Out of fear of Grandmaster Zuo De, those Origin Grade Alchemists didn’t dare to talk to Yang Kai anymore. Zong Ao, on the other hand, didn’t care about it at all. He walked to Yang Kai and started chatting in a low voice.
Yang Kai, taking advantage of this, also inquired about Gu Bi Hu’s condition. Zong Ao had been staying in here all these days, paying complete attention to Gu Bi Hu’s injuries. So, he knew about her situation pretty well.
Yang Kai also got a lot of useful information.
“Who is that guy by the way? Why did he jump out first to accuse me before I said anything?” Yang Kai gestured at the hook-nosed man and asked.
Zong Ao answered in a low voice, “He is Zhan Yuan. He didn’t have an aptitude for Alchemy and also hadn’t received guidance from a good teacher. As such, he hadn’t achieved much in Alchemy. He was originally unknown, but later received Grandmaster Zuo De’s guidance by some chance and coincidence and was enlightened, becoming a Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist at a very fast rate. For this reason, he had always regarded himself as a Grandmaster’s student. And due to this relationship, he naturally couldn’t stand your remark.”
“So that’s how it is.” Yang Kai understood everything immediately.
Apparently, Zhan Yuan not only respected Zuo Debut also regarded Zuo De as his Honored Teacher. Zuo De naturally held a very high position in his heart. Yang Kai might not have spoken ill of Zuo Debut when he said that Grandmaster was putting on airs, he could hardly take it.
“However, about Grandmaster Zuo De… well, it’s hard to say,” Zuo Do had something to say but he didn’t say everything.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, knew what he meant to say.
As Alchemists, Zuo De had walked farther in Alchemic Dao than Zong Ao. Zong Ao could not show any disrespect in any way. Disrespecting Zuo De was tantamount to disrespecting Alchemic Dao. Thus, there were some things Zong Ao couldn’t say.
“In any case, be careful! Kid, you might be a Second-Order Origin King Master now, you should never underestimate the power of an Origin King Grade Alchemist. Let’s say, if President Ai Ou had to choose between Grandmaster Zuo De and you, he would choose the former in eighty percent likelihood!”
“I understand!” Yang Kai smiled.
Just as the two were chatting in low voices, a cultivator donning a golden armor suddenly barged in and cupped his fists before reporting to Ai Ou with a serious look on his face, “President, Grandmaster Zuo De has arrived!”
“He is here!?” Ai Ou’s eyes lit up immediately. He waved his hand and shouted, “Invite him quickly!”
But just as he said this, he hurriedly said again, “No, this King will go and personally welcome him!”
He had been on edge while waiting for half a year, for the fear that Gu Bi Hu would not be able to hold on before Grandmaster arrived. And now, Grandmaster has finally arrived in Water Sky City. A heavy weight had been lifted off Ai Ou’s heart.
All that was left was to wait for Grandmaster to refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill. Gu Bi Hu could be rescued from the coma by then.
While speaking, he tidied up his clothes before rushing to the outside.
Naturally, the others in the hall didn’t dare to be inattentive, almost everyone in the hall was an Alchemist. When they heard that Zuo De was already here, they couldn’t hold themselves. They rushed after Ai Ou, one after another, hoping to catch a glance of the revered Grandmaster.
The hook-nosed man named Zhan Yuan gave Yang Kai a vicious glare as he passed by Yang Kai. There was a sinister smile hanging on his lips as if he was saying that since Grandmaster is here, you are so dead.
Yang Kai curled his lips, ignoring him altogether.
“Let’s go welcome him. If Grandmaster saw us standing here still, I’m afraid it would upset him again. It will be very troublesome.” Zong Ao shook his head and smiled wryly before rushing outside in neither fast nor slow manner.
Yang Kai gave it a thought before following him out.
Outside the hall, a dozen or so Origin Grade Alchemists stood behind Ai Ou in a file, looking up at the sky.
Somewhere in the sky, a streaking rainbow was shooting straight over at an astonishing speed; obviously, it was some kind of flight type artifact.
Not many people dared to use flight type artifacts in places like Water Sky City. And very few dared to use it in such a high-profile manner. But clearly, Grandmaster Zuo De was qualified for this. Furthermore, no one dared to object to this.
At first, Yang Kai thought that the other party was riding a Star Shuttle.
But on a closer look, he noticed that it wasn’t the case.
The streaking rainbow might be far away from the hall, but Yang Kai could see it clearly, owing to his high cultivation. It was a peculiar sedan chair lifted by eight people, four in the front and four in the back. Wind was being continuously created under their feet, carrying the sedan chair swiftly and leaving a trail of rainbow behind.
All eight carrying the sedan chair were young and beautiful with great figures.
The sedan chair itself was very luxuriously decorated. The seats were spacious and two figures were sitting on it, one young and one old. The old man’s hair and beard were all white and had his eyes closed, he happened to be resting and relaxing. The young figure was a girl who happened to be standing on the sedan chair and looking about as if she was curious about everything.
“This Moon Chaser Sedan Chair was specially built by Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce for Grandmaster. It’s 10% faster than the best Star Shuttle. Those girls were gifted to the Grandmaster by the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. It has already become Grandmaster’s symbol.” Zong Ao explained to Yang Kai in a low voice.
Yang Kai immediately chuckled. “Grandmaster Zong Ao is just a step away from becoming an Origin King Grade Alchemist. You will definitely enjoy the same treatment in the future.”
Zong Ao shook his head in disdain. “This old man only wants to pursue the Alchemic Dao to the end. I don’t care about these material objects.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and no longer said anything.
After a short while, the Moon Chaser Sedan Chair arrived and landed steadily before the main hall. Ai Ou tidied up his clothes and just as he was about to speak, a figure shot out from the sedan chair.
That graceful and charming figure, accompanied by giggles that were as melodious as chimes of silver bells, rushed to Yang Kai’s side and hugged someone next to him, burying her head into that person’s arm before taking long and deep breaths greedily.
Everyone was shocked! They could not help but wonder who it was, so ignorant of etiquette and doing such a shameless thing in public. Everyone turned their gazes at that lithe and graceful figure.
After having taken a clear look at the scene before them, everyone showed a smile of understanding. Yang Kai, on the other hand, was dumbstruck.
Because he found that the graceful figure from the sedan chair was hugging none other than Xue Yue beside him!
Xue Yue looked extremely embarrassed at this moment. Obviously, she hadn’t expected such a thing to happen in public. She didn’t push, nor could she. For a moment, she was at a loss and froze in place.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, blew his top! Instinctively, he wanted to rush up and beat the other party to let her know that his woman could not be harassed.
But on second thought, he gave up this notion as the other party was a woman herself.
That figure rubbed her head on Xue Yue a few times like a cat before raising her head, revealing her face that was as beautiful that the moon would hide itself in the clouds and flowers would close in shame. She then greeted in a charming and melodious voice, “Brother Xue Yue, long time no see. Did you miss me?”
The corners of Xue Yue’s lips twitched a few times. She forced a smile and said, “So it’s Sister Zuo Ling. I was wondering who was being so bold. Well, Sister Zuo Ling, can you let me go first?”
“Hei hei!” The girl named Zuo Ling obediently let go of Xue Yue and backed away, standing before Xue Yue. She then narrowed her eyes and sized up Xue Yue from top to bottom before nodding and praising, “Brother Xue Yue, you have grown more handsome and manly from the last time we met. No wonder the girls in the Star Field are crazy about you.”
There was a hint of jealousy in her words, but she praised Xue Yue in an outspoken manner. Anyone with a bit of brains would understand what it was all about.
Presumably, the girl named Zuo Ling had been in love with Xue Yue for a long time.
It wasn’t that surprising. Xue Yue was the man of every girl’s dreams in the Star Field. She was a lady killer. Naturally, a little girl would fall in love with her.
And judging by Zuo Ling’s words, the two seemed to have known each other for a long time.
“Sister Zuo Ling is too polite!” Xue Yue forced a smile.
It would have been okay had Yang Kai was not here, but Yang Kai was standing by her side, watching the play. Feeling his gaze, Xue Yue felt jittery all over her body. She was extremely embarrassed.
“Ling’er, don’t be rude!” Right then, a majestic voice sounded from behind; Zuo De slowly got up from the sedan chair and shouted in a deep voice.
Zuo Ling stuck her tender tongue at Xue Yue before whispering, “I’ll come and find Brother Xue later. Grandpa is calling me.”
As she spoke, her lithe figure jumped to the sedan chair’s side in a flash like a nimble cat before she respectfully helped Zuo De get down.
Yang Kai looked at Xue Yue with a strange smile hanging on his lips.
Xue Yue became angry out of shame, shooting glares at Yang Kai.
“Welcome Grandmaster, thank you for taking the trouble of coming here!” Only now did President Ai Ou find the opportunity to speak. He cupped his fists and greeted him.
“Greetings, Grandmaster! Grandmaster must be tired from the long and tiresome journey!” All the Origin Grade Alchemist bowed and greeted respectfully.
“Haha, I’m too old for this. The road was indeed a little bumpy. Sorry for making you all wait!” Zuo Du cupped his fists perfunctorily in response.
Yang Kai sized up the nearby Grandmaster and found that he looked extremely ordinary, just like an ordinary old man. He was only in the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, that’s all, but his every gesture carried a faint medicinal fragrance; obviously due to dealing with pills all year round.
Judging by his outer appearance, Grandmaster Zuo De looked rather approachable.
[Maybe something might have really happened to him for him to be delayed by half a year.] Yang Kai thought to himself. [Otherwise, he should not have dragged until now after having been invited by President Ai Ou.]
“Grandmaster must be tired from the journey. Do you want this King to arrange a place to take a break?” Ai Ou asked with concern.
“Mhmm, that sounds nice. This old man is indeed a little tired.” Zuo De nodded lightly. Much to Ai Ou’s surprise and dismay, he really agreed.
Ai Ou was stunned. He kept staring at Zuo De in a daze, thinking, [I was just being polite, why are you taking it seriously? Can’t you see the worry written on my face? Or have your eyes gone so old that you can’t notice?]
Other Origin Grade Alchemists also furrowed their brow slightly.
Everyone felt that Grandmaster Zuo De was wrong here.
[It’s okay to make us wait for half a year. You are an Origin King Grade Alchemist, you have all the right to put on airs like this. But now that you are already here, it’s right and proper to start refining and save the patient as soon as possible.]
[Moreover, a Starship was sent to pick you up. You even rode the Moon Chaser Sedan Chair. The journey might be long but you didn’t use a bit of your strength. How can you be tired?]
Ai Ou was starting to scowl.
“Haha, this old man was kidding, President Ai Ou. You don’t have to take it seriously!” All of a sudden, Zuo De broke into a big laugh as he spoke.
God knows if he was really joking or really had planned to take a rest but changed his words after noticing that Ai Ou looked unhappy.
Zue De might have a noble standing, but Ai Ou’s status wasn’t low either. Naturally, he couldn’t ignore Ai Ou’s feelings.
“Hehe, Grandmaster, if you are really tired, you can take a rest for a few days. I’m not in a hurry. In any case, I have already waited for so long, it won’t hurt to wait for a few days more.” Ai Ou’s reaction wasn’t slow either. He had no choice but to give the opposite party a chance to get out of this embarrassing situation. Furthermore, he had given an obvious message, [You have already kept this old man waiting for so long!]
“Saving the patient comes first!” Zuo De waved off and said decisively.
“Thank you very much, Grandmaster.” Ai You heaved a sigh of relief. His scowl eased down immediately.
“Zhan Yuan greets the Honored Teacher. Honoured Teacher is really kind and benevolent. You are putting people first even though you are tired from the journey. You are a model for everyone. You are really great. You have this left Zhan Yuan in admiration!” The hook-nosed man stepped out of the crowd and made his way to Zuo De, ass-kissing Zuo De.
Zuo De glanced at him, looking a bit confused. But soon, he burst into laughter. “So it’s you! Hmm, you are already a Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist, you have made progress. Good job!”
Zhan Yuan was highly delighted upon receiving this compliment. He looked as if he had eaten an entire pot of honey. He immediately flattered Zuo De, “Had I not been lucky enough to receive guidance from the Honoured Teacher back then, this Zhan Yuan would not have achieved what he has today. Honoured Teacher, please receive this Zhan Yuan’s worship!”
As he spoke, he started kowtowing on the ground with an earnest look on his face, devoutly.
Zuo De nodded and praised, “You are quite good. This old man just gave you a few pointers because you looked depressed. Who would have thought that you will remember it till today? If you want, you can stay by this old man’s side from now on. This old man just happened to be lacking an assistant.”
“Absolutely! Absolutely! Thank you very much, Honoured Teacher. Disciple will follow the Honoured Teacher wherever you go!” Zhan Yuan beamed with joy. He kept thanking, again and again.
Although he was a Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist, it was not shameful to act as Zuo De’s assistant. It was a once in a lifetime chance; others could not get it even after begging for it. Zhan Yuan could have never thought that he could get such an awesome job just by stepping forward and speaking a few words with Zuo De.
Furthermore, Zuo De had practically agreed to Zhan Yuan being his disciple with his words, which was more beneficial than anything.
He was just ranked in the middle among the Origin Grade Alchemists, but with the identity of Grandmaster Zuo De’s disciple, his status would be completely different in the future. Everyone below Origin King Grade Alchemist would have to be polite to him.
For a moment, Zhan Yuan was so happy that he was practically ready to dance in joy.
Some Origin Grade Alchemists glanced at Zhan Yuan with envy.
By following Zuo De, even if it was just an assistant, they felt that one would learn a lot of good stuff. And if by some fluke of luck, one’s comprehension reached an appropriate level, he might just become the next Zuo De!
Who would not be envious of such a good opportunity?
After beaming in joy for a while, Zhan Yuan suddenly approached Zuo De and whispered to him something, acting mysterious and all.
He had lowered his voice pretty much to nothing; it was almost impossible to discern what he was saying. Before Grandmaster Zuo De, no one dared to use their Divine Sense to eavesdrop, so no one really knew what he was talking about.
Immediately, everyone glanced at Yang Kai sympathetically, one after another!
Everyone knew that Yang Kai’s life would turn miserable from now on. He had offended an Origin King Grade Alchemist. No one in this world would refine pills for him. It was extremely difficult for an Origin King Realm master to advance even an inch in cultivation. Without the assistance of pills, he might only make a little progress. Perhaps he might remain stuck in the Second-Order Origin King Realm for his entire life.
[What a pity! Such an outstanding genius, who might have had a chance to become a Third-Order Origin King in the future, stand at the peak of the Star Field, will have his future cut-short.]
A look of regret appeared on the faces of many Alchemists.
Meanwhile, Zuo De narrowed his eyes, glancing in Yang Kai’s direction a few times before withdrawing his gaze, as if he didn’t care about him at all.
Zhan Yuan kept babbling as if he wasn’t finished. Ai Ou, on the other hand, looked unhappy at the sight of this, but he didn’t urge. Rather he kept waiting patiently.
As he had said before, he had been waiting for a long time, he wasn’t in a rush.
Not to mention, Zhan Yuan could barely be considered as Grandmaster Zuo De’s half disciple. He had gained a noble status in a flash. Ai Ou would have to be considerate to him a bit.
After a long time, Zhan Yuan finally stopped talking with a flattering smile hanging on his lips.
Zuo De nodded slightly, looking kind and amiable.
Ai Ou timely interrupted, “Grandmaster, please come in!”
“Mhmm.” Zuo De agreed. Supported by Zuo Ling, he made his way into the main hall, step by step. When he walked by Ai Ou’s side, he gestured to him. Ai Ou immediately understood, he promptly started walking shoulder to shoulder with Zuo De.
Others followed behind them in small scattered groups.
“President Ai Ou, this old man came to Water Sky City for two things, one to refined Soul Source Restoration Pill for Mrs. Gu, and as for the second, I would like to get your consent for one other thing.” Zuo De talked to Ai Ou while walking.
“Grandmaster, whatever you need, you just have to mention it. My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce will never refuse you as long as we can do it.” Ai Ou replied earnestly.
“Hehe, don’t be so quick to agree because I’m afraid you won’t agree.” Zuo De calmly smiled.
Ai Ou proudly assured, “My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s business is spread all over the world. Although I dare not say how rich I am. If we can’t even fulfil Grandmaster’s request, how can we have any qualifications to invite you.”
“If President Ai Ou says so, then this old man would not beat around the bush.” Zuo De paused and straightened out his thoughts. Only then did he continue, “This old man came this time to talk about my granddaughter’s marriage.”
He pointed at Zuo Ling, who was supporting him.
“Talk about marriage!?” Ai Ou’s heart skipped a beat. He was a little displeased. Intentionally or unintentionally, he glanced at Xue Yue before he forced a smile and replied, “Miss Zuo Ling is Grandmaster’s granddaughter. She is a girl of noble status and also extremely beautiful. I wonder which punk in my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce got lucky to be fancied by Miss Zuo Ling?”
“President Ai Ou, please don’t play dumb.” Zuo De smiled and proudly said, “There aren’t many people in this world who are worthy for my Ling’er, and the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce just happened to have one. Furthermore, Ling’er has known him since childhood and fell in love with him. When Ling’er heard that this old man was coming to Water Sky City, she brazenly followed this old man and forced this old man to propose marriage. If I didn’t agree, she said that she would burn this old man’s beard… sigh, I have really spoiled this girl.”
Zuo De looked distressed.
“Grandpa!” Zuo Ling flushed red all over. She fiercely tugged Zuo De’s arm, but her pretty eyes were furtively looking at Xue Yue’s reaction. She believed that even a fool would understand what Zuo De meant. She very much wanted to know Xue Yue’s reaction.
But in one glance, Zuo Ling’s heart immediately sank because she found that Xue Yue’s face had gone pale and appeared to be at a loss.
[Does Brother Xue Yue not like me?] Zuo Ling’s heart was filled with unease.
“Is Grandmaster talking about… Xue Yue?” Ai Ou couldn’t pretend to be a fool anymore. He was left with no choice but to continue.
“That’s right,” Zuo De smiled and continued, looking at Xue Yue with satisfaction. “Third Young Lord is extraordinarily talented; he is a dragon among men. He is young, handsome, and is also the successor of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. If President Ai Ou can agree to this marriage, hehe, this old man would also get a son who will tend to him and lay him to rest after his death. Perhaps I will remain in Water Sky City in the foreseeable future.”
His words gave a very important message, that if Xue Yue and Zuo Ling became husband and wife, the Zuo De will really become a member of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce in the future. He would live in Water Sky City and refine pills for Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
If Ai Ou was in any urgent need, he wouldn’t have to go all the way to invite him over.
This was a huge temptation for any great force or any cultivator for that matter. If Xue Yue was really a man, Ai Ou would not be mulling over it, he would have promptly agreed.
Compared to the happiness of his son, an Origin King Grade Alchemist was undoubtedly more important.
But Xue Yu was a girl!
This was simply impossible!
Even if Ai Ou agreed now, everything would be exposed on their first night. Zuo De would be completely offended then.
So, Ai Ou was in a pretty big dilemma. He felt powerless for the first time in his life.
“What’s wrong!? Does President Ai Ou have some concerns?”
Originally, Zuo De thought that if he personally proposed a marriage, Ai Ou would give him a face no matter what. Not to mention, Ai Ou was requesting Zuo De’s help. But when he proposed, Zuo De didn’t get the eager response that he had imagined. Rather, Ai Ou looked extremely embarrassed.
This made Zuo De very unhappy. His tone grew colder and colder.
“That’s not the case, that’s really not the case. Grandmaster misunderstood.” Ai Ou waved his hand quickly. He immediately realized that if he didn’t handle today’s matter properly, it would lead to a great deal of trouble.
But he couldn’t think of a proper excuse for a short while. He stood in a daze.
Zuo De let out a cold snort and said, “This old man is here to propose marriage, and the Soul Source Restoration Pill is this old man’s show of good faith. If President Ai Ou agrees to this marriage, this old man will refine ten bottles of Origin King Grade pills for the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce every year!”
Everyone’s gasps could be heard in the hall, staring Zuo De in shock.
Ten bottles meant a hundred pills.
It would have been nothing if it was a normal pill. But it was a hundred Origin King Grade pills! Each pill was priceless. Even for an Alchemist such as Zuo De, it was easier said than done.
Everyone immediately understood that Zuo Ling held an extremely high position in Zuo De’s mind. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to offer such generous conditions.
Ai Ou’s heart started pounding. Deep in his heart, he was exhilarated but was extremely annoyed as well.
In the past, when Zuo De was asked to refine Origin King Grade pills, not only would Ai Ou have to provide a large number of ingredients as remuneration but would also have to depend on whether Zuo De was in a good mood or not. Even so, he got only twenty or so Origin King Grade pills from Zuo De.
And last year, he only got five pills!
And now, this old man was offering a hundred pills every year. Obviously, he could do it with ease. Ai Ou had no idea how Zuo De had been hiding all this.
This made him very annoyed. He felt that all the expensive gifts his Chamber of Commerce had offered to Zuo De had been fed to the dogs.
A hundred Origin King Grade pills a year left everyone in a complete shock.
No one could reject such a generous condition. Many Alchemists belonging to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce furtively winked at Ai Ou, signalling him to agree quickly without hesitation.
They urged Ai Ou like this because of two reasons: On the one hand, they were considering the Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, they were urging Ai Ou for their own sake.
As long as this marriage went through, Grandmaster Zuo De would definitely remain in Water Sky City. They would then have the chance to communicate with Grandmaster Zuo De and ask for advice.
But Ai Ou didn’t go along with their wishes.
“Does President Ai Ou think that this old man’s sincerity is lacking?” Zuo De immediately looked sullen. He had already given such generous conditions but he still didn’t get a positive response from Ai Ou. He was surprised by this but even more so he was angered. “Or does President Ai Ou feel like that this old man’s granddaughter isn’t worthy of Third Young Master?”
Ai Ou’s forehead couldn’t help but be drenched in a cold sweat. He hurriedly waved his hands and justified himself, “It’s not like that. Xue Yue would really be blessed to have someone like Ling’er as his wife. How could she not be worthy?”
“If that’s the case, then why is Sir President hesitating?” Zhang Yuan asked, gazing straight at Ai Ou. “Third Young Master is talented and Miss Ling’er is drop-dead gorgeous. The two are a perfect match. They are a match made in heaven!”
Ai Ou glanced calmly at Zhan Yuan. He could not wait to slap him to death.
[Why didn’t I find this guy so annoying before? Why is he looking so displeasing today?]
“Grandmaster Zhan is right…” Ai Ou might find Zhan Yuan repulsive but for the fear of offending Zuo De, he had no choice but to address Zhan Yuan as Grandmaster unlike before when he used to call him by his name directly. “But…”
“But what?” Zuo De’s voice turned extremely cold. There was a sense of aggression in his voice. Obviously, he was in a very bad mood.
“But…”
“Grandmaster, please forgive me! Actually, the problem lies in with Xue Yue.” Xue Yue, seeing his father in a predicament, took the initiative and stepped up, cupped her fists, and explained, “Xue Yue’s heart already belongs to someone. I have long agreed to stay with the other party together forever, never to part with each other. Please forgive me, Grandmaster!”
