to my Purple Star and I can release this trash, otherwise, all of you will die here today!”
Shen Tu was suspended in mid-air and his strength was completely imprisoned, so all he could do is look towards Yang Kai with a wry smile and say, “Brother Yang, forget about us, just think of a way to esca…”
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly paled and spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Second Young Master!” The cultivators from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce were shocked and one of them even turned his head and cursed at Kuang Shi Zong, “Old Bastard, how dare you…”
*Peng…*
Halfway through his sentence though, his head suddenly burst open, spraying a mess of red and white all over before his headless corpse fell to the ground.
Shen Tu and the others turned pale immediately as they expected that a master like Kuang Shi Zong would actually lower himself to killing an Origin Realm cultivator he had already subdued.
At that moment, none of them dared to say anything again, for fear of causing their own death.
“This old master’s patience is limited. Next, it will be him. This boy seems to have some value. If you do not want him to die, you should seriously consider this old master’s offer,” Kuang Shi Zong pointed at Shen Tu, his expression cold and unfeeling.
As soon as this was said, Shen Tu could not help shivering slightly.
“You dare!” Yang Kai shouted angrily, his complexion becoming fierce.
Without even mentioning his personal friendship with Shen Tu, just Xue Yue’s existence was more than enough for Yang Kai to act here. If he really let Shen Tu die at Kuang Shi Zong’s hand, Yang Kai would no longer have any face to see Xue Yue.
After all, Shen Tu was Xue Yue’s Second Brother.
Kuang Shi Zong looked startled for a moment before a strange grin appeared on his face, “No one has dared speak to this old master that way for many years. Interesting, boy, open your eyes and watch whether this old master really dares to kill him!”
Kuang Shi Zong’s intent to kill was real, and he had the strength to back up his arrogance. He didn’t take Yang Kai’s threats to heart at all. Having made his decision, Kuang Shi Zong did not hesitate to act, stretching out his hand and pointing at Shen Tu as if he was really intending to kill him.
Shen Tu’s face paled as he felt the aura of death enveloping him, his whole body shivering from fright.
At that moment though, a mysterious power pulsed and Yang Kai’s figure suddenly disappeared.
Kuang Shi Zong’s eyes shrank and his outstretched hand suddenly clenched into a fist as the full power of his Third-Order Origin King cultivation gathered on it and blasted towards the space in front of him.
At the spot where Kuang Shi Zong punched, Yang Kai appeared like a ghost, shielding Shen Tu and the others behind himself, his face extremely solemn as both his palms stretched out towards the void.
Secret Technique, Exile!
Space Force surged as a black hole suddenly appeared in front of Kuang Shi Zong. This black hole was like the open mouth of an ancient beast that wanted to swallow him whole. The hole itself was filled with a chaotic nothingness that even a master like Kuang Shi Zong could not help trembling slightly before.
The powerful strength of a Third-Order Origin King burst forth.
*Hong…*
With a thunderous explosion, the black hole was shattered like a mirror, collapsing in on itself as the chaotic Space Force sputtered out in all directions, quickly transforming into countless blade-like attacks that launched towards Kuang Shi Zong.
“What a bold Junior!” Kuang Shi Zong was furious and his entire body shook as Saint Qi burst forth from it to form a protective layer that blocked the chaotic blades of Space Force.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
An endless series of sounds resembling something cutting through the air rang out as pitch-black crescent-shaped blades slashed towards Kuang Shi Zong.
Secret Technique, Moon Blade!
Kuang Shi Zong narrowed his eyes as he felt huge danger from these Moon Blades. Not daring to despise them, he opened his mouth and spat out a jade-pendant-like artifact that swiftly twisted and transformed into a giant bird.
This giant bird had three heads, each the size of a house, and its wings flapped wildly as it gathered the surrounding World Energy and condensed it into countless wind blades that it shot out to intercept Yang Kai’s Moon Blades.
There was a burst of explosions as the barrage of Moon Blades and Wind Blades clashed mid-air, creating a region of space that was literally being shredded apart.
A fist slammed out from the rampaging storm of explosions and flew towards Kuang Shi Zong, five-coloured light radiating brilliantly from it. It was Yang Kai’s Indestructible Sword Qi.
Kuang Shi Zong reacted just as rapidly and threw out a punch of his own.
With a bang, Kuang Shi Zong’s body was shaken and he was forced to retreat three steps before finally standing firm. On the other hand, Yang Kai was sent flying backwards, his face turning pale as he tumbled through the air while trying to use his Saint Qi to resolve the rampaging energy that had penetrated his body.
The conflict had happened so quickly that most did not even understand what had happened. Even the First-Order Origin King Elders who were watching were confused about what had transpired, while only Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming were able to witness the entire process.
The two of them could not help gasping as they exchanged a glance and saw the shock in each other’s eyes.
When the two of them joined forces to fight Yang Kai just now, they had been at a disadvantage, so they already knew Yang Kai was no ordinary Second-Order Origin King and had even guessed he might have the ability to fight a Third-Order.
But speculations were just speculations in the end; after all, neither of them knew just how strong a Third-Order Origin King really was.
However, at this moment, what they had only guessed at was really happening before their eyes.
Yang Kai had exchanged blows with Kuang Shi Zong, and although he had been at a disadvantage from start to finish, even winding up with some slight injuries, he was far from being defeated!
Who was Kuang Shi Zong? An old monster who had lived for thousands of years and had few equals throughout the entire Star Field. Each of these Third-Order Origin Kings had the power to destroy a small Star and were masters that ordinary people would never see in their lifetime. They were the supreme symbols of the peak of the Martial Dao, undefeated legends.
But Yang Kai was able to confront such a master head-on and not die.
Not only that…
He had also managed to rescue the people from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce from Kuang Shi Zong!
This scene shocked Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang to their cores and forced them to ask themselves if would they be able to achieve the same?
The answer was a resounding no! Most likely, they would have been heavily injured by Kuang Shi Zong’s first move and then been forced to retreat.
Above Purple Star City, Kuang Shi Zong’s expression fluctuated, not showing any embarrassment or anger, only solemness as he stared fixedly at Yang Kai without saying a word.
Not far away, Yang Kai stood before Shen Tu and the others, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, raised his head slightly, and stared back at Kuang Shi Zong.
After a long time, Kuang Shi Zong asked seriously, “Space Force?”
“Senior’s perception is sharp!” Yang Kai grinned at him.
“You’ve actually managed to comprehend such an esoteric power? Even reaching such a level of proficiency!?” Kuang Shi Zong’s heart shook as his eyes nearly bulged.
Kuang Shi Zong had naturally heard of the Dao of Space as there were a number of people who had cultivated Space Force in the Star Field and even Purple Star itself, but most of these cultivators had only touched upon this mysterious force, and none could use Space Force in battle.
But the methods Yang Kai used just now clearly showed he had extremely deep attainments in the Dao of Space, otherwise, he would not have been able to move instantaneously or condense a blade of Space Force and form a chaotic black hole.
This was a shocking reality.
Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang were both stunned as well. Only now did they understand that what Yang Kai had just used was the extremely esoteric Space Force. Realizing this, both of their expressions turned even uglier than before.
Didn’t this mean that when Yang Kai had fought them just now, he was not using his full strength?
Fighting two against one, falling into a disadvantage, and not even being able to make the other side use their true strength… this ugly truth made Gong Sun Liang and Li Mao Ming feel deeply ashamed.
“Since Senior understands, is he still confident in keeping me here?” On the other side, Yang Kai smiled and declared with a confident expression, “If I want to go, no one in this world can stop me!”
Hearing what he said, Kuang Shi Zong actually nodded slightly and said, “Although your words are crazy, you are indeed qualified to say them.”
“It’s good that Senior understands. Now, why don’t we discuss this matter? Today’s affair will end here, I will leave with my few friends, and Senior will forget about everything that has happened, how about it?”
“In your dreams!” Kuang Shi Zong sneered, “It is true that since you are proficient in the Dao of Space, wanting to kill you is indeed impossible, but… That is only the truth if you were alone. Dragging along those dead-weights, do you still have the confidence to escape from this old master’s pursuit? No one here is a fool, so stop trying to play cheap tricks with this old master.”
Yang Kai brow twitched slightly as he said helplessly, “I didn’t expect that Senior would already see this far ahead. It is as you say!”
Shen Tu, who was being protected by Yang Kai heard this and a determined look appeared on his face as he said, “Brother Yang, just leave us here. If my life can ensure yours, this Shen Tu will die without regret.”
“We will follow Second Young Master to the death. On the road to the Yellow Springs, the journey won’t be lonely!” The several others expressed their opinions one after another, resolute as ever in the face of death.
Yang Kai turned his head, glanced at them, and smiled slightly, “Don’t worry, with things already having reached this point, naturally it is impossible for me to simply abandon you here. Today, all of us will leave here together!”
“Leave here together?” Kuang Shi Zong sneered, “Boy, you think too highly of yourself, in my Purple Star City, you don’t have the qualifications to act so impudently!”
Saying so, he waved his hand, and the eight Purple Star First-Order Origin King Realm Elders flew up to encircle Yang Kai together with Li Mao Ming and Gong Sun Liang. In the blink of an eye, ten Origin Kings had surrounded Yang Kai while the Third-Order Origin King, Kuang Shi Zong eyed him covetously.
Shen Tu and his entourage wore gloomy expressions as they realized that this time they were really unable to escape disaster.
Yang Kai, however, just laughed loudly, “Interesting, interesting! It’s rare to meet so many masters at once, it’s really exciting! If that is the case, then I can really cut loose and run amok!”
Kuang Shi Zong frowned, seeing Yang Kai still acting so rampantly, wondering what other cards he was hiding, unable to stop himself from worrying slightly.
“Everyone, be careful!” Yang Kai grinned before waving his hand and shouting loudly, “Come out!”
As soon as these words fell, a huge creature suddenly appeared above Purple Star City, one that was as tall as a mountain and blocked out the sunlight with its shadow as soon as it manifested.
“What is that?” Someone could not help but exclaim.
“So big? A humanoid puppet?”
“What the hell is it?”
Everyone stared up at this huge figure and almost lost the ability to think.
This figure was a thousand metres high and had a human form but was clearly composed of rock! Its body was rough and angular, but also bulky and burly, giving it an imposing appearance.
From its body, there was no aura of life, but the pure pressure it radiated was comparable to that of a Third-Order Origin King.
Every Origin King Realm standing midair felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them.
The cultivators below the Origin King Realm were under even greater strain as some with lower strength even lost the ability to fly and fell from the sky screaming.
This stone giant’s eyes were bright though, as if they were full of sentience, and once it appeared, it immediately began falling straight down.
It was as if a giant meteor was crashing to the ground.
“Not good!” Kuang Shi Zong roared upon seeing Yang Kai’s huge Embodiment falling downward, but just when he was about to move to intercept it, the sky suddenly darkened again.
Accompanied by the crisp bird cry, a massive Firebird with a long flaming tail suddenly appeared and covered the sky.
This Firebird seemed to be composed entirely of flames and had faint streaks of lightning flashing across its figure. The aura of destruction coming from it caused the hearts of many to clench and as it flapped its wings the surrounding temperature rose sharply.
Things had not ended yet though as several Golden Blood Threads shot out and transformed into various roaring beasts. The Blood Beast Army had appeared.
Thunderflame Bird, Tail Crown Snake, Silent Vermillion Bird, Star King Turtle, Eight Eyes Demon Toad, Purple Thunderbolt Sky Leopard…
There were many others as well. Besides the Steel Flame Ghost Spider that Yang Kai had left in Tong Xuan Realm to guard Nine Heavens Holy Land, all his other remaining Blood Beasts were dispatched now. Every Blood Beast emitted a powerful energy fluctuation that was no weaker than a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master. Nearly twenty Blood Beasts gathered in one place, releasing a blinding golden light that seemed to soar up into the Starry Sky.
The situation had once again changed abruptly. So many strange creatures appearing above Purple Star Palace dazed the masters down below for a moment.
*Hou…*
A roar resounded across the sky as Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao, who had been standing to the side the whole time, received instructions from Yang Kai and slapped his chest with both fists like a war drum. As this drumbeat sounded, Xiao Xiao’s body grew even larger as he assumed his stone giant form.
In the next moment, a blazing fire emerged from Xiao Xiao’s body as a shocking scorching heat burst out, causing his skin to rapidly melt.
It looked as if he was wearing an armour of lava.
It was Xiao Xiao’s final form, the Lava Giant!
Xiao Xiao was now a hundred metres tall and his body was covered in molten lava, giving everyone around him an unimaginable sense of oppression. On his shoulder, he carried the thick Heaven Shaking Pillar that weighed several million kilograms. In Xiao Xiao’s hands, the Heaven Shaking Pillar looked as light as a feather, but when he swung it around lightly, all the buildings within a thousand metres exploded into dust.
The shockwave that rolled outwards as a result of this swing pounded the hearts of every Origin King present like a sledgehammer, eliciting looks of fear from them.
*Hong…*
At that moment, the Embodiment landed on the ground.
Yang Kai’s Embodiment, which was like a giant mountain, fell like a meteor and its impact caused the whole of Purple Star City to tremble. Even the houses far away in Outer City cracked at this moment, while the houses in the Inner City which were closer collapsed directly.
Yang Kai stood mid-air with a leisurely look on his face, grinning frivolously as he unscrupulously stared at Kuang Shi Zong, whose face on the other hand had gone from red to blue, and blue to green.
The Embodiment slowly raised one of its big feet and took a step forward.
The movements of the Embodiment were incredibly slow, as if it was struggling against some kind of profound seal that hindered its pace, but that single step was enough to leave a massive footprint in Purple Star City, crushing everything beneath it to dust…
The Embodiment made no attacking actions and simply walked back and forth.
But this was enough to bring unimaginable destruction!
“What the hell is that?”
“Quickly! Attack it! If we do not stop it now, Purple Star City will be destroyed!”
Many masters yelled and before Kuang Shi Zong even issued an order, they used their various methods to strike the Embodiment.
Ten Origin Kings, including two Second-Orders, unleashed their Secret Techniques without hesitation while also summoning their artifacts to attack. All these blows converged into a single powerful blow that struck towards the Embodiment in an attempt to prevent its actions.
A series of explosions rang out as earth and rock were sent flying. The brilliant flash from this detonation even forced the masters present to squint their eyes.
After the light dissipated and they witnessed the results of their assault though, everyone’s blood seemed to run cold.
Ten Origin Kings joining forces failed to destroy this behemoth. Although it seemed to have taken some damage and lost a fair amount of rocks from its body, the aura coming from the Embodiment had not waned in the slightest. On the contrary, it seemed to only become more ferocious.
This was Yang Kai’s Soul Clone Embodiment, so it had inherited Yang Kai’s character and thoughts, even his mannerisms, so how could it tolerate being attacked like this and not fight back?
A terrifying light burst from the Embodiment’s eyes as its huge body squatted slightly and one of its feet lifted up high before it stomped down fiercely.
*Kacha…*
Massive fissures opened up in the ground from the point of impact and rapidly spread out in all directions.
The Embodiment stretched out its hands towards the shattered earth, sweeping up countless big and small pieces of stone with an invisible force. The smaller rocks were only the size of melons while the bigger ones were comparable to houses.
The Embodiment let out a great roar next as it sent all the rocks and flying in all directions.
Such an attack may not have been able to harm an Origin King, and even the Origin Returning Realm masters could easily avoid it, but where these rocks flew, palaces and houses were levelled.
In just a short period of five breaths, half of the Purple Star Palace, centralized on the Embodiment’s location, was destroyed!
Kuang Shi Zong’s face was ugly to the extreme.
In his force’s supreme headquarters, a lone enemy was acting so rampantly while all of Purple Star’s high-end combat power was powerless to stop him. If word of this spread out, Purple Star would degenerate into a laughingstock across the entire Star Field. This would undoubtedly become the greatest stain on Purple Star’s reputation in its entire history.
He wanted to make a move to settle things quickly, but with Yang Kai’s full attention focused on him, he was unable to find an opportunity to act.
*Li…*
A piercing cry rang out suddenly as the Firebird, which had been floating lightly above Yang Kai’s head until now, flew out without receiving any kind of order.
Yang Kai raised his brow, wondering what Liu Yan was up to, but after quickly sweeping the battlefield with his eyes and noticing a certain something, he understood and didn’t try to stop her.
Liu Yan was extremely fast and with a single flap of her wings she had already crossed a kilometre distance.
Appearing right in front of Li Mao Ming, she opened her beak and spat out a streak of burning hot flames mixed with purple lightning.
Perceiving the terrifying power contained in this jet of flame, Li Mao Ming did not dare to neglect and hurriedly dodged while at the same time taking a deep drink from his wine bottle before spitting out a jet of blue flame towards Liu Yan.
Seeing this, Liu Yan’s eyes flashed a cunning light and instead of retreating, she actually shot forward, opened her beak and swallowed the blue flame into her mouth. At the same time, her belly swelled up and she let out a light belching sound, causing everyone who was watching to gawk.
She had directly sucked the blue flame into her stomach.
Having succeeded in her little plot, Liu Yan flew back towards Yang Kai without looking back.
Li Mao Ming on the other hand stood on the stop, his jaw dropped as he stared dumbly into space, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Only after a long silence did he return to his senses and exclaim, “My Blue Ice Flame!”
As he shouted, Li Mao Ming quickly formed a series of seals while pushing his Divine Sense and Saint Qi, trying to wrest control of the Blue Ice Flame from Liu Yan before she could refine it. Liu Yan’s Firebird form began to bulge and undulate, as if something was rioting inside her belly.
Flashes of red, purple, and blue light appeared continuously from her body.
Liu Yan could not help letting out painful cries.
She wanted to seize the Blue Ice Flame forcefully, which was naturally not an easy task and would require her to pay a certain price; after all, the Blue Ice Flame was no ordinary dead object, it was a rare treasure that Li Mao Ming managed to obtain after a near-death adventure he had many years ago.
Among the three colours that Liu Yan now glowed with, red represented her own Fire Attribute power, the purple was the Thunder Attribute power she obtained from swallowing and refining the Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire before, and the blue was naturally the power of the Blue Ice Flame.
The three colours were in a state of chaos at the moment, with none having an advantage over the other, taking Liu Yan’s body as a battlefield in a seemingly endless struggle.
However, Liu Yan was no ordinary existence either. Having absorbed the Sun’s True Fire and the Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire, neither of which lost out when compared to the Blue Ice Flame, the stalemate only lasted a short time before the brightly flickering blue light began to dim.
At that moment, Liu Yan’s figure trembled, and the phantom image of a tripod-style furnace appeared within her.
This was her natal artifact, the Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace!
The Blue Ice Flame was quickly condensed and sealed by the Artifact Refining Furnace. Having gained control over this new flame, as long as she was given enough time, Liu Yan would be able to refine it into her being to increase her strength.
*Pu…*
In the distance, Li Mao Ming spurted out a mouthful of blood as he felt his connection to the Blue Ice Flame become severed. It was now impossible for him to retrieve it unless he were to kill this strange Firebird.
While Liu Yan and Li Mao Ming were fighting for control of the Blue Ice Flame, Xiao Xiao had been engaging in battle with Gong Sun Liang.
Although Xiao Xiao had assumed his stone giant form, compared with the enormous Embodiment, he still looked like a grandson in front of his grandfather. Gong Sun Liang saw that his strength was insufficient to deal with the Embodiment, so he instead turned his attention to Xiao Xiao.
Gong Sun Liang’s short sword artifact had been damaged quite badly already, losing much of its spirituality, so he was unable to use it again at this moment. Instead, he summoned a heavy-looking war-hammer type artifact.
Pouring his strength into this artifact, Gong Sun Liang slammed it down at Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao met his attack head-on with a swing of his stick.
The hammer-like artifact exploded into dust on contact and Gong Sun Liang’s whole body was sent flying, the bones in both his arms shattering from the impact.
Only now did Gong Sun Liang realize how big a mistake he had made. Although his hammer artifact was not Origin King Grade, it was still Origin Grade High-Rank, Yet this extremely strong artifact exploded into dust, so it was not hard to imagine just how powerful this strong stone giant’s seemingly simple stick really was.
This strength alone was enough to win ten out of ten frontal contests!
The two Second-Order Origin Kings were both easily taken down, causing the remaining eight First-Order Origin King Realm Elders to exchange lost and helpless glances for a time.
The Embodiment continued its unhurried stroll, leaving deep cracks and gullies as it took each step, its very existence like a mountain pressing down on all the Purple Star masters’ hearts, making them breathless.
Even Shen Tu and his followers, who were being guarded by Yang Kai had their jaws dropped at the moment as they stared blankly at the scene before them, unable to believe what they were seeing.
With just his own strength, Yang Kai was fighting against all the masters of Purple Star, including eight First-Order Origin Kings, two Second-Order Origin Kings, and one Third-Order Origin King… But not only was he not losing, he also occupied the absolute advantage.
If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it possible.
Shen Tu was thoroughly shocked, but at the same time somewhat embarrassed and depressed.
Thinking back to when he and Yang Kai met for the first time, Yang Kai had been far behind him in terms of cultivation and the two of them had to mutually help one another in order to survive.
But upon meeting again, after just a few dozen years, Shen Tu found that his friend now stood at a height that he couldn’t see even by craning his neck up high. This massive gap would be impossible for him to close for the rest of his life…
This discovery made Shen Tu feel somewhat lost…
These years, he had not been wasting his time; rather, he had been working hard to cultivate, wanting to be recognized by President Ai Ou and wanting to surpass his outstanding Third Brother, but his achievements now seemed so worthless in front of Yang Kai.
“Senior, do you want me to continue?” Up in the air, Yang Kai, who had been silently confronting Kuang Shi Zong, suddenly smiled and asked with a leisurely expression, “If we continue this little show much longer, I am afraid Purple Star City will really be reduced to rubble… but, I suppose that’s fine too. Purple Star is so big and has thousands of cities, so even without Purple Star City, there are still others to stay in. En, maybe I should go visit those cities too. I believe I can see them all eventually if I have enough time…”
As soon as this remark came out, everyone from Purple Star trembled in fright.
If Yang Kai had said this before, most people would have laughed it off as some kind of wild joke, but after witnessing the destructive power of these strange creatures, no one dared to doubt Yang Kai’s ability anymore.
As long as he had enough patience, he could definitely level all of Purple Star with this strange army at his command!
Everyone looked at Kuang Shi Zong, and nine out of ten people had an imploring expression on their face.
They were truly frightened.
Although Yang Kai had been raising a big fuss, until now, he had not begun slaughtering people. If his hand was forced though, it wasn’t clear just how many of them would survive today.
“Enough!” Although Kuang Shi Zong felt deep anger in his heart, he still had to shout.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “So, is Senior willing to discuss terms with me?”
“You win!” Kuang Shi Zong looked at Yang Kai with a sullen face and unforgettable hatred in his eyes, “Take those people and get out of my Purple Star quickly. If you dare to step into my Purple Star again in the future, this old master vows to kill you, no matter the cost.”
“Senior may rest assured, I won’t visit Purple Star ever again!” Yang Kai grinned, not caring one bit about Kuang Shi Zong’s threat. Anyone who had any intelligence knew that this was nothing more than empty posturing.
Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space and a Second-Order Origin King, so no one in the entire Star Field could kill him unless they managed to trap him inside a sealed space and then wore him down by sending multiple masters to face him one after another.
“This old master does not consider this matter over, and one day soon, this old master will go to the Water Moon Star in person to speak with Ai Ou,” Kuang Shi Zong looked at Yang Kai coldly as he emphasized every word.
Even now, he believed Yang Kai was a member of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
“Water Moon Star welcomes you any time!” Yang Kai smiled before turning to Shen Tu and saying, “Brother Shen Tu, everything has been settled, please leave first.”
“What about you?” Shen Tu frowned as he looked at Yang Kai, some faint worry on his face.
“I’ll stay here and watch them,” Yang Kai pointed down, “I’m afraid that if we try to leave together, they will try to intercept the Starship. Don’t worry, if I want to leave, they can’t stop me; I’ll join you later.”
Shen Tu thought about it for a moment before agreeing with this idea and simply cupping his fists and saying, “In that case, be careful, Brother Yang. I’ll be waiting for you aboard the Starship!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Be careful along the way.”
Shen Tu left without looking back together while the other cultivators from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce also nodded to Yang Kai to express their gratitude before quickly following.
Down below, Xiao Xiao reverted to his small and harmless appearance and shouldered his Heaven Shaking Pillar before chasing after Shen Tu and the others, seemingly having been ordered by Yang Kai to escort them to safety.
The many masters of Purple Star stood still, not daring to act rashly, only able to watch these few Origin Returning Realm cultivators fly off right from under their noses.
A look of humiliation appeared on all their faces as they gazed hatefully towards Yang Kai.
“You’re quite the cautious one, boy,” Kuang Shi Zong suddenly said.
“Senior is too kind, it is only normal to act cautiously under such circumstances,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“The one that left just now and the one still down below, what are they? Why has this old master never encountered their kind before? Are they puppets or some kind of life form?” Kuang Shi Zong asked with squinting eyes.
“They’re living creatures, but from a very rare race. If Senior wants to find one, I’m afraid it would be a futile quest.”
Contrary to Kuang Shi Zong’s expectation, Yang Kai did not try to conceal anything, instead giving him clear and direct answers, “I obtained these two by chance and coincidence.”
Kuang Shi Zong nodded lightly before turning his attention to the twenty or so Blood Beasts with interest, “What about these? You’re not going to tell this old master these are living creatures too, are you?”
“They’re condensed through a certain Secret Technique. Does Senior want to learn it? If so, I can teach you if you want,” Yang Kai said with a harmless grin.
“Forget it!” Kuang Shi Zong coldly snapped, “This old master is afraid he won’t be able to pay the price!”
He also knew that Yang Kai was simply chatting with him to pass the time, so he simply took the opportunity to gather some intelligence. As for Yang Kai saying he would teach him this Secret Technique, he would no doubt put forward some ridiculous demands in exchange, so Kuang Shi Zong wouldn’t embarrass himself by asking.
“Alright then,” Yang Kai did not care and no longer spoke to Kuang Shi Zong.
Suddenly, Li Mao Ming stepped forward with a depressed expression, cupped his fists and called out, “Brother Yang, can you give me back my Blue Ice Flame?”
“Blue Ice Flame?” Yang Kai raised his eyes and looked at Liu Yan thoughtfully, knowing immediately what Li Mao Ming was referring to.
“En, that Blue Ice Flame is of great use to me, if I lose it…” Li Mao Ming looked embarrassed.
“Haha, Brother Li is addressing the wrong person, you’ll have to ask her if you want that thing back,” Yang Kai pointed his finger at Liu Yan.
“Brother Yang must be joking,” Li Mao Ming’s mouth twitched, “Although this Li cannot see what kind of existence that is, it’s obvious that you are its master. Retrieving the Blue Ice Flame from it would only take a word from Brother Yang… Good, I can exchange it for an Origin King Grade artifact, what do you say?”
The condition put forward by Li Mao Ming was quite reasonable, so Yang Kai thought about it for a moment before saying, “Then I’ll ask for you.”
“Many thanks, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai turned his head to look at Liu Yan and asked, “You heard what was said just now, could you return that blue flame? If you agree, just nod, if you refuse, shake your head.”
Liu Yan cast a sidelong glance at Yang Kai before turning her gaze aside indifferently.
Yang Kai saw this and smirked, “Brother Li, as you can see, she has a bit of a bad temper and probably doesn’t want to return it.”
“This…” Li Mao Ming was speechless.
At that moment, a Starship rose up into the sky from nearby and soon began to accelerate away at an extremely rapid rate, breaking through the clouds soon after and sailing towards the distant Starry Sky.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai cupped his fists and said, “Everyone, this Yang will say his goodbyes here, perhaps we shall meet again on some distant mountain or field!”
Saying so, he recalled his Blood Beast Army, Liu Yan, and his Embodiment before his figure flickered and he chased after the Starship.
“Brother Yang, please wait! My Blue Ice Flame!” Li Mao Ming cried out pitifully but received no response.
“Martial Ancestor, are we just going to let him leave like this?” Gong Sun Liang stood beside Kuang Shi Zong and asked despondently.
Today’s battle not only brought great shame to Purple Star, but also to Gong Sun Liang personally. In this battle, he had suffered extremely heavy losses and did not want to let things end miserably.
Kuang Shi Zong heard these words but did not answer immediately, his eyes smouldering with a burning light, as if hesitating whether to take this opportunity to pursue or not.
“Not good, not good!” Suddenly a panic-stricken shout rang out and everyone turned to see a panicked Ji Jun, the one who had always been assisting Zi Wu Ji, run out.
“Old Ji, what happened?” Zi Wu Ji did his best to ignore the pain he was feeling and asked.
“Second Young Master, that Venerable Yang ransacked the entire Purple Star Vault!” Ji Jun shouted loudly.
“What?” Zi Wu Ji and Kuang Shi Zong’s faces changed drastically at the same time while everyone else present was filled with furious indignation.
“How did that surnamed Yang enter the Purple Star Vault? Where did he get the key? Who led him to it?”
“So that’s how it is, I was wondering why Second Young Master suddenly removed all the guards from around the Vault today, so it was for this reason!” Gong Sun Liang looked at Zi Wu Ji grimly, “Were you colluding with him all along?”
“I…” Zi Wu Ji felt his chest tighten as he suddenly found that he was unable to even make a convincing argument, only uttering anxiously, “He said he only wanted a single thing, how was I supposed to know he would be so insatiable? Even so, I made Old Ji follow him to monitor it.”
Becoming the focus of everyone’s attention once again, Ji Jun looked down in shame and muttered, “I was knocked out by him and did not awaken until just now…”
“You waste!” Kuang Shi Zong roared furiously as he waved his hand and sent out a surge of power that knocked Zi Wu Ji into a nearby wall, his life or death completely uncertain, before shouting, “Pursue him! No matter the cost, we must kill that boy in the Starry Sky today!”
“Yes!” Receiving their orders, everyone used their Movement Skills to fly off in a certain direction.
A short time later, more than a dozen Origin Grade High-Rank Starships were launched above Purple Star City, with a single Origin King Grade Starship leading the way, all of them soaring up into the Starry Sky a moment later.
The others may not know what kind of treasures were stored in Purple Star’s Vault, but how could Kuang Shi Zong not know?
Almost all the items inside weren’t of too much consequence and could be replaced given enough time, but that True Dragon Scale was a priceless treasure that had been in Purple Star’s possession since its founding. For thousands of years, the geniuses of Purple Star had tried to refine that Dragon Scales for their own use, with even Kuang Shi Zong having tried once, but none had succeeded so far.
In the end, it could only be stored away in the Vault.
Although no one could refine that Dragon Scale, it did not mean it had no value. On the contrary, its value was immeasurable.
Now that the Dragon Scale had been stolen by Yang Kai, how could Kuang Shi Zong let him simply swagger away? Now things had really developed to the point where either Yang Kai died, or he died.
All of Purple Star City had felt the shocking effects of today’s events. The fallout from the battle between so many Origin Kings had made many weaker cultivators panic, and now, seeing so many Starships set sail together, even a fool would know that something big had just happened to Purple Star.
However, no one knew the truth behind what was going on.
In the Starry Sky, Yang Kai quickly caught up with the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship, and after sending a quite Divine Sense Message, its hatch was opened, and he flew inside where he found Shen Tu waiting for him together with everyone else.
“Brother Yang!” Shen Tu cupped his fists and with a solemn expression declared, “This Shen Tu will not forget this grace for the rest of his life. If Brother Yang has need of this Shen Tu’s assistance in any way in the future, he only needs to ask.”
Yang Kai laughed lightly, “Brother Shen Tu is too serious, we’re all one family so there’s no need to be so polite.”
[We’re all one family?] A trace of doubt flashed across Shen Tu’s face, but he did not think about it too much and just assumed Yang Kai was being polite with him.
However, Yang Kai being able to say this made him incredibly happy as it made it clear that Yang Kai did not despise him just because his strength had grown far beyond his.
Aboard the Starship, not only were Shen Tu and his escorts present, but also the people from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.