Zuo Ling shook, as if she was about to fall upon hearing this. Looking at Xue Yue, her pretty face turned pale and her eyes turned red; she was about to break into tears.
Xue Yue turned and looked straight at Zuo Ling before trying to explain herself, “Sister Ling’er, we have known each other since we were young. We might not have spent a lot of time with each other but I have always regarded you as my younger sister. I never had any other thoughts about you. I only liked you as a sister… please forgive Xue Yue, I can’t accept your feelings!”
Zuo Ling was already feeling extremely aggrieved. And now, she immediately broke into tears. The sight of her crying was like a pear flower in a storm. Everyone’s heart cried out for her!
Many people couldn’t beat the sight of her crying.
Zuo De’s face had turned so cold that one could shave off a layer of frost off from his face.
“I don’t care, I don’t care!” Zuo Ling suddenly grabbed Zuo De’s arm and started shaking and shouting, “I just want to be with Brother Xue Yue. Grandpa, you have to think of something. Grandpa, aren’t you omnipotent, quickly think of some way. If I can’t marry Brother Xue Yue, Ling’er… Ling’er will die!”
Everyone’s face immediately turned black.
Having seen Zuo Ling raising such a fuss, everyone immediately understood that it was because she was totally spoiled by Zuo De. Otherwise, how could a girl act so wildly in public?
Zuo De appeared distressed and helpless. He patted the back of Zuo Ling’s hand and consoled her, “Stop crying first. Isn’t Grandpa still discussing with President Ai Ou? If you cry again, Grandpa will leave immediately. I will never come to Water Sky City in the future, and you can forget meeting the Third Young Master for your entire life!”
This trick worked immediately; Zuo Ling immediately stopped crying, but this couldn’t stop her from sobbing and choking. Her delicate shoulders kept trembling. She looked at Xue Yue with a grieving look on her face.
Xue Yue was feeling completely helpless. She put Zuo Ling’s glance aside. She knew that her hesitation and indecision would invariably lead to trouble. It wasn’t the time to act soft!
Meanwhile, Ai Ou was also disheartened. With his shrewdness, how could he not notice what Zuo De meant to say? It might look like Zue De was comforting Zuo Lin, but he was actually threatening Ai Ou.
His intent was very obvious. If Ai Ou couldn’t satisfy his granddaughter, he will immediately leave Water Sky City and will never set foot here in his life!
In other words, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would lose their only Origin king Grade Alchemist! Not only would it be a big blow to the actual interest of the entire Chamber of Commerce but also a big blow to their reputation.
If it really happened, would their Chamber of Commerce still be able to hire another Origin King Grade Alchemist or an Artifact Refiner in the future?
The answer was obviously no, unless they could train their very own Origin King Grade Alchemist and Artifact Refiner. But how could it be that easy? The birth of Origin King Grade Alchemist and Artifact Refiner was even harder than raising a cultivator to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
Otherwise, peak-level Alchemists and Artifact Refiners would not be so rare in this world. And Ai Ou would not have to swallow all the insult and still accompany Zuo De with a smile even after having been embarrassed by Zuo De to this extent.
Suddenly, Ai Ou felt that this day was the most vexing day of his life.
“President Ai Ou.” Zuo De calmed his tone and said, “As you can see, this girl is hell-bent on having her own way, this old man really has no choice. And since the Third Young Master’s heart already belongs to someone, this old man cannot force him against his will and separate the lovers. Otherwise, if the word got out, everyone would point their fingers at this old man. How about this old man give the Third Young Master and you a few days to think about it and give this old man a reply? This old man will be staying in Water Sky City for a few days. When you have thought it over, you can come and find this old man.”
He was sure that Ai Ou was desperate to have him refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill. That’s why he said this.
Sure enough, Ai Ou appeared to be in a big predicament. He wanted to ask Zuo De to refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill first, but he couldn’t open his mouth to ask. Because he knew that even if he brazenly asked Zuo De, Zuo De would surely come up with an excuse to decline.
Like he was in a bad mood or Zuo Ling would interfere…
He felt that it was better to keep quiet than to ask for nothing.
His gaze fell on Xue Yue. He could not help but consider whether to agree to Zuo De’s request first and deal with the aftermath once Gu Bi Hu is cured.
But when all was said and done, Xue Yue was a girl. If he really agreed, he would end up offending Zue De completely.
Ai Ou was having a huge headache. Nothing had put him in such a difficult position. He was in charge of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and had been leading it vigorously and effectively. The entire Chamber of Commerce had been growing steadily under his command, but up against Zuo De’s proposal, he was at a loss.
“I have long heard of Grandmaster Zuo De’s reputation and come to admire you. But after seeing what transpired today, tch tch…”
Just when Ai Ou was cursing in his heart, a voice suddenly echoed in the hall.
Ai Ou couldn’t help but be shocked. He immediately turned and looked for the source of the voice. And after he saw who just spoke, he stood in a daze, dumbstruck and frowning.
Because he discovered that the speaker was none other than Yang Kai!
[Yang Kai and Xue Yue have a good relationship. Obviously, he spoke up just now because Xue Yue had stepped forward. But he had gone a bit overboard. This would definitely offend Zuo De.]
[However, he’s not a member of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. He doesn’t represent the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so no matter how he offended Zuo De, it had nothing to do with the Chamber of Commerce.]
Having thought about it this way, Ai Ou suddenly realized that Yang Kai was the most appropriate person to talk about these things now. His eyes involuntarily lit up as he cast an emotional glance at Yang Kai.
Other people’s expressions immediately changed after hearing this. Yang Kai might not have finished his sentence, but the disdain in his words was pretty obvious to everyone.
[Isn’t he simply giving a tight slap right on his face by saying this in the face of an Origin King Grade Alchemist?] The expression in many Origin Grade Alchemist’s eyes changed when they looked at Yang Kai.
Zuo De still maintained some subtlety. He didn’t get angry immediately. Rather he narrowed his eyes when he looked at Yang Kai before asking calmly, “President Ai Ou, he is…”
“Reporting to Grandmaster, Yang Kai is my friend.” Before Ai Ou could reply, Xue Yue seized the initiative to answer.
“Is he a member of your Chamber of Commerce?” Zuo De started to furrow his brow.
“No! He happened to be passing by and came to visit me, that’s all,” Xue Yue explained.
Zuo De nodded his understanding and said with a smile hanging on his lips, “Your Excellency, this old man simply can’t ignore what you just said. Your Excellency seemed to be dissatisfied with this old man? Has this old man offended you before?”
From Zhan Yuan, Zuo De knew that Yang Kai had spoken ill of him behind his back. Actually, Yang Kai hadn’t badmouthed him but just had said that he was putting on airs a little. Zuo De had secretly put down Yang Kai’s name in his heart. He had secretly decided that he would not refine any Origin King Grade pill for Yang Kai in the future. But he couldn’t make trouble for Yang Kai just because of this. He could only give it up on that matter. But Yang Kai stood up and badmouthed him again. And naturally, he couldn’t laugh it off now.
[So what if you are a Second-Order Origin King cultivator? You will have no choice but to beg this old man when you are in a need!] Zuo De felt proud when he thought of this.
“Grandmaster must be joking, this is the first time this Yang has met Grandmaster, so how could you have offended me?” Yang Kai calmly said.
“In that case, why are you…”
“To be honest, what’s the problem?” Yang Kai smiled comfortably.
Zuo De’s face immediately sank. Just as he was about to say something, Yang Kai continued, “Alchemists are like doctors and healers. It’s a noble profession that attaches equal attention to both skill and humanity, both of which are indispensable. Mrs. Gu’s soul has been injured for a year already, her life has been hanging by a thread. But Grandmaster didn’t even immediately refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill to save the patient as soon as possible after arriving here! Instead, you are using her condition to force President Ai Ou and Third Young Master to marry your granddaughter. It’s rather apparent that Grandmaster is skilled but you are lacking humanity… is Grandmaster really worthy of the word ‘Grandmaster’? Don’t you find this word a little heavy to bear? Grandmaster is old, I hope you don’t get crushed by its weight.”
As soon as Yang Kai said this, not only did the expressions of many Origin grade Alchemists worsen but even the expression on President Ai Ou’s face grew even more complicated.
He had never even expected Yang Kai’s words to be so sharp and direct, they almost tore the skin off Zuo De’s face.
Yang Kai might have spoken what was going in Ai Ou’s mind but speaking so directly in front of Zuo De was equal to completely offending him. Even though it was the truth and everyone knew it, he should not have said it so directly.
There were some things that everyone could only keep in their hearts.
“You…” Zuo De’s face turned blue and red. He was unable to find a way to get out of this embarrassing situation. No one had dared to say this in front of him. Even an Origin King Realm cultivator would act respectfully in front of him. When had anyone made such sharp accusations?
When Yang Kai said so, he indeed felt something weighing down on his shoulders.
“Who are you? How dare you speak ill of Grandpa?” Zuo Ling immediately lashed out in anger. She promptly raised her hand as a Fire Dragon flew out from her palm, flying straight at Yang Kai.
She was already sad and heartbroken, so when she heard Yang Kai accuse Zuo De in such a blatant manner, she couldn’t take it anymore. She wanted to beat Yang Kai up to vent her anger.
Thus, she attacked without a moment of hesitation.
As Zuo De’s granddaughter, Zuo Ling had a good aptitude, and coupled with massive amounts of pills provided by Zuo De, she had reached the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm despite her young age.
Although she attacked casually, the attack itself was quite powerful. The surrounding temperature shot through the roof Just as the Fire Dragon shot through the air, bearing its jaws at Yang Kai.
“Ling’er, stop!” Zuo De was struck with panic. Zuo Ling was young and impulsive. He might not have a proper idea where Yang Kai’s limits lay, but he had heard from Zhan Yuan that Yang Kai was a Second-Order Origin King Master. Zuo Ling wasn’t his opponent, no matter what.
And in case Yang Kai got angry and hurt Zuo Ling, it would be a big loss.
However, he was a bit late. When he shouted, the Fire Dragon was already before Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression remained the same, nonetheless. He remained still in his place. All he did was stretched his hand out, opened his palm and grabbed at the Fire Dragon at his own pace. Immediately, flames and sparks scattered around in the air as the surrounding temperature returned to normal.
Zuo Ling was dumbstruck. Obviously, she hadn’t expected her attack to be so easily dealt with by the opponent. She also came to realize that Yang Kai was far stronger than her.
Nevertheless, she wasn’t afraid. On the contrary, she nibbled her lips and screamed, “Grandpa, he is bullying me. Help me teach him a lesson!”
While speaking, she shook Zuo De’s arm to and fro constantly. Zuo De’s old body immediately shook left and right like a ship in a storm.
Zuo Ling always believed Zuo De to be omnipotent because all those Origin King Realm masters acted all respectful before him. So after she had suffered a little, she immediately counted on Zuo De to stand up for her.
But how could Zuo De do anything? He was respected by the Origin King Realm masters because of his Alchemy skills and not because of his cultivation. He was just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. If he tried to teach Yang Kai a lesson with his own cultivation, it would be tantamount to courting death!
Yang Kai could not help but sneer.
Anyhow, he was a Second-Order Origin King master now, he could teach Zuo Ling a lesson for attacking him. But if he really acted all serious because of the misdemeanours of a little girl, he felt that he would be making a fuss over a small issue. But who would have thought that Zuo Ling would shout at Ai Ou when she saw Zuo De not respond after so long, “Uncle Ai Ou, kill him! If you kill him, I’ll ask Grandpa to refine that whatever Source Pill!”
Yang Kai’s face immediately darkened just as he heard this.
A strange look also appeared on Ai Ou’s face. [Is it my turn to give in if anyone annoys this pampered girl?!]
It was understandable for a pampered girl like her to be a bit willful but it was really too much to take someone’s life just because she was pissed. Not to mention, she started it; Yang Kai wasn’t responsible for this. As long as anyone had a little brain, he would not agree with Zuo Ling. More importantly, one would be offending a Second-Order Origin King master.
“Uncle Ai Ou, didn’t you invite Grandpa to refine that pill? You are so powerful, he is definitely not your opponent. Just kill him already.” Zuo Ling, pointing at Yang Kai, exhorted Ai Ou in an arrogant and overbearing manner like she was ordering a subordinate.
“Er…” Ai Ou forced a smile and said, “Miss Ling, Uncle is not necessarily his opponent.”
“How is that possible? Aren’t you the President of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, one of the most powerful people in the world? How could you not be his opponent? Oh, I get it, you don’t want that pill.”
“Ling’er, stop fooling around!” Zuo De couldn’t take it anymore and shouted.
Zuo Ling’s face crumpled when she noticed that her Grandpa was really, really angry. She no longer pestered endlessly. But when she saw Yang Kai’s expression, she became extremely irritated. She grit her teeth so hard that they were rattling. She looked as if she would rush and bite Yang Kai hard.
“Xue Yue, you made the right choice by not agreeing to this marriage,” Yang Kai said with a smile. “If you married someone like her, your life would be miserable.”
Xue Yue glared at Yang Kai but didn’t retort.
“Your Excellency, you have been provoking this old man time and time again. What on earth do you want?” Zuo De glared at Yang Kai gloomily. He looked displeased and angry.
“Hehe, again with that! I am just stating the truth.” Yang Kai gave an indifferent smile.
“Ling’er had indeed been pampered by this old man, but her nature is still good. So, you can’t make such a comment!”
“She is willing to take someone’s life at her will and you say her nature is good!? If I was a Saint King rather than a Second-Order Origin King, I’m afraid my corpse would be lying where I stand!” Yang Kai ceaselessly sneered.
“If you were a Saint King, you would not have been qualified to talk to this old man!”
“Unfortunately for you, I’m not!”
“That’s enough!” Zhan Yuan immediately stepped out; he couldn’t take the sight of Yang Kai giving tit for tat to Zuo De anymore, “Your Excellency, you are really being disrespectful to the Honored Teacher. Have you forgotten who refined the pills you have used to cultivate all these years? Every cultivator, who knows a little bit of gratitude, would not treat a highly respected Grandmaster Alchemist like you did!”
“When one drinks water, he must not forget where the water comes from!” Yang Kai nodded. “You want to say this, right? Sorry, but as I’ve told you before, I’m an Alchemist. All the pills I have taken were refined by me. As the adage goes, two of a trade seldom agree. So I don’t have to be grateful to any Alchemist.”
“Your Excellency is also an Alchemist?” Zuo De’s eyes glistened with a sharp gleam. He didn’t seem to believe it.
“That’s right!”
“Oh!?” A sneer appeared on Zuo De’s lips. “Dare I ask what level of Alchemist are you? Where is your Alchemist’s badge!?”
“I don’t have it. And as for what’s my level, I can’t say.”
The nearby Zhan Yuan sneered. “Honored Teacher, why take this guy seriously? His Martial Dao cultivation might be deep but he isn’t that old. Even if he is an Alchemist, he isn’t worth your notice. You are standing at the peak of the entire Star Field.”
Zuo De smiled proudly, looking at Yang Kai with a sliver of contempt.
“Peak!? Not necessarily!?” Yang Kai chuckled and said, “Although there aren’t many Origin King Grade Alchemists, I know one who is younger than Grandmaster. She will certainly go farther than Grandmaster in the future!”
Naturally, he was talking about Xia Ning Chang.
“Bullshit!” Zuo De shouted. He appeared to be angry. “This old man has already reached the peak of Low-Rank Origin King Grade and could break through to Mid-Rank Origin King Grade anytime. Who can surpass this old man in the entire Star Field!”
When the field he was proficient was mentioned, Zuo De became aggressive and didn’t show the slightest bit of sign of backing down.
“Grandmaster doesn’t believe it!?” Yang Kai looked at him with a smile.
“Bring that person here, this old man will compete with him and make him accept defeat!” Zuo De let out a cold snort.
“That person is billions of miles away, I can’t bring her on such short notice. However, if Grandmaster really wants to compete… How about this Yang competes with Grandmaster? This Yang believes that his Alchemy skills aren’t worse than hers. If you can defeat this Yang, this Yang will admit what you just said, but if you can’t even beat this Yang then, he he…”
Everyone on the stairs of the main hall looked at Yang Kai with a slack jaw as if they had seen something unbelievable.
Zong Ao’s jaw slackened so wide that one could stuff their fist in it.
Ai Ou’s expression changed as many thoughts flashed in his mind. Suddenly, he seemed to have realized Yang Kai’s intention as a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes involuntarily. He was filled with extreme gratitude.
[Anyhow, this Yang Kai is indeed a good guy and is worth making friends with.]
“What!? What did you just say?” Zuo De stared at Yang Kai in surprise. He suspected that there was something wrong with his ears.
“Grandmaster’s age is catching up with him.” Yang Kai heaved a sigh. “This one just said that Grandmaster might as well compete with this Yang in Alchemy.”
“You want to compete with this old man in Alchemy?” Zuo De broke into laughter before speaking disdainfully, “This old man really can’t see what’s making you so confident.”
“Grandmaster doesn’t need to worry about this. All Grandmaster needs to do is tell me whether you are going to do it or not!”
“Hmph, do you think this old man can’t guess what your intentions are? Do you think you can provoke this old man to do your bidding? If this old man does compete with you, do you want to compete with this old man in refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill!?” Zuo De sneered at Yang Kai.
“Well, Grandmaster is indeed wise, this Yang was indeed going to propose this,” Yang Kai said in surprise.
In a flash, everyone immediately realized what Yang Kai was doing.
If Zuo De really competed with Yang Kai in Alchemy out of anger, then Yang Kai had intended to set the goal of the competition to refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill.
And in order to win, Zuo De would go all out to make it successful.
This way, Gu Bi Hu’s crisis and President Ai Ou’s pressing matter would be resolved.
As for whether Yang Kai could refine it or not… who cared about him?
It wasn’t a shame to lose to an Origin King Grade Alchemist in Alchemy.
But if he lost to an Alchemist in a fight, then it would be really shameful!
“What a joke!? This old man won’t be fooled by your paltry tricks!” Zuo De let out a cold snort as he looked at Yang Kai with disdain. His expression gave the impression that he had seen through everything of Yang Kai.
“Grandmaster is treating me unjustly by saying that.” Yang Kai smiled slightly. “Let’s do it this way, how about this Yang up the stakes to make this competition fair?”
“What are the stakes!?” Zuo De asked in a cold tone.
“If I lose, I will be your bodyguard for a thousand years!” Yang Kai quickly added with an honest look on his face.
“What!?” Everyone was greatly shocked upon hearing this. They looked at Yang Kai as if they were looking at a fool. Even Zuo De seemed to be tempted.
He might be an Origin King Grade Alchemist and he might have many masters among his subordinates, but none of them was an Origin King Realm master!
All the Origin King Realm masters were proud and arrogant. They might act all polite when they asked him to refine pills but how could they let themselves be ordered and enslaved by him?
Not to mention, Yang Kai wasn’t an ordinary Origin King, he was a Second-Order Origin King!
There weren’t that many Second-Order Origin Kings in the entire Star Field!
[If I could have a Second-Order Origin King as a subordinate, then along with my identity as the Origin King Grade Alchemist, I would rule the entire Star Field!]
Zuo De was inevitably moved. Even though he felt that it was a set-up, he couldn’t help but agree out of confidence in his own Alchemy skills.
“Yang Kai!” Xue Yue screamed in surprise. She seemed to be about to persuade Yang Kai but Yang Kai raised his hand to stop her.
Then he turned to Zuo De and spoke indifferently, “This Yang has no talent, this one is only a Second-Order Origin King now. But this one happens to have a strong and robust body. It won’t be a problem to live for a couple of millennia. I should have more than enough time to be Grandmaster’s bodyguard for a thousand years, but I don’t know if Grandmaster dares to take this bet?”
The expression of Ai Ou and many Alchemists immediately changed. Everyone was shocked by Yang Kai’s shocking behaviour.
Zuo De’s expression also changed. He nodded and said, “You are indeed right. Your proposal sure is tempting but just being a bodyguard is far from enough, this old man wants you to be at my beck and call!”
Just as Zuo De said this, Ai Ou’s face blackened with rage. He looked clearly unhappy.
Every Origin King Realm master was a high and mighty figure. Even if they acted modestly before Zuo De, that was out of respect for him. When Yang Kai said that he would act as Zuo De’s bodyguard for a thousand years, it was already an extremely unbelievable and unbearable proposition from Ai Ou’s point of view. If it was him in place of Yang Kai, he couldn’t agree, no matter what.
But not only was Zuo De not satisfied with this, but he also wanted Yang Kai to be at his beck and call.
He wasn’t asking for a bodyguard but a servant!
A bodyguard was only responsible for Zuo De’s safety but a servant was different. The servant would need to complete all kinds of Zuo De’s orders, giving up his dignity completely.
It was an insult to the Origin King Realm masters! It was a blatant show of disrespect!
Ai Ou too was an Origin King Realm master, and a Second-Order Origin King at that, just like Yang Kai. He was deeply affected by this situation as if he himself was experiencing it, which inevitably made him furious.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, agreed without a moment of hesitation.
Zuo De hadn’t expected Yang Kai to agree so readily. He thought that Yang Kai would bargain with him back and forth. He proposed it to get as much benefit as possible. He even had several backup plans in his mind. For instance, how many times Yang Kai would have to follow his orders unconditionally.
But it never ever crossed his mind that he might not even get to use them. He was stunned for a moment. However, he soon opened his mouth and proposed again, “A thousand years aren’t enough: two thousand years!”
“Okay!” Yang Kai agreed again without thinking.
“Grandmaster Zuo De!” Ai Ou suddenly shouted in a deep and reverberating voice. “Aren’t you going a bit overboard with this proposal?”
He finally couldn’t hold the anger in his heart. Even when Zuo De arrived late to Water Sky City, Ai Ou had not taken it to his heart. Even when he threatened Ai Ou to agree to Xue Yue’s marriage, Ai Ou had still put up with it. But now, Zuo De was practically trying to take the lion’s share. He had directly increased a thousand years to two thousand years.
Who could bear the fetters for two millennia?
Ai Ou couldn’t put up with it anymore.
In any case, Yang Kai proposed to compete with Zuo De in Alchemy for Gu Bi Hu. Although Ai Ou had no idea why Yang Kai wanted to do this, he was still very grateful to him. Regardless of whether it could be done or not, he owed Yang Kai a favour, a very big favour.
Was there another Second-Order Origin King in the world who was willing to use his freedom to do someone’s bidding for two thousand years?
He was the only one in the world!
Therefore, Ai Ou stepped up without a moment of hesitation, changing his previous attitude and accusing Zuo De.
If he didn’t even have such courage and determination, then he didn’t deserve to be the President of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Zuo De sneered. “He agreed to it himself, President Ai Ou. Why are you worried?”
Yang Kai looked at Ai Ou and gave him a calm smile. “President Ai Ou, please wait a moment. Although I agreed for two thousand years, whether Grandmaster could live for so long still remains unknown.”
He was indirectly cursing Zuo De’s early death. Zuo De was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, moreover, he had already lived for a long time. Otherwise, he won’t have been an Origin King Grade Alchemist. The next two thousand years were indeed a long way for him.
Zuo De couldn’t help but scowl. He let out a cold snort and retort, “Rest assured, this old man will try his best to survive for another two thousand years for today’s bet.”