Hua You Meng, Xia Jing Wu, Yao Qing, Hai Tang, Gao Hong and all the others were currently staring at Yang Kai, their eyes clearly containing worry for him but also a sense of loss for themselves.
All of them had lived on Purple Star for their entire lives, and although none of them ever officially joined Purple Star, they still considered themselves half Purple Star cultivators. Now that they were suddenly forced to escape from Purple Star and would never be able to return, they couldn’t help worrying about their future as they had lost their sense of direction.
However, they knew that after Yang Kai raised such a ruckus on Purple Star, Purple Star no longer had a place for them. Only death would await them if they remained.
In addition to the people of Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, Li Nuo from Clear Sky Auction House and the beautiful woman named Aunt Chun were also aboard the Starship, as well as some cultivators from Clear Sky Auction House.
At this moment, Li Nuo and Aunt Chun looked at Yang Kai with faces filled with gratitude.
The reason was simple: Their Clear Sky Auction House was one of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s hidden assets on Purple Star, and after Yang Kai accidentally discovered that Shen Tu was imprisoned that day, the person Shen Tu asked him to contact was none other than Li Nuo.
After all this trouble, Clear Sky Auction House would certainly be unable to maintain a foothold on Purple Star, so Yang Kai had prepared Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, Li Nuo, Aunt Chun and all the others associated with them beforehand to leave Purple Star once Shen Tu was freed.
The arrangements were perfect, and the plan went off extremely smoothly, but that was only thanks to the endless trump cards Yang Kai had in his possession together with his incredible combat power.
“President Hua, let me introduce you, this is the son of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President, Shen Tu!” Yang Kai chuckled and pointed to Shen Tu.
Hua You Meng was extremely shocked when she heard these words, seemingly never having expected the young man who just fled into the Starship in such a dishevelled condition to have such an incredible background. Xia Jing Wu and the others from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce also gawked towards Shen Tu in disbelief.
Shen Tu grinned and said freely, “Since you are Brother Yang’s friends, then you are my, Shen Tu’s friends as well!”
“I was waiting for you to say that” Yang Kai smiled before saying “President Hua and her companions were implicated this time because of me and forced to leave Purple Star, so they currently have no suitable place to go. Brother Shen Tu, if it is convenient, could you find a place for them to stay on Water Moon Star?”
“Certainly,” Shen Tu thumped his chest and said righteously, “I own a million-kilometre-wide territory on Water Moon Star with seven cities and numerous big and small towns. If President Hua would like, you can accompany me back there to serve as a High-Level Managers in the chamber of commerce, handling various matters related to foreign trade.”
“A million-kilometre territory…”
“Seven cities…”
“High-Level Managers of the Chamber of Commerce?”
Everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was stunned, their jaws dropping as they could hardly believe their ears.
Before they met Yang Kai, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce was just a small, little-known chamber of commerce that struggled to survive on the lowest rung of Purple Star City’s markets.
But now, with a single sentence, Shen Tu was able to elevate their position to one they could not even dream of reaching if they had toiled away for another thousand years.
With this kind of advantage, and the more than 200 million Saint Crystals currently owned by Hua You Meng, Five Paths Chamber of Commerce’s rise was all but inevitable.
“This… that is… is this really proper?” Hua You Meng’s face flushed with excitement as she stammered to Yang Kai.
“What could be improper?” Shen Tu laughed, “My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is based on business and Water Moon Star has more large and small chambers of commerce than Purple Star City. Since you are originally members of a chamber of commerce, then your ideas and intentions already coincide with my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s. By making you High-Level Managers, I will also have less to worry about, so I’ll be relying on you in the future.”
Yang Kai smiled at Hua You Meng and said, “Since Brother Shen Tu has said so, President Hua should not refuse.”
Hua You Meng still looked like she was in a dream, a beautiful smile adorning her face as she envisioned the bright future before her, unable to even reply until Xia Jing Wu lightly coughed to awaken her. Collecting herself quickly, Hua You Meng gratefully and elegantly bowed, “In that case, this Mistress will offer her sincere thanks to Second Young Master.”
Shen Tu waved his hand lightly and said, “President Hua is too polite. From now on, we are all one big family, you don’t need to act so courteously.”
Li Nuo stepped forward, took Hua You Meng’s arm, and said affectionately, “Elder Sister Hua, Junior Sister will also be working in Second Young Master’s territory in the future, so I’ll ask you in advance to take care of me then.”
“Junior Sister surely jests; it should be Elder Sister asking for your care.”
Inside the Starship, everyone was experiencing the joy of escaping from death and was looking forward to a beautiful tomorrow, causing the atmosphere to be extremely light and harmonious.
A moment later though, Yang Kai frowned, glanced back, and snorted softly, “It seems that Purple Star isn’t willing to give up so easily.”
Shen Tu’s face changed, “What’s the situation?”
“Ten Starships are pursuing us, nine Origin Grade High-Rank with one Origin King Grade Starship leading them!”
As soon as this statement was made, everyone’s expressions changed drastically.
Origin King Grade Starships were rare no matter what force it was. Even Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce only had a few such ships. The same was true for Purple Star. It was not difficult to guess that the person commanding this Origin King Grade Starship was Kuang Shi Zong!
Although this Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship was also Origin Grade High-Rank, trying to face an enemy which was both stronger and faster in the Starry Sky would only result in it and everyone aboard being blown to pieces.
Even with just the Origin King Grade Starship as their opponent, it was more than enough to consign them to death. Not to mention, the fact that there were nine other Origin Grade High-Rank Starships as well.
“What are we going to do?”
“We need to run!”
“We can’t escape, the other party’s Origin King Grade Starship is faster than ours, we might as well turn and fight!”
Everyone fell into a panic and began shouting.
Shen Tu, however, just turned to look at Yang Kai thoughtfully before suddenly bursting into laughter, “All of you calm down, with Brother Yang here, what is there to worry about? Brother Yang could bring us out from a place like Purple Star City, now we’re in the vast Starry Sky, an ocean wider than any fish could swim and a sky broader than any bird could soar, how could those bastards from Purple Star possibly stop us here?”
Hearing what he said, everyone’s flustered mood suddenly calmed down and they all turned to Yang Kai.
Seeing him still wearing a calm and fearless look, everyone else immediately knew that he must have a way to escape from their pursuers and immediately felt relieved, even becoming somewhat eager to see what magical method he would show them this time.
“Brother Shen Tu has such great confidence in me,” Yang Kai laughed before nodding, “Okay, just as Brother Shen Tu said, I can naturally keep everyone safe, just continue sailing forward and leave the outside affairs to me.”
Saying so, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from where he stood. When he reappeared, he had already arrived outside the Starship and stood atop its deck.
Looking towards the rear, Yang Kai was able to clearly see the ten pursuing Starships approaching at rapid speed, the lead Origin King Grade Starship exuding a terrifying momentum like a fierce tiger descending the mountain.
After just ten short breaths, the distance between the two sides had halved, and soon the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship entered the range of the Origin King Grade Starship’s Crystal Cannons.
Kuang Shi Zong’s roar rang out at that moment, “Boy! Surrender everything you stole from my Purple Star’s Vault or this old master swears he will kill you today!”
This voice billowed like thunder, showing just how angered Kuang Shi Zong was.
Yang Kai just smiled slightly and called out casually, “Why is Senior so stingy? Purple Star is so wealthy and those things in your vault weren’t even being used, just let me take them with me for now and I’ll return them at some point in the future.”
“Return what you stole to this old master now and this old master can pretend nothing happened, otherwise, even if you can escape today, everyone in that Starship will be buried in the Starry Sky!”
“It seems Senior has no interest in negotiating,” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders helplessly, “I have no intention of returning these things now, but if Senior continues to pester me about them, I would be happy to teach Senior an unforgettable lesson!”
“Bold! Do not think that just because you are proficient in the Dao of Space you can do whatever you want! This Starry Sky goes on forever, and there are countless capable masters you have not met, how could a frog at the bottom of the well possibly see how vast the sky truly is! This old master will give you one last chance, return what you stole or die!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Senior, I will also give you one last chance. End your pursuit now otherwise you may not be able to bear the consequences!”
“Good, good, good! Boy, for repeatedly insulting this old master, this old master will teach you how to show proper respect today!” With Kuang Shi Zong’s roar, several dozen Crystal Cannons emerged from the Origin King Grade Starship’s hull, each one covered in complicated glowing arrays.
A dazzling light burst forth, making the entire Origin King Grade Starship as bright as a dazzling sun.
Terrifying energy fluctuations filled the void.
Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn as he stood atop the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship, took a deep breath, and pushed his Space Force madly.
*Hong…*
With a muffled thud, the Origin King Grade Starship of Purple Star shook slightly and dozens of pure white beams of light, like streaking comets, rushed out towards where Yang Kai stood, vaporizing any stray asteroids in the Starry Sky that were unfortunate enough to be in their path.
A Crystal Cannon volley was the most terrifying attack a Starship possessed. The Crystal Cannon volley of an Origin Grade Low-Rank Starship was capable of destroying a small city, and as the rank of a Starship increased, the power of its cannons increased geometrically. An Origin King Grade Starship Crystal Cannons bombardment could destroy a tenth of a small Cultivation Star.
Ten volleys were enough to destroy a Cultivation Star.
The columns of white light flashed forward and directly penetrated the Origin Grade High-Rank Starship of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Like a snowflake under the scorching sun, the Origin Grade High-Rank Starship did not even manage to resist for a single breath before distorting and disappearing, seemingly vaporizing directly.
Seeing this scene though, Kuang Shi Zong was startled, apparently not thinking it would be this easy.
But in the next moment, he realized that something was wrong, and he quickly shifted his gaze.
Where he was now looking, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship was safe and sound in the Starry Sky and still fleeing forward while Yang Kai stood atop it completely unscathed and wearing a carefree expression.
Kuang Shi Zong could even see a look of mockery on his face.
“He can teleport an entire Starship?” Kuang Shi Zong quickly understood what had happened and his entire body stiffened in place as if he had been struck by lightning, a look of shock covering his face.
Kuang Shi Zong had witnessed Yang Kai use Space Force before and had an idea about what he was capable of, but he had never imagined that not only was Yang Kai capable of teleporting himself without a trace, he could even move an entire Origin Grade High-Rank Starship with him as well.
This was no longer something within the realm of human ability, it was simply a miracle!
It was for this reason that the devastating Crystal Cannon volley did not have any effect.
As Kuang Shi Zong was lost in a daze, Yang Kai’s deep voice suddenly called out, “Since Senior insists on being stubborn, he must pay the price!”
“Not good!” Kuang Shi Zong exclaimed. Although he didn’t know what kind of method Yang Kai was about to use, he instinctually felt that things were about to take a turn for the worse, as if whatever Yang Kai was about to show him would be something he was completely incapable of resisting.
“Quick, activate all defences at maximum strength!” Kuang Shi Zong roared.
The cultivators responsible for controlling the Origin King Grade Starship did not dare to hesitate and quickly operated the Spirit Arrays in front of them to erect a powerful barrier around the ship. This barrier was powerful enough that even if a Third-Order Origin King used their full strength to attack it, it would not break.
But even so, Kuang Shi Zong was still uneasy, his hairs standing on end as he felt a lingering palpitation in his heart.
From the front, a faint purple light suddenly flickered.
This purple light was not dazzling in any sense, as different from the brilliant light of the dozens of Crystal Cannons from before as a firefly was to a full moon.
But when this purple light appeared, Kuang Shi Zong felt his heart clench. Staring wide-eyed at this purple light, he felt like he had been thrown into a winter blizzard and could not stop himself from shivering.
From where the purple light originated, he felt a majestic aura which made him instinctually want to kneel and surrender, even destroying the idea of trying to resist.
“Emperor Pressure!” Kuang Shi Zong was a Third-Order Origin King with vast life experience, so he immediately understood what this domineering force was.
Whatever the source of the purple light was, it was able to emit Emperor Pressure!
[Wouldn’t that mean… he possesses an Emperor Artifact? Impossible!]
Emperor Artifacts were things of legend that were rumoured to be the personal artifacts of the Starry Sky Great Emperor, treasures far beyond Origin King Grade!
If it really was an Emperor Artifact, this Origin King Grade Starship would not be able to stop it.
Realizing this, Kuang Shi Zong shouted hurriedly, “If you don’t want to die, run!”
As he spoke, he rushed directly to where the Starship’s hatch was located and punched it open before the cultivator controlling it even had a chance to respond, making a big hole in the sturdy hull before fleeing through it into the Starry Sky.
Kuang Shi Zong was the supreme existence of Purple Star, so seeing him so terrified, how could anyone else dare to remain? Everyone hurriedly followed Kuang Shi Zong to escape from the hole in the hatch.
Far away, Yang Kai held the Annihilation Thunder Bead in his hand and stared solemnly towards the Origin King Grade Starship chasing them, his Saint Qi flooding out of his body at an astonishing rate.
On the Annihilation Thunder Bead’s surface, a faint streak of purple lighting flickered back and forth as Yang Kai’s Saint Qi continued to pour in.
*Chi…*
At a certain moment, when the amount of Saint Qi poured in reached a critical point, a lightning arc suddenly burst out of the Annihilation Thunder Bead and shot out like a comet under the direction of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, piercing the Starry Sky. This purple bolt flew like an arrow from a bow straight towards the Purple Star Origin King Grade Starship.
Silently, this purple bolt of lightning impacted the barrier outside the Origin King Grade Starship, and despite the barrier being sturdy enough to resist the full-powered attack of a Third-Order Origin King undamaged, this small purple lightning bolt blew a giant hole in it.
Immediately afterwards, the hull was penetrated, and a massive hole was pierced straight through it all the way to the other side of the Starship before the purple arc continued through the barrier on the other side as well…
The purple lightning bolt remained undiminished in intensity as it swiftly flew towards one of the nine Starships that was following behind.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, the Origin Grade High-Rank Starship did not even have time to evade before the purple lightning bolt struck, instantly vaporizing it.
Only then did a loud cracking sound echo from the leading Origin King Grade Starship.
The barrier arranged outside it shattered like a broken mirror as the massive hull was all but split in two.
Fortunately, the materials this Origin King Grade Starship were refined from were all extremely precious so despite being so damaged, it did not explode on the spot; however, it was clear this Origin King Grade Starship had basically been scrapped. In order to repair it, it would require almost as much money and manpower as simply building another from scratch.
In the Starry Sky, Kuang Shi Zong, who was the first to escape, stared at the scene in a daze, his blood running cold as his face turned pale and he muttered almost unconsciously, “It’s really an Emperor Artifact, a real Emperor Artifact!”
He could not understand no matter how he thought about it. Yang Kai himself was a supreme talent, had a large number of extremely powerful subordinates, was proficient in the Dao of Space, and possessed an Emperor Artifact!
Any cultivator that had any one of these advantages could run rampant through the Star Field, but Yang Kai actually had all of them!
Was there anyone in this world who could be his opponent? Even if Kuang Shi Zong’s cultivation realm was higher than Yang Kai’s, standing at the pinnacle of the Star Field’s Martial Dao, at this moment, facing the Heaven-defying methods that Yang Kai had shown him one by one, he could not help feeling a strong sense of powerlessness deep in his heart.
Just being proficient in the Dao of Space made Yang Kai invincible. In this entire Star Field, there was likely no one who could kill him. With such methods at his disposal, it would be a blessing for him to not find trouble with others. Who would dare take the initiative to annoy him?
For a moment, Kuang Shi Zong felt panic in his heart, a feeling he had not felt for many years and had nearly forgotten entirely.
He wanted to retreat!
Since he could not kill Yang Kai and was unable to face his Emperor Artifact’s attack, chasing him down now was just asking for trouble.
However, when Kuang Shi Zong raised his eyes and looked in the direction of Yang Kai, he immediately became overjoyed and hurriedly shouted, “Fire! Don’t let him get away!”
He surprisingly discovered that Yang Kai’s complexion had become pale after using the Emperor Artifact.
Kuang Shi Zong immediately understood that while this Emperor Artifact was extremely powerful, the price to use it was definitely not small. With Yang Kai’s current strength, he might not even be able to unleash a second attack.
Kuang Shi Zong’s guess was right.
Yang Kai really could not use the Annihilation Thunder Bead again.
He had used the Annihilation Thunder Bead several times before, and each time he did, his strength had improved greatly from the previous time, but despite that, it still completely exhausted his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy!
Although as his strength improved, the Annihilation Thunder Bead was able to display more and more power, being so completely drained all at once was a truly uncomfortable feeling.
Perhaps only a character on Yang Yan’s level could truly use the full power of the Annihilation Thunder Bead without any side-effects.
After displaying the Annihilation Thunder Bead, Yang Kai immediately crushed the Spirit Pill he had been holding in his mouth.
A flow of sweet, clear medicinal liquid slid down his throat and into his stomach, turning into a refreshing heat that quickly dispersed to his limbs, allowing him to restore a certain amount of Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy in a very short time.
It was at that moment that Kuang Shi Zong issued the order to press the attack!
There were eight remaining intact Origin Grade High-Rank Starships, all of which swiftly pointed their Crystal Cannons towards where Yang Kai stood atop the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship.
Brilliant lights shone as a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering amount of power condensed from the eight Starships.
Yang Kai stared at this scene indifferently as he stood atop the ship, stared towards Kuang Shi Zong from afar, and said coldly, “Senior, this trip to Purple Star has made me very unhappy. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will come to greet you again to seek compensation. I pray you live a long life and don’t die before then.”
These words burned into Kuang Shi Zong’s heart like a soldering iron, causing him to tremble as he thought about Yang Kai’s various astonishing means. If he was able to escape today, then Purple Star’s future would no doubt be miserable.
Under his uneasy gaze, Yang Kai turned around and thrust his hands forward.
Something shocking happened next.
Yang Kai’s hands were directly inserted into the void, as if there was an invisible wall in front of him.
Immediately afterwards, Yang Kai vigorously pulled his hands to the sides.
*Kacha…*
Like Yang Kai was tearing about a thin curtain, a massive Void Crack appeared from where his hands spread, the entire process seemingly occurring freely and easily.
This Void Crack was like a giant beast opening its mouth to reveal a world filled with chaotic nothingness.
The Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship then slowly sailed into this blackness.
Kuang Shi Zong’s expression was incredibly ugly as he stared at the Starship diving into the Void, his Saint Qi surging several times, but he chose not to make a move in the end.
He knew that even if he attacked personally, he would not be able to stop Yang Kai from escaping and might even be dragged into The Void by him instead.
Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, so he did not need to worry about getting lost in The Void, but Kuang Shi Zong was different. Even if he was a Third-Order Origin King, once he fell into The Void, he would very likely become lost forever, unable to ever escape.
Only a deep unwillingness and fear lingered in Kuang Shi Zong’s heart.
The unwillingness was because not only did he fail to recover the treasures Yang Kai stole from Purple Star’s Vault, he had allowed the latter to have an opportunity to destroy an Origin Grade High-Rank Starship and an Origin King Grade Starship.
As for the fear, that was because of the last words Yang Kai left. Purple Star making such an enemy was an incredibly worrying prospect!
The Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship quickly disappeared into The Void, after which the Void Crack rapidly sealed itself.
Only then did the eight Crystal Cannon barrages from the Purple Star Starships fly over.
The hundreds of Crystal Cannon blasts were a far more dazzling display than the previous volley from the Origin King Grade Starship alone.
But all these beams of white, destructive light hit nothing but empty space and flew off into the distant Starry Sky!
The Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship and Yang Kai were long gone.
Kuang Shi Zong stood on the spot as if in despair, seemingly ageing several hundred years in an instant…
The remaining eight Starships also stopped, not knowing what to do.
After a while, many masters flew out of the Starship and gathered in front of Kuang Shi Zong, all of them looking at him with anxious expressions.
“Ha…” Kuang Shi Zong sighed deeply and laughed in a self-deprecating manner, “As I had always known, the talents from the next generation will supplant those from the old generation sooner or later. It is impossible to overcome old age.”
“Martial Ancestor…” Everyone was shocked, knowing that Kuang Shi Zong had suffered a complete defeat at Yang Kai’s hands this time, wanting to comfort him but not knowing what to say.
“It’s fine, let’s return. My Purple Star has experienced major changes. Zi Long is dead, and since Dong’er was with him, he has probably also met with disaster. Purple Star is currently a dragon without a head. In the future, Purple Star will…” Saying until here, his eyes scanned the surrounding crowd.
Gong Sun Liang straightened his chest quickly.
“You will be commanded by Wu Ji. Everyone will do their utmost to assist him and follow his orders,” Kuang Shi Zong turned to Gong Sun Liang and said. “You have suffered serious damage to your foundation this time, so you must enter retreat to recuperate.”
“Yes!” Although Gong Sun Liang was unwilling, he did not dare to object and could only nod in agreement; after all, what Kuang Shi Zong said was correct. The battle with Yang Kai had damaged his foundation, and if he did not attend to it carefully, it would likely lead to serious consequences, possibly even realm regression.
Compared to the position of Purple Star Sect Master, his own strength was more important.
“Disciple thanks Martial Ancestor! Disciple will do his best to lead Purple Star to glory!” Zi Wu Ji declared, his swollen nose and pale face unable to hide his exhilaration.
No matter how winding the process was and how many twists and turns there were along the way, he had managed to achieve his goal, in the end.
…..
Inside the Void Crack, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship sailed forward slowly, surrounded by spatial turbulence. Yang Kai remained standing on the deck, using his Space Force to surround the entire Starship so it did not get pulled into the chaotic currents around it.
Space Force inside the Void Crack was completely unpredictable and unstable, so unless a cultivator like Yang Kai was present to guide its flow, it would quickly try to crush any foreign matter. The chaotic Space Force was powerful enough to tear a Third-Order Origin King to pieces given enough time.
After experiencing some initial panic, everyone aboard the Starship gradually calmed down and no longer showed any fear; instead, many began to enthusiastically explore their surrounding environment.
After all, not everyone had the opportunity to enter the Void, much less in an absolutely carefree and safe manner.
Unfortunately for them, there was truly nothing in this space, leading to some slight disappointment.
The novelty of the situation soon wore off, and as everyone’s curiosity abated, they went back to attending to their own duties.
Some time later, a buzzing sound echoed throughout the Starship and bright light penetrated in from the outside as the stars reappeared before everyone’s eyes.
The Starship had transitioned back to the Star Field.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered and appeared in the middle of the crowd, his face pale and his footing a bit unstable.
“Brother Yang!” Shen Tu’s eyes bulged as he hurriedly moved to support Yang Kai.
“I’m fine!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and motioned Shen Tu to relax, “It’s just that my strength is overdrawn. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”
He had never tried to traverse the Void Crack with something as large as an entire Starship before, and although his current control of Space Force had reached a very high level, doing so had put a great load on Yang Kai, especially after just using the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
However, by doing this, Yang Kai also learned what the current limits of his Space Force were, which was a small gain.
“Then you should hurry up and rest, leave everything else to me,” Shen Tu quickly urged.
Hua You Meng and the others also looked at him with concern.
Yang Kai simply nodded, “It should be safe now, you can just sail on carefully. If anything happens, I will appear.”
“Rest easy, Brother Yang. Li Nuo, quickly arrange a room for Brother Yang,” Shen Tu turned to Li Nuo and ordered.
“Sir, please follow me,” Li Nuo hurriedly led the way.
Although Origin Grade High-Rank Starships were not uncommon among great forces in the Star Field, this particular Origin Grade High-Rank Starship was exclusively refined for Shen Tu and represented the best Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had to offer, so the interior decoration was extremely luxurious. Li Nuo led Yang Kai to the best room available before bowing and drawing back.
Yang Kai walked to the bed, sat down cross-legged, looked around for a moment, and soon found that the ambient energy in the air was extremely strong, probably a result of some kind of powerful Spirit Array.
The finest incense was also lit inside this room, filling it with a light fragrance that had a calming effect on one’s mind and spirit once inhaled.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and took out a Spirit Pill from his Space Ring before popping it into his mouth and swallowing it down. A moment later, the medicinal efficacies began to spread out and Yang Kai began to adjust his breathing.
Time flew by.
About six days later, Yang Kai managed to restore himself to his original state.
Inside the Void, Yang Kai had pushed himself to the limit, resulting in him gaining some insights into the use of Space Force, insights he planned on exploring after he has recovered.
After a few more days, Yang Kai showed a thoughtful look before a smile appeared on his face.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai confirmed the Starship was still sailing steadily in the Starry Sky and that everyone in the ship was performing their respective duties. Everything was calm and peaceful.
The final destination of this Starship was the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Water Moon Star, which was also one of the destinations of Yang Kai’s trip, so he simply sat back and relaxed.
He even had time to wonder what kind of expression Xue Yue would have when they met on Water Moon Star again.
When he thought of Xue Yue, Yang Kai could not help but also think about Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, and then Shan Qing Luo…
With a long sigh, Yang Kai’s heart filled with guilt…
Quickly shaking his head to dispel these negative emotions, Yang Kai put up a barrier around his room before immediately taking out the Sealed World Bead and entering it.
In fact, he could have used the Sealed World Bead to take away Shen Tu and the others back on Purple Star. This was the most convenient and fastest way to escape that situation.
But Yang Kai had intentionally chosen not to do so; after all, the existence of the Sealed World Bead was too Heaven-defying, it was literally a complete world one could carry on them, so the fewer that knew about it, the better.
Although he had now become strong enough to not fear anyone in the Star Field, Yang Kai still had to be careful. If someone troublesome were to take an interest in him because of the existence of the Sealed World Bead, the gains would not be worth the loss.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, it was incredibly peaceful.
Xiao Xiao was still devouring Sun’s True Fire when Yang Kai arrived in front of him and took out all the precious ores he obtained from Purple Star’s Vault.
When Xiao Xiao saw these ores, his two small eyes suddenly rounded and shined with a strong light. Rushing out, he grabbed at the ores and began stuffing them into his mouth.
There were no chewing motions as all of these ores were quickly thrown into his small stomach, not causing his belly to swell at all, as if they had disappeared into some bottomless pit.
Shortly after, all the ores had disappeared.
Xiao Xiao then turned to Yang Kai eagerly, a somewhat unsatisfied look from being half-full filling his face.
Yang Kai could only laugh wryly and say, “There’s no more, go refine those first!”
Although the number was somewhat small, all these ores had been placed inside Purple Star’s Vault, so each one was no doubt extremely valuable. Now that they had all been swallowed by Xiao Xiao, it would undoubtedly be helpful to his growth.
Xiao Xiao was quite easy-going, so after scratching his head slightly, he showed a silly smile to Yang Kai before running off to refine the ores with peace of mind.
Yang Kai cast him a light gaze before moving on.
At his next stop, Yang Kai came across a large Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace that was standing quietly on the ground. It was naturally Liu Yan’s artifact.
Inside the Artifact Refining Furnace, there were some occasional Firebird cries and every once in a while a burst of flames would erupt from the open furnace’s mouth. These bursts of flame not only contained the power of the Sun’s True Fire that Liu Yan had swallowed, but also the Heavenly Thunder Fire and Blue Ice Flame power as well.
Liu Yan was clearly working hard to digest the Blue Ice Flame.
Seemingly aware of the arrival of Yang Kai, a Firebird head poked out from the Artifact Refining Furnace, took a faint glance at Yang Kai, then dived back in again, and continued with her work…
“Seems like everything is fine!” Yang Kai nodded lightly. Liu Yan had a casual look to her, so obviously she was not having any difficulties.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered next and he soon arrived at a secluded place.
This was where he had planted countless spirit grasses and spirit medicines, the medicine garden which had laid out before. All the precious herbs that Yang Kai had brought out from the Severed World, many of which had gone extinct elsewhere in the Star Field, were planted in this medicine garden, making for a thriving, vibrant scene.
There was a strong medicinal fragrance wafting about, one that smelt almost enlightening.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged next to the garden and began taking out a few things from his Space Ring before placing them in front of himself one by one.
The first of these items was a round, transparent crystal.
Earth Vein Crystal!
This was one of the three most valuable treasures that Yang Kai took out from Purple Star’s Vault. After observing the Earth Vein beads for a while, he did not hesitate to throw it into the centre of the Medicine Garden.
As soon as the Earth Vein Crystal touched the ground, it sank downwards like the earth was nothing but water.
The next moment, an eruption of World Energy occurred and with the Medicine Garden as the centre, a thousand-meter radius saw its ambient aura intensity jump over a hundredfold.
From the ground, a series of gossamer-like threads began to fly out and linger about in the air, instantly flooding the surrounding region.
“Spirit Qi Wisps!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he saw this, his expression filled with excitement.
World Energy was ordinarily invisible and intangible, and only when its concentration reached a certain critical limit did it become visible to the naked eye.
The layers of mist above the famous mountains and rivers were often actually the physical manifestation of concentrated World Energy and was a resource of great benefit to cultivators who cultivated there.
But this mist was still incomparable to Spirit Qi Wisps.
Spirit Qi Wisps were a higher level of World Energy, both denser and more refined than simple fog.
These wisps were the purest and most concentrated form of World Energy. Yang Kai reached out and grabbed a wisp as he circulated his Secret Art slightly. With little effort, this wisp disappeared into the palm of his hand, formed a stream of heat inside his meridians, and quickly flowed into his dantian where it was rapidly assimilated into his own strength.
The countless Spirit Qi Wisps which were floating around now made this region look like a fairyland, indescribably beautiful.
Several wisps soon began landing on the exotic flowers and plants planted in the medicine garden, causing them to sway slightly, as if exuding their joy.
Yang Kai did not expect that placing the Earth Vein Crystal here would lead to such a result. His original intention was simply to use the Earth Vein Crystal to provide the herbs in the medicine garden with a constant supply of World Energy, as well as create a good cultivation environment for him.
This result far exceeded his expectations.
This Earth Vein Crystal really lived up to its reputation. That a tiny Earth Vein Crystal was able to provide such a massive amount of World Energy was simply shocking.
Yang Kai observed for a while before noting that only the surrounding thousand meters radius had been affected; however, the small circular region had now become a cultivation paradise far greater than any spiritual ground in existence.
Sitting amidst the ocean of Spirit Qi Wisps, Yang Kai felt that he was able to absorb the ambient energy without even consciously trying to.
In such an environment, a cultivator could definitely grow at a speed a hundred to a thousand times faster than ordinary.
Quickly collecting himself, Yang Kai picked up the second item.
It was the seventh Star Emperor Token he obtained from the Purple Star Vault.
This one was no different from the previous six pieces. All of them were made from some unknown material and had a domineering ‘Emperor’ character engraved on its face. There was also a faint Emperor Pressure that still lingered about it.
After observing it for a while, Yang Kai took out the other six tokens.
When the seven Star Emperor Tokens were gathered, a sudden change occurred.
The seven tokens shot out from Yang Kai’s hands uncontrollably and flew up into the air in front of him, arranging themselves into a pattern in the blink of an eye.
It looked like a circle, but it was missing a few links.
Yang Kai immediately knew that it was because he was lacking two Star Emperor Tokens and that the pattern still wasn’t complete.
After the seven Star Emperor Tokens were suspended mid-air for a while, they suddenly fell downwards. Yang Kai reached out and swept them up into his palm before placing them back into his Space Ring.
He then cast his eyes towards the last two items.
One of them was a scale the size of a palm. It almost looked like a gigantic fish scale but was covered with mysterious patterns and gave off an imposing and ancient aura.
Dragon Scale! The scale of an authentic Dragon.
The Dragon Scale in front of him and the Dragon Bone Sword in Yang Kai’s body seemed to sense each other and began resonating, forcing him to suppress them.
Such a big piece of Dragon Scale, in terms of value, was not inferior to the previous Earth Vein Crystal. It was obviously happened upon by an ancestor of Purple Star, but unfortunately, no one from Purple Star had been able to truly make use of it after so many years. Kuang Shi Zong had also attempted to refine this Dragon Scale many years ago but was unsuccessful. In the end, he had to reluctantly give up and store it inside the Vault.
If a Grandmaster Artifact Refiner took this Dragon Scale as a primary material and used it to create an artifact, it would produce at least an Origin King Grade High-Rank artifact; whether it was used to make an offensive artifact or defensive artifact, it would no doubt stand at the peak of the Star Field in terms of quality.
Of course, since a Dragon Scale was extraordinarily strong, using it to make a defensive artifact was the best choice, especially something like a shield.