“I hope so.” Yang Kai smiled.
Ai Ou sighed. Surprisingly, he raised his hand and patted Yang Kai. “Brother Yang, you and I are brothers from now on. This Ai has etched today’s events in his mind!”
“Hehe…” The corner of Yang Kai’s lips couldn’t help but twitch. Yang Kai’s current feeling was too hard to describe. He was feeling extremely conflicted; his emotions were in turmoil. He didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry.
He immediately diverted the topic and said, “Now that this Yang’s ante is set, what about Grandmaster’s?”
Zuo De’s expression immediately turned cold. He promptly asked, “What ante do you think is suitable for this old man?”
Yang Kai smiled. “Since this Yang has used his own personal freedom, Grandmaster should do the same for the sake of fairness!”
Zuo De furrowed his brow, but he didn’t agree right away.
“What’s wrong? Does Grandmaster dare not fulfil it? Does Grandmaster have no confidence in his Alchemy and thinks that he will lose to this Yang?” Yang Kai fanned the flames.
“Bullshit!” Zuo De immediately blew his top. “When it comes to Alchemy, this old man will not lose to anyone. But if you think you can make this old man agree using provocation, it’s useless!”
“Tsk tsk…” Yang Kai clucked his tongue, deliberately acting ambiguously. “Ah, Grandmaster can’t afford to lose, is that it!? Forget it then, there is no need to be so angry. I also don’t want you to bet your freedom for the little years you have. In that case… how about you refine a hundred Origin King Grade pills every year for the rest of Grandmaster’s life.”
“A hundred pills a year!?” Zuo De’s face reddened in anger. “Don’t you think you are trying to take the lion’s share!?”
Before Yang Kai could say anything, Zong Ao, who had been standing on the sidelines till now, sneered and said, “Grandmaster, how can you say this? Yang Kai has bet his two thousand years of freedom. He is a Second-Origin King master. Grandmaster, don’t you think you should come up with equal stakes? A hundred Origin King Grade pills a year is nothing for Grandmaster, but two thousand years of freedom is very significant for Yang Kai. Grandmaster, you can be considered to be a man of noble character and high prestige, yet you have been doing not this, not that. Are you trying to take advantage of your old age?”
Zong Ao had been watching the show from the sidelines for a long time. He already couldn’t take it long ago.
At first, he still respected Zuo De as an Alchemist even though he despised Zuo De’s character. But now it had become apparent to him that this old guy’s character was worse than he had thought. In contrast, Yang Kai’s charm was simply boundless.
The sliver of respect he had for Zuo De had vanished in a puff of smoke.
Zuo De wasn’t affected by Zong Ao’s words at all. He sneered and said, “In this old man’s opinion, his freedom is not worth a penny. But this old man has to refine a hundred Origin King Grade pills every year, that’s nerve-racking. God knows how many people would die for just one pill!”
“Hmm… you are right.” Much to everyone’s surprise, Yang Kai nodded in agreement. “Well then, I don’t want you to refine a hundred pills a year, how about eighty?”
“Fifty, not a pill more!” Zuo De waved his hand.
“Sevent…”
“Fifty-five!”
“Seventy!”
“Sixty!”
“Deal!”
Under everyone’s dumbstruck gazes, the two bickered and haggled back and forth before finally agreeing on sixty Origin King Grade pills a year!
Although it was less than half of what Yang Kai proposed, sixty Origin King Grade pills was also a huge fortune. In the entire Star Field, just an Origin King Grade pill was enough to make people fight and kill for it.
Only a Grandmaster like Zuo De could talk about a hundred or sixty of them so easily.
“Kid!” After the stakes were agreed, a grim look seemed to have appeared on Zuo De’s face. He looked at Yang Kai with a hideous smile. “Today, the gamble between you and I is decided in front of President Ai Ou and many Origin Grade Alchemists. If you dare not admit it after losing, then…”
“Rest assured, President Ai Ou has a big reputation in Star Field. He always acts impartially unlike someone who deceives the public with false reputation. I want to ask him to be the arbiter. If you or I don’t fulfil the stakes after losing, I ask President Ai Ou to kill him on the spot!” Yang Kai suggested with a smile hanging on his lips.
Zuo De’s face immediately darkened. A sliver of fear could be seen in the depths of his eyes.
He was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. If Ai Ou really decided to kill him, he would not see the light of the next day no matter what.
After giving it a second thought, he said in a grave voice, “It’s not that this old man suspects President Ai Ou’s character, it’s just that… Your Excellency is a Second-Order Origin King master, just like President Ai Ou. If you tried to escape, President Ai Ou might not be able to stop you.”
Ai Ou’s face grew cold. Just when he was about to say something, subtle energy fluctuations appeared in the void as a figure emerged out of nowhere.
A smile was hanging on that figure’s face that made everyone bask in warmth. His hair and beard was all white but his complexion was extremely ruddy, giving everyone the impression that he was a young man. And standing straight with the sheathed sword hanging on his back, his entire figure gave everyone the impression of a peerless blade with a hidden edge; it was exceptionally daunting.
The figure, carrying its hands behind the back, walked down the air step by step and said with a smile, “If Ai Ou can’t stop him, I will intercept him myself. Is that okay with you, Grandmaster Zuo De?”
The crowd only reacted after hearing this man’s voice. They immediately looked for the source. And when they saw his face, Ai Ou couldn’t help but be shocked. He hurriedly cupped his fists and bowed. “Martial Uncle Long, how come you are here?”
[Martial Uncle Long…]
Ai Ou’s address made everyone immediately realize the identity of this man.
The only Third-Order Origin King master of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce; one of the prominent figures standing at the peak of the Star Field, Long Tian Shang!
Just how Purple Star had Master Lunatic, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had Long Tian Shang. These two were fearsome figures that could shake the entire universe.
However, Long Tian Shang’s fame was far greater than Master Lunatic because, when Long Tian Shang had just advanced to the Third-Order Origin King Realm a thousand years ago, he went to a Cultivation Star for some reason and slaughtered dozens of small and large sects there, creating rivers of blood and mountains of corpses in a radius of thousands of miles on that Cultivation Star. It was just like a hell on earth.
Long Tian Shang’s notoriety had spread far and wide after that battle! Everyone in the Star Field would turn pale whenever they talked about him.
No one had any idea what conflicts or grievances Long Tian Shang had with the sects he wiped out. The only thing that got around was that it was related to a woman.
Since then, Ling Tian Shang had gone into hiding and no one had seen him in the last thousand years, but everyone knew that he was guarding Water Moon Star and was in a retreat somewhere on it.
No one had ever thought that he would show up today.
No one dared to be inattentive to a Third-Order Origin King expert. Everyone cupped their fists and bowed to him. Even someone as arrogant as Zuo De was not exempted from the conventions.
Long Tian Shang chuckled and cupped his fists back to Zuo De before speaking in a calm manner, “Grandmaster still hasn’t changed even after all these years. This Tian Shang is very glad.”
“Elder Long is too kind.” Zuo De nodded.
“Martial Uncle Long, what made you come out today?” Ai Ou asked in surprise. Others might not have an idea about Long Tian Shang’s temper but he had a pretty good idea. In the entire Star Field, he was the only one who had the most contacts with Long Tian Shang.
Generally, even he would have a hard time meeting Long Tian Shang. More often than not he would have the door slammed on his face even when he went to greet him, leaving him no choice but to leave dejected. How could he have known that Long Tian Shang would show up today? Long Tian Shang’s appearance caught even him by surprise.
“I came to join in the fun.” Long Tian Shang chuckled. His temperament was quite extraordinary, giving everyone the feeling of showering in a spring breeze. Anyone who saw him would involuntarily develop a sense of intimacy. While speaking, he turned his head and looked at Yang Kai. “You must be Yang Kai. I can call you by your name, that’s not a problem, is it?”
“Not at all.” Yang Kai smiled and nodded his acknowledgement.
“Mhmm, you are very good. My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce will be your ally from now on. You can come whenever you want, we are all family from now on,” Long Tian Shang said with a smile.
“Thank you very much, Senior. This junior will definitely treat this as half my home.” Yang Kai immediately made the most of it.
How could the nearby Xue Yue not know what Yang Kai meant? Her pretty eyes immediately flickered with shyness and happiness.
On the other hand, Zuo De’s face couldn’t help but turn ugly when he saw Long Tian Shan say so. Long Tian Shang might not have said much, but judging by these words alone, it was quite evident that he was pretty dissatisfied with Zuo De’s conduct. Otherwise, why would he be so close to Yang Kai?
[But… so what!? In theory, a Third-Order Origin King and I have the same status.] Thus, Zuo De didn’t care too much about it.
“That’s better.” Long Tian Shang nodded his acknowledgement. He seemed pretty satisfied with Yang Kai’s performance. He then chuckled and immediately switched the topic, “That being said, you have made a bet with Grandmaster Zuo De today. Since this King has come to join in the excitement, if you don’t admit it after you lose, this King won’t sit by. This King will truly kill you if you try to escape.”
He said it with a smile. There wasn’t the slightest bit of murderous intent in his tone, yet despite that, the listeners couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
With a Third-Order Origin King master presiding over this, who would dare to repudiate the bet? It was tantamount to courting death.
“Senior, don’t worry. This junior is an honest boy, I will never go back on my word.”
“I hope so,” Long Tian Shang then turned to Zuo De again. “Grandmaster, what about you? Do you still worry even after this Long is presiding over this?”
“It’s more than enough.” Zuo De nodded.
“Since that’s the case, you guys can start. It’s been a long time since I saw such an interesting thing. This Long also wants to watch a good show.” Long Tian Shang smiled before he vanished like a puff of smoke.
He disappeared just like that.
But everyone knew that he didn’t go far. Because his words had put too much pressure on others, he had taken the initiative to leave.
“Brother Yang, do you really want to do this?” Ai Ou gazed at Yang Kai with a serious look on his face. In his heart, he didn’t want Yang Kai to compete with Zuo De in Alchemy.
He was grateful for Yang Kai’s proposal but was also feeling helpless.
In his opinion, it was no different than a three-year-old child comparing strength against an adult, the former had no chance of winning.
On the other hand, Brother Yang sounded pretty jarring to Yang Kai.
But he couldn’t bluntly point it out, so he was left with no choice but to pretend to be indifferent. So he nodded and said, “Since Senior Long is already here, does this junior still have any chance to regret?”
“Hehe, no, you don’t.” Long Tiang Shang’s loud laughter immediately echoed from the void. His laughter seemed to be filled with schadenfreude, making Xue Yue grind her teeth in anger.
“Sigh!” Ai Ou heaved a heavy sigh. “Since that’s the case, you guys should begin. Ai Ou, Martial Uncle Long, and the Grandmasters, we all will be the witnesses!”
He knew that since things had reached this point, he was completely powerless to turn them back.
However, he also secretly made up his mind that if Yang Kai really lost, he would help Yang Kai escape even if it cost him his reputation.
In any case, Yang Kai had jumped into this muddy water because of Gu Bi Hu.
However, he still couldn’t figure out why Yang Kai did this.
“Haha, you are so dead now,” Zhan Yuan, who was standing by Zuo De’s side, started laughing like a villain. “Honored Teacher, you don’t need to hold back. You should let him know that you, Sir are the best Alchemist in the world.”
“Hmph, you didn’t have to say it.” Zuo De let out a cold snort. He squinted his eyes half and said, gazing at Yang Kai, “How do you want to compete with this old man? Don’t think that this old man is bullying you, the content of the competition will be up to you. No matter what kind of pill you decide, this old man will take it.”
He looked at Yang Kai in disdain, assuming the appearance that the victory was already within his grasp.
[How ridiculous! There is actually such an idiot who wants to compete with me in Alchemy!? I will let you know how to write the word ‘serve’ later.]
“This Yang had declared the content of the competition already, we will refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill!” Yang Kai smiled.
“Impossible!” Before Zuo De could speak anything, Ai Ou suddenly interrupted with a shout, looking at Yang Kai with a solemn look. “Brother Yang, choose another pill. Soul Source Restoration Pill is really…”
[It’s really a very high-level pill. It’s a Mid-Rank Origin King Grade Pill, and you need to be an Origin King Grade Alchemist to refine it. A High-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist is completely ill-equipped to refine it. He would only be wasting the herbs.]
[Yang Kai’s Martial Dao cultivation is very high despite his young age. He must have devoted all his time to the Martial Dao, so how could he have reached high-level in Alchemy? Even if he is an Alchemy prodigy, it’s still impossible to be an Origin King Grade Alchemist!]
[If he chose the Soul Source Restoration Pill for the competition, he has already lost before competing.]
Ai Ou was grateful to Yang Kai for considering Gu Bi Hu but he couldn’t let him jump into the fiery pit, no matter what. If he really let Yang Kai do so, then he would become someone else. Therefore, he rejected it and said, eagerly looking at Yang Kai, “How about you choose the Yuan Restoring Pill. Everyone has used this pill a lot and they can tell the difference between good and bad.”
Yuan Restoring Pill was a pill used by low-level cultivators to restore their Saint Qi. It was only a Low-Rank Saint Grade pill.
Ai Ou believed that Yang Kai should be able to refine it. And as long as he could refine it, he still had a chance. And if by some fluke of luck he refined it with Pill Veins, he just might win.
Zong Ao also nodded in agreement. He too felt that Yuan Restoring Pill was more appropriate. He knew that Yang Kai had some Alchemy skill and that Yang Kai had even refined a pill with Pill Clouds. It would certainly not be difficult for him to refine Yuan Restoring Pill with Pill Veins.
Since Zuo De let Yang Kai decide the content of the competition, then such an excellent chance could not be wasted in vain.
Zhan Yuan immediately stepped up and said, “Since someone wants to choose the Soul Source Restoration Pill, he must be pretty confident in refining it. This Zhan isn’t talented and hopes to have the chance to observe and emulate Your Excellency’s Alchemy Skill. Tch tch, it’s really rare to see someone refine an Origin King Grade pill. What does everyone think?”
Just as he said this, every Alchemist present here looked excited.
They too wanted to observe and emulate the refining of an Origin King Grade pill.
Between Yuan Restoring Pill and Soul Source Restoration Pill, they were more inclined toward the latter. So after hearing Zhan Yuan, they all agreed immediately.
Ai Ou flew into a rage. His majestic eyes focused on Zhan Yuan as the latter couldn’t help but shrink his neck. Perplexed, Zhan Yuan forced a smile and said, “I’m sorry, President Ai Ou but as an Alchemist, this Zhan only considered it as my own perspective. It was indeed my oversight. But most of us here want this. If Sir President likes, you can ask them.”
“No need, I choose the Soul Source Restoration Pill!” Yang Kai waved his hand.
“Have you thought it through?” Zuo Do asked in a cold voice.
“Grandmaster doesn’t look confident?” Yang Kai smiled.
“This old man is afraid that you won’t be able to smile in the future!” Zuo De coldly snorted and said, “Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know what you are doing. Forget it, this old man will refine a Soul Source Restoration Pill as per your wish.”
Even to this point, he still believed that Yang Kai was using his freedom in exchange for the chance to cure Gu Bi Hu. He thought that everything Yang Kai did was only for the Soul Source Restoration Pill.
It never ever crossed his mind that Yang Kai could refine the Origin King Grade pills.
“President Ai Ou, please take out the materials,” Zuo De said to Ai Ou.
Ai Ou furrowed his brow and said, “I only have one set for materials! I can provide the other ingredients but I only have one Seven Colored Elk’s Monster Core. I’m afraid you two can’t compete to refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill.”
“This old man doesn’t care.” Zuo De shook his head. “From the start, these ingredients were prepared for this old man. As for where he will get his ingredients, that’s his business. If he can’t even gather the materials, then it will be considered as his defeat!”
“Grandmaster, if that’s the case, wouldn’t you be winning without competing?” Ai Ou looked extremely dissatisfied.
“He’s going to get his lesson!” Zuo De remained unmoved. He even sneered and added, “Youngsters are always arrogant. They don’t know how high the heavens are and how deep the earth goes. Only after the hammer of experience hammered this into them do they become mature and stable. Let it be a lesson for him. Elder Long, what do you think?”
Zuo De looked towards the void and asked.
After a long silence, Long Tiang’s nonchalant voice echoed from the void, “Grandmaster is right. Ai Ou, give the ingredients you have prepared to Grandmaster.”
“Martial Uncle!” Ai Ou was quite shocked when he heard this. If so, then Yang Kai would have no hope of winning at all. The ingredients for the Soul Source Restoration Pill were incomplete. How was he going to complete then? Ai Ou knew how difficult it was to find that Seven Colored Elk’s Monster Core. Even after mobilizing the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, he could only find one with most of its energy depleted. There was absolutely no second one in the world.
“Since Yang Kai insists, he must have something to rely upon. Maybe he has another set of ingredients. You can hand over the ones you have prepared to Grandmaster Zuo De,” Long Tian Shang’s voice echoed from the void.
Ai Ou was taken aback when he heard this. He immediately turned to Yang Kai, looking at him with an inquiring look on his face.
Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile as a glittering seven-coloured Monster Core appeared in his palm with a flip of his hand. Its seven-coloured glow was a lot brighter than Ai Ou’s Monster Core.
“He does have it!” Everyone exclaimed in surprise. Many alchemists were staring greedily at the Monster Core in Yang Kai’s hands.
If the two Monster Cores were put together, they were almost identical, except…
“Why do I think that this one is a bit different than the one taken out by President Ai Ou!?” Someone mumbled to himself, confused.
“It’s indeed a bit different. It looks the same but there are some subtle differences. Is this really a Seven-Coloured Elk’s Monster Core?”
“This is the Monster Core of a mutated Seven-Coloured Elk. It is not a primordial Monster per se but that Monster Beast also had a sliver of Seven-Coloured Elk’s bloodline,” Yang Kai explained with a smile.
It had been in his Space Ring for many years. It belonged to a mutated Seven-Coloured Elk that he had hunted on the prairie just outside the Emperor Garden when he went there back in the past. It had never come in handy. He had never thought that it would be used for competition today.
“So that’s how it is! What a shame!?” Zong Ao heaved a sigh.
“Why?” Ai Ou had already regarded Yang Kai as one of his own. When he heard Zong Ao say so, he couldn’t help but ask, nervous.
“Seven-Coloured Elk’s Monster Core is one of the main ingredients for refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill. Although the one in Yang Kai’s hand does meet the requirements, it does so barely, it’s impure. It would be much more difficult to refine. And even though most of the energy of the one gathered by the President is depleted, it’s the real deal. If that one is used, it would undoubtedly provide an edge,” explained Zong Ao.
He was a High-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist. He might not be able to refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill, but as the one who suggested this pill recipe, he naturally had done quite some research. Everything he said was definitive.
Ai Ou’s face couldn’t help but turn ugly when he heard him say so.
“Haha, you want to use a defective Monster Core to compete with this old man?” Zuo De broke into laughter. “Kid, this old man advises you to give it up before you embarrass yourself.”
“If the defective one isn’t enough, what if I add this?” Yang Kai smiled as another thing appeared in his hand. Just as it appeared, an odd fragrance permeated into the surroundings. Everyone who smelled it felt their head cleared up. Many of the negative emotions in their hearts were driven away.
“A matching heart!” Zong Ao’s eyes lit up. He immediately smacked his thigh and said, smiling, “That’s better! Now you both are on the same starting line.”
Ai Ou was pleasantly surprised. He knew full well that with the assistance of the matching heart, Yang Kai’s disadvantage would be wiped out instantly.
Zuo De’s expression couldn’t help but darken. He immediately insulted, “You hunted a mutated Seven-Coloured Elk, how surprising! Be that as it may, do you really think that you can defeat this old man with your Alchemy Skills? This old man will give you one last chance to throw in the towel and save yourself the embarrassment. You won’t get another chance!”
“This Yang also gives Grandmaster one last chance. Otherwise, this competition will leave a life-long stain on Grandmaster. It will damage your reputation,” Yang Kai retorted.
“Hmph, there is no point in talking with you. Since you have the ingredients, let’s start. This old man will make you accept defeat!”
Yang Kai turned to Ai Ou and said, cupping his fists, “May I request President Ai Ou to pick a suitable location.”
“The Alchemist Pavilion is not far from here. The Alchemist Pavilion has genuine Earth-Fire, as well as Origin King Grade Alchemy furnaces,” Ai Ou immediately led the way while speaking.
Everyone else closely followed him after. All the Origin Grade Alchemists had their blood pumping at the moment. Their faces were flushed all over. They were unable to hold their excitement. They immediately gathered around Grandmaster Zuo De, taking advantage of this opportunity to ask him some questions.
It wasn’t easy to meet an Origin King Grade Alchemist just because they saw him. Today was their lucky day and how could they not take advantage of this?
Despite Zuo De’s characters, his Alchemy Skill spoke for itself. Just a few pointers from him had helped Zhan Yuan advance to Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist. There were many self-proclaimed genius Alchemists here who believed themselves to be much more talented than Zhan Yuan. If they could get a few advice from Zuo De, they would definitely make the most of it.
Perhaps Zuo De wanted to maintain his own image, he answered all the questions and problems raised by the Alchemists without withholding anything. He didn’t reject anyone.
Many people had benefited a lot from this and felt extremely grateful.
Only Zong Ao followed Yang Kai’s side, regardless of the hustle and bustle on that side.
The villainous Zhan Yuan kept glancing at Yang Kai from time to time with a schadenfreude smile hanging on his face.
“Honoured Teacher, your student encountered a problem a few days ago. I don’t know how to solve it. Can the Honored Teacher clear my doubt?” Zhan Yuan asked in a loud voice all of a sudden.
Many Alchemists perked their ears, wondering what exactly Zhan Yuan wanted to ask.
“Oh? What’s the problem? Let’s hear it.” Zuo De calmly asked.
“There is an ignorant boy who has just stumbled onto the Alchemic Way and wants to compete with your student in Alchemy, hoping to win. Your student is wondering whether I should compete with that guy or not. After all, your student doesn’t want to bully him. But if I don’t agree, he will think that your student’s skills aren’t that good. This really has put me in a jam.”
“What’s to think about it? An Alchemist’s honour cannot be desecrated. He must be taught a hard lesson. He must be taught that the Alchemic Way is not something a ‘nobody’ can dabble in.”
Zhan Yuan looked as if he was stuck with a sudden realization. He cupped his fists and said, “So that’s how it is. Thank you very much for your valuable lesson. Your student understands now.”
Xue Yue, who was walking by Yang Kai’s side, flew into a rage just as she heard this. She ground her teeth in anger so hard that they were creaking.
Yang Kai held a very high position in her heart, and even Ai Ou didn’t hold such a high position. And when Zuo De called Yang Kai a ‘nobody’, she immediately blew her top. If it not for Zuo De’s identity, Xue Yue would have immediately cut him down.
Some Origin Grade Alchemists furrowed their brow. They didn’t like Zuo De’s remark. It didn’t suit someone of Zuo De’s status to speak like this. But no matter how much they didn’t like it, all they could do was ignore it.
There were even some Origin Grade Alchemists who started laughing to flatter Zuo De.