Unfortunately, even an Origin King Grade Artifact Refiner may not be able to properly refine this Dragon Scale unless they possessed some kind of special divine flame.
Yang Kai was not an Artifact Refiner, so he could not smelt this piece of Dragon Scale, but he possessed a different advantage that no one else did.
He had the Golden Divine Dragon Source!
Amongst True Dragons, the Golden Divine Dragon was a supreme emperor, the ruler of all Ancient Divine Spirits! With the power of the Golden Divine Dragon Source and the Monster Transformation Secret Technique Chi Yue had given him, Yang Kai was confident he could completely refine this Dragon Scale into his body, integrating it into his own strength to gain part of a True Dragon’s Divine Ability.
The Dragon Scale was a True Dragon relic, and so was Yang Kai’s Dragon Bone Sword.
The Dragon Bone Sword was composed of a piece of Dragon Bone and a Dragon Bead. Yang Kai did not have the time or ability to refine this artifact and had definitely not brought it to its full potential. At the time, Yang Yan had simply passed him a special refining method that bypassed all the customary steps and allowed Yang Kai to use Liu Yan’s natal Artifact Refining Furnace to fuse the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead into an artifact.
This approach guaranteed the best use of the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead.
In other words, Yang Kai now had three Dragon relics in his hands: A Dragon Scale, a Dragon Bone, and a Dragon Bead!
If these three True Dragon artifacts could be completely integrated into his body, his strength would undoubtedly soar.
It would be impossible for others to do this, but Yang Kai, who possessed the Golden Divine Dragon Source, could.
But, he was not in a hurry to do so; he turned his attention to the last item.
It was a hexagonal shaped crystal that looked similar to the Earth Vein Crystal, but also completely different. The Earth Vein Crystal completely restrained its internal energy and appeared ordinary from the outside. Only when one’s Divine Sense penetrated into the crystal would the massive quantity of energy inside become apparent.
But this six-sided prismatic crystal released a potent energy fluctuation that caused even someone as strong as Yang Kai to feel some slight pressure.
This crystal was the Origin Essence Crystal that Yang Kai had won at the auction. Only a Third-Order Origin King could condense the essence of their perceptions in the Martial Dao into an Origin Essence Crystal.
An Origin Essence Crystal had a fatal temptation to any Origin King Realm cultivator, far more so than Domain Stones.
Refining a Domain Stone could only allow an Origin King to sense the power of Domain and more easily form their own, but an Origin Essence Crystal could allow an Origin King to go a step further in their cultivation!
This was something Yang Kai needed urgently!
The Phoenix Star Silver wrapped around this Origin Essence Crystal had already been divided up by Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan, so as long as he could absorb the energy in this Origin Essence Crystal, Yang Kai believed that even if he could not immediately break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm, reaching the peak of the Star Field, he would make the road ahead far smoother!
After looking back and forth between the Origin Essence Crystal and the Dragon Scale several times, Yang Kai finally made a decision. He would put the Origin Essence Crystal away for now!
He decided to refine the Dragon Scale first.
Refining and absorbing an Origin Essence Crystal was a very time-consuming process, and with many things still waiting to get done, Yang Kai felt like now was not the time to attempt to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
As for the three True Dragon relics, the Dragon Bone Sword itself contained both a piece of Dragon Bone and a Dragon Bead, which could still play some role in its current form, so the natural choice was to refine the Dragon Scale.
Considering all this, Yang Kai did not hesitate anymore, picked up the Dragon Scale, closed his eyes, and began to review the second half of the Monster Transformation Secret Technique.
The Monster Transformation was the Monster Race’s supreme Secret Technique and allowed a Monster Race cultivator to exert a trace of the power of its ancestral bloodline. All Monster Race cultivators could trace their lineage to the ancient Monster Beasts and had vast hidden potential in their blood. The problem was finding a way to awaken and utilise it.
This was the focus of the first half of the Monster Transformation Secret Technique.
As for the second half, it described the process needed to refine parts of ancient Monster Beasts into one’s own body.
The authentic Dragons, strictly speaking, were still Monster Beasts, the only difference was that they were born emperors of their kind. As such, Dragon relics were suited for the Monster Transformation Secret Technique.
Yang Kai spent ten full days studying the Monster Transformation’s second half before he decided to put it into action.
Opening his eyes and exhaling lightly, a look of determination filled Yang Kai’s eyes as he pointed his finger like a knife, lifted his other arm, and slashed at his wrist.
In the next moment a cut was opened and golden blood began oozing out from it. The powerful healing ability of Yang Kai’s golden blood immediately took effect, and the wound began to close at a speed visible to the naked eye, looking as if it would be healed in the next moment.
Yang Kai quickly picked up the Dragon Scale and stuck it onto the wound while circulating the Monster Transformation Secret Technique and pouring the power of his Golden Divine Dragon Source into the Dragon Scale at the same time.
*Weng…*
A faint hum rang out as a huge phantom dragon head suddenly appeared from the Dragon Scale. This phantom dragon head was more majestic and terrifying than any dragon head Yang Kai had previously encountered and, before it, he could not help feeling as small and insignificant as an ant.
The dragon head stared at Yang Kai without emotion, releasing a supreme Dragon Pressure towards his heart.
*Hou…*
A dragon roar that resounded like thunder exploded in Yang Kai’s ears, its voice radiating an unquestionable might that caused Yang Kai’s pulse to unconsciously accelerate.
Dragon Pressure filled the air!
Yang Kai stared back at the dragon head coldly, without flinching.
After a short moment, the phantom dragon head shook slightly before suddenly transforming into a golden light and retreating back into the Dragon Scale.
At the same time, this piece of Dragon Scale, which has been detached from a true Dragon for tens of thousands of years, possibly even longer, seemed to come to life and began drinking Yang Kai’s blood at an astonishing rate.
*Gudong, gudong…*
A clear sound echoed from the Dragon Scale as Yang Kai’s blood flowed into it, dying it in a rich golden light.
A feeling of dizziness and discomfort rose from Yang Kai’s heart, causing a look of shock to appear on his face. Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai quickly exploded a drop of pure Golden Blood in his body to replenish his rapidly disappearing blood.
Another high-pitched dragon roar sounded from the Dragon Scale, as if it was extremely happy, and it began swallowing Yang Kai’s blood even more unscrupulously.
Contained in Yang Kai’s blood was an unimaginable amount of vitality, especially his pure Golden Blood, which was condensed from Life Revitalizing Jade Cream. Any drop of Golden Blood was a tonic that could bring someone on the brink of death back to life.
This massive amount of vitality was indispensable for refining this True Dragon relic.
As time passed, Yang Kai was forced to explode ten drops of pure Golden Blood, but the Dragon Scale still seemed unsatisfied as it continued to swallow all it was fed uncontrollably.
The entire Dragon Scale was now a pure golden colour, and the Dragon Pressure it radiated was even more powerful than before.
After a while, Yang Kai suddenly felt that the flow of his blood stopped and he immediately became ecstatic, knowing that he had finally satiated this Dragon Scale. Turning his eyes towards it, Yang Kai discovered that the originally nigh indestructible Dragon Scale had now transformed into a halo of golden light that flowed like running water around the wound on his arm.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and prepared himself. With a single thought, a suction force appeared from his wound and drew this golden light into his body.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as he grabbed the wound with his free hand, his whole body shuddering as his face went completely pale and beads of sweat began oozing from his forehead, soaking his clothes in an instant.
Unimaginable pain radiated from the wound and was seemingly magnified ten thousand times over as it strongly stimulated Yang Kai’s physique and nerves.
Yang Kai was no stranger to pain and had an incredibly firm will, but in the end, he was unable to hold back and released an unimaginable scream that resounded throughout the Small Sealed World.
The pain was simply unbearable, and Yang Kai could feel it countless times clearer than usual. He could clearly feel that the Dragon Scale, which was sucked into his body, was slowly creeping along his arm like flowing lava, burning down everything in its path as it slowly climbed higher.
Every moment brought an almost soul crushing agony.
Yang Kai’s pain filled screams rang out continuously.
In any case, he was the only living person in the Small Sealed World, so there was no need for him to feel embarrassed by this display.
However, Xiao Xiao who was refining ore and Liu Yan who was refining the Blue Ice Flame heard these screams and could not help looking over, both of their faces showing worried expressions as they feared that Yang Kai had encountered some kind of accident.
Yang Kai’s pitiful screams refused to subside even as his voice grew hoarse.
Naturally, he was suffering from unimaginably painful torment.
Every time the Dragon Scale moved upwards; Yang Kai felt as if his arm was being slashed apart by a thousand swords. Wherever the Dragon Scale passed, his physique and meridians were shredded, and even with Yang Kai’s tyrannical physical strength, he was unable to resist the corrosive force of the potent Dragon Pressure.
Fortunately, his vitality was extremely tenacious, so the rate at which he could heal was somehow able to keep up with the rate of the damage.
After an entire day, the golden light from the Dragon Scale flowed into Yang Kai’s heart.
*Peng peng…*
Two strong heartbeats sounded and Yang Kai’s whole body froze. The next moment, his heart completely stopped beating and he collapsed to the ground with a burst of golden light.
Watching from a distance, the already worried Liu Yan and Xiao Xiao were shocked and rushed over immediately. Liu Yan helped Yang Kai up as she hurriedly checked for any signs of breathing or pulse while Xiao Xiao stood to the side, jumping up and down anxiously but powerless to help.
After realizing that not only had Yang Kai’s breathing ceased, but his heart had also stopped, Liu Yan’s eyes could not help but darken as she raised her eyes to Xiao Xiao and slowly shook her head.
Xiao Xiao made a ‘wu wu’ sound from his mouth as he hurriedly pointed his finger at Liu Yan, then at Yang Kai, gesturing frantically as if imploring her to think up a solution quickly.
Liu Yan could only reply with silence though.
Suddenly, Yang Kai, who seemed to already be dead, opened his eyes and took in a sharp breath. As if his soul had just returned to his body, he clutched his chest and gasped as his eyes trembled violently.
*Dong dong…*
A heartbeat stronger than ever before sounded from his chest and continued to sound like a deafening war drum.
With time, this abnormal heartbeat gradually became stable and finally returned to normal.
It was not until this time that Yang Kai completely recovered and slowly stood up straight, his eyes filled with lingering fear.
Liu Yan frowned as she looked at him, and only after confirming that he seemed to be fine did she exhale with relief. Xiao Xiao had a simpler reaction as he simply jumped about at Yang Kai’s feet, a cheerful expression on his face.
“I had a small accident and caused you to worry,” Yang Kai smiled lightly as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
He had not expected this either. Just fusing with a single Dragon Scale was so dangerous. Everything had gone smoothly at the beginning, and even taking the Dragon Scale into his body, while painful, was still within the realm of his control, but when the dragon scale entered his heart, Yang Kai suddenly felt as if he was about to die.
Fortunately, his body was far from ordinary. Only by relying on his powerful vitality was he able to survive, and if it had been someone else, they would likely be dead by now.
With his powerful Second-Order Origin King cultivation, the mere refinement of a single True Dragon Scale had almost cost his life, so it was not difficult to imagine how dangerous this process was.
This was also only the first True Dragon relic Yang Kai planned to refine. If he wanted to refine the second and third pieces, it would likely not be possible in the near future. Only if he could dramatically improve his strength would be able to even think about refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead.
Seeing that he was fine, Liu Yan nodded slightly before her tender body flickered, transformed into her Firebird form, and rushed off to a certain place in the Small Sealed World to continue her retreat.
Xiao Xiao stood at Yang Kai’s feet, patted Yang Kai’s calf, and then patted his chest, trying to straighten up his rickety waist, as if telling Yang Kai that ‘next time you encounter danger, do not worry, just leave everything to me.’
He was the picture of reliability!
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and patted Xiao Xiao’s head with a cheerful expression on his face.
At that moment though, Yang Kai suddenly frowned and released his Divine Sense, his expression becoming a bit strange before he turned to Xiao Xiao and said, “You go back and cultivate, something happened outside. I’ll go check it out.”
Xiao Xiao seemed to understand and nodded, after which Yang Kai disappeared.
In the Starry Sky, the Starship, which was supposed to be sailing towards Water Moon Star, had come to a stop, and outside, a battle was raging.
Abroad this Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship, the overall level of the cultivators was not low. In addition to Yang Kai, there was another Origin King: Aunt Chun of Clear Sky Auction House. She was only at the First Order, but an Origin King was still a top-level powerhouse.
Below her, whether it was Li Nuo, Hua You Meng, or several other cultivators belonging to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, they were all masters in the Origin Returning Realm, with no lack of those at the Third Order.
Such combat power was not weak.
But even so, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce side was being thoroughly suppressed.
Aunt Chun had been entangled by an enemy First-Order Origin King and had no energy to spare for anyone else while the several Third-Order Origin Returning Realms like Li Nuo and Hua You Meng had their own equally matched opponents.
As for Xia Jing Wu, Hai Tang, Yao Qing, and the others from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce, they were all pale at the moment, obviously lacking in strength.
On the contrary, numerous enemies were facing them, many of them scattered around the perimeter, just waiting and watching for suitable opportunities to strike.
It could be seen at a glance that this battle had been taking place for some time now. Even Aunt Chun and the other Origin King had fluctuations in the Saint Qi aura indicative of excessive consumption.
However, it was because their opponent was also an Origin King master that neither side dared to use extreme measures and was instead focused on fighting a battle of attrition.
Once an Origin King was forced into a desperate situation, both sides would surely suffer.
“Why hasn’t Brother Yang come out yet?” Shen Tu pushed back an enemy and asked Yao Qing, who was panting next to him, quietly.
Yao Qing could only reply with a depressed look, “How should I know? I went to that Sir’s door to ask him for assistance, but he never responded.”
“Perhaps he’s in the middle of some kind comprehension and is unable to extricate himself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t simply ignore this situation,” Shen Tu muttered with a heavy heart. Although there was not any need to worry yet with Aunt Chun here, if some kind of accident occurred, there was a chance all of them would become prisoners again.
Shen Tu could not help cursing his luck!
Ordinarily, a Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship was able to walk sideways in the Star Field; after all, as long as one recognized Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s flag, almost everyone would take the initiative to give way. However, things were drastically different this time. First, he had gotten swept up in Purple Star’s internal power struggle, getting captured and detained. Afterwards, Shen Tu managed to escape with Yang Kai’s help, but on the way home, he had encountered this mess.
Looking around, Shen Tu could not stop his heart from sinking as he found that his men’s conditions were deteriorating rapidly. If Yang Kai did not appear soon, his side would surely begin suffering casualties or be captured.
Just as he was feeling full of anxiety, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his ears, “Everyone stop, we’re all friends!”
Everyone from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was overjoyed when they heard this voice and immediately turned towards the source of this sound where they saw a familiar figure standing in the void. All of them were finally able to relax as their previous anxiety was swept away.
The appearance of Yang Kai seemed to give them infinite confidence.
This change surprised the group which was opposing Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
First-Order Origin King who was battling with Aunt Chun frowned upon hearing these words and shouted, “Nonsense! Who are you calling ‘friend!’”
Yang Kai, however, just looked over and chuckled, “What’s wrong? After only a few years, has Senior already forgotten this Junior?”
“Do you know this old master?” From a distance away, the enemy Origin King was startled before quickly thinking of something and exclaiming, “This voice…”
As he spoke, he turned around to finally take a look at Yang Kai, and after seeing this familiar figure, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he pointed and stammered, “You…you…”
“Senior Ba He, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!” Yang Kai cupped his fists at him with a smile.
Ba He continued to stare at Yang Kai in a daze, only rubbing his eyes vigorously after a moment to make sure he wasn’t seeing things before calling out, “Yang Kai! It’s really you!”
“Hey, it’s Little Brother-In-Law!” A vigorous voice sounded from the side, seemingly addressing Yang Kai. The speaker was burly like an iron tower, with a shaggy beard on his face and a bear-like look that could intimidate anyone who stood before him.
“So Brother Yu Xiong is also here,” Yang Kai smiled as he addressed this man.
“Call me elder brother-in-law!” Yu Xiong insisted.
“Haha…” Yang Kai smiled without saying a word.
Yu Xiong could not help rolling his eyes.
With Yang Kai’s appearance, the fighting between the two sides abruptly came to an end as everyone looked at him with strange expressions; however, that did not mean anyone dropped their guard against their opponents.
“Brother Yang…” Shen Tu flew to Yang Kai’s side and asked softly, “Do you know this flock of Monsters?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “We have some friendship.”
When he discovered that the cultivators fighting Shen Tu belonged to Monster Emperor Star’s Red Moon Territory, Yang Kai was quite puzzled, wondering how they had met in this vast Star Field.
Ba He already having broken through to the First-Order Origin King Realm was within his expectations.
When Yang Kai first met Ba He, the latter was already a master at the same level as Ye Xi Yun. Ye Xi Yun was able to easily break through to the Origin King Realm, so Ba He was as well, especially since he had also gone to experience the Blood Prison Trial and obtained many benefits from it.
On the other hand, Yu Xiong was still a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, though his aura had become noticeably more condensed.
“Do you know what their background is?” Shen Tu looked at Yang Kai in surprise, “As far as I know, they are Monsters from Red Moon Territory on Monster Emperor Star. Do you also know that?”
“En, I know,” Yang Kai laughed and asked. “How did you wind up fighting?”
Shen Tu immediately sneered, “This group is clearly nothing good, just like those thieves from Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair, they wanted to snatch our Starship. Maybe they thought there was something good aboard it.”
Yang Kai frowned hearing this accusation.
Yu Xiong hurriedly objected though, “We’re nothing like your Human robbers! It’s you people who trespassed into my Monster Emperor Star’s territory, we are only protecting our borders!”
“Monster Emperor Star is nearby?” Yang Kai was shocked and swept his eyes around quickly, soon locating a familiar-looking star in the distance that was exuding a thick Monster Qi!
“Five million kilometres away!” Yu Xiong replied confidently.
“Five million kilometres? Don’t you think you Monsters are a bit too presumptuous?” Shen Tu snapped back with an unhappy expression on his face.
“Father here does not! Since I’ve said that this is my Monster Emperor Star’s territory, it is my Monster Emperor Star’s territory. You Humans have stepped into our land, so we need to teach you a lesson,” Yu Xiong said without the slightest hint of restraint.
“Bullshit! Monster Emperor Star is five million kilometres away, yet you claim we violated your borders?” Shen Tu sneered, “Haven’t you woken up yet?”
Yu Xiong tilted his head and looked at him faintly before asking Yang Kai, “Brother-in-law, this brat is quite unpleasant to the eye, does it matter if I kill him?”
As soon as this statement was made, the atmosphere between the two sides suddenly became tense again, with Aunt Chun particularly upset as she pushed her Saint Qi harder, staring at Yu Xiong with murderous intent. Ba He was naturally not willing to be outdone and quickly locked his Divine Sense onto Aunt Chun. Sparks flew and another fight seemed to be inevitable.
“Don’t make trouble!” Yang Kai just coldly snorted and slightly released his Origin King Realm aura.
Perceiving this power, Ba He immediately called out in alarm, “Yang Kai, you… you’re already a Second-Order Origin King?”
As he spoke, he almost bit his tongue as he stared at Yang Kai in utter shock, unable to believe what he was sensing.
When he saw Yang Kai just now, although he faintly felt that he was much stronger than the last time, Ba He had not thought too much about it, but when Yang Kai revealed his true strength, Ba He immediately realized that he had reached an even higher realm than himself!
How was that possible though?
When he met Yang Kai that year, Yang Kai was only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. Even after leaving the Blood Prison Trial together, Yang Kai was still only at the Second-Order Origin Realm.
How many years had it been since then? Ten? Twenty? How could Yang Kai already be a Second-Order Origin King? Was there anyone in the world who could break through at such a rate?
Ba He stood dumbfounded on the spot.
“What? Second-Order Origin King? Senior Ba He, are you sure?” Yu Xiong also stared with bulged eyes.
“With something like this, how could I possibly make a mistake with my senses?” Ba He gulped as he felt his mouth go dry.
Anyone who knew about Yang Kai’s cultivation speed would not be able to remain calm. Compared with Yang Kai’s aptitude and promotion speed, Ba He felt he had spent all his life in vain.
Yu Xiong froze for a while before letting out a hearty laugh, “As expected of my amazing brother-in-law, only you can be matched with my little sister!”
He was a simple man and truly felt happy for Shan Qing Luo.
Hearing him mention Shan Qing Luo, Yang Kai’s expression also eased, and he opened his mouth to say, “Everyone, give me some face. Regardless of the cause of today’s matter, fortunately, there haven’t been any casualties so let’s end it here!”
Saying so, he turned to look at Ba He, then at Shen Tu.
Ba He nodded, “There is no hatred between us in the first place, and since they were brought here with you, Yang Kai, this old master will naturally not make things difficult.”
Shen Tu snorted, “I’ll give Brother Yang face as well. I didn’t know you knew these Monsters.”
“Okay,” Yang Kai nodded lightly before turning to Yu Xiong and asking, “How is Qing Luo now?”
“Little Sister?” Yu Xiong scratched his head before grinning widely, “Well, since she returned from the Blood Prison, she’s been in retreat. When she exits, she’ll be an Origin King. Adoptive Mother is extremely optimistic about her, so you don’t need to worry.”
“How is Senior Chi Yue?” Yang Kai asked again.
“Adoptive mother is also in retreat,” Yu Xiong grinned.
“Senior Chi Yue is in retreat… Does that mean…?” Yang Kai suddenly thought of something.
“Exactly,” Yu Xiong laughed, “When Adoptive Mother exits her retreat, all of Monster Emperor Star will become my Red Moon Territory’s.”
Chi Yue was originally a Second-Order Origin King, but now she had obtained the Origin Essence Crystal of Mad Crocodile Monster King and entered a state of retreat. If she could successfully break through, she would become the only Monster King level existence on Monster Emperor Star.
Among the Monster Race, only those who were Third-Order Origin Kings were qualified to be called Monster Kings! Right now, Chi Yue was still just a Tribal Lord.
Monster Kings ruled supreme over the Monster Race, so when she broke through, Chi Yue would become the sole leader of Monster Emperor Star.
“Then I’ll have to offer my congratulations to Senior Chi Yue,” Yang Kai’s expression changed as he proposed. “If it is convenient, I want to go to the Red Moon Territory to meet Senior Chi Yue. I wonder if Brother Yu can lead the way?”
“Call me Elder Brother-In-Law and I’ll bring you there!” Brother Yu chuckled heartily.
Yang Kai directly ignored him and turned to Ba He.
Ba He wore a somewhat embarrassed look as he replied slowly, “Yang Kai, you are not an outsider, so Monster Emperor Star and Red Moon Territory welcome you, but if you want to see Lady Tribal Lord… Now might not be an appropriate time. Just as Yu Xiong said, Lady Tribal Lord is currently in retreat and must not be disturbed.”
“I understand this; however, Senior Chi Yue is not in seclusion, only in retreat and I only need to say a few words to her so it won’t delay her too much.”
Ba He frowned while Yu Xiong did not interrupt anymore, knowing that this was a matter he couldn’t take responsibility for.
“Rest assured, if Senior Chi Yue is displeased, I will shoulder the responsibility, but… I believe Senior Chi Yue will be incredibly happy with the news I’ve brought and won’t blame you in the slightest.”
“Ha…” Ba He sighed. “Since you’ve said this much, what more can I say?”
“Many thanks then, Senior Ba He,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Brother Yang, you’re going to Monster Emperor Star?” Shen Tu’s face changed slightly, and he asked in a low voice.
“Yeah, I need to meet with Senior Chi Yue,” Yang Kai nodded slightly, “What about you? Do you want to wait here for me or accompany me to Monster Emperor Star?”
Shen Tu’s brow furrowed for a moment before he eventually said, “The Monster Race is known for its brutality, so I cannot let Brother Yang go on his own. If we go together, we can take care of one another. En, I’ve also wanted to see what Monster Emperor Star is like for some time now.”
“En, then we’ll go together!” Yang Kai smiled lightly, not minding.
Shen Tu gave the order and everyone else began making preparations. At the same time, a Starship sailed out from a nearby Asteroid Sea, one that clearly belonged to the Monster Race.
The Monster Race was not skilled at Alchemy or Artifact Refining, but not everyone who lived on Monster Emperor Star belonged to the Monster Race, there were also many Humans, but their status wasn’t very high.
Monster Emperor Star was divided into ten territories, each ruled by one of the ten Tribal Lords. The attitude towards Humans varied greatly from one territory to another; some territories killed humans on sight while others gave them space to live and develop as long as they did not exceed certain limits…
Red Moon Territory was without a doubt the most welcoming territory to humans, especially Alchemists and Artifact Refiners who could obtain even higher status than average Monster Race cultivators. It was also for this reason that the development of Red Moon Territory over the years was far faster than that of the other Tribal Lords’.
There were always many talented Humans who wanted to move to Red Moon Territory to offer their services to Chi Yue.
The Starship that Ba He, Yu Xiong, and the other Monsters rode was refined by these Human Artifact Refiners, and although it was only Origin Grade Mid-Rank, it was enough to support short-to-medium-distance sailings.
The two Starships sailed side by side towards the Monster Emperor Star at a rapid pace.
The five million kilometre distance was closed after just one day and night.
Half-Moon Mountain, where Chi Yue’s palace was built, was the central and most important location in all of Red Moon Territory.
When the two Starships broke through the clouds and arrived in the sky above Half-Moon Mountain, they saw that the mountains below were enveloped by the huge energy curtain that was emitting a dazzling light.
Outside this light curtain, there seemed to be many Monster Race masters gathered, with two who had particularly strong auras, their Monster Qi seemingly powerful enough to pierce the sky.
One of these two had spiked hair and was even taller and burlier than Yu Xiong, his chest bare and his muscles rippling with strength, giving him a particularly wild look.
The other person, on the other hand, appeared quite delicate, completely unlike a typical Monster Race. Instead, there was a kind of refined aura about this man that resembled that of a refined human scholar. This person’s eyes flashed a pale silver colour and seemed to contain some kind of mysterious power.
At this moment, many Monster Race masters were attacking the light barrier while the wild-looking Monster Race leader roared, “Chi Yue, we have arrived here from afar, yet you sealed off Half-Moon Mountain right before us. Is this your definition of hospitality? You look down on this Xue Jiao too much!”
As soon as this statement was made, the identity of this person was instantly clear. It was none other than Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord, one of the Ten Great Tribal Lords and the one who most despised Humans on Monster Emperor Star. It was said that there were no humans at all in his territory other than slaves as he had ordered the rest to be killed.
His roar garnered no response from Half-Moon Mountain.
Seeing this, the scholarly looking Monster Race leader standing next to him quickly said, “Brother Xue Jiao, why bother asking a question you already know the answers to? Chi Yue acting this way clearly shows she does not give us any face. You and I are both Tribal Lords, but when we come to visit her, she actually slams the door and refuses to even speak to us.”
“Since she doesn’t give this Xue Jiao any face, I need not give her any either!” Xue Jiao was already disgruntled and was only further infuriated when he heard these words, quickly calling out, “Chi Yue, only a few years ago, my son Xue Lian left from here to travel to the Blood Prison Trial, eventually dying inside. I have yet to settle this matter with you! Yet today, you go even further to humiliate me! Good, good, good, since that’s the case, I demand you face me in combat with our titles as Tribal Lords on the line! Do you have the guts?”
Still no response came from Half-Moon Mountain.
Xue Jiao ground his teeth in anger as he roared to the feminine-looking leader next to him, “Brother Qian Yan, this woman refused to even respond to my challenge. How should we proceed?”
Qian Yan, Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord narrowed his eyes and said, “Since she refuses to respond to the challenge, we have no other choice but to storm her palace. In any case, we cannot allow her to refine the Origin Essence Crystal of Mad Crocodile Monster King. If she succeeds and becomes a Monster King, this Monster Emperor Star will definitely not have a place for you and me!”
Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord heard this, and some fear flashed across the depths of his eyes before he clenched his fists and nodded, “You’re right. Since that’s the case, I ask Brother Qian Yan to join hands with this Xue to break through this Half-Moon Mountain barrier!”
“Brother Xue must not act rashly, this Half-Moon Mountain barrier is able to absorb the essence of the moon to continuously strengthen itself, so it will definitely not be easily broken.”
Xue Jiao curled his lips and spat, “This barrier is just a dead object, it can’t retaliate. If you and I cooperate, why would we fear it? Brother Qian Yan is simply too cautious. Do not forget, it was not only my son who died in the Blood Prison, but also your son! The one who killed them was that human boy, the one Chi Yue sent out with them, I don’t believe she didn’t have any hand in this.”
Hearing what he said, Qian Yan’s silver eyes also filled with murderous intent and he nodded, “Alright, we will act together.”
The two Monster Race Tribal Lords exchanged a glance before they began pushing their Monster Qi. In an instant, the world began to tremble as a soaring Monster Qi poured out from the two Tribal Lords and condensed into a physical manifestation of their might. All the Monster Race masters who felt this pressure instantly had their faces change and hurriedly backed away, lest they be affected by this rampaging power.
The two Monster Race Tribal Lords wasted no time after making their decision. Xue Jiao let out a fierce roar as his burly body suddenly expanded and his vitality flared up so violently it actually became a visible red halo that pulsed from his figure.
With a flicker, Xue Jiao’s figure shot out like a bolt of lightning towards Half-Moon Mountain’s barrier.
The Monster Race was known for its physical prowess, and Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord was undoubtedly the most gifted in terms of physique. Even just a simple charge from him contained unimaginable destructive power.
As he flew forward, the ground beneath him and even the space around him cracked under his might.
*Hong…*
Xue Jiao smashed headlong into Half-Moon Mountain’s barrier, causing the entire mountain to tremble and the light curtain to flicker wildly, as if it was about to collapse.
Xue Jiao saw this and smiled happily, thinking that Half-Moon Mountain’s barrier was only worth this much, but just as he was about to add more force to his charge and completely break through, an extremely violent rebound force suddenly appeared, one that was even more intense than the one he had just used.
Having been caught off guard, Xue Jiao was too late to react and took the full brunt of this rebound force.
With a muffled grunt, his burly body was sent flying.
All the Monster Race masters looked at each other and saw the looks of horror on their faces.
Fortunately for Xue Jiao, Blood Flood Dragons have thick skin and a tough hide, so despite this rebounding force being quite strong, it was only able to embarrass him, not hurt him. To the side, Qian Yan said with a solemn expression, “It is rumoured that Half-Moon Mountain itself was formed from the remains of a giant ancient Monster King, so it has some unusual properties to it.”
Xue Jiao only glanced over at him, dissatisfied, though and snapped, “Stop commenting and help.”
Qian Yan nodded and began releasing a dazzling silver light from his eyes. This silver light quickly condensed into a physical substance and eventually took the shape of two sharp swords. With a flicker, these two swords shot off like arrows from the string and pierced towards the barrier like bolts of lightning.
Seeing this, Xue Jiao did not remain idle and quickly coordinated with Qian Yan’s Secret Technique, rushing forward again while throwing out his huge fist towards Half-Moon Mountain’s barrier.
The combined blows of two Monster Race Tribal Lords were enough to shatter the Heavens.
When the attacks arrived this time, the Half-Moon Mountain barrier flickered even more rapidly than before, but this time Xue Jiao was prepared and did not get flung back by the rebounding force.
After this one blow, the light from Half-Moon Mountain’s barrier seemed to dim slightly.
Seeing this, Qian Yan and Xue Jiao’s eyes flashed as the two of them exchanged a knowing glance. As Tribal Lords, naturally, they could see that as long as they joined forces and released a few more attacks of similar intensity, they could break down this troublesome barrier and dive into Chi Yue’s palace. No matter what, they had to stop Chi Yue from calmly absorbing the power of Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Origin Essence Crystal.
The two Monster Race masters who had violently been attacking the Half-Moon Mountain barrier up until now all stopped their movements. Both Blood Flood Dragon and Qian Yan have serious expressions, trying to dispel the discomfort in their hearts.
“Xue Jiao, Qian Yan, this Queen is a leader of the Monster Race just like you and does not want to make things difficult between us. If you leave now, this Queen can pretend nothing happened here, otherwise, you will have to pay the price for your actions today!”
“Chi Yue!” Xue Jiao and Qian Yan muttered at the same time.
They were all Monster Race Tribal Lords and had numerous dealings with each other before, so they could recognize Chi Yue’s voice. However, Chi Yue gave them a very different feeling from before. Her words were by no means fierce. Instead, they were quite measured, but just listening to them caused them a sense of dread, making them feel that if they continued their current actions they would really face unimaginable consequences.
The two Tribal Lords both felt their hearts shake as they exchanged an uncertain glance.
Qian Yan, however, grit his teeth soon and shouted, “Paltry tricks! If you had the ability, you would have lowered this barrier and invited us inside from the start!”
“Exactly!” Xue Jiao echoed from the side, “Chi Yue, you say we are all leaders of the Monster Race, but after I and Brother Qian Yan arrived here, you refused to even see us yet now you claim we should all show each other respect? If you believe that, open this barrier and let us in!”
“It’s useless to say more. Life or death, I leave the choice up to you, this Queen has already shown enough benevolence!” Chi Yue’s voice came from Half-Moon Mountain once more before falling silent again.
Both Xue Jiao and Qian Yan were oozing cold sweat from their foreheads as they both were faintly aware of something.
After a long time, Qian Yan turned his head to look at the Xue Jiao and asked, “Brother Xue Jiao, are you afraid?”
“I’ve never feared anyone before,” The Blood Flood Dragon snorted coldly.
“Very good,” Qian Yan nodded lightly before wearing a grin, “Since that’s the case, we should give it our all.”
Xue Jiao frowned, seemingly hesitant, but he steeled himself and nodded in the end, “Yes!”
As soon as his voice fell, the Monster Qi of the two Tribal Lords burst out again as they each used their own earth-shattering methods to attack Half-Moon Mountain’s barrier.
“Stubborn fools!” Chi Yue’s annoyed voice rang out as the World Energy in the surrounding region suddenly became turbulent. High up in the sky, a giant jade white palm rapidly condensed.
This palm fell from the sky and pressed towards Xue Jiao and Qian Yan.
The two Monster Race Tribal Lords both felt their knees begin to buckle under the approaching palm as they stared up at it in horror. Xue Jiao even exclaimed, “Commanding Heaven and Earth, has she already reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm?”
Qian Yan was also taken aback. The only reason why they dared to act presumptuously here was that they had the numerical advantage. As long as all of them were Second-Order Origin Kings, the side that had more was naturally held the advantage.
However, if Chi Yue had become a Monster King, a Third-Order Origin King Realm powerhouse, two of them would be no better than one.
At that moment, Qian Yan involuntarily began thinking of retreating, simply wanting to escape from Half-Moon Mountain, the farther away the better.
But soon, his silver eyes burst with brilliant light and he shouted, “No, it’s just a Secret Technique. Brother Xue Jiao, quickly!”
While he urged Xue Jiao, Qian Yan opened his mouth and let out a terrifying roar that created sound waves visible to the naked eye which shot towards the giant palm.
Xue Jiao had lost all fighting spirit and his face was ashen, but with Qian Yan’s shout, his survival instinct kicked in and he began releasing a violent power from his body as he sent a flurry of punches containing his full might into the sky.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Fist shadows and sound waves collided with the palm print outside Half-Moon Mountain and a chaotic explosion of energy accompanied a blinding light that seemed to engulf the entire world.
Only after some time did the light fade and the dust settle.
Qian Yan and Xue Jiao both wore beaming smiles as they exchanged a glance, quickly regaining their confidence while no further movement came from Half-Moon Mountain.
“Chi Yue really hasn’t broken through yet,” Xue Jiao grinned and muttered lowly, all the panic disappearing from his expression.
“We don’t have long though,” Qian Yan on the contrary remained worried, “Brother Xue Jiao, if we delay much longer, she’ll certainly succeed, and then there really will be no place for us on Monster Emperor Star.”
“I know,” Blood Flood Dragon’s eyes shone fiercely as he nodded firmly.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s quickly break this damn barrier! No matter what, we cannot let her succeed,” Qian Yan yelled angrily.
Just as the two Monster Race Tribal Lords were about to attack again though, a figure mysteriously appeared in front of them, standing mid-air, looking down at them indifferently.
“Who!?” Xue Jiao shouted.
“A human?” Qian Yan saw through Yang Kai’s identity at a glance and couldn’t help knitting his brow. Releasing his Divine Sense towards Yang Kai in order to probe his depths, his expression soon filled with shock as he called out, “A Second-Order Origin King!”
On Monster Emperor Star, this was an absolutely impossibility. There were no human Origin Kings here, and even Origin Returning Realm cultivators were extremely rare. As such, the only explanation was that this unknown young man had come from another Cultivation Star.
Looking at Yang Kai’s stance though, it was clear he was here to block them, which greatly confused Qian Yan.
“This guy looks familiar,” Xue Jiao muttered in a low voice, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Yang Kai hard, not knowing when he had met such a person before.
Yang Kai simply grinned back at the two Monster Race Tribal Lords as he spoke to Chi Yue in Half-Moon Mountain, “Senior, you seem to be having some trouble!”
“Little Bastard, it’s you!” Chi Yue was also greatly shocked by Yang Kai’s sudden appearance outside Half-Moon Mountain at this time.
“Ah? You’ve actually reached the Second-Order Origin King Realm already? How is that possible?” A stronger sense of astonishment soon came from Half-Moon Mountain as even the surrounding World Energy became a bit unstable in response to the swing in Chi Yue’s mood.
Yang Kai smiled lightly as he said, “The world is vast, and there are many shocking things in it, so nothing is impossible; however, rather than focus on such things, Senior should concentrate on herself right now.”
Chi Yue angrily snapped, “You think this Queen needs you to remind her of such things?”
“En, Junior has said something unnecessary,” Yang Kai chuckled. “Good, this little trouble, does Senior want Junior to help you solve it?”
“You’re quite confident,” Chi Yue was surprised, “How long has it been since you reached the Origin King Realm?”
“Hehe, against two Tribal Lords, Junior can’t guarantee too much, but self-protection won’t be an issue.”
“Oh?” Chi Yue was amazed, wondering just where Yang Kai was getting all his confidence from, but after a moment, she acquiesced, “It’s not convenient for me to act right now, so if you are really capable, play with them for a bit. In any case, you’re not an outsider, so it’s only natural you help me!”
“Junior won’t disappoint!”
“Be careful. Although this Queen does not know what miraculous elixir you took to raise your strength to this level in such a short period of time… All Origin Kings need a long accumulation of time to truly bring out their strength. In any case, don’t you dare die. This Queen doesn’t want Qing Luo to blame her in the future.” Chi Yue obviously thought that Yang Kai being able to reach his current cultivation so quickly was thanks to some kind of pill or treasure, and not an ordinary one at that!
“Many thanks, Senior. I will try my best to survive,” Yang Kai nodded sincerely.
While the two talked, Xue Jiao and Qian Yan remained silent, but as time passed, the two Tribal Lords only grew angrier.
Yang Kai clearly did not put them in his eyes, making them extremely unhappy!
They were both famous Tribal Lords of Monster Emperor Star. Even considering the entire Star Field, they were top-level masters. When had they ever been so despised?
Qian Yan looked at Yang Kai gloomily and sneered, “It is said that the Humans are inherently arrogant. This Tribal Lord had some doubts before, but now it seems those rumours aren’t exaggerated…”
“The Human Race being rampant isn’t anything new,” Xue Jiao coldly snorted as he stared at Yang Kai fiercely, “But boy, this is my Monster Emperor Star. You’d best scram with your tail between your legs if you want to keep it.”
Yang Kai just smiled without saying a word, staring at the two Tribal Lords quietly, not even trying to make a rebuttal.
Qian Yan turned his silver eyes and said, “Boy, this King doesn’t know what your relationship is with Chi Yue, but if you continue to stand in our way, don’t blame us for being impolite. If you understand, quickly make way. This is my Monster Race’s business; it has nothing to do with you.”
“En, even if all of us are Second-Order Origin Kings, two versus one, do you think you stand any chance?” Xue Jiao shouted lowly.
“Whether I can win or not, you’ll know after we fight,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, not backing down.
Qian Yan’s face sank, “Do you insist on sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?”
“Nothing of the sort,” Yang Kai shook his head. “According to seniority, I have to address Chi Yue as Mother-In-Law, so how could mother-in-law’s affairs not be my business?”
Qian Yan and Xue Jiao suddenly showed strange expressions, but soon, Qian Yan seemed to think of something and shouted, “So it’s about that Half-Monster girl!”
The Half-Monster he referred to was naturally Shan Qing Luo. Shan Qing Luo was born human but possessed the Poison Widow Special Constitution and had absorbed a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s Source. Now, Shan Qing Luo could be considered half-human, half-monster. She was a rising star on Monster Emperor Star and was quite eye-catching, so it was only normal for all of Monster Emperor Star to know who she was.
Inside Half-Moon Mountain, Chi Yue’s voice suddenly sounded, “Smelly Brat, don’t act so familiar! This Queen hasn’t given you her permission yet!”
Yang Kai turned his head to look over there while saying with a chuckle, “It doesn’t matter if Senior agrees or disagrees, Qing Luo agrees.”
Chi Yue was suddenly speechless.
“Enough!” Qian Yan shouted angrily, his silver eyes glaring at Yang Kai coldly as he said, “Since you court death yourself, we will oblige! Xue Jiao, you play with him while I break this barrier!”
“En, leave him to me,” Xue Jiao said with a savage grin. Licking his lips, he stared at Yang Kai as if the latter were some kind of delicious meal. “The body of an Origin King is a real delicacy; I’ve not eaten something so good in a long time.”
“Stop wasting time and finish him off!” Qian Yan urged impatiently.
As soon as his voice fell, Xue Jiao rushed out at a shocking speed. Soaring through the air, he arrived right in front of Yang Kai in the blink of an eye before swinging down his thick, iron arm.
This blow seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary but supplemented by the powerful physical prowess of Xue Jiao and his shocking cultivation, it could easily shatter a huge mountain.
“Be careful!” Chi Yue’s voice rang out, accompanied by a hint of tension.
As a Monster Race Tribal Lord herself, she knew Xue Jiao’s strength intimately. Even she herself did not dare engage in close-quarter combat with Xue Jiao as his physical strength was beyond what an ordinary cultivator could handle.
Yang Kai stood still on the spot, however, and simply raised his arms to block in front of himself.
Seeing this, the Xue Jiao was stunned, but immediately he became overjoyed as he grinned and shouted, “Arrogant boy, just watch how this Tribal Lord smashes you to paste!”
As these words fell, his thick arm landed on Yang Kai’s arms.
*Dang…*
Like metal meeting metal, a huge, deafening clang rang out and spread throughout Half-Moon Mountain before spreading even further afield.
Xue Jiao’s confident expression immediately went stiff and was quickly replaced with a look of disbelief.
Qian Yan, who was preparing to attack the barrier, could not help freezing in place as he stared in a daze while Chi Yue’s gasp also echoed from inside Half-Moon Mountain.
At this moment, the three Monster Race Tribal Lords had been thoroughly shocked and could not help wondering if they were all dreaming.
Yang Kai slowly raised his eyes at that moment to meet Xue Jiao’s indifferently before he grinned, “Friend… you seem quite confident in your body.”
“You…” Xue Jiao’s complexion suddenly changed as his eyes shrank. He could not believe that his full-powered blow was so easily blocked by his opponent, and that his opponent showed no signs of backing away.
What’s more, he was attacking while the other side simply defended, meaning his blow was unable to cause any harm!
“Your body…” Xue Jiao suddenly seemed to understand something, and his eyes filled with surprise.
Yang Kai just smiled and said, “Sorry, my body also isn’t bad.”
Xue Jiao’s eyes narrowed as he realized his conjecture was right, but soon he became angry at being despised like this and his Monster Qi violently burst forth as he roared, “Trivial Human, you want to compete with my Blood Flood Dragon clan? Today, this King will let you know what the meaning of strength really is!”
Saying so, his fists slammed toward Yang Kai like raindrops, every punch causing the surrounding World Energy aura to fluctuate from sheer power.
However, something shocking happened next.
Yang Kai did not try to dodge or avoid this barrage of fists and instead let out a hearty laugh as he sent out his own flurry of punches.
Fist collided with fist as violent explosions rang out. It was as if two giant mountains were smashing against one another at high speed, each contact causing the vitality of all nearby to roil.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
In just a short thirty breaths of time, Yang Kai and Xue Jiao had exchanged an astonishing number of attacks.
But what was strange was that neither of these two masters retreated a single step back, both standing firmly mid-air, using the subtle movements of their bodies to disperse each other’s strength.
Such a simple and brutal battle was actually quite breathtaking, but Qian Yan nearby couldn’t help flashing a look of worry. This could not be helped though as Humans did not primarily rely on their physical strength fight. It was their array of Secret Techniques and artifacts that gave them their biggest advantage in combat.
Yang Kai had given up such advantages, though, to compete with Xue Jiao purely in terms of physical power, which only showed he had not yet used his full strength.
In this confrontation, Yang Kai was simply probing Xue Jiao!
If Yang Kai were to use his Secret Techniques or artifacts, his strength would undoubtedly rise dramatically.
Realizing this, Qian Yan hurriedly shouted, “Xue Jiao, stop playing around and finish him off quickly!”
Xue Jiao heard this and let out a great shout with a sullen expression, “Flood Dragon Transformation!”
After these words fell, Xue Jiao’s body suddenly released a shocking wave of vitality that was several times more violent than before. At the same time, his body swelled up and blood-red scales began appearing on his skin. Two horns protruded from his forehead as a long, dragon tail stretched out from his back.
Xue Jiao had inherited the blood of a descendant of the true Dragons, the Blood Flood Dragon.
The technique he just used allowed him to stimulate the power of his bloodline, raising his strength and vitality greatly for a short time. With his powerful body, enhanced by the ancient Blood Flood Dragon’s aura, Xue Jiao was able to crush all opponents who stood before him.
As soon as this Flood Dragon Transformation came out, unimaginable power burst forth and smashed against Yang Kai’s whole body, sending him flying.
Xue Lian roared, “Human, this King does not know how you’ve cultivated such a body, but in front of this King’s Blood Flood Dragon ancestors, you are far from enough!”
As he shouted, he chased after Yang Kai and using both his fists and feet he launched a storm of attacks towards Yang Kai’s vital points, each punch and kick he sent out causing the surrounding space to tremble under his might.
Yang Kai did not dare to neglect and hurriedly adjusted his strength to counterattack.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The two figures flitted across the sky as constant explosions rang out from the meeting of their blows.
Yang Kai was instantly put at a disadvantage and seemed to only be able to parry, not fight back.
Qian Yan saw this and sneered, “Foolish. Trying to compete with Xue Jiao in pure strength, this human’s head must be rotten.”
High up in the clouds, two Starships remained hidden, one of them belonging to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, the other to Red Moon Territory.
Yu Xiong, Ba He, Shen Tu and all the others were looking down nervously and naturally saw how Yang Kai was being suppressed.
“Brother-In-Law bit off more than he can chew,” Yu Xiong shook his head sadly. “Xue Jiao’s physical strength is the highest amongst the entire Monster Race, Brother-In-Law trying to confront him head-on like this is the worst choice he could make. If this goes on, little sister is going to be a widow.”
“Shut your damn mouth,” Ba He snorted coldly from the side.
Although Yu Xiong was Chi Yue’s adopted son and had a high status, Ba He’s status wasn’t any lower. He was Chi Yue’s most trusted general two hundred years ago, and now, after breaking through to the Origin King Realm, he was her first subordinate, entrusted with great responsibilities.
Yu Xiong did not dare act presumptuously in front of him.
Hearing Ba He’s scolding, Yu Xiong simply chuckled, “I was just commenting casually… Perhaps Brother-In-Law has some tricks up his sleeve still. In any case, he doesn’t look like the type to die young.”
Ba He shook his head, “He really is biting more than he can chew, but his cultivation isn’t any weaker than Xue Jiao’s, so this won’t be enough to kill him. However, some suffering is probably inevitable.”
As soon as Ba He spoke, a winner in the contest down below was decided.
With a loud bang, a figure blasted towards the ground like a ragged sack, leaving another figure proudly standing in the void.
All eyes turned to the figure who was still standing and found that a surge of Blood Qi surrounded him, with two long horns sticking out his head and a dragon tail extended out his back. It was Xue Jiao!
Xue Jiao was safe and sound, so Yang Kai was definitely the one who was sent flying.
This discovery made many people’s hearts sink and they all quickly looked down.
Down there, a huge crater had appeared and from its centre, a series of spider-like cracks radiated outwards. As for Yang Kai, he had disappeared, apparently having been buried underground.
“Hahahaha!” Xue Jiao laughed riotously up in the sky as he flashed a look of disdain, “A Human Origin King, mediocre!”
He was qualified to act so rampant though; after all, no matter how unpleasant Yang Kai was to his eyes, he was still a Second-Order Origin King. So easily suppressing an opponent of the same level, Xue Jiao was naturally in high spirits.
Seeing this situation, Qian Yan, who had been on the edge the whole time, could not help but breathe a sigh of relief before reminding in a deep voice, “Xue Jiao, any delay leads to more problems!”
Hearing this, Xue Jiao nodded and was about to fly down to finish the human off when Yang Kai suddenly leapt up from the crater below, dusted himself off, and said with an approving tone, “Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord’s reputation is well-deserved. In this world, I’m afraid that few can beat you with just physical strength.”
Qian Yan’s silver eyes shrank as he stared at Yang Kai in amazement; using his Divine Sense, he immediately discovered something that filled him with shock. Although Yang Kai seemed to be dishevelled and was covered in dust, he was completely uninjured.
[How could that be?] Qian Yan rubbed his eyes a few times before looking back at Yang Kai, wondering if he had seen wrong.
The attack Xue Jiao had used just now was not something so easily resisted. If it had been Qian Yan who had taken that barrage head-on, even if he did not lose his life, he would still be seriously wounded. But this human was also just a Second-Order Origin King, so how could he be unscathed?
Qian Yan didn’t detect any Artifact Armour on Yang Kai, and when he was fighting Xue Jiao just now, he had not used any kind of defensive artifacts…
In other words, this human had resisted all of Xue Jiao’s attacks with just his body and came out unhurt! Could it be that even after Xue Jiao used his Flood Dragon Transformation, this human’s physical body was still more powerful?
When such a thought crossed his mind, Qian Yan found it difficult to remain calm as fright flashed across his eyes.
On the other side, Xue Jiao could not stop his jaw from dropping as he stared at Yang Kai stupidly, completely losing the ability to think and no longer showing any of his former arrogance.
“However, if that’s all you have, it’s not enough!” Yang Kai looked up at Xue Jiao and said faintly.
Xue Jiao’s mouth moved, as if he wanted to say something, but found that no matter what he said at this moment, it would only further add to his humiliation.
Being so despised by a mere human, in the field he was most proud, Xue Jiao could not stop his heart from twisting in knots. Now, only blood could wash away this shame!
“Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord, you probably haven’t used your full strength yet, right? It is rare to encounter someone with such a powerful physique, so… I hope you can play with me for a bit longer!”
As soon as these last words were spoken, Yang Kai’s body shot into the sky like a lightning bolt.
As Yang Kai arrived in front of Xue Jiao, a brilliant golden light suddenly appeared on his body. This pale golden colour did not come from his Golden Blood though, but rather from his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art’s Metal Sword Qi.
Covered in his Metal Sword Qi, Yang Kai’s figure appeared akin to a peerless unsheathed sword that could cut through the Heavens as it stabbed straight towards Xue Jiao.
Before this attack even arrived, Xue Jiao felt his pores shrink involuntarily. Under this terrifying thrust, how could he dare show any disdain? Immediately roaring, Xue Jiao pushed his vitality wildly, his whole body turning a brilliant crimson colour as he punched out at Yang Kai.
*Dang…*
A loud crashing sound rang out.
The glowing golden Yang Kai paused slightly before he was forced back a few steps, but this time, Xue Jiao was also forced to stagger backward. The expression on the latter’s face was no longer as easy as before because he was no longer able to completely suppress Yang Kai.
*Dida dida…*
A few very rhythmic sounds could be heard as blood dripped from Xue Jiao’s fist.
In this brief confrontation, Xue Jiao had actually been injured!
The Metal Attribute’s primary quality was sharpness, sharpness that could cut through anything. Although Yang Kai had not cultivated the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art to its highest level yet, he had still reached the minor accomplishment stage, so as soon as he pushed his Metal Sword Qi, he was instantly able to seize back the initiative.
“Mediocre!” Although Xue Jiao was shocked by Yang Kai’s methods, he could not keep losing face and simply sneered while flicking the blood from his hand.
“Really?” Yang Kai grinned, “Then I’ll have to ask Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord to wait and see what comes next.”
As soon as these words fell, the halo of light around him changed, going from pure gold to gold and brown.
Earth Sword Qi!
The Earth Attribute’s primary quality was resilience, so this Earth Sword Qi was able to form the strongest protection. Moreover, among the five elements, Metal was born from Earth, so when the Earth Sword Qi came out, it instantly resonated with the Metal Sword Qi, enhancing it further instead of making it duller.
As the two-coloured light halo swirled around Yang Kai’s body, he shot towards Xue Jiao again, staring at him indifferently as he raised his hand and slashed towards him.
Xue Jiao’s eyes narrowed as he quickly crossed his arms.
Yang Kai’s knife-hand slashed out and blood splashed as Xue Jiao roared and was sent flying backwards. On his arms, there was a long gash, out of which blood sprayed like a fountain, instantly staining his clothes red.
This wound was bone-deep and caused the surrounding flesh to squirm, making for quite a terrifying sight.
The pain and shame made Xue Jiao’s blood rush to his head and he roared, “Boy, don’t get too cocky!”
Monster Race cultivators had a certain innate drawback; once they became angered, they would lose their ability to remain rational and would begin acting on instinct. Even if Xue Jiao was already a powerful Tribal Lord-level existence, this characteristic was something which was deeply rooted in his bones and could not be completely eliminated. He was only slightly better at controlling it than other Monster Race cultivators.
At this moment though, having been pushed back by Yang Kai while using his Flood Dragon Transformation, Xue Jiao could not help becoming angry out of shame.
His body transformed again at that moment, releasing a dazzling red light as his figure inflated to more than a hundred metres in size, with blood-red scales and two giant crimson eyes. Glaring at Yang Kai, Xue Jiao opened his giant maw and shot out a beam of blood-coloured light towards him.
“Blood Flood Dragon Manifestation!” Up in the clouds, Ba He’s eyes shrank suddenly. He never expected that Yang Kai would be able to force the Xue Jiao to such an extent after seemingly being at a huge disadvantage.
The Flood Dragon Transformation was a method for Xue Jiao to draw out strength from his ancestral bloodline to enhance his strength, but the Blood Flood Dragon Manifestation was a complete simulation of those bloodlines, allowing him to fully assume the form of his glorious ancestors.
Xue Jiao showing this form was a sign he was really going all out.
The blood-coloured beam of light flew forward with an unstoppable might towards Yang Kai, and if he were to be struck by it, he would not get off lightly as he was.
What’s more, an overwhelming corrosive aura pulsed from this blood-coloured beam, one that would pose a deadly threat even to a Second-Order Origin King.
Yang Kai still did not dodge, instead just shouting out loud, “Water!”
When this word came out, a blue light emerged from his body and enveloped him.
This blue light was as deep as the sea, and while it did not seem to enhance Yang Kai’s strength significantly, it gave off a sturdy and reliable feel, like an ocean surrounding him that could block out any violent storm from the outside, keeping him safe.
The blood-coloured beam arrived in the next moment and completely engulfed Yang Kai.
Xue Jiao’s eyes flashed fiercely as he stared forward, searching for any signs of Yang Kai’s life aura.
Suddenly, he seemed to notice something shocking, and his eyes bulged as he shouted, “Not good!”
In his Blood Flood Dragon form, this shout rang out like booming thunder, causing the surrounding world to shake.
As soon as his words were spoken, a figure shot out from the blood-coloured beam of light, moving against its flow as if it were just a gentle breeze, and sent a fierce punch towards Xue Jiao’s giant head!
Who else but Yang Kai could it be?
However, at this moment, Yang Kai’s body was not just covered in three-coloured light, but four-coloured light.
In addition to the initial golden, brown, and blue colours, there was also a bright red mixed in, one that raged like a burning flame.
At the same time, Yang Kai’s momentum seemed to have risen ten times from where it had been originally!
It seemed that every time he released a new colour from his body, his power would increase again, seemingly without end.
*Hong…*
The fist hit Xue Jiao’s head and a scream resounded through the sky. The huge body of Xue Jiao was sent flying by this punch as he howled out continuously.
After tumbling through the air for more than a dozen kilometres, Xue Jiao finally managed to stabilize himself, but a giant scorched fist mark now adorned his head. Around this fist mark, there were still burning flames, and no matter how Xue Jiao urged his vitality, he could not seem to extinguish them.
“What kind of fire is this!” Xue Jiao exclaimed in shock.
“Sun’s True Fire!” Yang Kai grinned.
Hearing this, Xue Jiao’s face changed drastically.
Sun’s True Fire was formed from the core of a Sun Star, and like the Nirvana Flames possessed by the Ancient Divine Spirit Phoenix, was considered one of the greatest flames in existence, able to burn down anything it touched. Unless one had a Water Attribute treasure of equal rank, or they were somehow able to refine it into their own body, it was all but impossible to extinguish Sun’s True Fire.
Xue Jiao’s giant eyes flashed with despair as the Sun’s True Fire that had contaminated his head suddenly became violent and began engulfing his giant body.
Screaming out, Xue Jiao seemed to be suffering unimaginable pain.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened though, not showing any joy at having defeated a master at the same level, instead just focusing on Xue Jiao’s giant form being burned down by the Sun’s True Fire with a weird expression. After a while, he suddenly grinned and muttered, “So that’s how it is!”
“It looks like you noticed,” Qian Yan’s voice suddenly rang in his ears, and the moment it did, the Xue Jiao which was being burned by Sun’s True Fire transformed into a million points of silver light and dissipated from the world.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked towards the source of the sound, only to find that not far away, Xue Jiao was floating there unharmed. However, his eyes were still filled with shock and, beside him, Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord stared towards Yang Kai solemnly.
“When did you act? I didn’t even notice,” Yang Kai looked at Qian Yan with interest.
Not long ago, he thought that he had managed to defeat Xue Jiao, but the moment Yang Kai used his Sun’s True Fire on Xue Jiao, he suddenly understood the truth.
What he hit was not Xue Jiao’s real body, but some kind of illusion.
Being able to silently cause him to fall into an illusion was something only Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord could achieve!
“Do you think I’d tell you?” Qian Yan snickered.
Yang Kai just sneered, “It must have been when I was caught in that blood-coloured beam of light. The Heaven Breaking Moon Pupil really lives up to its reputation, this Yang is impressed.”
Hearing Yang Kai utter the name of his greatest Divine Ability, Qian Yan’s expression changed slightly, but when he thought about the human’s relationship with Chi Yue, he quickly relaxed.
He obtained his title of Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord because of the existence of his Heaven Breaking Moon Pupil. This was an innate Divine Ability of the Thousand Eye Clan and no one else could learn or use it. This was also the skill he most relied on.
The existence of the Heaven Breaking Moon Pupil was a closely guarded secret, but since Yang Kai was so familiar with Chi Yue, it was only natural for him to have heard about it from her.
Looking at the four-colour halo around Yang Kai with a solemn expression, Qian Yan asked, “Your Excellency’s Secret Technique makes use of the Five Elements, right? Right now, you are only displaying four; why not show all five? Xue Jiao may not be your opponent, but if this King joins hands with him, if you don’t use all your strength, I’m afraid you won’t stand a chance.”
Yang Kai simply grinned and said, “As you wish!”
As soon as these words came out, the final green luminescence appeared.
Yang Kai’s already tyrannical momentum rapidly increased once more.
Qian Yan and Xue Jiao both saw this and could not help frowning.
The different Five Elements Sword Qi which currently lingered around Yang Kai’s body mutually promoted each other’s might, not only making for a dazzling display but also giving off a strong sense of oppression.
A hint of fear flashed across Xue Jiao’s eyes at this moment. If Qian Yan had not helped him secretly just now, he would definitely have been seriously injured. Only now did Xue Jiao understand just how difficult an opponent Yang Kai was. Both were Second-Order Origin Kings, but it was clear neither was Yang Kai’s opponent at all.
“This is your all?” Qian Yan looked solemn; however, he still sneered and shot back at Yang Kai confidently, “If this is all you have to worry, you’d best retreat now or you might get hurt.”
“Why bother with so much nonsense? What if I told you that your son died at my hands? Would you still let me retreat then?” Yang Kai looked over with cold eyes.
“What?” Qian Yan’s eyes instantly flashed with anger, “What did you just say?”
Xue Jiao suddenly thought of something and shouted, “So it’s you! I was wondering why you looked so familiar, it turns out you’re that little brat!”
“Xue Jiao, speak clearly!” Qian Yan’s silver eyes were filled with murderous intent as he turned to demand answers from Xue Jiao.
“You haven’t figured it out yet? He’s that human boy who came to Monster Emperor Star a few years ago and then went to the Blood Prison Trial with Xue Lian and Mi Tian!” Xue Jiao grit his teeth and roared.
“Impossible!” Qian Yan’s face changed drastically, “The Blood Prison Trial only allows Origin Realm cultivators to enter! How many years ago was that? How could someone who participated possibly have reached the Second-Order Origin King Realm already?”
“I also thought it was impossible!” Xue Jiao nodded lightly, “But the facts are right in front of us, so I have no choice but to believe!”
Qian Yan was stunned for a moment before he turned back to stare at Yang Kai again, nodding after a moment of silence, “Excellent, this King was never able to find his son, Mi Tian’s, murderer, but since you’ve decided to appear before this King today, don’t think you can escape alive!”
“Great!” Yang Kai laughed loudly.
“Xue Jiao, either he dies or we do!” Qian Yan was completely furious and did not wait before charging straight out towards Yang Kai, his figure mysteriously disappearing half-way there.
No one knew where he had gone.
However, Xue Jiao seemed to have long ago become accustomed to this scene and was not disturbed by Qian Yan’s disappearance, instead rushing towards Yang Kai even more fiercely than before.
The huge flood dragon body swam through the air, approaching close before shooting a beam of blood-coloured light.
Yang Kai saw this and sneered, “This trick is useless against me.”
“It doesn’t need to be useful!” Xue Jiao coldly snorted, his body flickering as the blood-red light shot forward, his tail sweeping out towards Yang Kai.
The scales on his tail jutted out like a series of extremely sharp spikes. If Yang Kai was struck by these, it would definitely draw blood.
Yang Kai avoided this tail sweep easily, but before he could adjust his stance, his brow suddenly wrinkled, and he hurriedly expanded his Domain in a hundred-metre radius all around himself.
Behind him, a figure mysteriously appeared. It was Qian Yan who had just vanished a moment ago.
At this moment, Qian Yan’s hand was stabbing forward like a blade towards the back of Yang Kai’s head.
However, encountering Yang Kai’s Domain, Qian Yan’s attack could not help stagnating for an instant. Not backing down though, Qian Yan released his own Domain to offset Yang Kai’s and pressed his attack.
Yang Kai waved his hand and summoned his Dragon Bone Sword before leisurely sweeping it backwards.
Qian Yan frowned when he saw this and was forced to give up his attack and retreat quickly.
He did not want to be swept by the Dragon Bone Sword. Although the Dragon Bone Sword had no blade or edge, anyone could see it was an Origin King Grade artifact. Being hit by such an artifact was definitely not a good idea.
“You want to leave? Aren’t you a bit naive?” Yang Kai snapped coldly as he suddenly increased the power of his Domain.
*Weng…*
The world trembled as the hundred-metre region around Yang Kai was solidified by him and innumerable tiny pitch-black fissures began to appear and disappear within this range a moment later.
“This is…” Qian Yan was shocked. He never expected Yang Kai’s Domain to have such terrifying might. Not only was it more condensed and powerful than his own Domain, it even incorporated some kind of profound and mysterious force.