Everyone was extremely fast. In just fifteen minutes, they had arrived before a palace that was surrounded by Spirit Array. Ai Ou immediately opened the way through the barriers with a wave of his hand before leading everyone inside.
“What an intense fire,” Yang Kai exclaimed in a low voice as a look of surprise appeared on his face. He could feel the pure and intense fire element floating in the air, it wasn’t any worse than the High Heaven Sect’s Earth Lung Fire Pond.
“This is my Water Sky City’s Alchemist Pavilion.” Ai Ou explained with a smile, “There is a top-class Earth-Fire Vein below the Alchemist Pavilion. All the Alchemists of my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce refine their pills here.”
Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgement. He immediately knew why the Alchemists accompanying them didn’t look surprised at all. All of them were Alchemists of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Obviously, they came here often and were long used to it.
“Country boy,” Zhan Yuan didn’t give up the chance to mock Yang Kai at all. Yang Kai couldn’t help but snort upon hearing this.
“Sir President, what are you doing here?” As soon as the group walked into the Alchemist Pavilion, an old man wearing Alchemist’s robes came over and asked doubtfully.
Ai Ou bitterly smiled as he gave a brief rundown.
“What!? Someone actually wants to compete with Grandmaster Zuo De in Alchemy?” The old man cried out loud.
In a flash, countless doors in the Alchemist Pavilion flew open as dishevelled and shrivelled Alchemists rushed out of their respective Alchemy rooms, one after another. All of them looked like starving beggars.
Someone rushed out from the crowd and shouted in a high-pitched voice, “Where is the Grandmaster? Where is the Grandmaster?”
And just as they saw Zuo De, they huddled around and bowed in unison, greeting Zuo De.
Zuo De too put on an approachable appearance as he greeted in return.
Yang Kai was secretly shocked at the sight of this. He counted no fewer than seventy Alchemists, who had rushed out of the Alchemist Pavilion. Every Alchemist was of Saint King Grade level or above. Their level might not be that high but their numbers could not be underestimated.
Furthermore, this was just from the ground level of the Alchemist Pavilion, that’s all.
As he spread his Divine Sense, Yang Kai sensed that the Alchemist Pavilion still had eight underground levels!
So to say, this Alchemist Pavilion had nine levels. And different levels of Alchemists were refining pills on every level.
There might be four to five hundred Alchemists in the Alchemist Pavilion alone.
This was one of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s heritage!
These four to five hundred Alchemists refined countless pills for the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce every year.
In a flash, Zuo De’s surroundings were bustling with noise and excitement, forming a very sharp contrast to Yang Kai who was in the front.
And after they came to learn that Yang Kai was actually going to compete with Zuo De in Alchemy, those Alchemists, who were ignorant of the truth, glared at Yang Kai with gazes filled with righteous indignation as if Yang Kai had desecrated something.
Ai Ou waved his hand to avoid embarrassing Yang Kai, leading everyone down.
Just as Yang Kai had sensed, the Alchemist Pavilion was divided into nine levels. The lower the level was, the more intense the power of Earth Fire was, and the higher the level of Alchemists could refine pills in there.
Every time they went down a level, the number of Alchemists following behind them increased.
Over five hundred Alchemists were following Ai Ou by the time they reached the ninth level.
This was giving Ai Ou a pretty big headache. He wanted to send them back to refine their own pills but he just couldn’t open his mouth. He knew very well how high was Zuo De’s position in their hearts and how tempting the chance to see an Origin King Grade Alchemist refine the pill was.
These stubborn Alchemists might not obey his orders even if he tried to use force.
All he could do was leave it alone. He then whispered to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, there is no pressure. I too hadn’t expected things to become so big. You can treat these guys as roadside pebbles.”
Yang Kai smiled. “President Ai Ou, don’t worry. These guys are nothing to me.”
“That’s better.” Ai Ou couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief.
“Since we are here, let’s start,” Zuo De shouted aloud. He then turned to look at the hundreds of Alchemists and said with a smile, “Fellow Alchemists, I will be competing with this kid in Alchemy today. There might be a reason for it but it’s also true that this old man is bullying here. This old man is ashamed of this!”
Zuo De’s words gained the favour of the Alchemists who were unaware of the truth. Some of them immediately shouted aloud, “Since someone is so full of himself, Grandmaster doesn’t need to blame himself. It’s okay to teach him a lesson.”
“That’s right. Grandmaster is a noble character of high prestige. It’s really outrageous that someone would actually dare to compete with you in Alchemy.”
“How about Grandmaster take a break and let me compete on your behalf? I won’t let Grandmaster down!” Someone even volunteered for it.
These Alchemists, who came to join in the fun, were completely unaware of the truth. They didn’t even know what pill they were going to be refining. They just came here because of Zuo De’s fame. So naturally, they didn’t have a good impression of Yang Kai.
In their opinion, competing with Zuo De in Alchemy in itself was completely intolerable.
Most of the five hundred or so Alchemists glared at Yang Kai in anger and disdain. They could not wait to swallow him whole in one go.
Yang Kai smiled at the sight of this.
Zuo De smiled and said, “Everyone, this old man appreciates your kindness. However, this old man really has to personally make a move for this because this kid is competing with this old man to refine the Soul Source Restoration pill!”
“What!? Soul Source Restoration Pill!?”
“Isn’t that an Origin King Grade pill?”
“Grandmaster is actually going to refine a pill of this level? How lucky!”
“Is this guy also an Origin King Grade Alchemist? He doesn’t look like it.”
The crowd of Alchemist broke into a lively discussion. It immediately became quite noisy.
“Okay, okay, break it up, will you!” Ai Ou shouted aloud as his face turned ugly. “Grandmaster Zuo De and Yang Kai are about to start refining. All of you are Alchemists, don’t you know that one should not be disturbed during Alchemy? Please don’t make any more noise. Otherwise, don’t blame this Ai for not showing leniency!”
As soon as Ai Ou said this, the noisy hall immediately turned silent.
Zuo De smiled and said, “Everyone, just don’t make any noise. It’s not a problem if you want to observe and emulate.”
Many Alchemists beamed with joy and looked at Zuo De with gratitude as soon as Zuo De said this.
“President Ai Ou, please hand this old man the ingredients for refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill and also prepare a copy of the same for the kid,” Zuo De said aloud.
“But of course.” Ai Ou immediately nodded upon hearing this. He then took out many ingredients from his Space Ring, divided them into two, and gave them to Yang Kai and Zuo De.
The two sets of ingredients were basically the same. The only difference was that the one given to Zuo De had a Seven Colored Elk’s Monster Core.
After the ingredients were finalized, Ai Ou said, “This is the ninth level of the Alchemist Pavilion. The Earth Fire is the most intense here. Refining pills here can help Alchemist’s save a lot of time and energy. You can choose the best suitable location for you.”
Dragon head-like things could be seen here and there on the ninth level. The dragon heads weren’t that big but their jaws happened to be open and they could be controlled by a nearby Spirit Array. Once the Spirit Array was turned on, the power of Earth Fire could be drawn from the ground and out of the dragon head. It could also control the fire’s power, which was extremely convenient.
Obviously, Zuo De was familiar with this place. After hearing Ai Ou, he made his way straight to a dragon head and started making preparations.
Over five hundred Alchemists also rushed over and stood twenty feet away from him, forming a circle around him. Their eyes were completely glued on Zuo De.
Ai Ou came to Yang Kai’s side and asked in a low voice, “Brother Yang, do you want to use a room? Although this place is pretty wide, there are many people here. I’m afraid you will inevitably be disturbed.”
“No need.” Yang Kai shook his head and said, smiling, “If I took the room, these people will not be able to see how I refined the pill. I’m afraid they will suspect me of doing something.”
“Hmm, you have a point,” Ai Ou furrowed his brow tightly. “But can you really refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill?”
He didn’t believe it from the beginning to the end. But Yang Kai clearly looked calm and unperturbed, which naturally made him a little suspicious.
[Could he be an Origin King Grade Alchemist and had also made great progress in Martial Dao?] Just as this idea popped in Ai Ou’s mind, Ai Ou denied this notion because it was too unrealistic.
“President Ai Ou, just wait and watch.” Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile.
Ai Ou said nothing more.
On the other side, Zhan Yuan’s voice suddenly came with a sense of schadenfreude, “Friend, Honoured Teacher asked me to ask you, do you want to borrow an Origin King Grade Alchemy furnace? You need to know that a good Alchemy furnace can also increase the success rate in Alchemy. Although you might be unable to start up the Origin King Grade Alchemy furnace with your ability, the Honoured Teacher is compassionate, it’s okay for you to use it.”
“This Yang appreciates Grandmaster’s kind intention. As for Origin King Grade Alchemy Furnace… hehe, I too have one!” Yang Kai said with a laugh and took out his Purple Origin Furnace from his Space Ring.
He brought this thing from the Emperor Garden as well. It was something that was tens of thousands of years old. At that time, a pill with Pill Clouds was lying in this Purple Origin Furnace.
When Yang Kai took out the Purple Origin Furnace, all the Alchemists gathered on Zuo De’s side could not help but cry in surprise.
But soon, everyone suppressed their cry of surprise as they looked at Yang Kai’s Purple Origin Furnace with a greedy and covetous gaze. They could not keep their eyes away from it.
All of them were Alchemists. Naturally, they could tell that the Purple Origin Furnace was extraordinary. Purple clouds were lingering around the furnace. And the moment the furnace was taken out, all the Alchemists on the ninth floor could smell the pill fragrance permeating in the air. In just one glance, they could tell that many top-class pills had been refined in this furnace.
“Is he really an Alchemist?” Zhan Yuan was also dumbstruck.
[If he is not an Alchemist, how did he come to own an Origin King Grade Alchemy furnace?] But soon, he concluded that Yang Kai might have gotten it accidentally as a war trophy. After all, Yang Kai was strong. He faced many crises and went through many adventures every year. As a Second-Order Origin King master, there might be all kinds of things lying in his Space Ring.
[Damn it! He is just a cultivator and actually has an Origin King Grade Alchemy furnace, while a promising and rising Alchemist like me is only using a Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemy furnace!?] Zhan Yuan ground his teeth in hatred. He believed that the Purple Origin Furnace in Yang Kai’s hand was like casting pearls before swine. He could not help but rush to snatch it from Yang Kai’s hand.
Having considered all of this, Zhan Yuan started making plans on how to take Yang Kai’s Purple Origin Furnace. [Would it be too much to add another bet at this moment?]
He was lost in various fancies and conjectures. He couldn’t help it.
“Your pill furnace is pretty good,” Zong Ao raised his brow. “Judging by its primitive aura, I’m afraid it’s quite old, am I right?”
From several hundred Alchemists, only Zong Ao was standing by Yang Kai’s side. He didn’t go to watch Zuo De.
“It’s indeed very old. I only got it by accident. But… Grandmaster Zong Ao, I hope you are not eying my Alchemy Furnace. I only have this one.” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
Zong Ao immediately pursed his lips upon hearing this.
Ai Ou broke into laughter and said, “Let it be. I remember that there is an ownerless Origin King Grade Alchemy furnace lying in Water Sky City’s Treasury. I will send it to Grandmaster Zong Ao tomorrow.”
Because of today’s incident, Ai Ou had become very friendly to Zong Ao because he firmly stood by Yang Kai’s side from the beginning to the end.
Zong Ao immediately smiled and cupped his fists as he thanked, “Thank you very much, President Ai Ou.”
“A hero deserves a good sword.”
Just as several people were talking, Zhan Yaun’s voice echoed from that side as he yelled, “Friend, Honoured Teacher said that there is too big of a gap between him and you. And since there is no time limit for this competition, as long as you refined the Soul Source Restoration Pill, the Honoured Teacher will admit defeat.”
“This junior thanks Grandmaster for his kind intentions. This junior will try his very best!” Yang Kai cupped his fists and thanked loudly.
Zhan Yuan responded with a sneer.
Ai Ou’s face turned serious as he shouted in a low voice, “Since both of you are ready, let the competition begin!”
Just as he said, a scorching heatwave suddenly spread from Zuo De’s side. Obviously, the Spirit Array was started up, drawing the power of Earth Fire.
“Yang Kai, don’t be nervous. It’s no big deal to lose,” Xue Yue said with concern.
There was one thing she didn’t say. If Yang Kai really lost, she would do anything to take Yang Kai out of Water Sky City even if she had to risk her life. In any case, she couldn’t let him be a slave for two millennia. She believed that her father would not ignore it.
“I’m not nervous.” Yang Kai nodded. “However… Can you stand a bit back? I can’t work if you keep standing here.”
“Hm, I’m sorry! I forgot!” Ai Ou and the others were rendered speechless. They hurriedly retreated.
In a flash, the ninth level of the Alchemist Pavilion was divided into two, one was centred around Zuo De. Over five hundred Alchemists of Saint King Grade or above had formed a large circle around Zuo De, staring their eyes out at Zuo De, lest they missed any details.
And the other was around Yang Kai. But compared to all the hub-bub around Zuo De, it looked extremely desolate here. There were only Ai Ou, Xue Yue, and Zong Ao around Yang Kai, that’s all. The trio looked extremely nervous, worrying about gains and losses.
Ai Ou and Xue Yue exchanged glances with each other from time to time as if they were exchanging something ulterior.
Suddenly, some unsuppressed exclaims rose from Zuo De’s side. Zuo De opened the Alchemy furnace in front of him before throwing the already prepared herbs skillfully into the pill furnace by Zuo De. With one hand, he was throwing the herbs inside, with the other, he was controlling the heat. His every action was extremely fluid, simple, and eye-catching, fascinating the five hundred or so Alchemists so much that they forgot Ai Ou’s previous warning for the moment.
“As expected of the Grandmaster. He actually put the Eternal Water Orchid and Blue Heart Fruit together. I can’t even think of doing it even in my dreams.”
“Strange, the Sea Grass and Red Flame Flower have opposite attributes. Putting them one after another will ruin their efficacy. Shouldn’t he refine one first before putting the other one?”
“What do you know? Grandmaster has his own reasons for doing this. Didn’t you notice that when Grandmaster placed the Sea Grass into the furnace, he activated the Spirit Array inside the pill furnace with his Saint Qi? I’m afraid the two herbs had already merged perfectly.”
“So that’s how it is! Grandmaster seems to be too fast, my eyes can’t keep up with him. I’m so ashamed!”
“Hehe, what’s there to be ashamed of before the Grandmaster!? You better keep watching! Today’s gain will surely be the blessing of my life.”
Zuo De was a veteran Origin King Grade Alchemist. Zuo De might have agreed to compete with Yang Kai in anger but once he entered the Alchemy zone, he became as calm as an ancient dried-up well. All the sound around him disappeared. All in his eyes was the heat, timing, pill furnace, and ingredients. Everything else was already thrown aside.
Just like this, Zuo De had the demeanour of an expert. And coupled with the fluent movements and the grasp of the timing of the fire, as well as his knowledge of Alchemy, he had instantly conquered all the Alchemists present, dazzling everyone. They all hoped to have these images and scenes last forever, never to end.
Even though it was very loud and noisy around him, these noises failed to enter Zuo De’s ears.
He had entered a state of selflessness. Just by this point alone, it was quite evident that he had not become Origin King Grade Alchemist by a fluke. He indeed had what it takes.
Even the nearby Yang Kai could not help but marvel at the sight of this scene.
Martial Dao was just the same as Alchemic Dao. Only when one put all their energy into it could they achieve something. A person who tried to pursue two things and aimed high could never go too far.
Yang Kai didn’t waste any more time, seeing that Zuo De had already started. He took a deep breath and adjusted his state of mind. In an instant, Yang Kai’s face turned serious as his pupils constricted.
It seemed that there was only the pill furnace and the herbs in his eyes, and nothing else.
Yang Kai had also entered the selflessness state in an instant.
The opponent was a veteran Origin King Grade Alchemist. Naturally, he couldn’t be half-assed about it.
Ai Ou’s immediately lit up at the sight of this. He asked Zong Ao in a low voice, pleasantly surprised, “Grandmaster Zong, I think the air around Brother Yang is not worse than Zuo De’s. He wouldn’t happen to really be an Alchemist?”
Zong Ao smiled and whispered back, “Yang Kai is an Alchemist. This old man can guarantee this. Well, this old man has seen him refine the pills with his own eyes, and not just once. He had also refined a pill with Pill Clouds!”
“What!?” Ai Ou was taken aback. “He is so good? Grandmaster Zong, you aren’t lying to me, are you?”
“How can this Zong do that? Are you kidding me?” Zong Ao’s eyes turned dull as if he was recalling something. “When that pill was being refined, this Zong had been watching from the sidelines and had gained a lot. But…”
“But what!?”
“But the level of that pill wasn’t that high. It gave birth to Pill Clouds by some fluke of chance and coincidence.” Zong Ao said, going straight to the point, “The pill he is going to be refining today is the Soul Source Restoration Pill. It’s an Origin King Grade pill. As for whether he can refine it or not, this Zong can’t say with certainty. But his Alchemy technique and talent in Alchemic Dao is absolutely second to none. President, look… uh…”
As Zong Ao was speaking, he saw Yang Kai throw the material given to Yang Kai by Ai Ou continuously into the Purple Origin Furnace.
Unlike Grandmaster Zuo De’s fluent and skilful movements, Yang Kai was throwing herbs in a rather fast manner. He had thrown all of them almost in one go and closed the Purple Origin Furnace’s lid right away, without any fancy movements.
Even people who didn’t understand Alchemy would find it disturbing.
Xue Yue immediately grew worried.
Ai Ou was jaw-slacked as well. He looked completely speechless but he still asked Zong Ao, just in case, “Grandmaster Zong… is there a point why Yang Kai is doing like this?”
“I don’t know either.” Zong Ao looked a little puzzled.
No Alchemist threw all the herbs into the pill furnace at once. Every pill needed its ingredients to be put in a specific order to refine. And then there was the timing to put it in. Whenever a herb was put into the pill furnace, the Alchemist had to expend his mind and energy to control the heat in the pill furnace and merge the medicinal liquid with appropriate methods.
This was a gradual process and the process had to be slow and meticulous.
Only by doing this, could the Alchemist refine a good pill.
“He would ruin the herbs by doing this.” Zong Ao was growing anxious. “Every herb responds to different temperatures differently. When he is going to draw the power of Earth Fire, he will be in a difficult situation.”
[Even though the power of Earth Fire can be controlled, it definitely isn’t as easy and flexible as the Saint Qi controlled by the cultivator himself. Didn’t you see Grandmaster Zuo De constantly control the Spirit Array, change the size of the Earth Fire? Because of this, herbs are needed to be put in, one by one. It isn’t a hotpot. How can you throw it all at once?]
“Did he give up because he knows he couldn’t beat Zuo De?” Ai Ou thought of a possibility.
Yang Kai proposed to compete with Zuo De to refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill in order to save Gu Bi Hu. As long as Zuo De agreed to this competition, Gu Bi Hu had hopes of waking up. Yang Kai’s victory or defeat was another matter.
“He isn’t this reckless! Just keep watching!” Xue Yue bit her thin lips gently, her pretty eyes glued at Yang Kai. Her palms had become all sweaty.
To everyone’s dismay, Yang Kai still didn’t turn on the Spirit Array to draw the power of Earth Fire after putting all the herbs. Instead, he closed his eyes and sat still in a cross-legged position, forming mysterious seals with his hands.
This wasn’t hidden from Zhan Yuan, who had been observing Yang Kai’s movements. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of this. “I thought that he still had an inch of skill, but it turns out that he doesn’t even know the most basic common sense of Alchemy. He actually threw all the herbs into the pill furnace, hahaha!”
When the Alchemists by his side heard this, they looked at Yang Kai and shook their heads. Someone immediately said, “What a waste of so many good herbs! It’s really hateful!”
In the eyes of Alchemists, every good herb must be put to good use.
Naturally, Yang Kai’s wastefulness drew their ire and dissatisfaction.
Alchemists, who were originally sympathizing with Yang Kai, were filled with resentment when this scene fell into their eyes.
But right then, a scorching heatwave surged from Yang Kai’s side. This scorching heatwave gave everyone a strange feeling. It seemed to be ever-changing, gentle yet violent. It was hard to see through it clearly.
This feeling gave the impression that flames of different temperatures were gathered at one place but they didn’t conflict nor did they merge with each other. It was very weird.
“Where is this scorching heat coming from?”
“That’s weird! He is neither drawing the Earth Fire nor is he circulating Saint Qi. Where is this power coming from?”
Many Alchemists looked at Yang Kai suspiciously. They were a little puzzled.
“Conflagrated Knowledge Sea!” Zhan Yuan was puzzled at first but suddenly, he seemed to have realized something. He couldn’t help but blurt in surprise, staring at Yang Kai with a fanatical and covetous gaze.
“What!? So it is the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea!?”
“He has a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea!?”
Each Alchemist’s mouth was agape; their mouth was open so wide that an egg could be stuffed into their mouths. They all fixed their gazes at Yang Kai, one after another. Every Alchemist looked extremely excited.
The Conflagrated Knowledge Sea provided the most unique advantage to Alchemists and Artifact Refiners. Alchemists and Artifact Refiners with Conflagrated Knowledge Sea could achieve twice the result with half the effort when refining pills or artifacts.
This was common sense that everyone agreed with.
But how many people in this world had Conflagrated Knowledge Sea? And how many of these people had the aptitude for Alchemy and Artifact Refining? In those five hundred or so Alchemists, none of them possessed a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, including Zuo De.
But Yang Kai had it!
Even the extremely calm Zuo De, who had entered a complete selfless state, couldn’t help but raise his head and glanced at Yang Kai, looking at him with surprise.
But soon, he withdrew his gazes and stopped paying attention to Yang Kai.
Because he knew that one had to focus on Alchemy with undivided attention. Observing others would only mess with one’s mind. [So what if he has a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea? This old man has over a thousand years of experience in Alchemic Dao! Not many people have a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea in the entire Star Field, and none of those that have it is an Origin King Grade Alchemist.]
[And this old man is!] Zuo De was filled with disdain.
“Damn it!” Zhan Yuan ground his teeth and cursed. He looked pretty annoyed, thinking that an excellent Alchemist like him didn’t have Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, but Yang Kai had it.
And coupled with the Origin King Grade Alchemy furnace before, Zhan Yuan suddenly felt that the Heavens must be jealous of his talents, and they were too unjust!
[If an Origin Grade Alchemist like me had the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, I would definitely be able to reach the height of Honoured Teacher in the future. No, no, no… I would definitely surpass the Honoured Teacher and have unprecedented success.]
Only now did Zhan Yuan understand why Yang Kai had acted so bizarrely before.
[He actually has the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, and it seems that his control over the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea has reached a high degree of proficiency. With this advantage, he can throw all the herbs into the pill furnace without any major problems. As long as he could divide his own Conflagrated Knowledge Sea well, he can control the heat of the melting point of each herb!]
[Would this be difficult for a Second-Order Origin King master?] Zhan Yuan gave it a thought and realized that it would be a piece of cake for Yang Kai.
Sure enough, after Yang Kai stimulated his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, Ai Ou seemed to have realized something. The worry on his face was immediately gone and a smile appeared on his face instead.
With the assistance of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai didn’t need to draw the power of Earth Fire.
He could feel that Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was divided into countless strands. The intensity of every strand was different. The divided Conflagrated Knowledge Sea poured into the pill furnace and wrapped the herbs he had put in before starting to refine them into medicinal liquid.
The medicinal liquid refined by Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was more pure and thorough than the one refined by Earth-Fire!
Ai Ou even felt that Yang Kai’s Divine Sense in the Purple Origin Furnace was constantly changing as all kinds of complex Spirit Arrays appeared and disappeared inside the pill furnace. The speed was insanely fast. And during this, Yang Kai’s hand seals were also constantly changing.
His movements weren’t that fast, and nor were they eye-catching but those hand seals were extremely mysterious as if they didn’t belong to this world.
Meanwhile, Zong Ao’s mind was completely immersed in Yang Kai’s world.
He was different from Ai Ou.
Ai Ou was a layman who was simply enjoying the show. He could only see the general picture but Zong Ao was an Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist. He could spy upon the profundity of the Alchemic Way from the changes in Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, the rise and fall of the Spirit Arrays in the pill furnace, and Yang Kai’s various hand seals.
He was immersed in his thoughts. The glow in his eyes started to change. He seemed to be swimming in the endless ocean of the Alchemic Dao, ignoring everything else.
The more he pondered, the more he gained. Yang Kai’s mastery of timing and heat, or even the single change in Yang Kai’s hand seal, would often touch the doubts in his heart, prompting him to find answers.
On the ninth level of the Alchemist Pavilion, with the purple mist circling around the Purple Origin Furnace and its lid shut tight, no one could see the changes happening inside, nor could they hear a single sound.
As such, the five hundred or so Alchemists withdrew their gazes.
Since they couldn’t see anything on Yang Kai’s side, all they could do was turn their attention back to Zuo De.
There weren’t that many chances to observe and emulate an Origin King Grade Alchemy Grandmaster refine pills so closely. If they didn’t cherish this opportunity, they would regret it for life.
Furthermore, rumour had that Grandmaster Zuo De was quite a pretentious man. Usually, even if these Alchemists visited him in person, they might not even see a glance of Zuo De, but thanks to Yang Kai, they had the chance to observe and emulate his Alchemy skills.
As this thought crossed everyone’s mind, many people actually thanked Yang Kai in their hearts, though only slightly. At the same time, they sympathized with him as well.
Even if he had the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, he couldn’t win against a veteran Origin King Grade Alchemist.
Time slowly went by as the entire ninth floor of the Alchemist Pavilion became shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.
At first, the Alchemists were often exclaiming and discussing a lot, admiring Zuo De’s amazing skills. But as time passed, everyone stopped talking. Everyone’s attention was completely focused on the Zuo De and the pill furnace before him.
Many Alchemists were absorbed in their enlightenment. Obviously, they had quite a bit of harvest but they didn’t have the time to understand it in depth. All they could do was suppress all of their ideas and thoughts for now and recall them later slowly.
Gradually, medicinal fragrance started to permeate into the surroundings, rising from Zuo De’s pill furnace.
The fragrance was light and refreshing. It seemed as if an invisible hand was caressing every Alchemist; they appeared to be enjoying it.
Zhan Yuan, watching the movements in Zuo De’s pill furnace, looked most excited. From time to time, he would glance at Yang Kai with a mocking smile on his lips, like the victory was already in their grasp.
He found that ever since Yang Kai brought out the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, there was no other unusual movement thereafter, as if no pill was being refined on that side.
This made him even more proud.
He could not help but think how Yang Kai would become Zuo De’s servant once he lost. And as Zuo De’s disciple, his status would be naturally higher than a servant. If Yang Kai lived with them together, he could order Yang Kai to do things as he liked!
[Hmm, well, he is still a Second-Order Origin King. I still have to give him a little face otherwise he might become angry out of shame. I guess I can’t really beat him.]
[I guess I can only ask him to clean my room every day. Also, he seems to know the basics of Alchemy. I can also ask him to be my assistant.]
[It’s decided then!] Thinking of better days ahead, Zhan Yuan felt even happier than marrying a bewitching beauty. He couldn’t wait to dance around to show his excitement.
Just like that, two days had gone by in a flash.
At present, Zuo De cut an extremely sorry figure; his entire body was sweating buckets, which was then evaporated by the high temperature around him, making him look extremely dishevelled.
But no one scorned him.
Because Zuo De was an Origin Returning Realm cultivator. And he was getting older to boot. He had been refining the pill for two days straight; no one could bear this.
Zuo De might not be looking good but he was filled with excitement. His eyes were glowing.
Whereas on Yang Kai’s side, it had been calm and uneventful all the while. Nothing noticeable happened over these two days. Only the purple mist kept dancing around the Purple Origin Furnace.
At some point, Zuo De’s figure jolted as his hands suddenly formed some mysterious seals.
Everyone immediately cried in excitement.
“Grandmaster’s very own Pill Condensing Technique!”
“Is this the rumoured Red Lotus Divine Hands Method? It’s indeed true to its reputation! It isn’t worse than any ancient Pill Condensing Techniques. It might even be better.”
“I have devised this type of technique once, but compared to Grandmaster’s, it’s nothing!”
“This Pill Condensing Technique was created by Grandmaster himself. How can you compare yourself with Grandmaster?”
The crowd of Alchemists immediately became spirited. Everyone’s eyes were glued on Zuo De’s movements; they weren’t willing to miss any details. They would have hit it big if they could see through the mysteries of this set of Pill Condensing Technique.
Zuo De’s hands danced in the air like butterflies, slapping the pill furnace before him, again and again. Every time he smacked the pill furnace, a red lotus would appear, which would then crumble into pieces before flying into the pill furnace, creating a magic effect on the pill that was about to be formed in the pill furnace.
This was the very Red Lotus Divine Hands Method created by Zuo De!
Zuo De smacked eighty-one palms on the pill furnace, one after another, as eighty-one lotus seals made their way into the pill furnace.
After he hit the pill furnace for the last time, a reverberating crisp sound suddenly rang from the pill furnace. At the same time, the medicinal fragrance wafting out of the furnace suddenly grew richer.
“He has finished refining!” Someone exclaimed in surprise as a frantic look appeared in his eyes.
All the Alchemists present here were very familiar with this scene. Obviously, it was the sign of successful refinement of the pill. Furthermore, judging by the sound from the pill furnace and the medicinal fragrance lingering in the air, Grandmaster Zuo De’s Alchemy this time ended in absolute perfection!
[Grandmaster’s reputation is indeed well-deserved. He only took two days to refine a Mid-Rank Origin King Grade pill. Grandmaster Zuo De is second to none among all the Origin King Grade Alchemists in the entire Star Field!]
Suddenly, Zuo De turned serious and slapped the pill furnace hard before its lid flew up. At the same time, a light blue thing shot out of the pill furnace at an extremely fast speed.
But Zuo De was already prepared. He reached out and immediately froze that light blue mass in its place. Taking and throwing it into the already prepared jade bottle in his other hand with a flick of his hand.
CLANG…
The crisp sound from the bottle made everyone focus their straight at the source.
Zuo De stood and broke into laughter. Although he appeared to be in a mess, his face was extremely ruddy.
“Congratulations, Grandmaster! After refining such a perfect pill today, Grandmaster is just a step away from advancing to the Mid-Rank Origin King Grade.”
“That’s right! The Soul Source Restoration pill is a Mid-Rank Origin King Grade pill. I’m afraid even another Alchemist of the same level would not find it as easy to refine as Grandmaster. Grandmaster seems to have already reached the Mid-Rank Origin King Grade.”
“Grandmaster is indeed a role model for our generations. My skills are nothing before you!”
The crowd of Alchemists broke into a lively discussion. Some took the opportunity to flatter, some congratulated Zuo De sincerely, one after another. All kinds of comments could be heard coming from the crowd.
A smile appeared on Zuo De’s face as he cupped his fists and said, holding the jade bottle in his hand, “Thank you, everyone. This old man is just a step ahead in exploring the Alchemic Way, that’s all. Everyone here is an elite Alchemist. Your future achievements may not be worse than this old man’s.”
Apparently, Zuo De seemed to be in a good mood because everything went so smoothly. He was extremely friendly to everyone.
“Honoured Teacher, may this disciple have the honour to take a look at this pill?” Zhan Yuan, who was well versed in the ways of ass-kissing, naturally knew what to say at this moment.
“Take it!” Zuo De carelessly threw the jade bottle in his hand to Zhan Yuan. Zhan Yuan, pretending to be horrified, carefully took it and studied the Soul Source Restoration Pill through the bottle. He suddenly exclaimed in the next moment, “Honoured Teacher is indeed awesome. This pill is round and transparent, and its medicinal properties are quite concentrated to boot. I’m afraid it has reached High-Rank in quality alone. If it could go one step further, I’m afraid it would have given birth to Pill Veins.”
The expression on some of the Alchemists’ faces grew a bit unnatural, thinking that Zhan Yuan had gone a bit over with his ass-kissing.
[It’s already impressive that he was able to refine an Origin King Grade Pill. And now, you are even craving for Pill Veins.]
[In the entire Star Field, no one in tens of thousands of years seemed to have refined an Origin King Grade pill with Pill Veins.
Although such thoughts were circling in everyone’s mind, no one pointed it out.
One by one, everyone turned their gazes at the jade bottle in Zhan Yuan’s hand. How could Zhan Yuan not know what was going in everyone’s mind? After confirming with Zuo De, he passed the jade bottle to another Alchemist to study.
As the jade bottle went around the Alchemists’ hands, every Alchemist poured out their praises and marvels.
Zuo De felt extremely proud of his success. He seemed to have become a few hundred years younger.
“Grandpa, you are done but what about that guy?” Zuo Ling suddenly asked.
“Let’s just go and see.” Zuo De smiled.
Zhan Yuan smiled and said, rubbing his palms, “Teacher, you don’t understand, this disciple has kept an eye on that guy for the past two days. At first, your disciple thought that with his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, his Alchemy skills must be superb. But unfortunately…”
“Unfortunately what!?”
“Unfortunately, he only has Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, and nothing else!” Zhan Yuan broke into laughter.
Zuo De reprimanded but a slight smile could be seen hanging on his lips, “You should not underestimate anyone. The Conflagrated Knowledge Sea provides an unimaginable edge to us Alchemists. He doesn’t seem to absolutely ignorant of this, perhaps he really is an Alchemist.”
“Teacher, you are right. However, even if he is an Alchemist, he is far behind you, Teacher,” said Zhan Yuan.
Zuo De proudly smiled and waved his hand, “As you can see, the youngsters these days…”
At this point, the crowd led by Zuo De arrived before Yang Kai.
“Congratulations, Grandmaster.” As the host, President Ai Ou might be standing on Yang Kai’s side but he couldn’t help but bow and congratulate Zuo De since Zuo De was here. And judging by everyone’s discussion, he knew that Zuo De had already finished refining the Soul Source Restoration pill.
His feelings were complicated.
On one hand, the successful refinement of the Soul Source Restoration pill made him very happy as Gu Bi Hu could be saved now.
But on the other hand, Yang Kai’s freedom for two thousand years was put at stake for this pill. If Yang Kai lost, he would no longer be able to rest easy.
So, Ai Ou didn’t know whether he should be happy or worried. Deep down, all he could do was pray for a miracle that Yang Kai could successfully refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill.
“I should be the one congratulating President Ai Ou.” Zuo De smiled as he stretched his hand out. Zhan Yuan hurriedly offered the jade bottle with both hands before Zuo De took it and gifted it to Ai Ou. “Since the Soul Source Restoration Pill is refined, Mrs. Gu will be all right now!”
Ai Ou forced a smile. “Thank you very much for your help, Grandmaster!”
“It’s my duty! After all, this old man is the Foreign Elder of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, and Mrs. Gu is President Ai Ou’s wife. Since Mrs. Gu is in trouble, this old man can’t sit idly!” Zuo De replied, earnestly.
Ai Ou almost couldn’t help but curse his mother.
[This old bastard is saying this now! Where did your conscience go before? Weren’t you forcing this King to agree to Xue Yue’s marriage?]
[You are really shameless!]
Ai Ou might have been criticizing in his heart but none of that could be seen on his face. With his current strength and status, Ai Ou could keep a straight face even if a mountain collapsed before him.
“Haha, Sir President, Honoured Teacher has finished refining already. What about this friend?” Zhan Yuan walked out from the crowd and asked, pointing at Yang Kai.
In the past, he wouldn’t dare to address Yang Kai as ‘friend,’ no matter what. Although he was an Origin Grade Alchemist, Yang Kai was an out and out Second-Order Origin King master.
He wasn’t qualified at all.
But now that the die had been cast, Zhan Yuan didn’t need to be polite to someone who would be his teacher’s slave for the next two thousand years.
Addressing Yang Kai as a friend was a matter of course.
“It doesn’t seem to be finished yet,” Ai Ou’s expression remained dull even when he laid the truth.
Zhan Yuan smiled, “Sir President, you are mistaken. I think he has failed, he won’t be finished ever. It has been two days already, there should be some pill fragrance coming out of the furnace.”
Just as he said this, the few hundred Alchemists present were momentarily taken aback. They realized that Zhan Yuan was indeed right.
No matter how slow Yang Kai’s progress was, it’d been two days. Grandmaster Zuo De had already finished refining his Soul Source Restoration Pill. Even if Yang Kai was a little slower, there should be some fragrance wafting out of his furnace.
But they couldn’t smell even a whiff. Obviously, there was something wrong here.
“He is right!” The nearby Zong Ao, who had been absorbed in his enlightenment, nodded lightly.
Ai Ou couldn’t help but glance at Zong Ao. [Which side are you on exactly?]
“I’m just stating the fact.” Zong Ao added again.
Ai Ou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He knew that these Alchemists had one-track minds. They were extremely conscientious towards the Alchemic Way and would not desecrate the Alchemic Dao just because of some close relationships.
“Indeed…” Ai Ou didn’t know how he should respond. He didn’t know anything about Alchemy; he dared not make any comments.
“Even if there is no pill fragrance, there is no burnt smell either. Which means that the herbs in Yang Kai’s pill furnace are still alright.” Suddenly, Xue Yue took the stand. “This means that he hasn’t failed in refining, right!?”
Zhan Yuan was dumbstruck, mouth agape. He was rendered speechless.
Indeed, although no pill fragrance was coming from Yang Kai’s furnace, the smell of burning wasn’t coming either. Everyone was a little confused. They couldn’t tell what exactly was going on.
“Furthermore, Grandmaster has already agreed that there was no time limit for Yang Kai. It has only been two days. Everyone might as well wait a little while,” clarified Xue Yue.
“Honoured Teacher has indeed said that there was no time limit.” Zhan Yuan furrowed his brow before quickly adding, “But if this guy keeps refining like this, then wouldn’t be waiting here for like forever? We would never be able to tell who is the winner!”
As he said this, he suddenly appeared to have been struck with a realization. He clapped and said, “I understand! Now I understand what he is up to! He must have thrown all the herbs into the pill furnace and stopped paying attention thereafter just to waste time. He is waiting for us to grow impatient. At that time, no one will pursue this matter.”
Although Zhan Yuan was just making conjectures, it made sense to everyone when everyone gave it a thought.
[Grandmaster Zuo De has indeed given Yang Kai no time limit because of his identity. If Yang Kai proceeded with this in mind, it would definitely resolve the impending crisis.]
[After all, it’s impossible to wait for him for one or two years, or even five or ten years…]
[He’s a Second-Order Origin King master. It’s normal for him to enter a retreat for a few decades. And in case he’s trying to comprehend some profound Secret Technique…]
[He isn’t wasting time but that‘s not the case for others.]
Zhan Yuan’s words immediately made all the Alchemists understand Yang Kai’s intention. They started looking at Yang Kai with a displeased and disgusted look in their eyes.
[He has already committed blasphemy by competing with Grandmaster Zuo De in Alchemy. And now, he is trying to delay using this. This is simply outrageous!]
Immediately, a High-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist stepped out. He cupped his fist to Ai Ou and said, keeping a straight face, “Sir President, please give us an explanation. If this guy is really as contemptible as Grandmaster Zhan says, Sir President must uphold justice for Grandmaster Zuo De.”
“Yeah! Alchemic Dao is sacred. It can’t be desecrated. What this guy is doing is an insult to Alchemic Dao we pursue. It’s an insult to all the Alchemists of the Star Field. We can’t tolerate this!”
“We beg Sir President to uphold justice!”
“If you don’t give us a satisfactory answer, we will immediately leave the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce!”
“Count me in. This man is utterly disgusting!”
Most of the Alchemists spoke up, asking Ai Ou for an explanation. These Alchemists weren’t afraid even if they were facing the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce President. They were looking straight into Ai Ou’s eyes.
Ai Ou was in a predicament.
He never expected things to turn out like this. Just because of a competition, two to three hundred Alchemists had become furious!
He knew that if he didn’t handle this properly, then the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s foundation would be severely damaged.
He had paid a great deal of money to hire all these Alchemists; none of them were trained by the Chamber of Commerce itself. They were free to leave the Chamber of Commerce for other forces. And presumably, other forces would more than welcome them.
An anxious Ai Ou was secretly vexed by the ignorance of these people; they had no appreciation for the things and were making a fuss blindly.
On the other hand, Zhan Yuan could not help but grin. He himself hadn’t expected that just a casual comment from his would cause the things to take such a turn.
Both Zuo De and he were delighted by this. He furtively glanced at Zuo De and found that the other party was looking at him approvingly, like he was praising his boundless prospects.
Zhan Yuan hurriedly straightened his waist!
He stood straight like a javelin.
“Sir President, it’s already obvious. Please give us an explanation!”
Getting no reaction from Ai Ou even after so long, those Alchemists couldn’t help but urge.
Ai Ou immediately furrowed his brow. He pondered for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, “Does everyone believe that Yang Kai is deliberately trying to delay time? Isn’t everyone quick to jump to conclusions? This King thinks that we should observe for a while longer.”
“What’s there to watch?” Someone voiced their dissatisfaction.
Right then, Zuo De interceded, “Everyone, please stay calm. President Ai Ou is right. Furthermore, this old man has indeed not given him a time limit. Let’s wait, it was negligence on this old man’s part!”
Those Alchemists couldn’t take it even more so after Zuo De said this. In their opinion, Yang Kai was a rascal who had forced the honourable Grandmaster to compete in Alchemy. And he deserved to die!
“Grandmaster, you are just too kind!” An Alchemist shook his head and sighed. “Grandmaster, if you say so, others will only treat your tolerance as weakness. This matter cannot be tolerated and delayed anymore.”
“Indeed!” The Alchemist, who spoke at the very beginning, let out a cold snort. He was an old man. His face was filled with wrinkles; he appeared to have one foot in his grave already. But at this moment, he looked straight at Ai Ou and said aggressively, “President, just look at him. Have you seen any Alchemist so relaxed and at ease when refining pills? Even someone like Grandmaster Zuo De seemed to be on the verge of collapsing after refining for two days straight. But just look at this guy. He looks so calm and relaxed. His eyes are closed like he is meditating. You can’t sense a bit of Saint Qi fluctuation from him. And neither is he drawing the Earth Fire. He might have the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, but I can’t sense any signs of him stimulating his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea! If he isn’t delaying time then what is he doing? President, if you happened to be taking his side, then that would be too disappointing!”
A gloomy look appeared on Ai Ou’s face. This had given him a big headache!
He raised his eyes, glancing at the void. He was hoping for an answer on how to deal with this from Long Tian Shang, who was hiding in the void.
But Long Tian Shang had no intentions of interfering.
Just as Ai Ou was in a dilemma, wondering how to calm the furious crowd, a sneer suddenly rang in everyone’s ears.
Everyone was taken aback by this sneer. They immediately turned their heads to find its source.
Everyone was immediately surprised to find Yang Kai, who had been sitting with his eyes closed all the while, watching with his head leaning on one side, listening to everyone with interest.
He gave the impression that he had nothing to do with this.
“Friend, it seems you are done with your cheap tricks!?” Zhan Yuan sneered without reservation. He believed that there were just herbs lying in Yang Kai’s Alchemy furnace. He might not have even refined them into medicinal liquid. Thus, his words were filled with provocation.
“Do I even need to play any tricks?” Yang Kai glanced at him.
“Hmph, you yourself are clear about it,” Zhan Yuan sneered.
“Kid, what are you laughing at?” Zuo De narrowed his eyes as he asked indifferently, flaunting his old age.
“Naturally, I’m laughing at your own ignorance!”
“What did you say?” Everyone flew into a rage, immediately glaring at Yang Kai. Everyone was an Alchemist. They had never been despised like this.
“Aren’t you guys ignorant?” A sardonic smile slowly appeared on Yang Kai’s lips. “Who told you that an Alchemist needs to be tired and exhausted while refining pills? Who told you that an Alchemist can’t close his eyes and meditate while refining pills? Who told you that there should be pill fragrance while a pill is being refined?”
“What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything.” Yang Kai curled his lips as asked, looking at Zuo De, “Grandmaster, will you break a sweat and gasp for breaths if you are asked to refine a Yuan Restoring Pill?”
“Hmph, of course not!” Zuo De snorted coldly.
“That’s right! The reason why you won’t is because the Yuan Restoring Pill is too low for you. You can refine it with your eyes closed. You don’t need to go all out. Your Saint Qi could easily meet the demand for refining the pill. So naturally, you won’t be exhausted.”
“You mean to say that the Soul Source Restoration Pill to you is like the Yuan Restoring Pill is to this old man!?” Zuo De’s eyelids twitched.
“Of course!” Yang Kai nodded with a smile.
“Outrageous!”
“Shut up!” Yang Kai turned his head and shouted at the speaker, “This King is a Second-Order Origin King. I’m not exhausted while refining the pill because I don’t need to expend all my Saint Qi. I can close my eyes and meditate because I don’t need to worry about it too much. You can’t sense me stimulating my Conflagrated Knowledge Sea because you are not strong enough! You don’t know anything but started making a fuss. Don’t you think that you guys are too ridiculous?”
The crowd of Alchemists were rendered speechless by Yang Kai.
[Damn it, this guy makes sense!]
All of them were Alchemists. They had never tackled the problems as cultivators. But now, when it was pointed out by Yang Kai, they didn’t know what to say.
“You are distorting the truth!” Zhan Yuan shouted in anger, “How can the Yuan Restoring Pill be compared with the Soul Source Restoration Pill!”
“Exactly! One is a Saint Grade pill and the other is an Origin King Grade pill. There is no comparison between the two,” an Alchemist stated.
“Just as you said, Grandmaster Zuo De is an Origin Returning Realm master, while this King is in Origin King Realm. We are worlds apart,” Yang Kai responded with a smile hanging on his lips.
“Smarty-pants!” Some Alchemists sighed, shaking their head as if it was an insult to argue with someone like Yang Kai. Alchemists relied on their abilities to feed themselves, not their mouths.
Zuo De said with a smile, “Words alone are no proof. Seeing is believing. No matter what you say, it’s useless. If you want to win people’s trust, it’s better to show all your means. I think everyone will believe it after they see it.”
“You want to see?” Yang Kai tilted his head as a scheming smile appeared on his lips.
“You are just afraid of being found out!” Zhan Yun sneered.