This power was even able to make the surrounding space fracture, forming an uncountable number of tiny Void Cracks.
“Don’t panic!” At the critical moment, Xue Jiao’s roar sounded as he pushed his Domain, merging it with Qian Yan’s in order to counteract Yang Kai’s Space Force laced Domain.
*Kacha…*
Space only became more and more unstable though, and seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.
Xue Jiao’s giant claw stretched out at that moment, ignoring the multitude of lacerations he suffered from the randomly floating Void Cracks, grabbed Qian Yan, and yanked him back.
A crisp, cracking sound rang out in the next instant.
The place where the three Second-Order Origin Kings’ Domains were superimposed, space shattered like a mirror, exposing a large rift to the Void. There was nothing in this rift, only chaotic darkness that caused anyone who gazed upon it to shudder.
Thankfully, this Void Crack did not last long. Under the power of Monster Emperor Star’s World Principles, it quickly repaired itself and everything was restored to normal a moment later.
The two Monster Race Tribal Lords who had just retreated together though still felt their hearts pounding as they wore aghast looks on their faces.
Even two against one, they had found themselves at a disadvantage. This was a scenario they had never dreamed of before, but today it was happening right before their eyes.
[Were Human Race Origin Kings all so powerful?] Qian Yan and Xue Jiao asked this horrifying question in their hearts.
If that was really the case, was there any place for the Monster Race in the Star Field? As long as a few Second-Order Origin King humans came here today, Monster Emperor Star would be razed to the ground and their Monster Race would be driven out of their last paradise.
“We need to go all out, Xue Jiao!” Qian Yan quickly said. He knew that it would be impossible to beat Yang Kai if he did not lay everything on the line now.
When Yang Kai first appeared, he had said to Chi Yue that he would not have a problem keeping himself safe. At that time, Qian Yan had thought he was being arrogant, but now he understood the other party was not being rampant at all. Rather, he was actually being extremely humble.
Forget about protecting himself, he had an absolute advantage the entire time.
“Of course!” Xue Jiao growled lowly before opening his mouth and spitting out a fist-sized round bead.
“Monster Core!” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he realized that Xue Jiao was really going all out.
Every Monster Race cultivator had a Monster Core, but none would ever use it easily, because to a Monster Race cultivator, their Monster Core was the crystalized essence of their life, as well as the source of their combat power.
If their Monster Core was damaged or destroyed, while it may not cause them to die outright, they would definitely experience a dramatic drop in strength, one they could never recover from.
As such, no Monster Race would use their Monster Core in battle unless they had no other choice.
Xue Jiao spitting out his Monster Core proved he had been backed into a corner, and that he could only resort to his most powerful method now.
Xue Jiao was a Second-Order Origin King, so his Monster Core itself was a rare treasure. If this Monster Core could be used as a pill spirit, it could definitely refine the highest quality Origin King Grade Spirit Pill.
Xue Jiao’s body could also be refined into an extraordinary Blood Beast!
A Blood Beast at the Second-Order Origin King Realm that bore the blood of an Ancient Variant Divine Spirit would no doubt possess astonishing strength.
Yang Kai was already making plans about how to best use Xue Jiao.
Unlike Xue Jiao, Qian Yan did not spit out his Monster Core but instead released a great roar before his body suddenly inflated, turning his originally feminine-looking figure into a bloated sphere.
His clothes bursting apart, Qian Yan’s upper body was fully revealed.
Seeing this new appearance, Yang Kai could not help his skin from crawling slightly.
Because he found that Qian Yan’s upper body had many eyes on it, each of them emitting a silver light as they stared towards him with unkind intentions.
Counting those eyes carefully, there were somewhere between seventy and eighty, each one exuding a mysterious energy fluctuation.
“Forcing this King to reveal this form to you, you should be proud of yourself!” Qian Yan shouted coldly before forming a series of seals with his hands, his expression becoming solemn.
In the next moment, all the eyes on his body, as well as the two which existed on his face from the beginning, burst out with blinding silver light as an illusory moon suddenly rose behind Qian Yan.
After the silver light poured into this full moon, it flickered slightly and took on a silver hue, as if coming to life.
A bad premonition struck Yang Kai’s body at that moment and before he knew it, he found himself in an empty void with only the giant silver moon hanging above him, staring down at him like a huge eye; cold and majestic.
The silver moon’s brilliance flashed and penetrated straight into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, slowing his thoughts and causing his strength to slowly dissipate.
The brilliance of this silver moon not only affected his mind but even his physical body.
Yang Kai was startled and realized that no matter who it was, he couldn’t underestimate any Origin King. Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai took a deep breath, stretched out his hand to bite his fingertip, and wiped the drop of blood he drew over his left eye.
The next moment, a dazzling golden light burst out from his left eye and it transformed into a majestic pupil. This golden eye was long and narrow and carried with it an aura of absolute destruction.
Demon Eye of Annihilation!
Yang Kai poured his Spiritual Energy into his left eye madly to stimulate the power of his Demon Eye of Annihilation as he stared at the silver moon hanging high in the sky.
No matter what kind of magical technique conjured up this silver moon, it was still being displayed by Qian Yan, so as long as Yang Kai could overpower Qian Yan, the silver moon would break!
The Heaven Breaking Moon Pupil carried with it the power to shatter the moon while the Demon Eye of Annihilation exuded a pure aura of destruction. The two bizarre eye powers began clashing in this illusory space.
Spiritual Energy surged madly as a terrifying golden light radiated from Yang Kai’s left eye, condensing into a beam that was nearly tangible as it shot towards the silvery moon in the sky.
The silver moon trembled slightly and showed some signs of instability, but it returned to its original state in the next moment. From the silver moon, thousands of strands of silver brilliance scattered forth like willow branches to greet the golden light of destruction.
The gold and silver light met.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Violent explosions rang out endlessly.
Yang Kai’s body shook wildly!
Although he could not see Qian Yan and did not know what his condition was, Yang Kai was confident that he would not be bested in this violent clash of Spiritual Energies.
This was not just a competition of eye powers, but also the strength of Soul cultivation.
In terms of pupil power, Yang Kai’s Demon Eye of Annihilation did not match up to Qian Yan’s Heaven Breaking Moon Pupil. This was not to say that the Demon Eye of Annihilation was inferior, but rather that Yang Kai’s Demon Eye of Annihilation was something he acquired from an inheritance and wasn’t something he was born with or cultivated himself.
On the other hand, Qian Yan’s Heaven Breaking Moon Pupil was an innate Divine Ability he was born with and had been tempering for thousands of years.
How could Yang Kai’s Demon Eye of Annihilation compare? Naturally, it fell short.
However, Yang Kai’s Soul itself was definitely stronger than Qian Yan’s; after all, the Soul Warming Lotus had been nurturing his Soul for so many years that now his Divine Sense was no less powerful than a Third-Order Origin King’s.
Each side had its own advantages and disadvantages, so their battle was quite even. All around, gold and silver light clashed, forming a kind of stalemate in the air. One side would retreat while the other advanced, only for the momentum to shift in the next instant in a continuous cycle…
Like some kind of damn had broken, Spiritual Energy flooded out in a raging torrent.
Blood soon began to leak from Yang Kai’s left eye, covering half his face in glowing golden light, a strange and hideous sight to behold.
Yang Kai quickly realized that his situation was worrying.
If he was only fighting Qian Yan, this kind of competition wouldn’t be too big a problem. Whoever could persist longer would ultimately win or at worst, both sides would wind up suffering some degree of loss.
However, at this moment, he was facing two enemies! In addition to Qian Yan, there is also a Xue Jiao.
Yang Kai did not believe Xue Jiao would let off such a good opportunity to attack him.
Realizing this, Yang Kai no longer hesitated. Taking a deep breath, while continuing to push his Spiritual Energy wantonly, Yang Kai split his Divine Sense and used it to activate his stronger Soul Secret Technique, “Blossoming Lotus!”
As soon as these words fell, a lotus bud suddenly appeared in his golden left eye.
This lotus bud disappeared in the next instant though.
On the silver moon hanging high in the sky, the previous lotus bud mysteriously appeared.
Suddenly, like a great vortex, this lotus bud began madly absorbing Qian Yan’s Spiritual Energy, blossoming as it did.
Looking up, the silver moon seemed to have become a lotus flower that was in the process of blooming, making a radiant and beautiful scene.
An unbelievably miserable howl rang out in the next moment as the silver moon in the sky began to warp; however, no matter how it struggled, it was incapable of getting rid of the blossoming lotus’ entanglement.
In just three breaths of time, the lotus flower had half blossomed and the power the silver moon was able to exert to counteract the golden light had greatly reduced. Yang Kai’s expression turned fierce as he pushed his Spiritual Energy even harder than before.
*Peng…*
With a crisp sound, the huge silver moon high up in the sky shattered like a plate.
“Ah!” Qian Yan’s roar rang out at the same time.
The illusion surrounding Yang Kai suddenly cracked apart, returning him to the place he had originally been standing.
Before Yang Kai could recover though, he felt a deep chill overcome him and all his pores contracted involuntarily, as if death itself was approaching him.
“Boy, why aren’t you running!” Chi Yue’s soft voice rang out in his ears.
“Run? Where can you run?” Xue Jiao laughed wildly, “Chi Yue, you were able to stop me once, but let us see if you can stop me a second time! If you do not show yourself, this boy will die right now!”
As he shouted, a fist-sized blood-coloured bead that carried with it a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power shot towards Yang Kai’s chest.
The blood-coloured bead contained an unimaginable amount of raging vitality. It was Xue Jiao’s Monster Core he had spat out earlier.
He knew that Yang Kai’s physique was incredibly powerful and that ordinary techniques would all be rendered useless, so when Yang Kai was trapped by Qian Yan with the Heaven Breaking Moon Pupil, Xue Jiao had directly used his Monster Core to bombard Yang Kai.
The Monster Core of a Monster Race was stronger than any kind of artifact of the same level. This time, even if Yang Kai’s body was intrepid, he was certain to at least suffer severe injuries if not die directly.
This Monster Core was not very big, but it still felt like a giant mountain was hurtling towards Yang Kai at an incredibly fast speed.
By the time Yang Kai regained his senses, the Monster Core was already less than a metre away from him.
In order to end the battle with Qian Yan quickly, Yang Kai had consumed a great deal of his Spiritual Energy, so at this critical moment, he had a splitting headache and was unable to focus enough to use his Space Force to teleport away.
Seeing the Monster Core about to hit, Yang Kai grit his teeth and a thought flashed as he summoned a certain item.
A single scale the size of a palm suddenly appeared atop Yang Kai’s chest.
There were profound and mysterious patterns adorning this scale’s surface and it gave off an ancient and desolate feeling.
The Monster Core struck in the next moment.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai was hit by a huge force and flew out. Xue Jiao saw this scene and could not help being overjoyed and was just about to check whether Yang Kai was alive or dead when suddenly he heard a very slight crack.
When he heard this sound, Xue Jiao felt as if he was struck by lightning and his entire complexion changed drastically. Involuntarily, he opened his mouth and sprayed out a cloud of blood as his aura rapidly diminished.
“My Core!” Xue Jiao cried out with a pale face as his eyes fixed onto it and shrank dramatically.
There was a crack in his Monster Core, and although this crack was small, a Monster Core was so important to a Monster Race cultivator that even such a small crack caused Xue Jiao to suffer severe damage.
As if he had been thrown into a frigid blizzard, Xue Jiao felt cold all over as he could not understand what method Yang Kai had used just now to cause such damage to his Monster Core.
He vaguely saw a little bit of the situation and thought he saw Yang Kai summon something that looked like a fish scale in the last moment, but he was not certain.
But regardless of how it happened, the most important thing right now was to take back his Monster Core. Xue Jiao’s thoughts flashed as he summoned his Monster Core back, but before he could achieve this, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and appeared in front of the Monster Core and snatched it with his hand.
Xue Jiao roared, “In your dreams!”
As he shouted, he desperately urged his strength to recall his Monster Core.
In an instant, the Monster Core of the Second-Order Origin King Realm master seemed to come alive and struggled fiercely to escape Yang Kai’s grasp.
The force it was able to exert was so great that Yang Kai almost lost control of it.
“Dragon Transformation!” Yang Kai suddenly growled and accompanied by a loud dragon roar, his arm suddenly inflated to twice its original size and his Saint Qi condensed into a layer of dragon scales. In an instant, his arm transformed into the appearance of a dragon claw.
Dragon Pressure billowed out.
Xue Jiao suddenly froze in place, not daring to move as he stared at Yang Kai blankly, his jaw hanging loosely, flapping as if he wanted to say something but was unable to form the words, pure shock filling his eyes.
His originally restless Monster Core also did not dare to move rashly once it was subjected to the thick Dragon Pressure. Instead, it was tremblingly as it was pinched in the palm of Yang Kai’s hand, seemingly instinctually feeling fear.
“Dragon Source! You actually have a true Dragon Source!” To the side, Qian Yan exclaimed and his nearly hundred eyes all bulged as they stared at Yang Kai in disbelief.
His confrontation with Yang Kai just now also left him seriously injured, especially after he suffered a blow from Yang Kai’s Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique. That one technique had nearly drained all his Spiritual Energy. Qian Yan had been expecting Xue Jiao to end things for him, but how could he have known that Yang Kai still had other cards to play, including a True Dragon Source, something all Monster Race masters coveted!
“You’re human though, how could you have a Dragon Source?” Qian Yan’s voice was almost frantic and was laced with both anger and jealousy, “What’s more, you can actually use its power!”
Qian Yan could not help feeling a strong sense of powerlessness in his heart at this moment. The more he fought with Yang Kai, the less he was able to see his opponent’s bottom line.
Even after using a true Dragon Source strength now, Qian Yan faintly felt this was not Yang Kai’s strongest card…
“What kind of Dragon Source do you have?” Qian Yan asked in a low voice.
“Do you think I’d tell you?” Yang Kai smiled mockingly as he played with the Monster Core in his hand. It was quite strange, this Monster Core was originally quite unruly, but after Yang Kai showed the power of his Golden Divine Dragon Source, it suddenly became like a well-behaved rabbit. Even if he tossed it casually like this, it did not dare to fly away.
Nearby, Xue Jiao could not stop shivering.
This could not be helped since his Flood Dragon clan was descended from authentic Dragons, so there was a trace of Dragon blood in his veins.
What Yang Kai was displaying now was not only a legitimate Dragon Source aura, but one that belonged to the most powerful among all Dragons: the Golden Divine Dragon.
This aura had a natural and almost absolute suppression on Xue Jiao.
As such, Xue Jiao’s performance was far worse than Qian Yan’s at the moment.
Yang Kai played with Xue Jiao’s Monster Core while looking at the two Tribal Lords with great interest. His eyes made the two Tribal Lords feel cold as they could not tell what he was plotting now.
In fact, what Yang Kai was debating was whether he should kill them directly and refine them into Blood Beasts or take their Monster Cores first before refining them into Blood Beasts.
The Monster Core of a Second-Order Origin King was extremely rare and valuable, but without it, the Blood Beasts he could refine would certainly be weaker. However, if he completely refined them into Blood Beasts, he would not be able to use these Monster Cores…
This made Yang Kai hesitate as he was having a difficult time choosing what to do.
Unfortunately, just as he was debating to himself, Chi Yue’s voice suddenly came from Half-Moon Mountain, “Boy, let them go.”
As soon as Chi Yue said this, not only was Yang Kai stunned, but even Xue Jiao and Qian Yan were shocked and could not help turning to stare dumbly at Half-Moon Mountain.
None of them thought that Chi Yue would say such a thing.
After a long time, Yang Kai frowned and asked, “Senior, what are your intentions here?”
“I’m asking you to let them go,” Chi Yue’s voice spoke with extreme indifference, revealing no resentment or anger, as if she were speaking about some triviality, “Xue Jiao and Qian Yan have indeed offended me, but they are both Monster Race Tribal Lords in the end. If they die here, the strength of my Monster Race will drop sharply, which will be bad for my Monster Emperor Star.”
Hearing her say these words, Xue Jiao and Qian Yan could not help feeling somewhat excited and ashamed at the same time.
Compared with Chi Yue’s broad-mindedness, her concern for the Monster Race and Monster Emperor Star as a whole, their actions today felt a bit too petty.
“Beat the snake to death to avoid future calamity, let the tiger return to the mountain to court future disaster. Senior, have you thought this through clearly?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
Xue Jiao and Qian Yan immediately glared at Yang Kai, thinking that Chi Yue was already willing to let them go so why was a foreign human still making trouble!
Chi Yue snorted, “Does this Queen need you to teach her this truth? However, after receiving this lesson today, they will both need to enter retreat for at least ten years before they can recover. As for ten years from now… hehe, if I tell them to face east, would they dare face west?”
Xue Jiao and Qian Yan glanced at each other and both saw the extremely ugly look on their faces.
Although they were extremely unwilling, they knew that what Chi Yue said was true. Although Chi Yue only made a single move just now, the two Monster Race Tribal Lords vaguely felt that Chi Yue was close to breaking through, so as long as she was given just a bit more time, she would become the sole Monster King on Monster Emperor Star.
Once that happened, Xue Jiao and Qian Yan really would not dare to resist and could only submit to her.
The Monster Race always respected the strong, there was no greater truth!
At this point, Xue Jiao and Qian Yan both felt completely deflated and lost all fighting spirit. Cupping their fists, they weakly called out, “If we can escape this tribulation today, we will only obey Lady Monster King in the future, not uttering a single complaint!”
They even changed how they addressed Chi Yue.
“Your attitude changed quite quickly,” Yang Kai looked at them in astonishment.
Xue Jiao and Qian Yan blushed slightly before glaring towards Yang Kai.
“Since you’ve come to this understanding, this Queen will spare your lives today!” Chi Yue coldly snorted.
“Many thanks, Your Majesty!” Xue Jiao and Qian Yan looked overjoyed as they offered their thanks.
Yang Kai grinned at that moment though and called out, “Don’t be so happy yet, Senior Chi Yue said she would let you go, but I didn’t. Your lives are still in my hands.”
“Boy, what do you want?” Qian Yan looked up and asked angrily.
Xue Jiao also had a sullen face, but with his Monster Core still being held by Yang Kai, even if he was upset, he did not dare to say anything.
“I want… to cut out the weeds and pull-out its roots!” Yang Kai smiled evilly.
Qian Yan and Xue Jiao both involuntarily took a step back as they stared at Yang Kai warily.
“Ha…” Chi Yue sighed. “Boy, don’t scare them. Speak, what conditions do you need to let them go? If you wanted to end things once and for all, you wouldn’t bother with so much nonsense.”
“Senior seems to be misunderstanding me, I really do want to cut down the weeds and pull out its roots. Leaving them alive has no benefit to me after all. Don’t forget, their sons died at my hand, and such enmity is not easily resolved.”
“They both have so many heirs it doesn’t matter if one or two die!” Chi Yue sneered.
Although Qian Yan and Xue Jiao wore ugly expressions, they still nodded sharply.
“Then…” Yang Kai touched his chin and thought for a while, “If they swear, they won’t seek revenge against me in the future, I can let them go.”
Qian Yan and Xue Jiao both exchanged a glance and immediately nodded before swearing an oath on their ancestors that they would never find trouble with Yang Kai in the future.
Chi Yue said, “Although my Monster Race is cruel and warlike, they place great importance on their ancestral heritage. No Monster Race would dare to violate such an oath, otherwise they will be ostracized by the entire Monster Race!”
“Alright then, they can go,” Yang Kai grinned and waved at Xue Jiao and Qian Yan.
Xue Jiao however continued to stare at Yang Kai eagerly and shout, “My Monster Core!”
“I’ll be keeping this Monster Core,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
“Just kill me then,” Xue Jiao snapped angrily.
Chi Yue sighed once more, “Boy, stop making trouble, give him back his Monster Core.”
Yang Kai wore a speechless look as he objected, “Senior, after exerting so much effort, I can’t leave without gaining any benefits, right? The price I paid just now wasn’t small.”
“Little bastard! You were just waiting for this Queen to mention this all along!” Chi Yue suddenly cursed as she understood Yang Kai’s intentions.
“What does Senior mean? I don’t understand at all?” Yang Kai said with an innocent expression on his face.
“Just tell me what you want!”
“I only want this Monster Core!” Yang Kai said with a firm expression.
“Lady Monster King, please enforce justice for me,” Xue Jiao turned to Half-Moon Mountain and called out pitifully, almost shedding tears.
He had spent thousands of years cultivating to reach his current achievements, but if his Monster Core was taken away by Yang Kai now, not only would his cultivation fall to below the Origin Realm, but he would also most likely never be able to take another step forward again in the future.
To Xue Jiao, this kind of fate was worse than death.
As such, he could only ask Chi Yue for help.
“Enough!” Chi Yue shouted, clearly quite annoyed, “Boy, return his Monster Core to him and I’ll give you three First-Order Origin King Monster Cores.”
“How about five?” Yang Kai bargained.
“It seems that you don’t want to see Qing Luo ever again…” Chi Yue said lightly, but from her tone, anyone could tell she was grinding her teeth at this moment.
“En… Since Senior has spoken, so be it,” Yang Kai said in an upright tone before tossing the Monster Core in his hand towards Xue Jiao.
Xue Jiao caught it in a hurry, checked it carefully, and then swallowed it down after confirming that it was not in any danger, only then feeling relieved.
“You two scram, and remember: If you ever try something like this again, this Queen won’t be so forgiving!” Chi Yue declared firmly.
Qian Yan and Xue Jiao had already suffered greatly here so they did not dare to object, simply cupping their fists before withdrawing.
After they left, Chi Yue snorted, “Little Bastard, you dare to blackmail this Queen? Just you wait for me!”
Yang Kai grinned happily.
“Come inside first.”
As Chi Yue’s voice fell, a hole in the barrier around Half-Moon Mountain immediately opened, leading to the inside.
From the clouds above, two Starships also sailed down.
A short time later, Yang Kai and the two Starships entered Half-Moon Mountain together and landed in the square.
Ba He, Yu Xiong, Shen Tu, and all the others disembarked one after another and stared at Yang Kai like he was some kind of monster.
Yu Xiong even gave Yang Kai a big thumbs up with a look of admiration.
Just now, all of them had clearly watched the battle between Yang Kai and the two Tribal Lords.
Facing two opponents who were also at the Second-Order Origin King Realm, not only had Yang Kai not fallen into a disadvantage, but he held absolute superiority and gained control over the enemy’s life or death in the end. It was an unthinkable outcome.
Even if it had been a Third-Order Origin King, they probably could not have done any better.
Yang Kai was a Second-Order Origin King, but just a few years ago he was nothing more than an Origin Realm cultivator. In other words, it had not taken him long to reach his current realm and achieve such shocking strength. After his realm fully stabilized, wouldn’t he be comparable to a Third-Order Origin King?
Shen Tu and the others were also shocked. Although Yang Kai had faced off against a master like Kuang Shi Zong back on Purple Star City, the two of them hadn’t really fought at the time as Yang Kai mainly used his helpers to threaten to destroy Purple Star City, forcing Kuang Shi Zong to compromise.
It was completely different from this head-on competition.
“Lady Tribal Lord has passed orders. It is not convenient for her to see you today, so she asks you to wait a few days. Once her condition stabilizes, she will call for you,” Ba He stepped forward and said to Yang Kai.
“No problem,” Yang Kai nodded.
He also knew that Chi Yue’s retreat would have been disturbed by today’s matters, and although the effects on her would not be great, she still needed some time to fully settle.
As such, he did not care too much.
Then, under the arrangements of Ba He and the others, the people from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and Yang Kai were assigned living spaces inside Half-Moon Mountain.
There was no special treatment given to them, but also no particular restrictions either.
Yang Kai soon found that he was assigned lodging not far from Shan Qing Luo’s residence and understood that this was specially arranged by Chi Yue.
At night, when everything had quieted down, Yang Kai sat cross-legged in his room and used his Divine Sense to observe Shan Qing Luo’s palace cautiously.
Today’s battle had been quite dynamic, but it still did not have any effect on Shan Qing Luo. It was conceivable that she was at a critical juncture of her retreat at this moment and had blocked out all disturbances from the outside world.
Outside the palace where Shan Qing Luo lived, there were several powerful barriers activated.
However, in front of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, these barriers were as useful as air, so he easily broke past them.
On the second floor of the palace, Yang Kai saw Shan Qing Luo.
This seductive queen was even more elegant than before. When he had first met her, she was also able to fascinate anyone who laid eyes upon her, and with the improvement of her cultivation and the further integration of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider Source into her being, this enchantress’ charms were so strong it almost created a tangible aura around her body.
Even a man as stalwart as Yang Kai could not help becoming slightly lost as he gazed upon her.
It was like she was a great vortex that could suck in the gaze and even Divine Sense of any man, making them unable to extricate themselves.
At this moment, Shan Qing Luo sat cross-legged in a sleeveless robe, gently forming a series of seals with her jade white hands.
Yang Kai’s attention involuntarily lingered on those supple and bright arms for a while…
There was a profound Spirit Array depicted below Shan Qing Luo’s body, which was clearly activated as well as several Domain Stones lingering around her, their energy slowly being drawn into her body.
Around Shan Qing Luo, there was already an embryonic form of Domain that pulsed and fluctuated.
For an Origin Realm cultivator to break through to the Origin King Realm, the most difficult hurdle was not the accumulation of Saint Qi, but the comprehension of Domain.
Only by comprehending the mysteries of Domain could a cultivator break through their shackles and reached a new height.
In order to achieve this, an Origin Realm cultivator needed to condense their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage before slowly transforming it into a Domain.
After observing for a while, Yang Kai’s expression became warm.
Shan Qing Luo’s performance was truly worthy of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider Source she had absorbed. Her aptitude had undergone a terrifying improvement as a result, and her Shi was now beginning its transformation to Domain. As long as she had enough time, she would break through to the Origin King Realm as soon as the opportunity arrived!
Among the women Yang Kai knew in his early years, Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang undoubtedly had the best aptitude.
After all, she had a Special Constitution, the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, that gave her an extraordinary advantage over ordinary people, as well as a limitless future.
Second place would have to go to the seductive queen Shan Qing Luo. This enchantress also possessed a Special Constitution, but her physique was slightly flawed and not as useful as Xia Ning Chang’s.
High Heaven Pavilion’s Eldest Senior Sister Su Yan would be ranked third.
This was simply an innate disadvantage though, not because Su Yan’s aptitude was poor in any way.
However, it now seemed like there was already no difference in terms of cultivation aptitude between these three women.
Needless to say, Xia Ning Chang had refined Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source and, coupled with her Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, was now a Star Master. Her life was closely tied to Tong Xuan Realm, the two sharing both honour and disgrace.
The future of any Star Master was extraordinarily bright.
As for Shan Qing Luo, she had absorbed the Source of an Ancient Divine Spirit Variant, Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, not only making up for the flaws in her Special Constitution but also dramatically improving her own talent. The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider was no ordinary existence, it had the power to fight on par with Divine Spirits. In ancient times, it was also a hegemon that could not be underestimated.
As for Su Yan, with her Ice Phoenix Source and the Ice Heart Secret Art she cultivated in Ice Heart Valley, she had acquired an Ice Crystal Jade Body Special Constitution, and after entering the Heavenly Blessing’s Frozen Pond, she had obtained Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, Bing Yun’s, Profound Frost Divine Sword. In terms of capability and potential, she was no worse than the former two now.
The best proof of this was that the cultivations of these three women were now all equal at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
Shan Qing Luo was already preparing to break through to the Origin King Realm on Monster Emperor Star, and Yang Kai was confident that Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang were definitely not idling away in High Heaven Sect.
Now that Shadowed Star’s World Principles had been perfected, as long as they were sufficiently prepared, these two women would surely break through to the Origin King Realm smoothly.
Thinking so, Yang Kai showed a smile.
He suddenly found that the several women he was closest to had similar strength and aptitude, even including Xue Yue…
He even wondered who would come out on top if they were to fight…
Immediately after having such thoughts though, Yang Kai shivered and put such a terrifying scenario out of his mind. If these four were to really fight, Yang Kai imagined he would have no choice but to run away as far as he could.
Since Shan Qing Luo was at a critical moment in her breakthrough to the Origin King Realm, Yang Kai did not disturb her. After silently observing her for a moment and confirming that she was well, he quietly withdrew his Divine Sense.
Just as Yang Kai was about to adjust his breathing and calm his mind though, he suddenly raised a brow and looked towards the entrance to his room, flashing a light smile.
There seemed to be some movement outside, like someone was leaning against his door.
Yang Kai waved his hand and the door opened.
A soft cry came out as a figure stumbled into the room.
*Peng…*
The door closed again right after.
This visitor seemed to be a little wary and looked around hastily, but after seeing Yang Kai staring at her with a smile on his face, she could not help grumbling in annoyance.
“Since you wanted to come in, you should have just come in. Why wander around stealthily outside?” Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he stood up and beckoned to the woman, pouring her a cup of tea before setting it down on a nearby table.
The visitor was surprisingly Bi Luo, who had been following Shan Qing Luo as her maidservant.
Bi Luo had been together with Shan Qing Luo since she lived in Fragrance City in the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land. After that, the two had passed through the altar in the Spider Mother’s Den and travelled to Monster Emperor Star. Now, Bi Luo still accompanied Shan Qing Luo and had even followed her to enter the Emperor Garden some years ago.
Yang Kai had a profound impression of this woman who disliked men and was only attracted to women…
“Who are you accusing of acting stealthily?” Bi Luo snorted as she stared at Yang Kai with her sharp eyes, seemingly about to attack him as she snapped, “If you were aware I was here, why didn’t you call out to me or something instead of suddenly opening the door? Were you trying to scare me?”
“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault. Anyways, sit down and have some tea.” Yang Kai naturally was not stupid enough to quarrel with her over such trivial matters and instead just gestured to the seat in front of him.
Bi Luo took the seat in a huff, picked up the tea and drank it, then sat there without saying a word.
Yang Kai waited for a while, not knowing what Bi Luo was here for. Just as he was about to ask, though, Bi Luo suddenly raised her head and her beautiful eyes flashed with a kind of brilliance as she stared at him and asked excitedly, “I heard from Big Bear that you’re already a Second-Order Origin King. Is that true?”
“Big Bear…” Yang Kai had a strange look on his face, but suddenly that cheap elder brother-in-law of his, Yu Xiong, appeared in his mind as he smiled and nodded, “Yes.”
“No wonder you seem so much stronger than before,” Bi Luo stretched out her jade white hand carelessly and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder, a cheerful expression on her face. “Mistress’ vision is indeed exceptionally good, you’re a promising young man.”
Her expression and demeanour were completely natural at this moment, as if she was his elder and was paying him a comment for doing well.
Yang Kai just smiled warmly at this sight.
With his current identity and cultivation, except for a few old monsters who had not yet died of old age, only Bi Luo would dare talk to him like this.
But Yang Kai was not annoyed at this; instead, he was rather happy. After all, they had all come from the same tiny world, so there was a sense of comradery between them that was difficult to explain.
“You need to keep working hard to get stronger, otherwise, how will you protect Mistress in the future?”
“Yes, yes,” Yang Kai nodded nonchalantly, revealing a studious appearance.
Bi Luo squinted at him as her eyes flashed, seeming very satisfied with his performance.
However, Yang Kai keenly discovered that under Bi Luo’s seemingly happy face, there was some well-concealed sadness.
After a little thought, Yang Kai understood why Bi Luo was like this. Realizing this, he smiled and said, “You’re not bad either, you’ve already reached the First-Order Origin Returning Realm.”
Bi Luo’s innate aptitude was actually not very good. Putting aside the Great Han Dynasty, where her talent was top-notch, her aptitude was at best mediocre when considering the standards of the Star Field.
However, after following Shan Qing Luo to Monster Emperor Star through the altar and encountering the remains of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, when Shan Qing Luo had absorbed its Source, Bi Luo had reaped some benefits as well. Supplemented with the wealth of Red Moon Territory, she was able to reach the Origin Returning Realm without too much difficulty.
If she had not had such an opportunity and environment, she might still be a First or Second-Order Saint King.
“So what if I’m First-Order Origin Returning Realm?” Bi Luo laughed at herself, “Mistress is about to break through to the Origin King Realm… I don’t know how much longer I will be able to follow her.”