Yang Kai ignored him altogether and said, looking at President Ai Ou, “President, do you remember everyone who wanted to leave the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce just now? When they leave, do give them their severance pay, lest they criticized you in the future, saying that your Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is stingy!”
Ai Ou’s face turned as black as pot. [Can’t you take the cue!?]
Yang Kai broke into laughter as he stood up and shouted, “Since you question the Alchemy level of this King, then this King will let you see what is called Alchemy!”
As he spoke, he turned serious all of a sudden. He formed a mysterious seal with his hand before stretching out that hand a bit. Immediately, an image of a complex Spirit Array appeared in the air before flying into the Purple Origin Furnace.
In the next moment, another image of Spirit Array appeared and flew toward the Purple Origin Furnace again.
A third, a forth…
More and more images of Spirit Arrays appeared in the air as Yang Kai’s movements changed, dancing like butterflies as they flew into the pill furnace.
“This…”
“Pill Condensing Technique!”
“Impossible!? I didn’t see him refine. Then why can he use the Pill Condensing Technique!? Has he already finished refining!?”
“Impossible! Even if his pill furnace is completely sealed, medicinal fragrance should be wafting out of his pill furnace. If there is no pill fragrance, it means that the medicinal liquid has not fused. How can he condense the pill then!?”
“But this is obviously a Pill Condensing Technique.”
“Has anyone seen this technique before?”
Everyone was dazzled by the sight before them. At first, they kept discussing with each other, trying to figure out the origins of this set of Pill Condensing Technique. But finally, they concluded that no one had seen this set of Pill Condensing Technique. This technique was completely different from the several sets of techniques circulating in the entire Star Field.
Including the Red Lotus Divine Hands Methods created by Zuo De!
Be that as it may, all the Alchemists present here were individuals with insight. Naturally, they could tell that this set of techniques were extremely mysterious. Each and every seal and the image of Spirit Array gave off an ancient and desolate aura. It seemed as if this technique didn’t belong to this era but should have existed in the ancient era.
All Alchemists seemed to be immersed in their thoughts, staring at the scene before their eyes. They no longer said anything.
Even Zhan Yuan, who had been opposing Yang Kai at every step and corner, was fascinated by it. After having observed and emulated it for a while, he was actually struck with enlightenment.
He couldn’t help but be shocked. After all, he hadn’t had this effect when he was observing the Red Lotus Divine Hands used by Zuo De. A sliver of shame appeared on his face when he returned to his senses.
[This bastard’s technique actually gave me enlightenment. If I let anyone know this, it would be a disgrace.]
He might be thinking as such, but he couldn’t move his eyes away from Yang Kai, lest he miss some seal or didn’t see the image of Spirit Array clearly. He was feeling extremely conflicted.
But there were just too many images of the Spirit Arrays. At first, they were flying one after another but in the end, Yang Kai’s hands started dancing like butterflies, leaving after images. Everyone couldn’t see them clearly. The flying Spirit Arrays were also connected to each other, filling the air.
Zong Ao was shocked, Zuo De too was shocked, and so were the many Alchemists!
Even the laymen Xue Yue and Ai Ou were bedazzled by this sight. They didn’t wish to close their eyes.
But strangely, there was still not any pill fragrance.
In the huge open space, Yang Kai stood with a serious look on his face. He might seem calm and relaxed but he was already pouring out all his skills.
Everything he had learned from the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture had been brought into full play at this moment.
In his eyes, there was only the Alchemy furnace and everything inside it. Everything else had been cast aside, nothing occupied his vision or thoughts.
“Ang…” Suddenly, a strange ring reverberated from the Purple Origin Furnace. At the same time, the Purple Origin Furnace started glowing with purple radiance.
This ring wasn’t that loud but it rang in everyone’s ears like the resonating chimes of a clock tower, shocking the hell out of everyone. Someone seemed to be whispering in the depths of their ears, sharing the mystery and the wisdom of the Alchemic Dao of this world. Everyone tried to listen carefully but they couldn’t hear it properly. Only one or two people had a sudden change in their expression. A tight-knit frown appeared on the brow as they sat cross-legged in their place right away.
All the Alchemists were shocked.
“This is…”
“The Grand Alchemic Dao Tone!”
“It’s actually the legendary Grand Alchemic Dao Tone!”
All those Alchemists who failed to grasp the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone looked at their counterparts sitting cross-legged with envy and jealousy because they had caught a glimpse of the mystery of the Alchemic Dao from the ring just now.
“Ang…”
Another ring reverberated in everyone’s ears.
The expression of the shocked Alchemists became even more complicated. Because after this Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, several other Alchemists had sat down cross-legged and closed their eyes.
The entire ninth floor of the Alchemist Pavilion was seething with excitement. Every Alchemist’s blood was boiling and everyone was extremely excited. Their eyes were filled with desire and eagerness, staring at Yang Kai’s movements.
They all hoped to hear the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone again, hoping to get a glimpse of the secrets of Alchemic Dao just like a few of their colleagues.
No one wanted to miss this heaven-sent opportunity.
Zuo De, on the other hand, was completely dumbfounded by this.
When he heard the bizarre ring echoing in his ears, he was still a little sceptical about it, but after seeing Alchemists sit cross-legged, one after another, he was indeed sure that it was the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone!
[The Alchemic Dao Tone is the dream of every Alchemist.]
[How is this possible!? How can it appear here!? I am an Origin King Grade Alchemist! I have been studying the Alchemic Dao for my entire life. I have devoted my everything to Alchemy!]
[So far, I have rarely refined pills with Pill Veins, not to mention give rise to the legendary Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.]
[Yet this young man, a Second-Order Origin King cultivator, has caused such an event even when he is refining in such a lackadaisical manner.]
These melodious chimes ringing in his ears sounded even more unbearable to Zuo De. His face distorted and he could not wait to drive these rings out of his ears.
“Father, what’s going on?” Xue Yue was completely confused by this scene.
She too was hearing the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, but she found it a little weird because someone seemed to be whispering in her ears. And when she tried to listen to it closely, she couldn’t hear anything.
Yet when she saw the fanatical look on those Alchemists’ faces and heard their cries of surprise, she knew that something big must have happened.
“Grand Alchemic Dao Tone!” Ai Ou looked shocked as well, “It’s actually the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.”
“What is Grand Alchemic Dao Tone?” asked Xue Yue.
“It’s one of the many voices of the Heavenly Ways!” Ai Ou took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before explaining in a low voice, “Martial Dao, Alchemic Dao, Dao of Artifact Refining, Dao of Array… there are many branches of Heavenly way. A cultivator uses the martial arts to enter the Dao, similarly, an Alchemist enters the Dao using pills, an Artifact Refiner enters the Dao using artifacts, and so on. Everyone is pursuing the supreme Heavenly Way but the path they choose is different. Grand Alchemic Dao Tone is the voice of Heavenly Way. Rumour had it that an Alchemist with some luck and sufficient comprehension could trigger this kind of Heavenly Manifestation in Alchemy. This voice is useless to you and me, but if they could just hear even a little, they would reap endless benefits.”
While speaking, Ai Ou lowered his head and glanced at Zong Ao who was sitting next to him.
Zong Ao was the first one to sit. In other words, he had the highest understanding of the Alchemic Dao among all the people here, except Yang Kai.
“No one has triggered the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone in tens of thousands of years. It has nothing to do with the level of the Alchemist. It’s imperceptible and preordained. This Heavenly Way voice contains the mystery of the Alchemic Dao. The end of Alchemic Dao is the mysteries bred by Heaven and Earth itself!”
Xue Yue paled ever so slightly. She immediately realized how important was this Grand Alchemic Dao Tone for the Alchemists
Ai Ou suddenly pursed his lips into a grin. “The Heavens have blessed my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. God knows how many Alchemy apprentices will be born in my Water Sky City after today!”
“Father, you mean…” Xue Yue seemed to be absorbed in her thoughts.
“You still don’t understand!? This Grand Alchemic Dao Tone is not only useful to the Alchemists here but also to the people with some aptitude in Alchemy. It could provide rudimentary knowledge to beginners. This ring is spreading throughout Water Sky City. It would make our Water Sky City give birth to tens of thousands of Alchemists. Moreover, their future prospects would be absolutely limitless. A few dozen Origin King Grade Alchemists might even appear!”
Xue Yue looked overjoyed when she heard this.
There were only three to four Origin King Grade Alchemists in the entire Star Field, and Heng Luo Chamber of Chamber only had Zuo De, as a Foreign Elder at that.
If a few or several dozen Origin King Grade Alchemists really appeared in the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce someday, no one could stop the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce from rising. No one dared to underestimate the power and means of an Origin King Grade Alchemist.
“Xue Yue, go out and pass my order. Ask everyone in the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce to start looking for people with aptitude for Alchemy. Offer them generous terms to make them join the Chamber of Commerce, especially the children under ten. We must draw them to our Chamber of Commerce at all costs!” Ai Ou suddenly shouted in a deep voice.
“But what about here…” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai. She was a bit reluctant to leave.
“Don’t worry, aren’t I here?” Ai Ou waved his hand.
“Yes!” Xue Yue had no choice but to leave quickly to relay Ai Ou’s orders.
After Xue Yue left, Ai Ou couldn’t help but murmur in dissatisfaction, “Sigh, why isn’t it the Martial Dao Heavenly Tone!”
If it was the Martial Dao Heavenly Tone, he might have gotten a chance to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
He couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated.
Today, the entire Water Sky City was seething. The Grand Alchemic Dao Tone was ringing throughout the city. After hearing this sound, countless playing children stood still in their place. A thoughtful look appeared on their immature faces. They perked their ears, trying to listen to the whispers clearly. Even when their parents were dragging them, they remained still as if a powerful spell had been cast on them.
Many were confused. They couldn’t understand why there was a voice ringing in their ears. They thought that there was something wrong with their ears. Even when they covered their ears, it didn’t help.
Only when many cultivators of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and the guards of Water Sky City were dispatched together, the residents of Water Sky City finally realized that something big must have happened.
Third Young Master Xue Yue had announced that all those who had listened to the Heavenly Tone could join the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce regardless of age or sex, enjoying extremely generous treatment, especially the children under ten years. Many Origin Returning Realm masters grew envious when they heard the terms.
Five hundred thousand Saint Crystals every year. An entire palace for themselves. Twenty servants to serve them. And most important of all, they would have the same status as the Chamber of Commerce’s Deacon…
By now, everyone knew that the mysterious voice whispering in their ears was a heaven-sent opportunity.
These sudden benefits immediately made those childrens’ parents dizzy. With Third Young Master Xue Yue’s character and Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s credibility, countless men and women could be seen dragging their children to the centre of Water Sky City.
No one wanted to give up the benefits sent right to their doorsteps.
The Grand Alchemic Dao Tone rang again and again, ringing a total of nine times!
This lasted for an entire day.
After a day, over a hundred Alchemists could be found sitting cross-legged on the ninth-level of the Alchemist Pavilion with Yang Kai at the centre, like the stars surrounding the moon.
Many of the standing Alchemists also had a pondering look on their faces. Their expressions kept on changing, sometimes they seemed to be worrying about gains and losses, sometimes they seemed anxious, and sometimes they started laughing ecstatically.
Obviously, all of them had reaped some benefits!
After nine rings, there were no more movements inside the Purple Origin Furnace. The wandering purple mist had also dissipated.
Yang Kai had stopped condensing the pill. About half a day ago, he sat back in a cross-legged position and closed his eyes, letting the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone spread out from the Purple Origin Furnace.
He had gained more than any Alchemist present here. After all, the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone was triggered by him. The sound that was vague and ethereal to others sounded very clear to Yang Kai.
Some ancient and desolate voice was whispering in his ears, telling him the profundities of Alchemic Dao. The voice wasn’t that loud but its words were very clear.
Every sentence and word was etched in Yang Kai’s mind like a brand, so that he could master it without thinking.
He had gained more than he would have even after studying the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture tens of thousands of times.
The Alchemy knowledge poured into his mind was the ultimate mystery bred by Heaven and Earth itself. One could only glimpse at it when the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone was triggered.
Of the five hundred or so Alchemists, over a hundred were sitting cross-legged, while another half was immersed in thoughts. The rest could only sigh indignantly. They weren’t lucky enough and their aptitude was insufficient. As such, they couldn’t hear anything from these nine Alchemic rings.
Be that as it may, their expression and attitude towards Yang Kai had changed. They were no longer looking at him with dissatisfaction and disdain as before, but with dignity and respect instead.
How could someone who could trigger the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone nine consecutive times not be an Alchemist? No one would believe that!
Yang Kai might not have opened the furnace and taken out the pill yet, but they were sure that a Soul Source Restoration pill was lying in the pill furnace.
[This guy is not just a Second-Order Origin King cultivator but a veritable Alchemy Grandmaster as well!] When everyone recalled how short-sighted they were before, many Alchemists felt extremely ashamed.
“Why not me!?” An untimely voice suddenly reverberated on the ninth floor. All those Alchemists who were still awake couldn’t help but frown as they looked at the source. They found that the speaker was none other than Zhan Yuan, who had been opposing Yang Kai at every step.
At this moment, Zhan Yuan appeared to have lost his wits. He kept muttering, constantly looking at the Alchemists sitting cross-legged, “Why not me? I heard it too but why can’t I hear it clearly!? I, Zhan Yuan, am an Alchemy prodigy born once in ten thousand years. No one taught me since I was a child. Everything I’ve learned, I learned it myself. Where is my share of Alchemic Dao mystery?”
Many Alchemists looked disgusted when they heard him boast so shamelessly.
Whether one could hear the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone depended on one’s luck and aptitude. It could not be forced at all. This was the choice of Heavenly Way. Men had no say in it. Naturally, Zhan Yuan’s crazy rants displeased everyone.
“I should have heard it!” Suddenly, Zhan Yuan’s face turned hideous as he shouted. He then turned to Yang Kai and said, grinding his teeth, “I understand, you must have done something. The Grand Alchemic Dao Tone was triggered by you, you must have blocked the Alchemic Tone. It must be your work!”
While speaking, he charged straight at Yang Kai.
There were over five hundred Alchemists here, of which over a hundred were sitting cross-legged and over a hundred seemed to be comprehending something. It was almost a fifty percent split, but Zhan Yuan wasn’t in it. He had fallen apart.
[Why can others have such a great opportunity, but not me?]
If he had gotten this opportunity, he might have become an Origin King Grade Alchemist someday.
So he couldn’t restrain his anger at all.
“Impudent!” A loud shout exploded in Zhan Yuan’s ears directly. Ai Ou stretched his hand at Zhan Yuan and waved his hand as Zhan Yuan flew out like a rag sack.
Because there were so many Alchemists immersed in their enlightenment, Ai Ou didn’t want to go overboard. He tried his best to suppress himself. Even when he shouted at Zhan Yuan, his shout was transmitted straight into Zhan Yuan’s ears.
Zhan Yuan flew a long way before he fell to the ground.
“If you dare to cause any more commotion and be rude again, I will take your life right then and there!” Ai Ou coldly glared at Zhan Yuan. He had no scruples for his identity as Grandmaster Zuo De’s disciple.
In his opinion, the Alchemists of the Alchemist Pavilion were all precious treasures. How could they be disturbed by Zhan Yuan?
More importantly, he wanted to disturb Yang Kai, the person who had triggered the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone. If it wasn’t the wrong place and wrong time, Ai Ou would have killed him; he was already brimming with murderous intent.
After this, Zhan Yuan had finally returned to his senses and a cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He couldn’t believe that he had done something like this. When he noticed the cold look in Ai Ou’s eyes, a chill ran down his spine. He knew that President Ai Ou no longer valued him due to his recent performance.
[But I’m now Honoured Teacher’s disciple, I don’t need to worry about President Ai Ou.]
Having thought of this, Zhan Yuan had calmed down a little. He then turned to look at Zuo De.
But the next moment, he was taken aback. He asked in a low voice, “Teacher, what happened to you?”
He noticed that Zuo De was unsteady and pale. He looked even more exhausted than when he had finished refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill as if all his energy was exhausted.
“Father, are you okay?” Zuo Ling finally noticed that something was wrong with Zuo De. She couldn’t help but be panic-stricken.
“Grandmaster…” Ai Ou came forward, looking at Zuo De in surprise. He had no idea what was wrong with Zuo De. After all, he was an Origin King Grade Alchemist and should have benefited from the nine Alchemic rings. Even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t look as if he had suffered an attack, but not only was he grimacing in pain, blood was also flowing out of his ears.
Zuo De didn’t move, nor did he say anything. Only the sound of his breathing proved that he was still alive.
“Grandmaster, I advise you not to question the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone. If you question it, you are questioning the Heavenly Way and the road you have travelled so far. By doing this, you are rejecting the Alchemic Dao. Its consequences will be very serious.” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly rang.
Just as Yang Kai finished speaking, Zuo De suddenly spat on the ground, spitting a mouthful of black blood. His face suddenly lost all colour. He looked at Yang Kai with an unwilling look.
“What’s wrong with Grandmaster?” Ai Ou asked, furrowing his brow.
“Still not convinced, are you?” Yang Kai smiled. “Grandmaster probably thinks that I’m not qualified to trigger the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone. He was a little unconvinced, but was taught a lesson by Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.”
“Taught a lesson…” Ai Ou was jaw slacked and his face turned pale. “Don’t tell me that the Alchemic Tone is alive.”
“The Heavenly Way is ever-changing. I can never say for sure.” Yang Kai grinned.
Ai Ou looked depressed.
“You dare to harm my Grandpa!?” Zuo Ling suddenly glared at Yang Kai. She appeared to be secretly circulating her Saint Qi.
Yang Kai’s face turned cold. “Little Girl, you can eat indiscriminately but you cannot stick labels indiscriminately on others. Grandmaster Zuo De wasn’t hurt by me.”
“Then why did Grandpa… spit blood!” Zuo Ling pestered Yang Kai for an answer.
“Hmph!” Yang Kai sneered. “You have to ask him. Grand Alchemic Dao Tone was ringing in your ears, and it didn’t matter if you didn’t try to comprehend it, but you still dare to question its authenticity. You are lucky to be alive. Do you still think I am responsible?”
Zuo Ling looked as if she had something to say but Zuo De stopped her, raising his hand. He looked at Yang Kai with a dim look in his eyes and said, “You are good!”
“Grandmaster, you flatter me!” Yang Kai smiled.
“But… you haven’t forgotten that there is still a bet between you and me? You might have inspired the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone but so what? Have you refined the Soul Source Restoration Pill?”
“Grandmaster, you still want to check?” Yang Kai looked at Zuo De, narrowing his eyes.
“Open the furnace!” Zuo De took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, “The fact that you can trigger the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone only means that your aptitude for Alchemy is heaven-defying, it doesn’t mean that you can refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill, an Origin King Grade pill! There are countless geniuses in the world but how many can really grow up?”
“Grandmaster, so you won’t shed tears unless you see your coffin.” Yang Kai sneered.
“Grandmaster, how about we call it a day?” Some Alchemists tried to persuade.
Yang Kai was the one behind the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone. All of them owed him a favour, while Zuo De was a noble character with high prestige. He was a role model in the Alchemy world, so no matter who won or lost this bet, it was something they didn’t want to see. The best choice would be to stop here and try to make big things small and small things nothing.
Since one of them tried to persuade Zuo De, another one tried as well. After a while, many Alchemists joined the persuasion team.
Yang Kai looked indifferently and said, “I don’t have any problem. It depends on Grandmaster.”
“There is no need to say anything anymore! Just open the furnace!” Zuo De, ignoring everyone’s advice, stared straight at Yang Kai with determination.
Ai Ou opened his mouth. He looked like he had something to say but when he saw the look in Zuo De’s eyes, he could only sigh in resignation.
Yang Kai gently nodded and said indifferently, “As you wish then!”
While speaking, he reached out and smacked on the Purple Origin Furnace. In a flash, the furnace lid flew up as a streak of light shot out of the furnace. At the same time, a rich pill fragrance permeated into the surroundings.
“This…” Someone cried in surprise, eyes glued on the thing that flew out of the furnace. He had no inkling of an idea that Yang Kai had already finished refining.
And the reason why there was no pill fragrance from the start was entirely because the medicinal efficacy was concentrated beyond everyone’s imagination. Only when the furnace lid was opened that the pill fragrance spread out.
Lost!
Zuo De lost!
Regardless of whether the grade of the Soul Source Restoration Pill refined by Yang Kai was good or bad, Zuo De had lost already. After all, he himself had said that as long as Yang Kai could refine it, he would have lost.
Just the fact that Yang Kai could refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill was evident that Yang Kai was really an Origin King Grade Alchemist!
Everyone’s breath couldn’t help but quicken. Their eyes were filled with enthusiasm and respect, looking at Yang Kai.
This kind of gaze should have only been enjoyed by Zuo De or any other Origin King Grade Alchemist.
The moment the pill flew out of the pill furnace, Zuo De couldn’t help but stagger, looking at the glowing thing that flew out in disbelief. He suddenly seemed to have grown a lot older.
But soon, he bit the bullet and shouted, “It’s not over yet. Whether it’s the Soul Source Restoration Pill or not has yet not been verified!”
“Yes, it’s not over yet!” Yang Kai burst into laughter as he flicked his finger at the Purple Origin Furnace for the second time.
Everyone was confused why he wanted to do this but the next moment, something unbelievable happened. Right after the first streak of light flew out of the furnace, another streak of light flew out of the Purple Origin Furnace. And the pill fragrance was even richer than before, filling everyone’s nose.
“Two…”
“How is this possible?”
“Can two Soul Source Restoration Pills be refined at once?”
“Am I dreaming?”
“Did President Ai Ou give him two sets of ingredients? No, that’s not right! Even if he had two sets of ingredients, it’s impossible to refine both sets at once. What’s going on!?”
All the Alchemists felt the common sense that had been etched in their minds for many years subverted. Every pair of eyes was staring at the two glowing pills that flew out of the furnace, dumbstruck.
Yang Kai took out the jade bottle that he had prepared long ago. Then he stretched his hand out before the two flying pills fell into the jade bottle as if they were bound by some power. Clear and crisp rings rang from the jade bottle as the two pills fell inside.
“Am I seeing this correctly? Did two pills just fly out of the furnace?”
“I also thought I was seeing things. What does this mean?”
For a long while, many Alchemists could be seen whispering to one another. But no one dared to step up and ask to check the pill for the fear that what they see next would subvert their own cognition.
“Grandmaster, do you want to check the pill?” Yang Kai asked Zuo De, holding the jade bottle.
Zuo De’s expression withered immediately. He didn’t say anything but looked at Yang Kai with a complicated look in his eyes.
The other Alchemists didn’t speak either.
“Let me,” Ai Ou said in a heavy voice as he stepped forward and took the jade bottle from Yang Kai’s hand.
“Then I shall trouble you, President Ai Ou.” Yang Kai smiled indifferently.
Ai Ou nodded and opened the jade bottle, taking a pill out in front of everyone’s eyes.
The pill was perfectly round and transparent. The fragrance wafting from the pill cleared everyone’s minds of all stray thoughts; they felt refreshed. If it wasn’t the Soul Source Restoration Pill, then what was it?
However, the Soul Source Restoration Pill refined by Yang Kai was slightly different from the one refined by Zuo De. It was even different from the one recorded in the pill recipe. The pill had a faint golden glow. The Soul Source Restoration Pill looked expensive and strong under this glow. Furthermore, everyone could feel the surging vitality from it.
Even someone who had no idea about Alchemic Dao could clearly tell that it definitely was a pill to save lives and heal wounds!
All the Alchemists were dumbfounded. They really couldn’t understand why the pill refined by Yang Kai using the same material was different from the one recorded in the pill recipe.
None of them had noticed that Yang Kai had dropped a drop of his pure Golden Blood into the pill furnace during the refining!
It was only when a pill had a spirit that it could be called a Spirit Pill. This was the last sentence recorded in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
From it, Yang Kai came to realize that if he wanted to refine Spirit Pill, Pill Spirit was necessary!
Monster Beast’s Monster Core could be used as Pill Spirit. But his pure Golden Blood could also be used as Pill Spirit. And it was even better than Monster Beast’s Monster Core. After all, his pure Golden Blood contained unimaginable power and vitality.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Kai would not waste his own Golden Blood to refine a Spirit Pill. The Golden Blood was extremely precious. It was more valuable than a Spirit Pill.
But since he was treating Xue Yue’s mother this time, Yang Kai could not act stingy.
It was precisely because of the Golden Blood acting as the Pill Spirit that a faint golden glow had appeared on this Spirit Pill.
“Everyone can check if this is a Soul Source Restoration Pill or not!” Ai Ou passed the pill to the Alchemists as he spoke.
The Alchemists didn’t reject either. One of the Alchemists took it as the others gathered around to analyze it. Finally, they came to a unanimous conclusion that this was indeed the Soul Source Restoration Pill, and the medicinal efficacies seemed to be two parts stronger than recorded.
After this, everyone’s gaze towards Yang Kai became more solemn and respectful.
Subconsciously, they felt that Yang Kai had changed the Soul Source Restoration Pill’s recipe. In their opinion, that could be the only reason it could reach such a level!
One needed to be an Origin King Grade Alchemist to refine the Soul Source Restoration Pill, but if one wanted to modify the pill recipe of this level of pill, he or she needed to be a Mid-Rank or High-Rank Origin King Grade Alchemist!
Every pill recipe had been handed down through tens of thousands of years. It had been perfected by countless geniuses over countless epochs. Just by this fact, it could be reckoned how difficult it was to modify a pill recipe.
But today, they saw it.
They immediately understood that Yang Kai should be a Mid-Rank or a High-Rank Origin King Grade Alchemist!
All the Alchemists were shocked by this fact because they came to realize that not only he was a powerful Second-Order Origin King but also had unimaginable attainments in Alchemic Dao.
[Is he some old monster, who had been living for tens of thousands of years, in disguise? Otherwise, how could he do this at his young age?]
“Grandmaster, do you want to check it?” Ai Ou asked, looking at the pale and despondent Zuo De.
Zuo De’s previous approach and attitude had displeased Ai Ou very much, but seeing the Alchemy Grandmaster revered by the entire Star Field acting like this, Ai Ou couldn’t take it. After all, no matter what, Zuo De was still an Origin King Grade Alchemist. If he didn’t recover from this, it would be a loss to the entire Star Field.
Zuo De shook his head.
“Since that’s the case, then the winner of this competition…” Ai Ou was just about to announce the result of this competition, the Alchemists suddenly grew anxious.
Someone immediately shouted, “President, there is another pill. Can you take it out? Let’s have a look.”
“Yes! What about the second pill? Let’s take a look!”
Everyone had seen two pills fly out of the pill furnace and was confused by this. Alchemists had a strong thirst for knowledge, so how could they let Ai Ou ignore its existence?
Ai Ou couldn’t help but sigh. He glanced at Yang Kai with a complicated look in his eyes.
When he had opened the jade bottle, he had secretly taken a look at the second pill. When he saw it, he almost threw the jade bottle in fright. Thus, the requests of these many Alchemists had put him in a difficult position.
“Are you sure… you want to look?” Ai Ou asked after seeing Yang Kai show no objection.
“But of course. President, don’t hide it.”
“Sigh! Forget it, you can look at it yourself.” Ai Ou threw the jade bottle in his hand as he said this.
A middle-aged Alchemist in Alchemist’s robes with sharp eyes and quick hands immediately caught the jade bottle. As he focused his gaze inside, he stood stiff in his place as if he was struck by lightning. His eyes looked like they were ready to pop out, as if he had seen something incredible.
“Brother Zhao, Brother Zhao, what’s wrong? Say something quickly!” Seeing that he looked like he had seen a ghost, someone couldn’t help but urge the middle-aged man.
Nonetheless, the middle-aged man didn’t respond.
“Damn it, let me see!” A nearby Alchemist cursed out loud as he snatched the jade bottle from his hand. Then, his throat made some intangible noises. Just like the middle-aged man before, he stood in a daze with bulging eyes.
The jade bottle was snatched around by the Alchemists, one after another, but every Alchemist who saw the pill lying in the jade bottle was shocked.
If somebody who was not aware of the facts saw this, he might think that the jade bottle was filled with a poisonous pill, and a strong poison was leaking from the bottle, poisoning all these Alchemists.
Zuo De’s expression immediately changed. At the sight of this, he had guessed something. But when the thought crossed his mind, he found it unbelievable.
He staggeringly made his way without the slightest demeanour of a powerful master before snatching the jade bottle from a dazed Alchemist’s hands. Next, he poured out the pill straight on his palm.
The pill was surrounded by the very same pale golden glow and was still very round and transparent, but this pill had one big difference from the previous pill: Clear and distinct lines. They were distributed over the surface of the pill just like the meridians in a cultivator.
If these veins were spread on a sheet of paper, they would form a complex pattern that carried the truth of heaven and earth.
“Pill Veins!” Zuo De cried in shock. His old body started shaking like a willow swaying in the wind.
It wasn’t that he had not refined a pill with Pill Veins. Good or bad, he was still an Origin King Grade Alchemist and had been refining pills for a few thousand years. Countless pills had been refined in his hand, so he was lucky enough to refine pills with Pill Veins.
Some of the low-level pills even gave birth to Pill Clouds.
The pills with Pill Veins and Pill Clouds were the pride of Zuo De’s life, his honour as an Alchemist.
But it was his first time seeing an Origin King Grade pill with Pill Veins.
Lost, Zuo De was utterly defeated.
The moment the Pill Veins appeared before his eyes, Zuo De knew that he didn’t lose due to bad luck.
Not only could Yang Kai refine two pills at once but one of the pills even gave birth to Pill Veins. It was just impossible for him to compete with that.
Only now did the headstrong look on Zuo De’s face slowly vanish, replaced with a bit of frustration. He then took a deep breath and put the pill with the Pill Veins back in the jade bottle before cupping his fist at Yang Kai, conceding in a heavy voice, “Grandmaster Yang is indeed legendary, please accept this Zuo De’s bow!”
Yang Kai looked at Zuo De with surprise. He hadn’t expected these kinds of words to come out of his mouth at all. Judging by his unwilling look and character, Yang Kai believed that this old guy would not accept his defeat that easily. How could he have known for the things to end up like this?
Nodding gently, Yang Kai calmly said, “You flatter me.”
Watching Zuo De bowing to Yang Kai in respect, how could the other Alchemists be neglectful. They immediately cupped their fists and apologized, “Greetings Grandmaster Yang, we had eyes but failed to see. If we had offended Grandmaster Yang somehow, we ask Grandmaster to be magnanimous to forgive us.”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Ignorance can be forgiven.”
Yang Kai’s generous bearing immediately attracted everyone’s heart.
Either way, Yang Kai himself was a Second-Order Origin King master. Just by his strength alone, he stood at the top of the entire Star Field. Coupled with his identity as the Origin King Grade Alchemist, it could even be said that he was the most valuable and noble person in the entire Star Field; a fact no one could refute.
What was rare was that he was broad-minded and paid no heed to everyone’s past rudeness. This was definitely in-line with how a Grandmaster would act.
Compared to Zuo De’s way of seeking publicity, it was a whole lot better.
“Ling’er, apologize to Grandmaster.” After having accepted his defeat, Grandmaster seemed to have turned over a new leaf. Not only did he correct his attitude, he even asked his granddaughter to apologize to Yang Kai.
A reluctant look instantly appeared on Zuo Ling’s face. She immediately slipped behind Zuo De to hide.
Just as Zuo De was about to reprimand her, Yang Kai smiled and said, “Kids are innocent about things. Grandmaster doesn’t need to make things difficult for her. I didn’t take it seriously either.”
A complicated look flashed in Zuo De’s eyes. He nodded and continued, “After seeing Grandmaster Yang today, this Zuo De has come to know many of my shortcomings. I have learned from my mistakes.”
After pausing, he turned to Ai Ou and continued, “President Ai Ou, this old man wants to retreat for a year and a half. After my retreat is over, this old man will abide by the bet with Grandmaster Yang every year. This old man will take his leave first!”
While speaking, he handed over the pills refined by Yang Kai and started leaving with Zuo Ling without receiving Ai Ou’s consent.
Ai Ou didn’t stop him either. He only said, “Goodbye, Grandmaster.”
He knew that Zuo De had no face to stay here. It was already hard for him to sincerely apologize to Yang Kai in such a calm and upright manner, to remain would be incredibly uncomfortable. Long-time famous people like Zuo De would always try to save their faces.
“Honoured Teacher, wait for me,” After watching Zuo De leave, how could Zhan Yuan continue to stay here? He shouted and hurriedly chased after Zuo De with intestines blue with regret for opposing Yang Kai at every step and corner, mocking him again and again.
(Ash: Intestines turned blue with regret means regretting his ass off.)
Had he known that Yang Kai was this capable, how could he have been so ignorant? And it was not too late to please Yang Kai.
Yang Kai, watching Zuo De’s depressed and old back, heaved a slight sigh.
Ai Ou’s brow twitched, noticing Yang Kai’s sigh. He promptly walked over and asked, “Grandmaster Yang, why are you sighing?”
After seeing Yang Kai’s Alchemy skills, Ai Ou immediately changed how he addressed Yang Kai. Brother was intimate while addressing Yang Kai as Grandmaster was respectful. It showed that Yang Kai’s status in Ai Ou’s mind had undergone a huge change.
[In the entire Star Field, Yang Kai is the only one who can refine a Mid-Rank Origin King Grade pill with Pill Veins, and I heard that he has a pretty good relationship with Xue Yue. He has even come to Water Moon Star for Xue Yue.] Ai Ou was already thinking of ways to keep Yang Kai in the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
[He is absolutely far more valuable than a Foreign Elder like Zuo De.]
“I’m feeling sorry for Grandmaster Zuo De,” Yang Kai calmly said.
“Hmm!?” Ai Ou was perplexed. “What do you mean?”
“Grandmaster Zuo De’s Alchemic Dao will not progress even an inch further in the future.” Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
Ai Ou’s face changed slightly. After he gave it a thought, he suddenly seemed to have realized something. He promptly asked, “Is it because of Grand Alchemic Dao Tone?”
“Mhmm, Grandmaster has questioned the voice of the Heavenly Way and is lucky to have woken up in time. Otherwise, I’m afraid he would not have been able to keep his Alchemy skills. He would have been excluded from the Alchemic Dao and would have never been able to refine pills again.”
Ai Ou was taken aback. “The Grand Alchemic Dao Tone actually has such an effect!?”
Yang Kai looked at Ai Ou with a smile. “President Ai Ou, if you were rejected by Martial Dao, your foundation would be ruined as well.”
Ai Ou turned earnest and said, “If the Martial Dao Heavenly Tone was the one ringing today, this King would not have missed the opportunity. I sure would have done my best to comprehend it.”
“Martial Dao Heavenly Tone… it’s too far away.” Yang Kai shook his head.
Even he was caught by surprise when he had triggered the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone. He really hadn’t expected this to happen. Because Yang Kai was competing with an Origin King Grade Alchemist and also refining a Mid-Rank Origin Grade Spirit Pill, Yang Kai was just thinking of going all out. He had no other thoughts in his mind.
When he made use of all his knowledge in the True Alchemic Way, he had triggered that Heavenly Manifestation, unearthing the ultimate mystery bred by Heaven and Earth itself.
Now that he gave it a thought, Yang Kai found it to be incredible. If he was asked to do it again, he would not be able to trigger the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.
“Sir President, aren’t you busy?” An Alchemist suddenly glared at Ai Ou.
He was a Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist, just like Zhan Yuan. Generally, he would be extremely respectful to Ai Ou, but seeing this man take such a rude stance today, like he wasn’t afraid of him, had caught Ai Ou by surprise.
“Not that much.” Ai Ou had no idea when he had offended the other party, and why the other party was asking as such.
“Sir President deals with all the affairs of the entire Chamber of Commerce. How can you not be busy? President, you are needed upstairs.”
“That’s right, indeed! President, many things are waiting for you to deal with. What are you still doing here?”
“We respectfully send off Sir President!” All Alchemists said in unison.
Ai Ou looked at the hundreds of Alchemists with mouth agape. Suddenly, he was struck with a realization. Surprised, he burst into laughter before speaking, “So that’s what you mean… why didn’t you say so earlier?”
He kept shaking his head while speaking. He then scolded everyone with a smile hung on his lips, “I guess this King is unwelcome here.”
“President, you are really so wordy.” Some Alchemists were dissatisfied. They had been waiting to ask Yang Kai, Grandmaster Yang, about Alchemy, but President Ai Ou had been going on and on here, occupying Grandmaster’s time. They found it really loathsome, and if they could beat him up, they would have already started beating him to the point that even his mother couldn’t recognize him.
Ai Ou turned serious, letting out a cold snort. “This King just remembered. Who was it that said they wanted to leave my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce? Come on up and let this King take a look.”
As soon as Ai Ou’s said this, many Alchemists couldn’t help but shrink their necks, hurriedly hiding in the crowd, lest Ai Ou targeted them.
Everyone had said that out of their respect for Grandmaster Zuo De, but Ai Ou had brought it up now to take revenge.
No one dared to meet Ai Ou’s gaze, wherever it went past.
Suddenly, Ai Ou looked proud like a cock that had won the battle!
When had he ever had the chance to be so domineering before so many Alchemists and yet no one dared to look straight at him? Alchemists had very strange temperaments, whether one was an Origin King Realm master or not, one couldn’t delay them in Alchemy or hinder their study of Alchemy.
Therefore, Ai Ou had to speak every word carefully when he was before these Alchemists.
Today, he finally tasted a sense of superiority.
He couldn’t help but break into laughter. He felt extremely proud. “Good! Great! Excellent! It seems that my Chamber of Commerce hasn’t raised you in vain. You all know how to solve this King’s worries. You are all very good.”
“President… is everything okay with Mrs. Gu? Isn’t she waiting for the Soul Source Restoration Pill…”
Just as someone mentioned Mrs. Gu, Ai Ou left in a hurry, like he was injected with adrenaline. He disappeared in the blink of an eye.
[Damn it! I actually forgot that my wife is still suffering and unconscious in my pride!] Ai Ou was feeling extremely guilty at this moment.
“That pain in the neck has finally left,” The crowd of Alchemists couldn’t help but heaved a sigh in relief. In the next moment, everyone surrounded Yang Kai, staring at him with bright eyes as if they would eat him. All of them were extremely excited.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel jittery. Before anyone could say anything, he raised his hand and said, “Everyone, I know what you want to do. Hmm, this King has some time now, let’s find a place to talk. I’m afraid this place won’t work as it’s best not to disturb everyone’s enlightenment.”
There were about two hundred or so Alchemists who still had their eyes closed, immersed in their enlightenment because of the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone. Obviously, they had reaped a lot of benefits.
The rest had failed to reap any benefit from the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, so they had put all their attention on Yang Kai. Consulting him once would be more beneficial to them than refining pills for ten years straight. How could they miss this opportunity?
It was just that they didn’t know how to bring it up. But no one had expected Yang Kai to be so amiable. Yang Kai brought it up himself first.
Many Alchemists were wild with joy. They immediately knew that Yang Kai and Zuo De were two different people.
They had asked Zuo De for advice before, but Grandmaster Zuo De’s temper was really bad. He would either reprimand them or talk about other matters, which rendered their request mute.
But judging by Yang Kai’s demeanour, Yang Kai was obviously going to be talking about Alchemic Dao. This made everyone happy.
Someone immediately suggested the next moment, “Let’s head to the eighth floor, it should be empty now.”
“That’s right!”
“Alright,” Yang Kai nodded his agreement.
“Grandmaster Yang, please!” The crowd of Alchemists stretched out their hands and gestured in unison and in an extremely respectful manner. If anyone saw their current demeanour, no one would think that these people were the very same Alchemists with eyes high up their heads.
Yang Kai was also not overly modest. He was a master of both Martial Dao and Alchemic Dao. He might not be that old, but he held seniority over almost everyone. Whether it was Martial Dao or Alchemic Dao, he was far ahead of everyone.
Too much humility was just hypocrisy.
Therefore, he assumed the deserved authority and took the lead, heading to the eighth floor, whereas the crowd of Alchemists followed Yang Kai in an orderly manner.
The environment of the eighth floor of the Alchemist Pavilion was similar to that of the ninth floor, but the Earth Fire wasn’t as strong as it was on the ninth floor. Be that as it may, no one paid that much attention to it. They just sat cross-legged in the hall, facing Yang Kai, listening to him explain the mystery of the Alchemic Dao.
If Yang Kai was asked to explain the Alchemic Dao to so many Alchemists before this, he might not have been up to it, even if his Alchemy skills were better than the others.
It was one thing to know Alchemy and another thing to explain it to others. One needed to have a very high level of understanding to do the latter.
Fortunately, it was different now. The Grand Alchemic Dao Tone had rung in Yang Kai’s ears for an entire day, and the mystery of the Alchemic Dao was etched into his mind like a brand. His understanding of Alchemic Dao had reached a whole new level, an unprecedented level.
Explaining Alchemy to these Saint King Grade and Origin Grade Alchemists was a piece of cake for him.
Yang Kai preached about Alchemic Dao for three days, covering all kinds of topics; from how to choose the herbs, distinguish between good and bad pill recipes, refine the medicinal liquid, controlling heat, engraving the Spirit Arrays, and then finally Pill Condensing Technique.
All the Alchemists were so into it that they didn’t even notice the passage of time.
From time to time, someone would look pleasantly surprised. Clearly, he had suddenly understood the problem that had been plaguing them for many years under Yang Kai’s guidance.
Yang Kai benefited a lot from this himself. By teaching these Alchemists about the Alchemic Dao, he had a better understanding of everything that had been etched into his mind by the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.
At first, he would sometimes stop, immersed in his own thoughts, pondering. But by the time he reached the end, he never stopped in-between; he kept going. Everything he mentioned was an Alchemy secret that average Alchemists would be unable to glimpse even if he spent his entire life.
Sometime in between, an Alchemist on the ninth floor would wake up and make his way to the eighth floor and sit down cross-legged quietly, listening to Yang Kai with rapt attention.
After having experienced the lucky chance of the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, they had gotten huge benefits from Yang Kai again.
After three days, all the five or so hundred Alchemists were sitting on the eighth floor, not one less. Everyone was sitting before Yang Kai, looking at him with solemn and earnest looks on their faces. Even Zong Ao was no exception.
Yang Kai had noticed him walk in long ago, he just nodded to him slightly but didn’t stop teaching the Alchemic Dao.
Suddenly, Yang Kai stopped speaking.
The eighth floor of the Alchemist Pavilion was so silent that even the drop of a pin could be heard. Everyone had even suppressed the sound of their breathing to the bare minimum. When Yang Kai stopped speaking, everyone knew that the sharing was over.
Everyone looked eager for more.
But Yang Kai smiled and stood up. He cupped his fists to everyone and said, “That’s all for today. Thank you, everyone.”
All five hundred or so Alchemists stood up together and thanked Yang Kai with an earnest look on their faces and cupping their fists in return, “Disciples thank Grandmaster Yang for going through the trouble of teaching us!”
Yang Kai was stunned. However, he was back at ease very soon.
Zhan Yuan had always referred to himself as a disciple just because of a few unintentional pointers from Zuo De many years ago. He also addressed Zuo De as Honoured Teacher.
This time, Yang Kai had preached Alchemic Dao for three days to over five hundred Alchemists and could be regarded as their Honored Teacher. Unfortunately, they couldn’t address Yang Kai as teacher because he hadn’t given his consent, but they sure could call themselves disciples.
Alchemists paid great importance to heritage.
Yang Kai had imparted Alchemy experience and understanding to others generously. Although it could not help them achieve success overnight, it was a great kindness nonetheless.
Especially the magical Pill Condensing Technique. If these Alchemists could completely comprehend the technique, it would definitely bring a huge change to the Alchemy world of the entire Star Field.
After all, in every Alchemist’s mind, they could only refine one pill from one set of ingredients, but by resorting to that special Pill Condensing Technique, one could refine two, three, even four or five pills from one set of ingredients. This was tantamount to greatly reducing the cost of refining pills and increasing the output of the pills.
If this technique became known to all the Alchemists, the cultivators of the Star Field would no longer have to be afraid of the lack of pills.
In any case, these five hundred or so Saint King and above Grade Alchemists could be considered as Yang Kai’s disciples from today, including Zong Ao.
This was definitely a force that shook the entire Star Field.
No one could say how many of these five hundred or so Alchemists would advance to Origin King Grade in the future.
Yang Kai didn’t assume airs either. He cupped his fists in return and said, “You are welcome.”
“Grandmaster Yang, this disciple can’t get something you said before out of his mind and is confused about it. I wonder if I can ask it or not?” a middle-aged beautiful female Alchemist asked Yang Kai, giggling.
“If you have any questions, just ask. If this King can answer it, this King will not hide it,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
“I believe everyone here believes and knows Grandmaster Yang’s character. However… Grandmaster, didn’t you say that there was an Alchemist better than Grandmaster Zuo De, and even you, before you started competing with Grandmaster Zuo De? It’s not true… is it?”
Just as she mentioned this, someone immediately agreed, “That’s right! I heard this too! But how is this possible? Grandmaster Yang’s Alchemy skills have already reached perfection. How can anyone surpass him in Alchemy?”
“Grandmaster said it just for the sake of it. You believed it?”
“I wasn’t speaking just for the sake of it.” Yang Kai smiled and shook his head. “There is indeed one person in this world who is far better than me in Alchemy!”
“Impossible!?”
“There is actually such a person!?”
“Grandmaster Yang, you are being too humble.”
The other Alchemists raised a clamour. They didn’t want to believe Yang Kai. They all thought that Yang Kai was just being humble. After all, everyone had a great understanding of Yang Kai’s temperament by now, he was friendly and unpretentious.
“I’m not being humble, I am just stating the fact,” Yang Kai turned serious and said. “It’s hard to say now, I might be a bit better than that person, but she was definitely better than me before. And in the future… she will be better than me.”
“Who is this person?” All the Alchemists were taken aback. Judging by Yang Kai’s expression, everyone knew that he wasn’t exaggerating. They all wanted to know what made that person so different.