[So that’s it!]
Listening to the frustration in her tone, Yang Kai immediately knew that his guess was right. Bi Luo was obviously worried about the gap between her and Shan Qing Luo getting wider and wider, which was why she had such a mirthless aura about her.
Although her friendship with Shan Qing Luo was not ordinary. If there was too much difference in their strength, she would only become a burden to Shan Qing Luo if she continued to follow her.
Just like the Blood Prison Trial, Bi Luo was unable to accompany Shan Qing Luo because she was too weak.
With how much she cared about Shan Qing Luo, how could Bi Luo be willing to let Shan Qing Luo worry about her? When the gap between Shan Qing Luo and her got big enough, perhaps Bi Luo would just silently disappear.
Understanding this, Yang Kai only thought about it for a moment before smiling slightly and asking, “Are there no suitable Secret Arts or Secret Techniques for you here on Monster Emperor Star?”
Bi Luo nodded and replied, “Exactly. This is Monster Emperor Star, so with Mistress bearing the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider Source, she can be considered a Half-Monster Race and the Supreme Secret Arts and Secret Techniques here meant for the Monster Race suit her perfectly, but I cannot find one that is suitable for me. Although there are some human Secret Arts and Secret Techniques in Chi Yue’s palace, they are not high grade. I’m already using the best one available, but its effects aren’t ideal.”
Bi Luo looked quite upset.
“I have some here,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Bi Luo immediately raised her head to look at him, her beautiful eyes bursting with amazing light as she immediately reached out her hand with no trace of politeness, “Give it to me quickly, I’ll remember your favour for a lifetime.”
Black lines filled Yang Kai’s forehead when he heard her say these words, thinking they sounded a bit wrong.
Bi Luo also seemed to have noticed she was being a bit abrupt and apologized by spitting out her tongue playfully and saying, “If it’s convenient, could you teach them to me? I’ll treasure this favour and will no longer speak ill of you in front of Mistress.”
“You still speak ill of me in front of Qing Luo?!” Yang Kai was furious.
Bi Luo curled his lips and said, “Mistress is completely set on you, so she just treats anything I say as a joke…”
“And what exactly have you told her?” Yang Kai asked with some trepidation.
“Everything. There are no secrets between Mistress and me,” Bi Luo looked at Yang Kai innocently, with a naive expression on her face.
“Including that time in the…”
“Don’t mention that again! That is the single greatest shame of my life!” Bi Luo glared at Yang Kai in annoyance, her face flushing as she spoke as she subconsciously licked the corner of her lips, as if there was something there…
“Ha… to be young and frivolous again!” Yang Kai sighed heavily.
Bi Luo suddenly became uncomfortable. If not for her desperate desire for Yang Kai to give her a Secret Art suitable for Humans, she likely would have flown out the door already. Whenever she thought back on that day, she could not help wanting to find a hole to crawl into and never come out again.
Although several dozen years had already passed, she could still clearly recall that unique flavour…
“Enough, enough, let’s stop mentioning this matter and just pretend it never happened,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Bi Luo shrank back into her chair and nodded fiercely, even the tips of her ears now burning a deep crimson red.
“Let me see which of the Five Elements your body aligns with!” Yang Kai said as he stretched out his hand and placed two fingers on Bi Luo’s wrist.
Bi Luo remained motionless, allowing Yang Kai to investigate.
Soon after, Yang Kai opened his mouth and said, “En… of the Five Elements your constitution is most suited to fire as I expected.”
Bi Luo has always been somewhat irritable and impatient, which matched with the Fire Attribute.
“I cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art before and felt that I could do so much faster than with any other element,” Bi Luo said.
“That’s natural. Everyone’s body is different and has its own affinity with the five elements. If you are aligned towards the Fire Attribute, you should naturally cultivate a Fire Attribute Secret Art. Let me see if there is anything suitable for you to use.”
After saying so, Yang Kai began rummaging through his Space Ring.
Bi Luo waited expectantly, not daring to interrupt.
The Secret Arts and Secret Techniques Yang Kai possessed were all collected from Purple Star’s Vault.
How could the things placed in Purple Star’s Vault possibly be bad? It could be said that every Secret Art and set of Secret Techniques was a part of Purple Star’s core inheritance.
Yang Kai originally planned to bring these things back to High Heaven Sect to broaden the number of choices High Heaven Sect’s disciples had, but since Bi Luo needed one, Yang Kai was not going to be stingy.
Not long after, an ancient book appeared in Yang Kai’s hand and he tossed it over to Bi Luo while saying, “This Fire Crow Heaven Piercing Record should be suitable for you. Take a look.”
Bi Luo smiled happily, quickly grabbed it, and began flipping through it.
Yang Kai supplemented on the side, “This Secret Art has three parts to it and is exceptional. The first section alone is enough to support you reaching the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and forming pure Fire Attribute Saint Qi in your body. The second part will allow you to reach the Second-Order Origin King Realm. If you can find a Fire Crow Monster Core or Source, after refining it into your body, you’ll be able to improve your compatibility with this Secret Art further and reach the Third-Order Origin King realm. As for the third section of the art, it contains several associated Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques. You can cultivate it at your discretion.”
When he was looking for a Secret Art just now, Yang Kai also glanced through this one and had a rough idea of its contents. Feeling it was quite suitable for Bi Luo, he had brought it out.
The strength of this Fire Crow Heaven Piercing Record could only be fully realized if one could find a Fire Crow Monster Core or Source to increase its power.
The Fire Crow was a kind of Ancient Divine Spirit Variant, and although it wasn’t as famous as the Dragon or Phoenix, and was even weaker than the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, it was still on the same level as the Xie Zhi. Rumour had it that this ancient Monster Beast could trace its lineage to the Fire Phoenix, but whether that was true or not was impossible to tell.
With the help of a Fire Crow’s Monster Core or Source, the power of this Secret Art would increase by at least ten percent.
This was a massive improvement for such a high-grade Secret Art.
When Yang Kai’s words reached her ears, Bi Luo was overjoyed and began happily flipping through the ancient book, as if she could not wait to start cultivating.
A Fire Crow’s Monster Core or Source may be difficult to find elsewhere, but this was Monster Emperor Star, a paradise for the Monster Race, so there was a decent chance a Fire Crow or one of its bloodlines could be found here.
It was for this reason that Yang Kai specially chose this Secret Art for Bi Luo.
Bi Luo finished browsing through the Secret Art very quickly before solemnly placing the Fire Crow Heaven Piercing Record into her Space Ring, turning her beautiful eyes to Yang Kai, and gently saying, “Thank you!”
“There’s no need for that,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “You have been accompanying Qing Luo this whole time, never leaving her side. It’s what I should do to thank you.”
“It’s only natural for me to be with Mistress. I will not forget this favour. In the future, when I have the opportunity, I will thank you properly.”
Yang Kai did not say anything more.
Bi Luo obviously could not wait any longer and quickly got up while saying, “Then you have a good rest, I’m going to start comprehending this Secret Art.”
“En, go,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
After Bi Luo left, Yang Kai thought for a while before taking out his Purple Origin Furnace as well as a lot of precious herbs and began performing Alchemy.
Time flew by and soon a few days had passed.
On this day, Yang Kai was still in the middle of Alchemy when he suddenly heard Chi Yue’s voice in his ear, “Boy, come to my room!”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed before he raised his head quickly, smiled, and called out, “I’ll be there in a moment, Senior.”
And so, after finishing the pill he was refining, Yang Kai packed up his things and headed towards Chi Yue’s bedroom.
He had visited Chi Yue’s residence once before so, naturally, he knew the way and did not need anyone to lead the way.
However, after he entered the central palace, Yang Kai found that the innermost room was blocked by a powerful barrier and a mysterious energy fluctuation radiated out from inside of it. Through this barrier, Yang Kai could vaguely see Chi Yue’s outline.
He knew immediately that Chi Yue was still in retreat and had simply split some of her attention to meet with him.
“I heard Yu Xiong say you came to Monster Emperor Star for a specific purpose? What did you want to see me about?” Chi Yue’s voice came from the front.
Yang Kai put on a serious look and said, “This isn’t something that can be made clear with a few words, but if Senior reads this, it should be sufficient for her to understand.”
Saying so, Yang Kai took out a jade slip from his Space Ring and used his Divine Sense to engrave some information into it before tossing it out.
The barrier in front of him opened slightly to allow the slip to pass through before it closed again.
Silence followed as Yang Kai knew that Chi Yue was investigating the jade slip, but he did not urge her and instead just stood by quietly.
After some time, the energy fluctuations from the room suddenly surged, becoming a bit unstable. It seemed that Chi Yue had been greatly stimulated by what she had just read, causing her Saint Qi to become slightly disordered, but she was a master who was on the brink of becoming a Monster King, so she only needed to focus for a moment to suppress these undulations.
A trembling voice soon came from the wing, one filled with shock and disbelief, “Have you seen the Starry Sky Great Emperor with your own eyes? And you lived with her for more than ten years?”
“I have seen the Great Emperor, but the one I lived with was her Embodiment, not her true body.”
“Although this Queen believes you would not deceive her, this is all too difficult to just believe. It’s not that this Queen suspects you, but… what evidence do you have?”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, “It’s only natural for Senior to be suspicious. As for evidence though… Is this enough?”
Saying so, Yang Kai took out seven Star Emperor Tokens as well as the Annihilation Thunder Bead!
As the Emperor Pressure spread out, Yang Kai tried his best to use his Domain to suppress it, lest it interfere with Chi Yue.
That did nothing to dampen Chi Yue’s shock though as she gasped, “You’ve collected so many Star Emperor Tokens already? And what is that bead which is giving off such terrifying Thunder Attribute aura?”
“An Emperor Artifact! The Annihilation Thunder Bead,” Yang Kai faintly explained, “It was one of the Great Emperor’s personal artifacts, but she gave it to me.”
“It’s actually an Emperor Artifact!” Chi Yue exclaimed. If it were not for her being at a critical moment of her retreat, she would have rushed out to get a closer look. Even so, her voice clearly portrayed her shock.
“Senior seems to have heard of Emperor Artifacts.”
“This Queen is many times your age, why wouldn’t she have heard of them?” Chi Yue coldly snorted, but soon, a voice filled with envy called out, “You actually possess one of the Great Emperor’s artifacts. It seems what you wrote down on this jade slip is true.”
“Junior naturally wouldn’t joke with Senior about this kind of matter,” Yang Kai said sincerely.
“En, so like you’ve said, there are many other Star Fields like our own but because there is a powerful barrier separating them, we cannot cross over to them or even detect them?”
“I haven’t confirmed this, but the Great Emperor told me about it herself.”
“Since the Great Emperor said so, it must be right. Above the Star Field, there is the Star Boundary? And above the Origin King Realm, there is a higher realm?”
“Indeed!”
“Haha…” Chi Yue laughed suddenly as she quickly said, “This Queen really did not guess wrong. There is no end to the Martial Dao, who can truly stand at its peak? There are still greater heights to reach after the Origin King Realm!”
Her tone was filled with enthusiasm and excitement, seemingly quite happy to be able to verify one of her long-held conjectures.
Yang Kai understood how she felt at this moment. Any cultivator who yearned for strength would suffer a devastating blow if they learned that the Martial Dao really had an end to it. Knowing there were still greater heights to strive for though, any cultivator who yearned to improve themselves would feel great stimulation in their heart.
“Boy, you came to Monster Emperor Star to find this Queen because you lack the manpower to open the road to the Star Boundary?” Chi Yue suddenly asked softly.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded and replied, “According to what the Great Emperor said, if you want to open the way to the Star Boundary, first you need to gather all nine Star Emperor Tokens; that shouldn’t be a big problem though as I already have seven.”
“What about the remaining two?”
“One is owned by Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and the other is in Sword Union!”
“Do you have any way to obtain them? You should know that those tokens are relics of the Great Emperor and neither of those two forces will let go of the one they possess easily.”
“Everything depends on one’s own efforts,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Yes. You should try to collect them first. If you fail, after this Queen breaks through to the Monster King Realm, she can go to those two force’s Home Stars and ask them for the Star Emperor Token. I’d like to see if they dare refuse,” Chi Yue said proudly.
Yang Kai’s face quickly turned black, “Just leave this to me, there’s no need for Senior to trouble herself.”
“What about the second requirement for six Third-Order Origin Kings? How many have you found so far?”
“En… I was going to ask Senior, but from your attitude, it seems Junior won’t have to make any attempts at persuasion.”
Yang Kai came to Monster Emperor Star because he wanted Chi Yue’s help. He knew that Chi Yue was already a master at the Second-Order Origin King Realm, and after obtaining the Origin Essence Crystal of Mad Crocodile Monster King, Yang Kai knew Chi Yue would soon be able to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm. There was also still a long time to go before the ten-year period he agreed with Gui Zu on arrived, so one of Yang Kai’s original intention was to visit Monster Emperor Star and talk to Chi Yue.
He had prepared various arguments to try to persuade Chi Yue to help.
But from the meaning of Chi Yue’s words, Yang Kai understood that she was already extremely interested in this matter and there was no need for him to even try to convince her.
“En, you need not say anything more! The Origin King Realm is not the end of this Queen’s Martial Dao. The Great Emperor is the ultimate goal of this Queen. With such a good opportunity before her, how could this Queen possibly pass it up, but… even if you search the entire Star Field, you may not be able to gather six Third-Order Origin Kings. This is a bit difficult.”
Chi Yue understood that gathering six Third-Order Origin Kings was actually more difficult than trying to collect all nine Star Emperor Tokens.
Because no one knew where most Third-Order Origin Kings were hiding, making it all but impossible to find them.
Purple Star had Kuang Shi Zong, but judging from the grievances between Yang Kai and Purple Star, Kuang Shi Zong would definitely not agree to this matter, and even if he did, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to trust him.
“Things aren’t as bleak as they seem,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Senior is one, and Junior can probably fill another spot. In addition, at my Sect, there is another person who is trying to impact the Third-Order Origin King Realm. If he succeeds, there will be three people.”
“Three… that’s still only half!”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I believe that if the news in this jade slip was released, someone will definitely come to seek me out on their own. Senior should also understand that, in the Star Field, those old monsters who had secluded themselves from the world spent all their time searching for a higher Martial Dao, right? Now that I can show them the way, they will definitely be interested.”
“Seems you’ve been planning this for a while.”
“Of course. But this is only a last resort, I will only do this if I can’t gather enough on my own.”
Having such a productive and pleasant conversation with Chi Yue was an unexpected joy for Yang Kai.
Sometime later, Yang Kai informed Chi Yue of the timeframe he had set and then left her palace. Chi Yue also promised to do her best to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm before the appointed time as well as organize everyone on Monster Emperor Star so she could join him to explore a broader, higher world.
The next day, Ba He came to Yang Kai’s room, handed him a Space Ring, and said, “These are the supplies Lady Tribal Lord has promised you. The three Origin King Grade Monster Cores are also inside. This level of Monster Core is scarce even on Monster Emperor Star and are considered rare treasures in the outside world. As for the other materials, you can check whether there are enough, if there are not, I will find what you need.”
Yang Kai took the ring, swept it with his Divine Sense, smiled, and nodded, “Thank Lady Tribal Lord for me, the materials are more than enough.”
“En, okay, but…” Ba He looked at Yang Kai with a slightly dazed expression and asked seriously, “Can you really arrange such an ultra-long-distance Space Array?”
After discussing all the details of his upcoming plan with Chi Yue yesterday, Yang Kai decided to arrange a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array on Monster Emperor Star to connect it with Shadowed Star. This way, once Shan Qing Luo successfully broke through in the future, she could immediately go to Shadowed Star.
Chi Yue was also shocked when Yang Kai informed her of his intentions, and although she found it difficult to believe Yang Kai had such skill, she also had no reason to doubt him, so she quickly ordered Ba He to prepare the necessary materials.
“It’s nothing special!” Yang Kai grinned.
Ba He hurriedly said, “This old master must have a look then. En, come with me.”
For some reason, the news that Yang Kai wanted to arrange a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array was even known to Shen Tu and the others.
When Yang Kai arrived under the guidance of Ba He at a huge open space inside Half-Moon Mountain, Yu Xiong, Shen Tu, Li Nuo, Hua You Meng, Aunt Chun, and various others were all waiting for him.
After seeing Yang Kai, Shen Tu greeted him with excitement, and asked, “Yang Kai, can you really arrange such a magical Space Array that can even cross between Cultivation Stars?”
Everyone else present also looked at him eagerly.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Shen Tu’s jaw dropped before his expression became incredibly excited.
“Don’t make such a big fuss, it’s just a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array,” Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter.
“Just?” Ba He exclaimed in a weird voice from the side, “You underestimate the significance of this kind of thing far too much. All the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays in existence in the Star Field today are ancient relics, most of which are completely broken and useless, unable to be restored. You look down on just how significant a chance this can bring to the Star Field.”
“Indeed!” Shen Tu calmed himself somehow and nodded firmly, “Without mentioning anyone else, just my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has established businesses across the entire Star Field, but voyages between various Stars take anywhere from three months to five years, wasting a massive amount of time in the process. If there was a network of Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays to connect even just our major Cultivation Stars, our transportation costs would decrease to nearly nothing! The benefits that would bring to the chamber of commerce would be astronomical! Within just a few years, the savings alone would add up to a terrifying amount of wealth!”
“It’s more than just that!” Ba He slowly shook his head as he chimed in, “If Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays could be used, cultivators would be able to more conveniently and safely travel between different Stars. If there was really such a convenient thing, who would risk their life boarding a Starship? At that time, you would only need to charge a fee for using the array and it would still make a lot of money. Yang Kai, don’t underestimate this ability of yours, if this Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array can really be arranged, it would definitely cause earth-shaking changes to the entire Star Field, making you nothing less than a hero to the world!”
Yang Kai took all this in and just nodded lightly.
It was not that he had never thought about this kind of thing, but because it was his own ability, one he had used frequently before, he didn’t think too much of it anymore.
However…
“What are you all so excited for?” Yang Kai looked at Ba He, Shen Tu and others in amazement.
Ba He was taken aback for a moment, but soon smiled and said, “It is this old master’s honour to witness such a momentous occasion, so naturally this old master is excited. It is like seeing a true Dragon suddenly appear in the present. Isn’t it only normal to be excited?”
Yang Kai thought for a while before agreeing with the sentiment.
“Yang Kai, can you help me arrange a few such Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays for Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce? Rest assured, the materials and supplies required will be provided by our chamber of commerce and we can give you satisfactory reward,” Shen Tu sincerely asked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was about to simply nod and agree, when suddenly he thought of something, grinned, and said, “That’s naturally not a problem, but…”
“But what?”
“But I want to talk to President Ai Ou personally about this. I actually have something I want to ask him for, so this just happens to suit as a reasonable price for exchange,” Yang Kai smiled and said authentically.
From what Shen Tu said just now, Yang Kai also understood that these Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays he could arrange would have a huge effect on Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps arranging them could be used as a chip with President Ai Ou to exchange for the Star Emperor Token.
Although the Star Emperor Token was a relic left behind by the Great Emperor, it simply became a useless trophy after it was used. Yang Kai believed President Ai Ou should know how to choose.
What’s more, Yang Kai still had the Star Refining Art Ai Ou desperately wanted!
Thinking of this, Yang Kai felt confident that the Star Emperor Token in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s possession would soon be surnamed Yang.
Even the Star Emperor Token Sword Union had could be exchanged in this way.
Although Sword Union was not as big as Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, it still controlled many Cultivation Stars, and if Yang Kai offered to connect them via Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays, he believed that Sword Union’s leadership would definitely agree to his request.
“That’s not a problem, but my father is not someone easy to negotiate with, be careful not to get butchered by him,” Shen Tu chuckled.
“I’ll be careful.”
“Such matters can be discussed later. Right now, this old master wants to witness the creation of a new Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array!” Ba He urged from the side.
Yang Kai nodded and no longer delayed, asking everyone to step back. Next, he began to take out the various necessary materials from his Space Ring and proceed to arrange the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array.
This was a process Yang Kai had done more than once or twice, so he was already quite familiar with it.
Various precious materials were taken out, smelted in Yang Kai’s hands, and then formed into different components before being assembled in order. Two days later, a huge platform had been forged, one that everyone present could feel a mysterious and magical aura pulsing from. Faint ripples began to appear around Yang Kai next as he seemed to be engraving something into the platform with his Divine Sense.
The entire process was quite uneventful to watch because no one present was proficient in Spirit Arrays.
Moreover, even if a real Array Master was present, they may not have been able to understand what was happening.
After all, Yang Kai was using his Space Force to construct the Spirit Array, something which was nigh impossible for others to comprehend just by observing.
However, because they were witnessing the birth of something so extraordinary, no one showed a look of impatience and all just stood quietly to the side, waiting.
Pieces of Space Spirit Crystal flew up next under an invisible power and burst into dust before merging together with the platform.
Ba He was observing silently from start to finish and a quick calculation he made in his head put the value of the materials Yang Kai had consumed in the past few days at 100 million Saint Crystals!
Even considering the entirety of the Star Field, this was a massive expenditure.
However, thinking about the function and purpose of this array, Ba He quickly felt relieved.
By the fifth day, when everything had taken shape, Yang Kai observed silently for a moment with some slight dissatisfaction. Soon after, he took out some Space Spirit Crystals he obtained in the Severed World from his Space Ring.
These Space Spirit Crystals were the ones that were naturally formed in the Void and were completely pure, hundreds if not thousands of times more so than the ones given to him by Ba He.
These pieces of Space Spirit Crystal were also shattered by Yang Kai and turned into a powder that was merged with the Space Array, instantly causing some noticeable changes. From a distance, it looked like the space around the platform was now warping and sinking into the Void.
Yang Kai quickly began the finishing touches.
After another day, everything was complete!
Everyone had been waiting six days now, and after seeing Yang Kai’s finish, they all could not help stepping forward.
“Does this thing… really work?” Yu Xiong asked as he tapped the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array with his finger, “How far away can it teleport someone?”
“This one is directly connected with Shadowed Star where my Sect is located,” Yang Kai smiled lightly. “As for how far that is, I can’t say for sure, but if you were to try to fly there on your own, it would probably take four or five years.”
*Si…*
Yu Xiong drew a sharp breath.
Ba He and the others were equally shocked.
Four or five years was enough time for any cultivator to enter secluded retreat and comprehend a profound Secret Art, cultivate a special Secret Technique, or refine a precious artifact, but with this magical array, all that time could be saved! It was nothing less than shocking.
“Do you want to try?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
“Of course I have to try it!” Yu Xiong quickly stood in the centre of the platform, an eager and fearless look on his face.
“This old master also wants to go,” Ba He walked up without any hesitation.
“Take me as well,” Shen Tu also sprang out.
“Second Young Master!” Li Nuo was shocked and was about to stop him when Shen Tu simply motioned to her to stop.
“Rest assured, there’s nothing to worry about. Even if something really goes wrong during the transmission, I can bring them back safely from the Void,” Yang Kai smiled confidently before taking out a few materials and beginning to refine something.
After a short while, a set of small tokens appeared in his hand.
“What are those?” Ba He asked thoughtfully as he observed the tokens in Yang Kai’s hand.
“Transmission Tokens!” Yang Kai explained, “Anyone who wants to use a Space Array arranged by me must be holding one of these Transmission Tokens, otherwise they will be exiled to the Void.”
Ba He’s eyes flashed as he quickly understood and said in admiration, “You’ve considered this carefully!”
A Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array did not just bring convenience to one’s own people, it also did so to one’s enemies. If an enemy were to use such an array to launch an invasion, the situation would be dire.
However, with the existence of these Transmission Tokens, this hidden danger could be completely eliminated.
Unless the enemy could collect a large number of such Transmission Tokens.
“Prepare yourselves,” Yang Kai called out before waving his hand and inserting a hundred or so Saint Crystals into the grooves at the base of the Space Array. The next moment, the entire platform began drawing power from these Saint Crystals and activated.
A dazzling light bloomed, and everyone who stayed nearby couldn’t help squinting.
When the light dissipated, everyone looked around and saw that there was no one in the centre of the array. Yang Kai and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Shadowed Star, High Heaven Sect’s main square.
The Space Array flickered, and four figures appeared at the same time.
Yang Kai stood quietly in the centre, smiling at Ba He and the others.
This kind of super long-distance teleportation always brought some physical discomfort to the traveller, and the lower one’s cultivation was, the more obvious the effects were.
Besides Yang Kai, Ba He with his First-Order Origin King cultivation was the strongest, so he was the first to recover, taking about five breaths of time before his eyes cleared up.
After ten more breaths, Shen Tu and Yu Xiong gradually regained their balance.
No matter who it was among the three though, all of them had a look of lingering fear on their faces.
The sensation of ultra-long-distance teleportation was best described as feeling like one was falling into an endless abyss, powerless to resist. Anyone who tried it once would most likely never want to try it again.
“This is the Shadowed Star you mentioned?” Ba He looked around as he released his Divine Sense, looking quite surprised because he discovered that this place turned out to be a true paradise, filled with beautiful mountains and rivers and rich World Energy.
“En, this is High Heaven Sect!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Suddenly, a Divine Sense belonging to an Origin King Realm master swept forth from one of the mountain peaks. This Divine Sense was so strong that it could only belong to a Second-Order Origin King.
The expressions on Ba He and the others could not help changing slightly.
Things had not ended, yet, as another powerful Divine Sense soon swept across them, and although this second Divine Sense wasn’t as tyrannical as the first, it still belonged to a First-Order Origin King.
The first Divine Sense quickly withdrew.
Yang Kai knew that Gui Zu had sensed the movement here, so he released his Divine Sense to investigate, but after discovering that it was Yang Kai, Gui Zu naturally didn’t concern himself any further.
After all, he was in the middle of a retreat at this moment, so he had no time to spare for anything that was not an emergency.
As for the second Divine Sense, which naturally belonged to Ye Xi Yun, it too quickly withdrew.
“Aside from you, your High Heaven Sect actually has another Second-Order Origin King and a First-Order Origin King?” Ba He asked in shock.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, glancing over to see Ye Xi Yun rapidly approaching.
Ba He let out a light gasp after confirming the truth.
He completely had not expected that this High Heaven Sect he had never heard of before actually had such powerful heritage!
Two Second-Order Origin Kings, plus a First-Order Origin King. Although the total number wasn’t very high, Origin Kings were still the highest combat power in the entire Star Field and it was rare to have even a single one in a Sect.
Not only that, there were many Origin Realm masters here, and they also occupied an exquisite cultivation paradise. In time, this High Heaven Sect would likely rise to the same height as the three great forces of the Star Field.
Ba He glanced over at Yang Kai in awe, as if seeing the infinite possibilities of his future.
A beautiful figure flickered and soon landed, taking a quick look at Ba He and the other unknown faces before turning and nodding to Yang Kai, “Sect Master, you’re back!”
“Great Elder, you seem to be well!” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Ye Xi Yun nodded, “Many thanks for Sect Master’s concern, this Queen has been quite well. The Sect has also been calm and safe. These three are…”
“This is Senior Ba He and Yu Xiong from Red Moon Territory on Monster Emperor Star, and this is Second Young Master Shen Tu of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. They’re all my friends,” Yang Kai introduced them briefly to Ye Xi Yun.
The two sides then exchanged polite greetings.
Ye Xi Yun then asked, “How long will Sect Master be staying this time?”
“I’ll be departing right away, I just brought them here to test a new Space Array.”
Ye Xi Yun nodded gently, “Sect Master is busy it seems. Don’t forget to take care of your body when you are out.”
“I will, you can return to your own affairs.”
Ye Xi Yun nodded before flying off again.
While Ba He and the others were observing their surroundings, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to check on the current state of his relatives. After a short moment, a cheerful smile appeared on his face as he said, “The test was a success, so let’s head back.”
“Leave now?” Shen Tu’s face changed drastically, “Yang Kai, this can be considered our first visit to your home, so shouldn’t you provide some hospitality? Why don’t we spend a few days here before we leave?”
Yu Xiong nodded frantically to the side.
Even Ba He directed an imploring look towards Yang Kai.
The three of them had not yet recovered completely from the ultra long-distance teleportation yet.
“There’ll be a chance for that in the future,” Yang Kai grinned before immediately activating the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array beneath their feet. A white light flashed as Space Force surged upwards and the four figures disappeared.
The cries of Yu Xiong and Shen Tu were abruptly cut off…
By the time they recovered, they had returned to Half-Moon Mountain.
Li Nuo, Aunt Chun and the others all saw how pale Shen Tu was when he reappeared and quickly flocked to him with concern, their attitudes warm and caring, as if it had been dozens of years since they last met.
Ba He shook his head and smiled bitterly, “Your Space Array is indeed wondrous… but the side-effects of this teleportation are really…”
“Haha, for such convenience, there’s always a price to pay,” Yang Kai laughed.
This was not something that could be avoided unless one cultivated the Dao of Space like Yang Kai. Every teleportation via Space Array would cause discomfort when used, but there was not any permanent harm done.
“It’s as you say,” Ba He thought for a while and agreed with Yang Kai’s statement.
“Since my work here is done, it’s time for me to set off again. En, Senior Ba He, please pass this Space Ring to Bi Luo on my behalf. There are some pills and other things that I refined for her and Qing Luo inside.”
Ba He took it and swept the contents with his Divine Sense, his face immediately filling with shock once more, “You… so much!”
He was a First-Order Origin King and had extremely high status in Red Moon Territory, so the treatment Ba He enjoyed was absolutely one of the best, but he was still dazzled by the array of pills in this ring.
In particular, there were several Origin King Grade Spirit Pills that even he couldn’t help drooling over.
“Senior jests, it’s just a few pills.”
“Aren’t you afraid that this old master would pocket this for himself?” Ba He asked seriously.
Yang Kai just smiled and said, “If I didn’t believe in Senior, I wouldn’t have entrusted them to you.”
Ba He nodded and said with a solemn expression, “You may rest assured, I will safely transfer the contents to that girl, Bi Luo.”
Yang Kai thanked him again before walking towards the port where the Starship was waiting with Shen Tu and the others.
Ba He and Yu Xiong came to see them off.
Soon after, a hum came from the Starship and it slowly rose into the sky. After reaching a certain height, it began to rapidly accelerate and soon broke through into the clouds.
…..
It took at least half a year to travel from Monster Emperor Star to the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, and if there were any delays on the road, that time would only grow longer.
So, after the Starship set sail, Yang Kai entered retreat.
In the previous battle with the two Monster Race Tribal Lords, he had not used any of his helpers or outside boosts, only relying on his own strength and methods. He had not even used his Space Force, yet was still able to decisively defeat his opponents in a one versus two situation.
After that great battle, Yang Kai clearly understood where his bottom line was.
Although he was currently only a Second-Order Origin King, no one in the Second-Order was his opponent anymore, and if he used all his methods, he wouldn’t even need to worry about facing two or three enemies at once.
When facing a Third-Order Origin King, he would need to be more careful, but with his Space Force, he was confident he could escape even if he could not win.
In the battle with the two Monster Race Tribal Lords, Yang Kai had summoned the Dragon Scale he previously refined to block Xue Jiao’s mortal blow, even managing to damage his Monster Core in return. This was a testament to the strength and sturdiness of that Dragon Scale.
However, that was only Yang Kai summoning that scale, not really using it, and a far cry from controlling the innate Divine Abilities of a True Dragon hidden within it.
The Dragon Scale itself was essentially indestructible, and his Soul could only be damaged by someone with Soul cultivation on par with his own, so if Yang Kai could fully comprehend and utilize the Divine Ability contained in that Dragon Scale, he would have unbreakable defences. When facing enemies then, he could simply ignore defence and focus entirely on offence.
So, during the following time, Yang Kai constantly warmed the Dragon Scale in his body with his own Golden Blood and Spiritual Energy, hoping to unearth its true power while at the same time doing the same for the Dragon Bone Sword in anticipation of refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead it was made from in the future.
Staying inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai secluded himself from the outside world and devoted himself to meditating, causing time to simply fly by.
Luck favoured them the rest of the journey and no major incidents occurred, only some small Starry Sky Storms and stray asteroids barred their way.
The Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship was Origin Grade High-Rank. It could easily resist Starry Sky Storms and avoid asteroids, so everything went smoothly for the entire trip.
One day, Yang Kai suddenly noticed a knock at his door.
Leaving the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai put away this Emperor Artifact and opened the door.
Outside, Hua You Meng stood quietly. After seeing Yang Kai appear, she took a step back and respectfully said, “Sir, Young Master Shen Tu asked me to inform you that we will soon reach Water Moon Star.”
“That quick!?” Yang Kai was stunned, feeling he had just entered retreat and then suddenly arrived at his destination.
Hua You Meng smiled and informed him, “Seven months have passed since Sir entered retreat…”
Yang Kai nodded, smiled, and said, “If that’s the case, let’s go to the bridge together.”
“Yes!” Hua You Meng nodded meekly before following after Yang Kai.
After walking for a while, Yang Kai suddenly turned around and asked, “By the way, Shen Tu said he would let your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce move into his territory and give you a position as a Head Manager in his place last time. Has there been any developments in this matter?”
Hearing this, Hua You Meng’s heart felt warm and gratefully replied, “Young Master Shen Tu said that once we arrive, he will immediately arrange a place for Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.”
“Have you agreed?”
“Yes, this is our chamber of commerce’s greatest opportunity.”
“Then I will have to congratulate President Hua. This Yang wishes President Hua and your chamber of commerce great fortunes in the future.”
“Many thanks for Sir’s kind words,” Hua You Meng thanked him in a low voice, but a somewhat lonely light flashed across her beautiful eyes.
A year ago, Hua You Meng would have been overjoyed at such good fortune befalling her, but after all her recent experiences, she didn’t know why there was a sense of loss amidst all the happiness when she thought about the future.
Looking at the broad back of the man in front of her, Hua You Meng knew that he would only be walking further and further ahead, and their paths would no longer intersect in the future.
Sniffling slightly, she was barely able to hold back her tears.
On Water Moon Star, there was a huge square in front of Shen Tu’s palace where the Origin Grade High-Rank Starship slowly descended and landed.
There were already many cultivators who had gotten word in advance and were assembled in a greeting party.
After the hatch opened and Shen Tu appeared, everyone shouted, “Welcome, Second Young Master! Second Young Master has worked hard!”
Shen Tu smiled and responded slightly.
The cultivators who greeted him below were his personal confidants and subordinates, so there was no need for politeness. Among them were many Origin Realm masters, but no Origin Kings.
These cultivators present all showed joy when they saw Li Nuo and Aunt Chun. Obviously, they had known each other a long time ago, but after seeing Yang Kai, they were a little surprised. They did not know where Yang Kai came from or who he was that he was actually able to accompany Shen Tu on his personal Starship.
Several people vaguely felt that Yang Kai was a little familiar, like a young man they had once met several decades ago, but after sensing Yang Kai’s powerful cultivation, they quickly dismissed such notions and began secretly speculating.
Shen Tu did not explain anything to them and simply ordered his people to arrange residences for Li Nuo, Aunt Chun, and everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. After that, he personally led Yang Kai to the room he had stayed in all those years ago.
“Brother Yang, you can rest here for a few days. Let me first go back and report what has happened to my Lord Father during this trip, as well as arrange a meeting for you.”
“Go ahead, I’ll be fine here,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Shen Tu nodded and left.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai stayed in Shen Tu’s palace awaiting news from him.
He came to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce this time first and foremost to ask for the Star Emperor Token in their possession, bringing his collection to eight. Secondly, he wanted to recruit President Ai Ou into his upcoming endeavour.
President Ai Ou had already broken through to the Second-Order Origin King Realm many years ago and was a peak-level figure in it, not far from the Third-Order Origin King Realm!
Yang Kai believed that Ai Ou should be able to break through within ten years.
If President Ai Ou agreed to assist him in opening the channel to the Star Boundary, the number of people Yang Kai would need to find would decrease by one.
As for Shen Tu’s report, Yang Kai believed it would only increase President Ai Ou’s interest in him.
After all, he had raised such a ruckus on Purple Star, it would be strange if Ai Ou weren’t celebrating. Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union were the top three super forces in the Star Field, and although there was some cooperation between them, there were also numerous points of contention. If there was a chance to hit Purple Star while it was down, Ai Ou would naturally not let it slip by.
So, Yang Kai was certain that Ai Ou would see him, and if he placed enough importance on him, Ai Ou might even come to visit him.
When the time came, he could have a good chat with Ai Ou.
He had the Star Refining Art in his hand and had close relationships with Xue Yue and Shen Tu, so Yang Kai believed it should not be difficult to exchange for the Star Emperor Token. As for whether he would agree to open the path to the Star Boundary with him, Yang Kai couldn’t tell, but everything depended on his own effort, so he had to try.
If Yang Kai was successful here, the chances of his ten-year plan succeeding would go up significantly.
Yang Kai felt that things would soon fall into place.
But to his surprise, he stayed in Shen Tu’s palace for eight days and still there was no contact.
This stunned Yang Kai and he began wondering if something unexpected had happened. During these eight days, even Shen Tu had disappeared, and when he asked some of the cultivators in the palace, all of them told him that Shen Tu had not returned after leaving for Water Sky City.
Water Sky City was the largest city on Water Moon Star and its status and function were essentially the same as Purple Star City on Purple Star.
This was where all the high-level masters of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce gathered and was the nexus of the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
According to the rumours, Water Sky City was the location of the strongest ambient World Energy in the entire Star Field and cultivating there would be faster than in any other cultivation paradise occupied by any other great force or Sect.
Finally, on the eighth day, Shen Tu appeared in Yang Kai’s room with a sullen face.
Seeing his sullen expression, Yang Kai’s heart suddenly sank, and he asked quickly, “Brother Shen Tu, what happened? How come you look so despondent?”
“Ha… it’s a long story.” Shen Tu sat at the table, poured himself a glass of water, drank it down in one go, then turned to Yang Kai with a guilty expression, “Brother Yang, I know you came to Water Moon Star this time to discuss some important matter with my father, but… I am afraid you’ve come at a bad time.”
It was not a surprise Shen Tu knew this as, back on Monster Emperor Star, Yang Kai had already mentioned he wanted to discuss an exchange with President Ai Ou. Shen Tu didn’t ask anything at the time, but he guessed that Yang Kai accompanying him all the way to Water Moon Star was because of something important.
Otherwise, Yang Kai, a Second-Order Origin King, would not have spent so much time to simply reminisce with him.
“Oh?” Yang Kai was surprised, “Has something happened that is… occupying all of President Ai Ou’s attention?”
“En,” Shen Tu solemnly nodded, “Something really has occurred on my father’s side. When I went to see him, I did not even have a chance to meet with him. If you are not in a hurry, you can wait a little longer here, and once this situation has been resolved, I can arrange a meeting for you.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and helplessly said, “If that’s the case, then there is nothing else to do. Don’t worry about it, it’s just waiting for a while.”
Shen Tu grinned, “I knew that Brother Yang would not make things difficult for me… but Brother Yang…”
Before Shen Tu could finish what he was trying to say though, he heard an angry shout from outside the palace, “Shen Tu!”
Hearing this voice, Shen Tu could not help turning pale as he began to tremble uncontrollable, as if he had just heard the reaper of death call out to him.
Yang Kai was also taken aback when he heard this voice and quickly released his Divine Sense with a weird expression on his face, one that soon gave way to a smile though.
Shen Tu immediately began to panic and smacked his forehead as he muttered, “This is bad, very bad, I was so absorbed explaining to you what happened I actually forgot that my third brother was still waiting outside. Speaking of which, do you know my third brother, Brother Yang? When he heard that you were with me, he dragged me back here to find you. He even beat me several times on the way over, blaming me for not telling him sooner! That damn boy simply doesn’t have any respect for his elders, just look at my eyes…”
Shen Tu leaned forward and pointed to the bruises around his eye sockets so Yang Kai could see them better.
“Haha…” Yang Kai’s mouth twitched.
“If you don’t come out now, don’t blame this Young Master for tearing down your palace!” Xue Yue’s voice called again, echoing throughout the palace, causing many to jump in fright.
In Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, who did not know Xue Yue’s name? It was all but certain she was the next successor to the President’s position.
When she was angered, no one would not be scared.
Shen Tu all but wept in depression as she said, “Brother Yang, please come with me quickly. I do not know what possessed that boy. From birth till now, he has only ever visited my palace three times, but for some reason, he insisted on coming today. Rest assured though, no matter what grievances there are between you and him, I will mediate them for you, and if he dares try to embarrass you, I’ll… I’ll… I’ll lead you away…”
Shen Tu seemed to want to say a few ruthless words, but in the end, he did not have the courage.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he realized just how frightened Shen Tu was. He must have been bullied by Xue Yue so much that all thoughts of resistance had long been beaten out of him.
“Don’t worry, Xue Yue… Third Young Master and I know each other, but there are no grudges between us. He won’t be tearing down your palace today,” Yang Kai lightly coughed.
“That’s good, that’s good!” Shen Tu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Having said so, the two of them got up and walked one towards a certain hall.
Inside that hall, Xue Yue was bristling with anger, her handsome male face practically frozen over with gloom as her Saint Qi fluctuated somewhat chaotically, like it was on the verge of erupting.
She was truly enraged right now.
Not only was she angry that Shen Tu did not tell her earlier that Yang Kai had come to Water Moon Star, but she was even angrier that Yang Kai had come here and not immediately come to see her.
Didn’t that bastard know just now anxious she had been these days?
Last time, she had waited outside the floating continent for half a year, but Yang Kai never appeared. Finally, she was forced to leave with Ni Guang first, so she had constantly been worrying about his safety since then.
Although Ni Guang had guaranteed her that Yang Kai couldn’t die with that old ghost Gui Zu around, Yue Xue had never truly been able to relax.
After returning to Water Moon Star, she had constantly been inquiring about the situation, but had never been able to learn anything.
However, today, she had casually overheard that Shen Tu had brought a friend named Yang Kai to Water Moon Star…
Xue Yue immediately questioned him and determined that this Yang Kai was exactly the one she had constantly been thinking about.
It was like a punch to the gut…
There really were no good men out there, he simply did not consider her worries at all. When she saw him this time, she vowed she would beat him senseless to release the pent-up stress she felt! Xue Yue had decided ruthlessly in her heart.
To the side, Li Nuo and Aunt Chun were doing their best to placate and persuade Xue Yue in the beginning, but both quickly ceased their attempts as both women found that this famous Xue Yue Third Young Master currently had a very complicated expression on her face.
It was a look filled with conflicting love and hate, like he was about to shed tears of blood and weep from joy at the same time. Excitement, anger, and even anxiety were all mixed in…
This look… was obviously one of a woman who was trapped in a whirlpool of sentiments and emotions and couldn’t extricate herself, but at this moment it happened to appear on Xue Yue’s face.
He looked like a lovestruck young girl who was about to see her negligent boyfriend…
Both Li Nuo and Aunt Chun found this incredibly strange and did not know how or why Xue Yue would have such an expression.
Suddenly, the two of them remembered a terrible rumour and were unable to stop themselves from shivering. Looking at the incredibly handsome young man in front of them, whose face seemed to have been carved from the finest of jade, the two women suddenly felt a deep sense of regret and grievance.
For the first time, the two women felt a little dissatisfied and angry with Yang Kai!
“Old Third, have you gone crazy?” With Yang Kai following, Shen Tu seemed to have gained a lot of confidence and upon entering the hall, he shouted out preemptively.
Xue Yue’s eyes flashed an ice-cold light as they swept over Shen Tu, causing his neck to shrink involuntarily and his tone to dampen significantly, “Um… This is not your territory, nor your palace, don’t raise such a fuss. If someone overheard, they might mistakenly think Second Brother was bullying you, haha.”
Xue Yue seemed to not hear Shen Tu at all as her eyes were currently focused entirely on Yang Kai behind him, her cold eyes suddenly becoming somewhat warm and anxious…
Li Nuo and Aunt Chun looked at Xue Yue, then at Yang Kai, and were immediately able to affirm their previous conjectures, both letting out a sigh as they pined about how unjust the Heavens were…
“Brother Yang…” Xue Yue suddenly grit her teeth and spat his name.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched violently as he felt the intense anger coming from her, but he could only smile and cup his fists, “Third Young Master, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!”
“Thanks to you!” Xue Yue replied coldly.
Inexplicably, after hearing the conversation between the two, Shen Tu shivered and instinctively sensed that there was some kind of terrible grudge between the two!
Glancing at Xue Yue, then at Yang Kai again, Shen Tu coughed and prepared to act as a peacemaker, but before he could say anything, Xue Yue suddenly gave him a cold glare and declared, “You leave, I have something to discuss with this Brother Yang!”
She stressed the ‘Brother Yang’ extremely hard.
Shen Tu choked down the words he was about to say as he fought an internal battle with himself. On the one hand, his friend who he owed his life to was facing a terrible crisis, but on the other hand, his own life was hanging by a thread. Perhaps escaping into the green hills now would be the best choice, at least there would be no need to worry about firewood…
After hesitating for two breaths, he solemnly declared, “Alright then, if that’s the case, Second Brother will wait outside. You two… have a peaceful chat!”
Having said so, like his heels were greased, he quickly escaped from the hall, beckoning with his eyes to Aunt Chun and Li Nuo who seemed to be in something of a daze at the moment, to follow him.
The two women got the message, glared at Yang Kai faintly, then left together with Shen Tu.
*Peng…*
The entrance of the hall closed shut.
Shen Tu, Aunt Chun, and Li Nuo all hurriedly stopped, turned sideways, and raised their ears towards the door.
There were no signs of movement from inside though, neither fighting nor quarrelling, simply silence.
After a long time, Shen Tu finally could not restrain himself, and said anxiously, “Third Brother won’t dare act too presumptuous and try to fight with Brother Yang, would he? Brother Yang is a Second-Order Origin King, and if he were to hurt Third Brother, how would I explain it to father?”
“Second Young Master, there’s no need to worry about that,” Li Nuo glanced over at Shen Tu, pursed her lips and said with a wry grin, “It didn’t look like they were about to fight to me.”
“They weren’t going to fight?” Shen Tu was stunned, “Didn’t you see the way Third Brother was glaring at us just now? It was as though he wanted to drink our blood? While he might behave politely in front of outsiders, I know full well how bad his temper is. From childhood, it’s clear to me that Third Brother has the heart of a devil, and it looks like he and Brother Yang have a lot of grievances between them…”
“They may be rivals, intense ones in some sense, but I’m afraid that has nothing to do with any kind of grudge, rather…” As Li Nuo spoke, her mood became more and more embarrassed, and her cheeks began to dye slightly red.
“Rivals, but not over some grudge?” Shen Tu frowned before suddenly the truth of the matter dawned on him, “Then, they must be rivals in love! Could it be that Third Brother is trying to snatch a woman from Brother Yang? Which woman is so blessed that she was able to attract both of those two at the same time?”
Li Nuo rubbed her forehead when she heard this, feeling a slight headache coming on as she whispered softly, “It’s not about a woman… Didn’t you see how Third Young Master was eyeing Senior Yang?”
“Like a vicious butcher? Why?” Shen Tu asked innocently.
Li Nuo immediately face-palmed, her headache getting much worse as she felt completely incapable of explaining to her thick-headed Young Master.
Shen Tu saw this look and grumpily said, “Speak clearly!”
To the side, Aunt Chun coughed lightly, and with blushed cheeks spoke, “Second Young Master, if you think about it, Third Young Master is a true dragon among men, but have you ever seen him seek out any women all these years?”
“No,” Shen Tu thought for a while before shaking his head, “This is one of the few points this Young Lord actually admires about Third Brother. When it comes to such affairs, he always maintains an impeccable sense of professionalism, but… what does that have to do with today’s affairs?”
“Then, Second Young Master, have you heard of the… rumour about Third Young Master?”
“Which rumour? There are far too many!” Shen Tu spat disdainfully, “With his status and aptitude, how could there not be a plethora of rumours about him? Some people say that he is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior god, some say that he is secretly actually a woman. Hell, there are even crazy rumours out there about how he does not like women and instead prefers men, hahaha…. How could I believe such nonsense that people gossip about in the street markets? All of those are clearly just made up stories.”
Aunt Chun and Li Nuo just stared at him solemnly and silently.
Shen Tu’s laughter stopped abruptly, as if he suddenly realized something, and his face sank as he murmured, “Third Brother is still a man, but I have never seen him take any interest in any woman, or even get close to one for that matter. In the Chamber of Commerce, there have been several Elders who have introduced him to the young ladies from their families, each of whom is a stunning and talented beauty, yet none of them were ever able to enter Third Brother’s eyes, but… the way that boy was just looking at Brother Yang…”
Aunt Chun and Li Nuo nodded together hearing this, thinking to themselves that it took Shen Tu long enough.
“It couldn’t be?” Shen Tu quickly began leaking cold sweat.
“I certainly hope not!” Aunt Chun also said solemnly.
If things were really as they thought, then how many young girls in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would fall into depression? How many young women would have their hearts broken? It would definitely cause an unimaginable disaster.
Inside the hall, Xue Yue and Yang Kai stared at each other for a long time before Xue Yue ground her teeth and shouted, “You bastard!”
Saying so, she punched him as hard as she could.
But by the time fist fell on Yang Kai’s chest, it only landed softly and powerlessly.
Yang Kai just stood on the spot and chuckled lightly, allowing her delicate fists to hit him a few times so weakly that even his clothes weren’t ruffled.
Xue Yue raised her head and stared at him stubbornly, biting her thin lip lightly.
Yang Kai quickly reached out and embraced her.
Xue Yue struggled symbolically for a moment before settling down and leaning her blushed face into his broad chest.
With her hair right at the tip of his nose, Yang Kai could smell the natural floral fragrance that wafted from her and could not help feeling relaxed and comfortable.
“Since you came here, why didn’t you come to see me the first chance you got!?” Xue Yue complained quietly.
“I was planning to see you shortly after I arrived, but I didn’t expect that the matter I asked Shen Tu to handle for me would actually delay me for so long.”
“Useless Second Brother!” Xue Yue snorted coldly, seemingly pushing all the blame onto Shen Tu.
“Tell me, how did you manage to escape from Zi Long last time?” Xue Yue raised her head and looked at Yang Kai eagerly, as if she could not wait to hear what had happened after they had parted.
Her glamorous red lips, which were now right in front of him, looked exceptionally alluring to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai could not help leaning in and taking a light peck.
Xue Yue’s face blushed red all the way to her ears and down to her neck.
Although she had some close contact with Yang Kai in the Severed World, that was during a life or death crisis. Xue Yue thought she was about to die and simply let go of all her inhibitions, but things were different this time.
Especially knowing that her Second Brother was still eavesdropping outside the door, she became incredibly tense as well as a bit excited.
Panicked, she hurriedly pushed Yang Kai away and quickly escaped from his embrace.
Yang Kai laughed at her behaviour, found a chair for himself, and sat down.
Xue Yue saw him acting so calmly and could not help angrily stomping her foot, her expression exactly like that of a wronged young girl.
In a huff, she sat down on the chair beside Yang Kai, poured a cup of tea graciously for him, then picked up a spirit fruit resembling a grape, peeled it, and popped it into Yang Kai’s mouth.
“Don’t keep me in suspense. How did you manage to escape? Wasn’t Zi Long dead set on killing you? Has the secret of the Immortal Divine Tree being in your possession leaked?”
Xue Yue asked a series of questions all at once, with clear worry on her face. However, after the last question she asked, she hurriedly added, “You can rest assured, I asked Uncle Ni not to tell anyone about the Immortal Tree.”
“I believe you,” Yang Kai nodded gently.
However, Xue Yue understood the nuance in Yang Kai’s words, how he believed in her, but as for Ni Guang… That had yet to be verified.
After all, Ni Guang was an executive member of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so the secret about Yang Kai carrying something as important as the Immortal Tree was not something a single request from Xue Yue could silence. Even so, Yang Kai was confident that even if Ni Guang did tell the others, the number would probably not exceed what one could count on a single hand.
Everyone wanted to monopolize the best treasures, so widely publicizing the existence of one was never a good idea.
And so, Yang Kai began narrating the story of what happened after he left the floating continent that day.
After learning that Zi Long and Zi Dong had died at Yang Kai’s hand, Xue Yue could not help gasping.
Until now, she had not bothered to probe Yang Kai’s cultivation. She was just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator right now, so it was basically impossible for her to see through Yang Kai’s depths if he did not want her to, but it was not an issue if Yang Kai didn’t block her Divine Sense.
“You’re already a Second-Order Origin King!?” Xue Yue was shocked.
Back in the Severed World, the two of them were both Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, yet now, after only a few years had passed, the man in front of her had arrived at the Second-Order Origin King Realm!
On the other hand, she was still languishing back in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm.
Xue Yue suddenly felt a sense of crisis in her heart and almost wished she could go back right now, enter retreat, and breakthrough.
However, she was not a petulant little girl. Having dealt with so many matters for Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce on her father’s orders year in and year out, she had developed a tough and mature disposition, so she calmed her raging emotions after taking a deep breath and said cheerfully, “Since Zi Long is dead, and Zi Dong was buried with him, doesn’t that mean that Purple Star is now a dragon without a head?”
“En, not only is it a headless dragon, but it’s also… suffered some serious damage to its foundation.”
“Why do you say that?” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai with a weird expression. Although Zi Long’s death was a huge blow to Purple Star, it was definitely not enough to damage its foundation severely, so she immediately realized that something else must have also happened to Purple Star.
“It’s nothing. I just went to Purple Star for a little trip and raised a bit of a fuss, injuring their Great Elder Gong Sun Liang severely during a bout of infighting they were going through. A lot of their masters also fell at that time!”
“Such a thing happened?” Xue Yue’s eyes flashed, “Tell me about it carefully.”
Yang Kai grinned and gestured to Xue Yue with his eyes.
Xue Yue glanced at him angrily but still reached out, peeled another spirit fruit, and fed it to him.
Yang Kai then began telling her what happened on Purple Star.
Xue Yue’s smile only grew brighter as time passed, eventually shaking her head and saying, “Right now, you’re probably the most hated enemy Purple Star has, but even a master like Kuang Shi Zong couldn’t stop you from destroying one of their Origin King Grade Starships. He’s probably feeling a deep sense of regret.”
“He was the one who insisted on killing ruthlessly, it’s not my fault,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“But how could Second Brother not report such a big incident to father? It’s too outrageous. Also, now I understand why Purple Star has suddenly begun acting so meek, even going so far as to withdraw a number of their businesses. It turns out it was all because of this,” Xue Yue showed a look of enlightenment. Many things she was unable to understand before now suddenly made sense.
“My father has been quite sad and distressed recently, so hopefully this news will bring a smile to him. I have to inform him immediately…” Xue Yue said with excitement.
Yang Kai looked at her in surprise hearing this and asked curiously, “If I remember correctly, don’t you hate President Ai Ou? Why are you so considerate to him now?”
Xue Yue smiled brightly as she replied, “That’s all in the past. I did hate him for forcing me to maintain this image all the time, never able to show people my true face, unable to live according to my own ideas, but things are different now. In this world… There is someone who knows my real identity and sees me for who I really am. That’s enough for me. What’s more, Father did everything he did to protect me, I don’t have a real reason to hate him.”
As she spoke these words, Xue Yue smiled sweetly, seemingly having broken free of all the misfortune and sadness she had to endure thanks to Yang Kai’s appearance.
Yang Kai also recalled that Xue Yue had told him in the Severed World that, as long as there was one person in this world who could treat her as an ordinary woman, she would be satisfied.
Yang Kai could not help feeling somewhat moved when he realized the powerful, stunning beauty, disguised as a man in front of him, actually had such a simple wish.
“What happened to President Ai Ou?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Yue’s expression immediately darkened as she whispered, “It’s about Little Mother…”
“Little Mother…” Yang Kai was confused for a moment but quickly realized that Xue Yue must mean President Ai Ou’s current wife.
Xue Yue’s mother had passed away long ago, so it was understandable she would call Ai Ou’s current wife by such a name.
Xue Yue smiled bitterly, “Although my father has always been a man who stands above and rules over others, he has also always attached great importance to matters of sentiment. This is especially true of Little Mother, whom he cares deeply about and always tries to protect. A year ago, Little Mother entered retreat to break through to the Origin King Realm, but something went wrong at the time, leading to a dissonance in her cultivation. Her meridians were torn apart and she almost died on the spot. Father used everything at his disposal to somehow suppress the crisis at the time, and while he managed to preserve her life somehow, since then, Little Mother has been unconscious, and her life is in constant danger. For the past year, my father has tried every means to wake up Little Mother, but nothing has worked so far.”
“Something went wrong during her breakthrough to the Origin King Realm…” Yang Kai was shocked and instantly understood the seriousness of the problem.
If something went wrong at such a time, no matter how strong a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator they were, death was almost certain. The only reason why Xue Yue’s Little Mother did not die on the spot was because of Ai Ou’s great strength and resources.
Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President was a veteran Second-Order Origin King master.
“At that time, Little Mother’s body was mortally damaged, but father used some Heaven-defying method to rescue her from the gates of death and maintain her vitality. Then, six months ago, he took out an extremely precious treasure to heal Little Mother’s physical wounds.”
Xue Yue gave Yang Kai a meaningful look when she said this, and although she did not say exactly what precious treasure Ai Ou had used, Yang Kai knew that there were only a few treasures in this world that could bring someone back from the brink of death.
Such as the Immortal Source Liquid!
Back in the Severed World, a total of three drops of Immortal Source Liquid had formed on the Immortal Tree. The three Second-Order Origin Kings who were present negotiated to divide these three drops evenly. One went to Ni Guang, one to Zi Long, and the last to Gui Zu.
But Yang Kai managed to take away the entire Immortal Tree in the end, and was also given that drop of Immortal Source Liquid belonging to Gui Zu.
The drop owned by Zi Long had also been obtained by Yang Kai.
The precious treasure used by President Ai Ou half a year ago was definitely Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s drop of Immortal Source Liquid.
Immortal Source Liquid was the ultimate healing elixir, one which could restore life and vitality to someone already halfway into the grave, a treasure even Third-Order Origin King would covet.
Carrying a drop of Immortal Source Liquid on you was like carrying a second life, so Ai Ou being able to take it out and give it to Xue Yue’s Little Mother without hesitation showed just how deep his affection for her was.
“Although Little Mother’s life was saved, she still shows no signs of waking up. During this time, my father has frantically sought out many Alchemy Grandmasters to diagnose her condition, and after much careful investigation, it was concluded that Little Mother’s Soul suffered a severe wound and she will never wake up again unless she can obtain a powerful Origin King Grade Spirit Pill used to heal one’s Soul. And… even if such a Spirit Pill is successfully refined and taken by her, it is still unlikely Little Mother will wake up. My father has spent almost all his time and effort trying to help Little Mother this past year, and even I… feel quite distressed about it.”
Yang Kai listened quietly to slowly understand the whole story before asking in a serious tone, “Did those Alchemy Grandmasters say which Spirit Pill is required?”
“The Soul Source Restoration Pill!” Xue Yue said in a deep voice.
After consulting his memories for a moment, Yang Kai understood what kind of materials were needed to refine this Spirit Pill and what effect it could play. Fortunately, the pill recipe for the Soul Source Restoration Pill was recorded in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, but because that was the case, Yang Kai could not help commenting, “Your Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is really filled with talented people, you even know about such an ancient lost Spirit Pill.”
If he had not accidentally obtained the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture in the Emperor Garden, he wouldn’t know so many ancient Spirit Pill recipes.
However, someone at Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce knew of it as well, worthy of one of the three super forces of the Star Field, its heritage was not shallow.
“You also know of it?” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai in surprise, her beautiful eyes lighting up in the next moment as she said, “That’s right, you’re also an Alchemist!”
When she had been poisoned by the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, rendering her unconscious, it was Yang Kai who refined a pill with Pill Clouds that had saved her. Although she had been constantly thinking of Yang Kai all these years, and been inextricably entangled with him numerous times, she had completely forgotten he had such an identity as well.
Only now did she remember.
But soon, the light in Xue Yue’s beautiful eyes dimmed again as her voice sank, “The Soul Source Restoration Pill is supposedly an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank Spirit Pill, only an Origin King Grade Alchemist could possibly refine it. Although you are an Alchemist too, I’m afraid…”
Xue Yue did not finish what she was saying. It was not that she didn’t believe in Yang Kai’s abilities, it’s just that Origin King Grade Alchemists were far too rare. If one searched the entire Star Field, such Grandmasters were likely even rarer than Third-Order Origin Kings.
Yang Kai had reached the Second-Order Origin King at such a young age and had such incredible prowess in the Martial Dao, so how could his attainments in the Alchemic Dao also be so shocking?
Yang Kai did not try to explain and instead simply asked, “How does your Little Mother treat you normally?”
“Little Mother treats me exceptionally well. After my mother passed away, I grew up by Little Mother’s side… She taught me how to act and behave appropriately and also knows about all my secrets. When Father wasn’t around, she also secretly helped me dress up as a girl…” Xue Yue’s beautiful eyes showed a look of remembrance, a warm smile on her face as if he was thinking about something sweet, “But every time I dressed up like that, I would have to change back quickly. Father always became agitated whenever I appeared in my natural form!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, and from Xue Yue’s description, he could also imagine that this ‘Little Mother’ was a good wife and a loving mother.
“Why don’t I have a look?” Yang Kai suggested.
“Do you want to go?” Xue Yue looked at him in a pleasant surprise, “En, you’re also an Alchemist, perhaps you can communicate with the other Alchemists and see if there is some way to relieve Little Mother’s symptoms. Our chamber of commerce also a Foreign Elder Origin King Grade Grandmaster that my father sent someone to invite half a year ago.”
“He sent someone to invite them half a year ago, but they still have yet to come?” Yang Kai looked astonished.
“You greatly underestimate the arrogance of those Origin King Grade Alchemists. I said that the Grandmaster of our chamber of commerce was simply a Foreign Elder. You also have a Sect, so you should understand what the title of Foreign Elder means.”
“En, I understand,” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
The status of Foreign Elder was almost equal to the Supreme Elder but didn’t come with any of the responsibilities a Supreme Elder would have.
Foreign Elders usually just loaned their name or identity to a Sect in exchange for generous rewards but weren’t actually attached to that Sect and did not need to contribute anything in return. Even if the Sect encountered a disaster, a Foreign Elder could simply stand by and do nothing, and no one would criticize them.
On the other hand, a Supreme Elder was vastly different. Although their authority was so high that no one in the Sect would dare disobey their command, a Supreme Elder also had to live and die together with the Sect. If the Sect encountered disaster, a Supreme Elder could not stand idly by.
In a sense, the status of Foreign Elder was even higher than that of the Supreme Elder, because Foreign Elders could obtain benefits without taking any risks.
It could also be described as a Supreme Elder being part of the family, while a Foreign Elder was someone hired from the outside.
With the huge strength of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, coupled with Ai Ou’s face, he had sent someone half a year ago to invite this Grandmaster, but even now that Grandmaster had yet to appear. From this alone, it was clear just how arrogant this Origin King Grade Alchemist was.
Even so, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce didn’t dare to complain, and Ai Ou could only politely urge the matter, lest he upset the Grandmaster.
However, although this Grandmaster had still yet to appear, apparently, he would arrive on Water Moon Star in the next few days.
Ai Ou was now waiting anxiously and in no mood to meet with Shen Tu. This was also why Shen Tu spent a few days in Water Sky City waiting before coming back.
During that time, he didn’t even get to meet with Ai Ou, so there was naturally no opportunity for him to bring up Yang Kai’s request.
“In any case, let’s go take a look first,” Yang Kai suggested.
“Yeah, I’ll take you there. I believe that if Little Mother knew about you, she would definitely be happy for me,” Xue Yue said as she gently rubbed the half-fallen tears at the corner of her eye.
It seemed her Little Mother occupied an extremely important position in her heart, even more important than her biological father.
“Don’t cry, if we go out and Shen Tu sees you looking like this, I don’t know what he would think happened between us here,” Yang Kai stepped forward and helped her dry her eyes.
His gentle movements and deep voice made Xue Yue’s cheeks flush…
Soon, the door to the hall opened and Yang Kai and Xue Yue walked out one after another.
Shen Tu’s trio, who had been eavesdropping in front of the door, hurriedly jumped back, and stood to the side, casting suspicious looks at Yang Kai and Xue Yue in front of them.
In that moment, Shen Tu’s heart sank…
He discovered that his third brother’s eyes were slightly red, as if he had just cried, and there was a faint blush on his handsome cheeks that even a woman would be jealous of…
[Heavens! How could this have happened!]
What exactly happened inside between these two? That Third Brother of his, the most demonic existence in this world, was putting on such an expression now, one that even Shen Tu could tell was mixed with both joy, relief, confusion, and charm!
Shen Tu wailed inwardly as the way he looked at Yang Kai also changed significantly.
To the side, Li Nuo and Aunt Chun were also dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.
Xue Yue clearly understood that these three were misunderstanding something, only causing the shyness in her expression to become more apparent and her eyes to dart about, a clear sign of a guilty conscience.
“Brother Shen Tu, I’ll be taking a trip to Water Sky City with Xue Yue.”
“Eh… ah… en…” Shen Tu responded purely on instinct, not even hearing what Yang Kai was talking about.
“Then I’ll take my leave,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, cupped his fists and said, “I’ll have to trouble Brother Shen Tu to look after Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.”
Saying so, he winked at Xue Yue and the two immediately summoned their respective Star Shuttles and flew off.
Only a long time after the pair had disappeared did Shen Tu and the two women finally recover.
Shen Tu gripped his head with both hands and cried out, “It’s over, it’s all over. How could Third Brother have so little propriety? How could it be like this…? And Brother Yang, he…. ha…”
He had to sigh, for both of them.
Aunt Chun and Li Nuo also wore similar expressions.
“It’s over for me now too,” Shen Tu collapsed to the floor and distress, clearly whelmed by the situation.
“Second Young Master, how is any of this related to you?” Li Nuo looked at him curiously.
“I was the one who brought Brother Yang here in the first place. If I had known he and Third Brother had such… preferences, I would have sooner died than brought him to Water Moon Star. It is all my fault… My father has always wanted me and my Third Brother to quickly get married so that we can have children and continue the family line, but with Third Brother like this now, how could he possibly have children? Doesn’t that mean this heavy burden falls completely on my shoulders now?” Shen Tu complained, clearly feeling immense pressure.
Li Nuo pursed her lips and said with a smile, “Extending the family line is a matter that will come naturally in the future. Second Young Master does not need to be worried about this.”
Shen Tu You suddenly raised his head and looked at Li Nuo seriously before saying, “Then why don’t we have a child!?”
Li Nuo blushed bright red before angrily glaring at Shen Tu before running off in embarrassment.
As she ran, she could hear Shen Tu’s shouts from behind, “Are you refusing or agreeing? Say something at least, don’t just run off! What am I supposed to think?!”
Aunt Chun watched the whole scene while shaking her head, a look of pure helplessness covering her face!
….
Water Sky City was the most prosperous city on Water Moon Star and it also had the strongest ambient World Energy. Any cultivator who wanted to enter had to pay a large amount of Saint Crystals as a toll, and if one wanted to stay in the city, they needed to pay an even larger amount.
Inside the numerous small residences had been opened up for rent to local and foreign cultivators.
Water Sky City itself was simply a money-making machine, earning innumerable Saint Crystals every day by simply existing.
Xue Yue brought Yang Kai into Water Sky City without even stopping to show his identification at the gates. The cultivators who were on guard duty also did not raise a single issue and let him pass, simply taking a glance towards Yang Kai curiously, wondering who he was that he could actually walk side by side with the Xue Yue Third Young Master.
Once they entered the city, wherever Xue Yue went, there were constant screams from women who would stop whatever it was they were doing to stare at him. Some pointed in joy, others showed looks of intoxication, still others who were bold enough sent winks and posed to emphasize their various assets. The most common reaction among these women, though, was simply adoration towards Xue Yue.
There were even some men who gazed at her obsessively.
The number of heads that would turn to look at Xue Yue as she passed through was at least ninety percent.
Xue Yue seemed to be used to this kind of scene, and after signalling to Yang Kai with her eyes, she immediately flew up into the air and soared towards the centre of Water Sky City.
Yang Kai smiled wryly before following behind her.
When the two of them left, a man rushed out into the middle of the street with some scrolls in his hands and shouted, “Selling portraits of Third Young Master made by a famous artist! They are life-sized and indistinguishable from the real thing! With them, one can gaze upon Third Young Master’s divine likeness all day and night! It will be as if Third Young Master is accompanying you wherever you go! One thousand Saint Crystals! Buy now while supplies last!”
As he shouted, he opened one of the picture scrolls in his hand.
On the scroll, there was a lifelike painting of a handsome man with a crown of jade upon his hand and a folding fan in his hand. Dressed in pure white robes and with long, jet black hair, it was a spitting likeness of Xue Yue. The corners of this Xue Yue’s mouth were slightly raised, as if smiling at those who were looking at the painting.
In an instant, countless women swarmed up and surrounded the painting seller. Some men also dove into the fray.
“Give me one!”
“I want two!”
“Quickly, here’s a thousand Saint Crystals, hand it over!”
“Wu wu, give me one please, my wife said that if I can’t buy one this time, she won’t even let me into the house! Wuwu, how I loathe you, Third Young Master!”
“Hey, who touched this Mistress’s chest just now! Show yourselves if you have the guts!”
“Cease your unsightly quarrelling! These portraits now all belong to Father here!” A tall middle-aged man with a thick beard dove into the crowd and pushed his Saint Qi, forcing everyone else back before he grabbed all the portraits the man was selling and stuffed them into his Space Ring. Sweeping his eyes over the crowd, this man snorted before declaring in a cold and domineering voice, “How could you vulgar plebeians possibly match Third Young Master? Only a hero like Father is a match for the glorious Third Young Master!”
*Ou…*
Up in the sky, Xue Yue staggered and almost fell.
Although they had already flown quite far, with her cultivation, she was able to hear all the voices down below and could not help shivering in both fright and disgust.
Yang Kai simply looked at her curiously and asked, “Is it like this every time you show up?”
“Almost…” Xue Yue said helplessly, “So under normal circumstances, I try not to appear at all.”
Saying so, she shot a faint glance towards Yang Kai and asked flatly, “You think it’s funny?”
“I didn’t laugh!” Yang Kai replied solemnly.
“Hmph! If you dare to laugh out loud, I’ll make you pay dearly!”
“I really didn’t laugh… BAHAHAHA!”
*Gabeng gabeng…*
Xue Yue ground her teeth so hard the grinding noise was audible.
In the central district of Water Sky City, the World Energy aura was so thick it was tangible, only one step away from forming Spirit Qi Wisps.
And at the heart of the central district, there was a majestic palace ground which was home to the headquarters of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. This was not only a centre of power, but one of wealth.
In the northwest corner of the complex, atop a certain palace, a burly, lion-like man stood with a deep frown on his face, pacing back and forth, from time to time looking outside expectantly, as if he was waiting for someone.
This man’s anxiety was written all over his brow which was furrowed so strongly it looked as if it would never relax again.
There were other people in the hall behind this man, and judging from how they were dressed, it was clear they were a group of Origin Grade Alchemists, one of the noblest existences in the entire Star Field.
However, none of these Alchemists dared to speak, lest they upset the burly pacing man.
This was understandable though, as this man was the leader of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, President Ai Ou!
Although Origin Grade Alchemists held a noble status, they were still far below the President of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. What’s more, all of them had been helpless in their attempts to treat President Ai Ou’s wife, leaving them quite a bit embarrassed. How could they possibly take the initiative to draw fire to themselves now?
Ai Ou had a naturally tough and sturdy build, and with his grand stature, he put an imposing pressure on any who stood in his presence. At this moment, he was also quite irritable, and his Second-Order Origin King Saint Qi would fluctuate from time to time, causing many Alchemists in the hall to complain in their hearts, but none of them dared utter anything out loud.
Suddenly, Ai Ou stopped, and his eyes burst with astonishing light as he turned towards the hall’s entrance.
The next moment, he beamed with joy and hurriedly called out with an anxiety-filled voice, “Is Grandmaster Zuo De here?”
In front of the main hall, two streams of light landed and dispersed to reveal two figures. One was Xue Yue, and the other was Yang Kai.
Hearing Ai Ou’s words, Yang Kai glanced back subconsciously but found that there was no one behind him. Xue Yue seemed to realize what was happening and quickly explained, “Lord Father, it’s not Grandmaster Zuo De who has arrived.”
“It’s not Grandmaster Zuo De!” Ai Ou’s face darkened, and he glanced coldly at Yang Kai before turning back and yelling at Xue Yue, “Since it’s not Grandmaster Zuo De or his entourage, why did you bring him here? Do you think you can bring just anyone here at such a time?”
After being scolded by Ai Ou, Xue Yue did not dare to refute, but instead just bowed her head to apologize, “Forgive me, Lord Father, but my friend is also an Alchemist, so…”
“An Alchemist!?” Ai Ou’s expression immediately cleared up upon hearing this and turned to look at Yang Kai again, only now noticing the other party’s cultivation and calling out in shock, “Second-Order Origin King!?”
He had not realized until this moment that Yang Kai’s cultivation was actually on par with his own.
Somewhat unable to believe his eyes, Ai Ou examined Yang Kai again more carefully, but confirming his initial reading wasn’t wrong, he could not help asking suspiciously, “Yue’er, since when did you have such a friend?”
Yang Kai didn’t look familiar at all, and although Xue Yue’s aptitude was incredible, she was still just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator now, it should be impossible for her to have a friend who is a Second-Order Origin King, making Ai Ou quite curious.
“He is the one I told you about… Yang Kai!” Xue Yue replied in a low voice as she stole a quick glance at Ai Ou’s expression to see what his response would be.
“Junior Yang Kai greets President Ai Ou!” Yang Kai cupped his fists and greeted him flatly.
Although he was a little unhappy that Xue Yue was reprimanded just now for no reason, it was Xue Yue and Shen Tu’s father who stood in front of him, so Yang Kai could not simply ignore courtesy.
“Yang Kai?” Ai Ou frowned for a moment, but suddenly seemed to think of something and asked, “You’re that Yang Kai?”
“It seems President Ai Ou knows something about me,” Yang Kai frowned slightly as the expression on Ai Ou’s face currently gave him a slightly uncomfortable feeling.
“Of course I do!” Ai Ou responded in a deep voice before suddenly pushing his Saint Qi madly and grabbing towards Yang Kai.
From his actions and posture, it was obvious he wanted to capture Yang Kai!
“Father!” Xue Yue’s face changed drastically as she could not understand why her father would suddenly just attack Yang Kai the moment he arrived.
As for Yang Kai, his face became cold as he stretched out his hand to push Xue Yue aside while at the same time condensing his own Saint Qi and sending out a powerful palm of his own towards the approaching claw.
*Hong…*
A thunderous bang resounded in the hall as the two Origin King’s clashed, sending out a violent burst of wind that made a mess of the surrounding.
Soon after, when the dust settled, Yang Kai had been forced back three steps while Ai Ou had only retreated two.
In this match, Ai Ou had come out slightly ahead.
In the main hall, a violent wind blew up and besides Xue Yue, who was being protected by Yang Kai, everyone else staggered and complained.
“President Ai Ou, what’s the meaning of this?” Yang Kai squinted at the bearded man in front of him and asked indifferently.
Ai Ou wore a look of surprise, his eyes narrowed slightly like a tiger ready to pounce, giving him an even more intimidating presence than normal, but soon, he burst into laughter and said, “As I suspected, a true young hero straight out of ancient times. Boy, Ni Guang told me much about you, but I did not believe half of it. However, it seems Ni Guang was actually underestimating you greatly. Your aptitude is even higher than Yue’er’s.”
“Senior is too polite, Junior simply had some opportunities,” Yang Kai replied flatly, his expression was neither humble nor overbearing.
Ai Ou nodded before suddenly stretching out his hand and declaring, “Hand it over.”
Xue Yue stood to the side with a pale face, not understanding why her father had attacked Yang Kai as soon as he entered, but upon hearing this, she suddenly understood.
Yang Kai frowned slightly but also quickly realized what all this was about and smiled, “What exactly is it that Senior wants to ask from me?”
“You know it in your heart!” Ai Ou said slightly impatiently.
Yang Kai shook his head, “If Senior wants that drop from me, I can tell Senior now, even if I gave it to you, it will be of no use. Madam Gu’s Soul is what is damaged now, and that thing can only be used to repair physical injuries. Senior should also know this in his heart. “
Xue Yue’s Little Mother was named Gu Bi Hu, a fact that she informed Yang Kai about on the way over, so Yang Kai addressed her as Madame Gu.
“Naturally, I know,” Ai Ou quickly said.
“Then does Senior want that thing?” Yang Kai raised his brows and said with a smile, “Please forgive this Junior for not being able to agree.”
Inside the hall, the crowd of Origin Grade Alchemists listened to this vague and nonspecific conversation with looks of curiosity on their faces, none of them knowing what this ‘drop’ Yang Kai was referring to was.
However, whether it was Yang Kai, Ai Ou, or Xue Yue, they all understood clearly what this was about.
The Immortal Source Liquid and the Immortal Tree!
Ai Ou attacking Yang Kai as soon as he came in was because he wanted to snatch the Immortal Tree to use to heal Gu Bi Hu. Immortal Source Liquid could not restore Gu Bi Hu’s damaged Soul, but the Immortal Tree was different. Refining the Immortal Tree could grant one an immortal and indestructible body, so repairing a damaged Soul would be a breeze.
“Don’t tell me you already refined it?” Ai Ou’s eyes flashed a terrifying light as he glared at Yang Kai in a near predatory manner.
Yang Kai simply laughed and said nothing.
Ai Ou’s heart suddenly sank as he felt this was a real possibility.
After all, according to Ni Guang, Yang Kai was still just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator like Xue Yue when they entered the Severed World, but what about now, only a few years later? This little brat had become a Second-Order Origin King!
Even if a cultivator had incredible opportunities, it was highly unlikely for their strength to increase so dramatically in such a short period of time.
The only explanation was that the opportunity he had was truly extraordinary!
Refining the Immortal Tree would obviously count as such an opportunity.
Ai Ou was not willing to give up and quickly pushed his Divine Sense, scanning Yang Kai’s body thoroughly only to be shocked at how monstrous the vitality contained within it was. The surging life aura coming from Yang Kai was potent enough to even frighten a master like him.
“You really merged with it!” Ai Ou exclaimed, as his face turned grey, the hope that remained in his eyes suddenly disappearing.
He was not depressed because he no longer had a chance to obtain a supreme treasure like the Immortal Tree, but rather because he couldn’t use the Immortal Tree to treat Gu Bi Hu.
Yang Kai did not explain anything though and simply let Ai Ou misunderstand.
After falling silent for a while though, Ai Ou suddenly muttered in a low voice, “Even if you have fused with it, it doesn’t matter, it’s precious energy should still flow through your blood. I just need to obtain your blood and she can be saved!”
Right now, he was like a man at his wit’s end, seeking any solution no matter how impractical or implausible.
Hearing what he said, Xue Yue’s face changed drastically, and she rushed out hurriedly to stand in front of Yang Kai and called out, “Father, you can’t be…”
“Stand aside, there’s no place for you to speak here!” Ai Ou roared.
“The dignified Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce President, an overlord of the Star Field, turns out to be nothing more than this. Just as the saying goes, one cannot judge a man by his reputation alone!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
“Boy, what did you just say? You should take care of how you speak!” Ai Ou narrowed his eyes and snapped.
Yang Kai sneered, “If it weren’t for Xue Yue’s face, would I even be standing here talking to you still? Just you acting against me just now was more than enough for me to raze your Water Sky City to the ground. If not for the fact that I can see your mind is unsteady because you are seeking treatment for your woman, today your Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would be ground to dust and lost to the ages!”
Xue Yue’s face turned pale suddenly as she hurriedly tugged at Yang Kai’s clothes and whispered, “Have some discretion!”
Yang Kai smiled faintly and declared, “I will speak with discretion when your father calms down.”
Ai Ou also suddenly recovered, realizing that the one who stood in front of him was not some soft persimmon he could knead at will, but a Second-Order Origin King who could stand on equal footing with him and had almost the same strength!
If such a master really became enraged, then the situation could really deteriorate beyond redemption today. At the very least, the destruction of Water Sky City was almost assured.
“You’re certainly crazy enough, boy,” Although he had calmed down a lot, Ai Ou was still concerned about losing face and snapped back.
“I just came from Purple Star,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, only saying so much, but he believed that Ai Ou should understand his meaning.
Ai Ou was immediately stunned and stared at Yang Kai in amazement, as if he really understood something and whispered, “So, it was you.”
Although Xue Yue had not been aware of the great upheaval Purple Star experienced, Ai Ou, as Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President, had eyes and ears all over the Star Field. How could he not know about such a huge event?
After Yang Kai said this sentence, Ai Ou immediately understood that the instigator of the incident on Purple Star half a year ago was actually standing right in front of him.
Even a peak level powerhouse like Kuang Shi Zong took action personally but failed to stop him! Even if Ai Ou were to fight here personally, he couldn’t guarantee that he would be any more successful.
After understanding all of this, Ai Ou took a deep breath and nodded, “It was this King who was rude just now, please don’t take it to heart, Friend!”
Friend… Xue Yue’s face twitched when she heard this word, wondering how her father had suddenly become something like a peer to Yang Kai. Wasn’t this just causing chaos in the generations? Quickly glancing at Yang Kai, she shot him a rueful look.
Yang Kai also chuckled awkwardly as he said, “Senior is too serious, Senior is desperate to save his wife, it is only natural for him to act somewhat impulsive. Junior can understand.”
“If so, that is good. This friend is indeed a generous person. I have heard a lot about you and even Ni Guang had much praise for you. Since you’ve come to Water Sky City today, please feel free to relax here for a few days. When I have finished dealing with the matter at hand, I will speak with you again.”
Yang Kai listened to the tone of his words, and immediately understood that Ni Guang had not told Ai Ou about his and Xue Yue’s ‘relationship’. Otherwise, Ai Ou would definitely not be speaking to him like this.
“Father, Yang Kai is also an Alchemist!” Xue Yue saw her father calling Yang Kai ‘friend’ over and over again and felt incredibly uncomfortable, so she quickly changed the subject.
“Oh?” Ai Ou looked at Yang Kai in surprise, “Friend’s cultivation is so deep, but you are also proficient in the Alchemic Dao?”
“I’ve dabbled in it slightly!” Yang Kai said modestly.
“Isn’t it a bit more than that? Brat don’t act so humble,” A voice suddenly came from the side.
Ai Ou frowned as a hint of displeasure appeared on his face. There were not many people in this world who would dare to interrupt him when he was talking, but when he saw who it was who spoke, his expression could not help relaxing again. It seemed the one who spoke had some weight in his heart and Ai Ou was not willing to blame him.
Yang Kai also turned his head and looked but shock soon filled his whole facial expression.
Over there, where the crowd of Origin Grade Alchemists had gathered, a familiar face was smiling towards him.
“Grandmaster Zong Ao!” Yang Kai beamed happily and hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his fists.
The one who spoke was shockingly the Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist Zong Ao! When Yang Kai and Xue Yue went to Rainfall Star together, they had lived in Zong Ao’s house for quite some time.
At that time, Yang Kai’s strength was quite low and his accomplishments in the Alchemic Dao were also not high, while Zong Ao, on the other hand, was already an Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist.
Yang Kai and Zong Ao had had several exchanges about Alchemy and both had reaped many benefits. The pill which was necessary to rescue Xue Yue was elucidated by Zong Ao, and then refined by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not expect to meet Zong Ao here.
However, when he thought about it carefully, it made sense because although Zong Ao had not formally joined Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, he had been living on Rainfall Star for over a century and could be considered at least an honoured guest of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Now that there was a problem with President Ai Ou’s wife, Zong Ao would naturally be invited over.
“Brat, don’t flatter me,” Zong Ao snickered wryly, “It’s only been a few dozen years yet you’re already a Second-Order Origin King while this old master is still lingering about in the Origin Grade High-Rank. It’s nothing less than a tragedy!”
“Grandmaster is too humble, back then your attainments and knowledge of the Alchemic Dao were already profound, and now they can only have advanced further. Clearly, you’re not far from reaching the Origin King Grade.”
Zong Ao smiled slightly with a hint of pride appearing on his face.
“Do you know each other?” Ai Ou asked in surprise.
Zong Ao grinned, “En, I had a few exchanges with him about the Alchemic Dao several dozen years ago. I also had a number of my Alchemy Furnaces snatched by him!”
Yang Kai laughed fondly and said, “Those Alchemy furnaces are no longer useful to me. If Grandmaster wants them back, I can return them to you.”
“No need, they’re useless to me as well,” Zong Ao waved his hand, “Just keep them as a memento.”
A light flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes when he heard this and he speculated out loud, “It seems that Grandmaster really is about to reach the Origin King Grade. It also must have been you who provided the pill recipe for the Soul Source Restoration Pill.”
“En,” Zong Ao’s expression suddenly became solemn, “Madam Gu’s condition is easy to diagnose, but there are very few ways to cure it. Refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill is the easiest and most reliable method.”
“Have the materials been gathered?”
“Most have. All of the materials are precious and difficult to find, but with the financial resources of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, collecting most of them isn’t difficult. Unfortunately, the Monster Core of a Seven Coloured Elk is another story…”
“The Monster Core has already been found and was delivered to this King ten days ago!” Ai Ou interjected.
Seven Colored Elk was an ancient species that had long been extinct.
Its Monster Core was one of the main ingredients for refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill. And its heart was one of the main ingredients for refining the Ten Thousand Year Incense.
The Ten Thousand Year Incense had the effect of calming the Qi and Soul. Just one incense could last for ten thousand years. If the Ten Thousand Year Incense was lit when a cultivator was cultivating, his or her heart would not be consumed by their heart demon; his or her mind would remain clear. It was extremely useful for cultivation.
Now, the Rising Dragon Palace of the High Heaven Sect had a part of the Ten Thousand Year Incense burning continuously. Naturally, it was brought by Yang Kai from the Sixth Stage of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
If any High Heaven Sect disciple needed to break through, he or she could go to the Rising Dragon Palace and cultivate there. There wasn’t just Ten Thousand Year Incense but also the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, a Martial Dao precious treasure in itself that could help the disciples understand the True Essence of Martial Dao Heavenly Way.
As a matter of fact, Ten Thousand Year Incense and Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree had contributed a lot to the rapid progress of High Heaven Sect disciples over these years. Had it not for these two treasures, the overall strength of the High Heaven Sect would have been a level lower.
The Seven Colored Elk’s entire body was a treasure. Whether it was the Monster Core or the heart, they were very hard to find.
But who would have thought the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would actually found a Seven Colored Elk’s Monster Core. Even someone like Yang Kai could not help but be shocked.
Ai Ou took out the round and glittering Monster Core from his Space Ring while speaking.
“It sure is a Seven Colored Elk’s Monster Core!” Zong Ao cried in a low voice. His eyes were glued at the Monster Core, flickering with a fervoured look.
This kind of ingredient would pique any alchemist’s interest. There wasn’t any alchemist who didn’t want to use rare ingredients to refine pills, watch various ingredients refined and merged into a pill in their own hands. Every alchemist would be grateful to have a chance like this.
“Alas, this Monster Core should have been stored for a long time. A lot of its potency is lost.” Zong Ao heaved another sigh. Many alchemists nodded one after another, expressing their agreement.
Because the seven-coloured glow around the Monster Core felt a little dim, like a candle flickering in the wind that could go about at any moment.
“Yeah! Moreover… only one Monster Core was found. Even the Seven Colored Elk’s heart wasn’t found. If we had the heart, the effect would have been better with its assistance.” Ai Ou sighed continuously.
All the ingredients gathered all that was left was for the Origin King Grade Grandmaster Zuo De to arrive and refine the pill. Gu Bi Hu could be treated then.
“Senior, did Grandmaster Zuo De say when he would come?” Yang Kai asked, looking at Ai Ou.
Ai Ou forced a smile. “The message said that he will be in Water Sky City in the next few days. As for exactly when… I’ve no idea. But since so much time has already passed, I’m not in a hurry.”
He might have said this but everyone could see the impatience in his eyes.
He was a revered Second-Order Origin King Grade master, as well as the President of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. It was always others who waited for him; when did he have to wait for others? Only an Origin King Grade Alchemist could make Ai Ou lower his head. Even if he was feeling frustrated, all he could do was cool his head and keep on waiting patiently.
“This Grandmaster sure is putting on a lot of airs.” Yang Kai chuckled.
As soon Yang Kai said this, Ai Ou couldn’t help but glanced at Yang Kai, like Yang Kai spoke what was on Ai Ou’s mind.
But right then, an inopportune voice suddenly echoed in the room, “Your Excellency, what do you mean by this? Are you accusing Grandmaster Zuo De?”
“Huh!? I’m not.” Yang Kai innocently turned his head to look at the source of the voice.
Immediately, Yang Kai saw a crooked-nosed middle-aged man wearing an Origin Grade Alchemist robe let out a cold snort and continued, looking at Yang Kai with dissatisfaction, “As an Origin King Grade Alchemist, Grandmaster Zuo De is naturally neck-deep in work. It’s natural for him to be a bit late. Your Excellency, aren’t you being disrespectful to Grandmaster by saying so?”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow. He immediately understood that this Alchemist must admire Zuo De very much, so he couldn’t bear to hear anyone speak ill of Zuo De.
He took a second look at the insignia on his robes and confirmed that this guy was an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist. Yang Kai didn’t bother to argue with him. He just chuckled and said, “This one apologizes for my slip of tongue.”
Just as cultivators revered stronger masters, the same was true in Alchemist circles. An Origin Grade Alchemist was already very high up the ladder, and an Origin King Grade Alchemist was even more remarkable. There were only a few of them in the entire Star Field.
Grandmaster Zuo De had countless admirers. This hooked-nosed middle-aged man was one of them. He couldn’t tolerate the sand in his eyes, so how could he let it go. “Your Excellency might be an Origin King Realm master but slandering Grandmaster Zuo De is still a pretty big mistake, even for you. This matter cannot be put to rest just like this. Or else, it would be pretty detrimental to Grandmaster’s reputation if the word got out. Can you really afford it if it really happened?”
After having labels unjustifiably pinned on him, Yang Kai’s face immediately sank. “Then what would you like me to do?”
“Apologize! After Grandmaster Zuo De arrives, you must apologize to him!”
“Hehe!” Yang Kai let out a grim laugh. “What!? So Grandmaster Zuo’s reputation is reputation, but this King’s reputation is nothing!?”
In any case, Yang Kai claimed himself to be a Second-Order Origin King. He had identity, status, and strength. How could he apologize to an Alchemist whom he had never met just for a slip of tongue?
Yang Kai suddenly found this hook-nosed middle-aged man to be a bit ridiculous.
“How can a trivial cultivator like you compare yourself with Grandmaster!?” The hook-nosed middle-aged man wasn’t the least bit afraid of Yang Kai’s Origin King Realm identity. Rather he was looking at him contemptuously.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and threatened, “This trivial cultivator can easily take your life!”
The hook-nosed middle-aged man’s expression immediately turned to worse. He hurriedly looked to Ai Ou and spoke, horrified, “Sir President, this person is arrogant and domineering; not only did he look down on Grandmaster Zuo Debut also dared to threaten me. I ask Sir President to uphold justice!”
Yang Kai immediately said, “President Ai Ou too is a… trivial cultivator!”
The hook-nosed middle-aged man’s jaw immediately dropped.
Ai Ou pursed his lips into a smile and looked up at the sky!
The hook-nosed middle-aged man’s words made him very unhappy. He was already terribly upset because of Gu Bi Hu’s injuries. How could he pay any attention to this Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist?
Not to mention, Yang Kai’s words resonated with him very much. As a matter of fact, Zuo De was already in the habit of putting on a lot of airs. Their Chamber of Commerce had bled a lot whenever they invited him to refine pills over the years.
Having noticed Ai Ou’s thoughts, the hook-nosed middle-aged man’s face turned ugly. He knew that he had gone a bit overboard just now. Not only did he scold Yang Kai but also offended Ai Ou. His intestines turned blue in regret. He still insisted, nonetheless, “So what if you can take my life!? I have no grudge with you, if you dared to do it, you will only be smearing your own name; you will be scorned by the entire world! Don’t forget, I’m an Alchemist, if you killed me, who would refine pills for you in the future!”
“Oh, I’m sorry but I too am an Alchemist!” Yang Kai smiled.
“You!?” The hook-nosed middle-aged man sneered. “I admit that you are highly talented when it comes to Martial Dao. You can fight on par with President Ai Ou without falling in a leeward position. But so what!? All your time and effort were spent on Martial Dao. You won’t have made much progress in Alchemic Dao! Even I can walk all over you with my one-hand behind my back!”
It might not have sounded pleasant but it was what was going in everyone’s mind.
Even though everyone knew Yang Kai was an Alchemist, no one believed that he had achieved much in Alchemic Dao. Even Zong Ao didn’t think that Yang Kai’s Alchemist level was much higher. After all, everyone’s energy was limited. It was already remarkable that he had achieved such a high level in Martial Dao.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “Forget it, I’m not wasting my words on you anymore. Think what you want!”
He truly didn’t want to squabble with someone like him.
“Hmph, don’t be so presumptuous!” Seeing Yang Kai back down, not only did the hook-nosed middle-aged man fail to restrain his arrogance but even grew even more arrogant. He thought that Yang Kai had gotten afraid of his Alchemist’s identity and didn’t dare to make any move on him. He continued, feeling even more reassured and emboldened, “We can put the matter between you and me to rest but you still have to answer for slandering Grandmaster Zuo De!”
“You are not finished yet!?” Yang Kai’s expression immediately turned colder. “Why would I need to answer you? Is Zuo De your father or grandfather? I just said that he is putting on airs and that’s all you have been going on about! Did I say anything wrong? As far as I know, President Ai Ou has already sent someone to invite him half a year ago, but he hadn’t shown up till today. If he is not putting on airs then what is it?”
Yang Kai spoke Ai Ou’s thoughts.
He might have been annoyed and frustrated by the delay shown by Zuo De, but when all was said and done, he was the one with the request. He could only keep his frustration hidden in his heart. He didn’t dare to voice it out. God knows how many times he had cursed Zuo De and his forefathers in his heart over these days.
When he heard Yang Kai, he felt a lot of his frustration vented. He found Yang Kai a lot pleasing to the eyes.
“How dare you address Grandmaster by his name directly!?” The hook-nosed man shouted in anger.
Yang Kai could not help but burst into laughter. He sneered and said, showing no respect to an Origin King Grade Alchemist that he should have, “So what if I called him by his name, isn’t he just an Origin King Grade Alchemist!?”
“You… you… you…” The hook-nosed man blew his top. His hand pointing at Yang Kai kept trembling in anger. He turned to Ai Ou and said, “Sir President, don’t you care that he is being disrespectful to Grandmaster so blatantly? If Grandmaster Zuo came to know of this, it would really make him angry.”
“Um…” Ai Ou stiffened upon hearing this. He looked at Yang Kai and requested a bit, “Friend, can you try to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all.”
The nearby Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai imploringly as well.
They were afraid that if this matter really reached Zuo De’s ears, that old guy with his temper would take advantage of it and try to exaggerate this. He might not turn around and leave but he would surely make the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s bleed.
Yang Kai nodded. “Since its Senior’s request, this junior will put this matter to rest here but if someone keeps on rambling, don’t blame this junior for teaching him a lesson.”
“That’s natural.” Ai Ou nodded slightly, giving Yang Kai a glance of gratitude.
The hook-nosed man’s face turned dark as he resentfully looked at Yang Kai. He looked as if he had something to say but when he saw the sharp gleam in Yang Kai’s eyes, he didn’t dare to be anymore presumptuous. He could only add, “Just you wait! When Grandmaster Zuo De arrives, you will be in serious trouble.”
“Hmm, I’m waiting!” Yang Kai nodded.
The original amiable atmosphere had been destroyed by the hook-nosed man. It rather grew stiffer, making it a bit awkward for everyone.