“As far as I know, Grandmaster Zuo De’s Alchemy skills are the best in the entire Star Field. Even if someone could stand shoulders to shoulder with him, he or she could not surpass Grandmaster Zuo De for sure. So, the person mentioned by Grandmaster Yang must be…”
“You don’t need to guess. You don’t know her name. She is my Senior Sister. She is just like me, unknown to everyone!” Yang Kai explained.
“Grandmaster Yang’s Senior Sister!?
“No wonder!”
“Is Grandmaster Yang from the Alchemy Sect? Both Senior Sister and Junior Brother have already reached the level of the Origin King Grade…”
“Grandmaster Yang, where is your Sect? Can this disciple go and join your sect?”
Just as someone asked this, many Alchemists looked eagerly at Yang Kai. If a Sect could foster two Origin King Grade Alchemists, it was absolutely a Holy Land in the eyes of many Alchemists. If they could join that Sect, their future might be absolutely wonderful!
There was only one thought lingering in everyone’s mind: They wanted to ask where Yang Kai’s sect was. Even if they couldn’t join the Sect, they could still go to observe and emulate; they might gain something.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter. “If you let President Ai Ou know of this, would he let this matter rest at that!?”
If Ai Ou came to know that all these five hundred or so Alchemists were thinking of joining the High Heaven Sect, he would surely fight it out with Yang Kai.
All these Alchemists were the elite force of the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. All the pills produced by the Chamber of Commerce depended on these people. If they left, the Chamber of Commerce’s business would collapse.
“Don’t mention this anymore. If there is a chance, this King might welcome you to visit. But today, it is better for you to enter a retreat and finish your enlightenment.” Yang Kai was afraid that he really would not be able to escape if continued speaking.
Having heard this, nobody made things difficult for Yang Kai. Besides, they did have to enter a retreat to finish their enlightenment and digest everything they had gained over these days. The next moment, the crowd of Alchemists scattered as everyone hurriedly returned to their respective residences for retreating.
Zong Ao, on the other hand, didn’t leave. Only when Yang Kai and he were left in the entire Alchemist Pavilion did he ask Yang Kai with a strange look on his face, “Should I also address you as Honored Teacher or as Grandmaster Yang?”
“I will be embarrassed if you address me like this.” Yang Kai forced a wry smile.
“Come on, I will have to find myself a hole to crawl into if you address me as Grandmaster.” Zong Ao rolled his eyes at Yang Kai. “Who would dare to call himself Grandmaster before you?”
“Then how about we let things remain the same as before? No one would feel embarrassed then,” Yang Kai patted Zong Ao’s shoulder with a smile. He then quickly changed the topic, asking in a low voice with a solemn look on his face, “It seems that you are now an Origin King Grade Alchemist.”
A fierce gleam flashed past Zong Ao’s eyes. He glanced at Yang Kai in surprise. “It seems I can’t hide it from you…”
“When the Grand Alchemist Dao Tone rang, you were the first one to sit down. And when I was sharing about Alchemic Dao, you seemed to have gained a lot. Obviously, you have made progress.”
“Yes, I have comprehended a lot. Although the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone was elusive, I had the chance to hear many of the mysteries, and with your explanation, I have mastered most of it. However… an Alchemist’s promotion isn’t the same as a cultivator’s. It’s not a matter of accumulating enough foundation; I need to enter a retreat for a while. If I could refine an Origin King Grade pill after exiting, I would be an Origin King Grade Alchemist!”
“Then, I await the good news.” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Thank you, Yang Kai,” Zong Ao said with an earnest look on his face.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment but quickly replied, “This was your own chance, you don’t need to thank me. You should probably enter the retreat as soon as possible. I hope that when you come out, another Origin King Grade Alchemist is born in this Star Field.”
“I sure hope so!” Zong Ao nodded. “I will take my leave then.”
Yang Kai nodded, sending Zong Ao off.
After Zong Ao’s figure disappeared from Yang Kai’s sight, Yang Kai immediately spread his Divine Sense out to probe around a bit. He immediately noticed that Long Tian Shang’s aura had already disappeared from the void.
Yang Kai didn’t pay that much attention to it. Next, Yang Kai’s figure flickered before he disappeared from this place.
By the time he reappeared, he was already outside the Alchemist Pavilion.
A familiar figure happened to be waiting for him outside. The figure could not help but jump back in fright at the sight of Yang Kai’s sudden appearance, but he looked relieved the next moment. After all, it was a matter of course for Yang Kai to do this with his strength.
He hurriedly cupped his fists and greeted Yang Kai. “Brother Yang.”
“Why are you here?” Yang Kai gazed at Shen Tu in amazement.
The person waiting for Yang Kai outside the Alchemist Pavilion was none other than Shen Tu.
Shen Tu hurriedly replied to Yang Kai’s question, “My father asked me to wait for you here.”
“What does President Ai Ou want to ask me?” Yang Kai asked.
“Nothing. It’s just that… Little Mother is awake. I just came to thank you personally after finding out that you refined the pill for her. Brother Yang, if you are free, can you come with me?” Shen Tu asked earnestly.
“Sure.” Yang Kai nodded his agreement.
The duo started walking side by side the next moment.
Gu Bi Hu’s awakening didn’t come as a surprise to Yang Kai. After all, Ai Ou had given a drop of Immortal Source Liquid to Gu Bi Hu before, healing all her physical wounds. The reason why she was in a coma was that her Soul was injured.
And a Soul Source Restoration Pill was the perfect remedy for this.
What’s more, the Soul Source Restoration Pill refined by Yang Kai had Pill Veins. Its medicinal efficacy was several times stronger than a normal Soul Source Restoration Pill. After having her Soul nourished by this pill, it would be strange if Gu Bi Hu didn’t wake up. Her Soul might even gain some extra benefits with the help of that pill.
All along the way, Shen Tu kept peeking glances at Yang Kai from time to time. There was a strange look on his face, like he had something to say.
Yang Kai smiled and asked, “Brother Shen Tu, is something the matter? If you want to ask something, just ask. You and I aren’t outsiders.”
The corners of Shen Tu’s mouth twitched. He immediately asked, looking serious, “I just want to know, are you really an Origin King Grade Alchemist? Did you really refine that pill?”
He had known Yang Kai for a long time. They might not have had much interaction with each other, but he had never thought that Yang Kai would make great progress in Martial Dao while also taking such incredible strides in Alchemic Dao.
[Compared to him, my Origin Returning Realm cultivation is simply nothing!]
He used to boast about his talents, but now, Shen Tu was completely ripped to pieces.
“I am indeed an Origin King Grade Alchemist and that pill was also refined by me.” Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgement.
Shen Tu slapped his thigh in annoyance and said, “So it’s true that you competed with Grandmaster Zuo De in Alchemy?”
“Well, has word already gotten around?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
“It has already become the talk of the entire city. There is no one in Water Sky City who doesn’t know about this, everyone has heard of it.” Shen Tu continued with a saddened look, “Had I known, I would have come to Water Sky City with you. I really missed a good show. This Young Master has been unhappy with Zuo De for a long time. His face when he was beaten would have been an incredible sight. I would have surely enjoyed it.”
Yang Kai smiled but didn’t say anything.
“But Brother Yang, do you know my Little Mother?”
“No. Why?”
“If you hadn’t met her, why were you willing to use two thousand years of your freedom to compete with Zuo De in Alchemy? When my Little Mother came to know of this, she scolded my father for not stopping you.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Because I knew that I wouldn’t lose. So it didn’t matter how big the ante was.”
Shen Tu couldn’t help but raise his thumb up to Yang Kai when he heard this. He immediately said, “Anyway, you have left a good impression on my Little Mother. You will know when you meet her.”
While talking, the two soon arrived before a manor.
They were still inside Water Sky City but the surrounding environment here was extremely beautiful and quiet. Obviously, this was the place where Gu Bi Hu was recuperating. The entire manor was surrounded by all sorts of powerful Spirit Arrays, and when Yang Kai scanned with his Divine Sense, he was secretly shocked by how strong these barriers were.
When they entered the manor, a small bridge over a stream entered their sights while melodious chimes of musical instruments rang in their ears, which made them feel relaxed and happy.
Shen Tu brought Yang Kai all the way inside and no one stopped them.
A short while later, they arrived at the deepest part of the manor, a simple-looking house within a purple bamboo forest.
Yang Kai could sense three people inside the bamboo house. One was President Ai Ou, another was Xue Yue, and the last was unfamiliar to him. Obviously, it was Gu Bi Hu.
Shen Tu stood still outside the bamboo house and reported aloud, “Father, I have brought Brother Yang.”
“Come in!” Ai Ou’s voice immediately came from inside the house.
Shen Tu smiled at Yang Kai, inviting him in. “Brother Yang, please.”
Yang Kai nodded and walked straight in.
Just as he entered the bamboo house, Yang Kai immediately felt three pairs of eyes gazing at him.
Before Yang Kai could look around the room, President Ai Ou rushed over and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder hard, laughing. “Brother Yang, this Ai can’t thank you enough. If it weren’t for you, it would be impossible for my wife to wake up this easily.”
He patted very hard, maybe even using Saint Qi as when the thick and robust palm fell on his shoulders, a resounding clap was heard inside the house.
Xue Yue stood gawking with a strange look on her face.
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. He immediately cupped his fest and said, “President Ai Ou, you are too polite. Xue Yue and I are friends. It’s nothing worth mentioning.”
“It might be nothing to you, but it was a life-saving grace for my wife and me. This Ai can never forget it.” Ai Ou’s face turned solemn.
Yang Kai smiled but didn’t say anything, rather, he gazed to the other side.
Ever since he had entered the room, a pair of bright eyes had been constantly looking at him with scrutiny.
The owner of these eyes was naturally Gu Bi Hu.
When Yang Kai looked back at her, Gu Bi Hu just smiled at Yang Kai.
She didn’t seem to be very old, appearing to be in her twenties or thirties while her Martial Dao cultivation had reached the peak of the Origin Returning Realm. Perhaps because she had just woken up, her face was a little pale, but this gave her the appearance of a sick beauty.
Sure enough, she was a woman that could topple a nation with her beauty. Yang Kai had guessed it already, otherwise, Ai Ou would not have attached such great importance to her.
“Are you Grandmaster Yang? You are truly a dragon among men, really extraordinary,” Gu Bi Hu’s gentle voice resounded in the house as her lips parted. Her voice might be very light but it sounded very clear.
Yang Kai’s expression changed. He subconsciously felt that there was something wrong when he heard Gu Bi Hu praised him like this, because she was just an Origin Returning Realm master and he was a Second-Order Origin King. She was speaking to him like an elder treating her junior, which was a bit rude, emotionally and reasonably.
However, Yang Kai didn’t give it that much thought. He cupped his fists and greeted, “Greetings, Mrs. Gu!”
Gu Bi Hu coughed a few times before replying with a smile, “Grandmaster Yang, you are too polite. You have saved my life, and I should have been the one to come to you and thank you personally. It’s just that I’m not in a state to walk around, so I can only ask Shen Tu to invite you over. I hope Grandmaster Yang won’t blame me?”
“How could I dare! Mrs. Gu is Xue Yue’s elder, and Xue Yue and I are friends. I should be the one to come and visit.”
Gu Bi Hu nodded gently as if she was satisfied with Yang Kai’s attitude, which confused the nearby Ai Ou.
He hurriedly said, “My wife and I were still discussing how to thank you. But I still can’t think of a good way to thank you. Let’s do it like this: Brother Yang, how about you tell us what you want? As long as this Ai can do it, I’ll definitely fulfil it.”
Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up. He couldn’t help but look at Xue Yue.
Xue Yue immediately averted her eye feeling his gaze. She was pretending to be calm.
A smile suddenly bloomed over Gu Bi Hu’s face, who was silently watching all this. She then said in a gentle voice, “I have an idea.”
“Oh? Dear, if you have thought of something, you might as well tell them.” Ai Ou was overjoyed, hurriedly looking at her.
Gu Bi Hu smiled but didn’t say anything. She just beckoned Xue Yue and Yang Kai to come over.
The couple glanced at each other. They had no idea what Gu Bi Hu wanted to do. But they had no choice but to approach her bedside.
Gu Bi Hu reached out and grabbed Xue Yue and Yang Kai’s hands with each hand before joining them in the middle. She then looked at Yang Kai with a smile before asking, “Grandmaster Yang, what do you think? Are you satisfied with this gift?”
Yang Kai was in a daze momentarily. But very soon, he broke into laughter and replied with admiration, “Mrs. Gu sure is beautiful and intelligent. This Yang is very satisfied with this gift.”
Xue Yue too was dumbstruck for a while. After she came to understand what Gu Bi Hu actually meant, her pretty face flushed red all over. She stomped her feet in shame and said, “Little Mother…”
Ai Ou’s eyes widened as he kept watching from the sidelines for a while. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. He asked in astonishment, “Dear, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Don’t you understand?” Gu Bi Hu shot a glance at Ai Ou as she explained in a leisure manner, “Grandmaster Yang has been aware of Xue Yue’s secret all the while. The two might even be in love too!”
“What!?” Ai Ou was quite taken aback by this revelation and his previous amiable attitude could not be found anywhere. Rather, he was glaring at Yang Kai with hostility.
Yang Kai paid no heed to his hostility and smiled slightly. “Mrs. Gu is indeed right. I already knew that Xue Yue was a woman a long time ago. But… How did Mrs. Gu know? I don’t think I have revealed anything to make it that obvious! And I believe Xue Yue won’t have told you about it.”
Gu Bi Hu smiled gently as she explained, “It’s very simple. You and I don’t know each other, but you still staked two thousand years of your freedom to bet with Grandmaster Zuo De for me. Why? Since I don’t have anything to make you do that, and neither does my husband, there can only be one reason, and that’s Xue Yue. A man will only pay such a price for his woman.”
Yang Kai looked stunned. “So to say, Mrs. Gu guessed it after waking up?”
“Mhmm, but it was just a guess, I wasn’t sure. That’s why I asked you to come over. And through my observations… I was sure.”
“Mrs. Gu is truly brilliant!” Yang Kai exclaimed in wonder. If she could conclude that Xue Yue and he are deeply in love with such little information, she was not an ordinary woman by any means.
Apparently, Gu Bi Hu was a beauty with brains.
“Xue Yue, is this true?” Ai Ou’s old face was almost covered in a layer of frost as he asked this.
Xue Yue nibbled her red lips before nodding her head slightly.
“You… you are really driving me mad!” Ai Ou looked angered and disappointed as if Xue Yue hadn’t lived up to his expectation. He had been training Xue Yue as the successor of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, but how could he have expected that Xue Yue would be in love with someone.
And when he recalled how he addressed Yang Kai as Brother Yang many times, Ai Ou couldn’t wait to look for a hole to crawl into. [No wonder this kid had such a strange expression at that time. So this was the reason!]
Considering all this, Ai Ou suddenly felt that he had suffered a big loss.
“Xue Yue is no longer young and you have raised her as a boy since her birth. Are you going to make her pretend to be a man forever?” Gu Bi Hu glared at Ai Ou and asked seriously, “Every woman has the right to pursue her own happiness, and Grandmaster Yang is the best choice. Be it by his character or appearance, he is worthy of Xue Yue. What’s more, both have feelings for each other, so just leave them alone.”
“No!” Ai Ou denied flatly with a sullen face. “I can agree to everything else but not this!”
Xue Yue’s face immediately darkened.
“Dear, you should also think about Xue Yue. She has such high standards. How many people do you think can make her fancy them? Would you like to see her live alone for the rest of her life?” Gu Bi Hu persuaded with a gentle tone.
“In the heart of a cultivator, the Martial Dao takes precedence over everything. When she has reached the grand accomplishment stage in Martial Dao, it won’t be too late for her to focus on love!” Ai Ou kept a straight face; he didn’t budge the slightest.
But suddenly, a smile appeared on Gu Bi Hu’s face as she said, “It looks like… I won’t get through you with words alone.”
Hearing this, Ai Ou’s face changed. He cried in shock, “Hey, Dear, what do you want to do!”
“Nothing.” Gu Bi Hu coldly smiled, “President Ai Ou is an outstanding hero, he only has the Chamber of Commerce power and Martial Dao in his heart. I’m afraid there is no place for this little girl… you are now just a step away from the grand accomplishment stage of Martial Dao. Since you said that it won’t be too late to focus on love after reaching the grand accomplishment stage, this little girl can only leave you. I don’t want to hinder your Martial Dao…”
While speaking, Gu Bi Hu looked like she would break into tears at any moment. She looked frustrated and wanted to leave. Coupled with her sickly pale face, it really made everyone feel sorry for her.
Ai Ou really panicked. He hurriedly approached, pushing Yang Kai and Xue Yue away, and grabbed Gu Bi Hu’s hands as he justified himself anxiously, “Dear, I didn’t mean that. I was just teaching Xue Yue. I didn’t mean…”
“I understand what you mean,” Gu Bi Hu wiped the crystal-clear tear from the corner of her eyes. “Sir President, don’t worry, this little girl will only stay here for a few days. I will leave when I can get out of bed and definitely will not hinder your Martial Dao. When you have reached the peak of the Martial Dao, this little girl will come back and accompany you again. I will then remain by your side forever.”
She bit her thin lips, tilted her head as if she was heartbroken. Tears kept rolling down as she spoke.
“Dear…” Ai Ou was completely confused. He didn’t know what to say. He was so anxious that he felt like a cat was scratching his heart. He couldn’t wait to kowtow to apologize to Gu Bi Hu, but when he thought of Yang Kai and Xue Yue still watching from the sidelines, how could he throw his face?
He immediately looked back, shooting a glare at Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
“Um, Father, your daughter will take her leave then.” Xue Yue understood that the next scene was not suitable for children and quickly dragged Yang Kai away.
Yang Kai hurriedly cupped his fist before following Xue Yue out.
Before leaving, Yang Kai noticed Gu Bi Hu wink, assuring him.
A grin immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face. He realized that Ai Ou might look big and tall but he was a big softy; he paid great importance to love and justice. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have regarded Gu Bi Hu with so much importance.
[But then again, if Su Yan, or Xia Ning Chang, or Shan Qing Luo used the same trick on me, I’m afraid even I couldn’t resist.]
The warmth of a beauty is the downfall of a hero. It’s the eternal truth.
When the couple came outside the bamboo house, Shen Tu was nowhere to be found, God knows where he went. The barriers of the bamboo house were instantly activated; no sound could be heard coming from the inside. Even when Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to check it out, he was unable to probe.
He could only give up in the light of this.
“Mrs. Gu…” Yang Kai thought for a while; he had no idea what would be the appropriate way to address her. After all, Gu Bi Hu was now his elder. Eventually, he gave up and could only continue, “Seems to value you very much.”
“Mhmm, Little Mother is very nice and friendly to us. That’s why all of us respect her,” Xue Yue smiled. “Only she can control Father. Don’t just judge my father by his obedience before Little Mother, he is different in front of others.”
“I can imagine,” Yang Kai nodded. After all, he had been managing the Chamber of Commerce for so long. How could he do so without a bit of majesty and prestige?
Xue Yue suddenly poked Yang Kai and bluntly asked, “When are you going to marry me?”
“Hmm!?” Yang Kai looked at Xue Yue in amazement. He asked with a shadow of a smile lingering on his face, “Are you so sure that Mrs. Gu will handle President Ai Ou?”
“Since Little Mother has taken the matter herself, how can my father not compromise? Besides, even without Little Mother, my father will have to give it thought due to your identity and cultivation, so there is no other possibility.”
“I guess you can’t wait to marry me?” Yang Kai stared into Xue Yue’s beautiful eyes.
Xue Yue’s face immediately flushed red. She stamped her foot and rebuked, “So what!? If I don’t take the initiative, how can I establish my position in the heart of someone as good as you?”
Yang Kai was stunned speechless.
Xue Yue let out a cold snort before approaching Yang Kai. She reached out and poked Yang Kai’s heart as she asked, grinding her teeth, “So, how many girls do you have apart from the enchantress Shan Qing Luo I saw in the Emperor Garden? What are their names?”
When poking Yang Kai, Xue Yue secretly fired a burst of Saint Qi with her slender jade fingers.
After Xue Yue had poked a few dozen times, Yang Kai couldn’t help but cough a few times. He replied with some guilt, “Just a few.”
“A few, how many exactly?” Xue Yue squinted her eyes.
Yang Kai raised his two fingers.
“Who are they? Are they worthy of you?”
“They are my two Senior Sisters,” Yang Kai forced a chuckle.
“Childhood sweethearts,” Xue Yue was surprised. She immediately asked, a little annoyed, “I have no hope in this big house. The second and third bedroom are already occupied. I can only take the fourth bedroom!”
She suddenly became unhappy. She nibbled her lips and asked, “How many more are you going to find in the future?”
“There won’t be any!” Yang Kai replied, looking earnest.
Xue Yue broke into giggling. She said with a foxy smile, “Is it really okay to say this? Be careful not to be caught by me in the future. At that time, I will inform the three Elder Sisters. Will you be able to take it?”
“There really won’t be any!” Yang Kai pledged in all sincerity and seriousness, like taking an oath. He then sincerely looked at Xue Yue with clear and frank eyes and took Xue Yue’s soft hand as he said in a warm voice, “All of you are enough for me.”
Xue Yue’s face flushed red all over, feeling butterflies in her stomach. She lowered her head and said, “How corny!”
Badump!
Yang Kai couldn’t help but wipe the cold sweat off his forehead!
While the two were talking to each other, the door of the bamboo house suddenly opened as the big and tall Ai Ou walked out.
Xue Yue suddenly pulled her hand out of Yang Kai’s grasp and stepped back like a frightened rabbit.
Ai Ou immediately shot a glare at their location; obviously, nothing was hidden from him. However, he didn’t say anything. He just let out a cold snort and beckoned to Yang Kai, maintaining a straight face. At the same time, he ordered Yang Kai with no trace of politeness, “Kid, follow this King.”
After having said this, he just started walking in a certain direction slowly.
From Brother Yang, to Grandmaster Yang, and then to kid… It was quite evident that President Ai Ou’s impression of Yang Kai had already changed.
Yang Kai slightly smiled. He then turned to Xue Yue and said, “I will go and have a talk with Senior. You go back, I will come and find you later.”
Xue Yue opened her mouth, wanting to join them. However, she also knew that it would be really inappropriate if she disturbs the talk between men. All she could say was, “Be careful! If my father makes things difficult for you, please bear with it. When you return, I… will make up for it.”
Having said this, she quickly fled with a flushed face like there was wind blowing under her feet.
A dreamy look immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face.
“Kid, are you still not coming!?” A dissatisfied Ai Ou, who was standing not too far away, urged Yang Kai.
“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Yang Kai knew that he had fallen into an absolute disadvantage in the confrontation with Ai Ou, who just so happened to be in a bad mood. Therefore, Yang Kai didn’t care at all.
Yang Kai trotted his way to Ai Ou, smiled and greeted, cupping his fists, “Yang Kai greets future… Father-in-law!”
“Kid, what did you call me?” Ai Ou jumped back in fright like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“Haha,” Yang Kai forced a laugh.
“You can eat rice indiscriminately but you can’t wag your tongue indiscriminately. Let me tell you, Kid. You can forget about marrying my daughter, Xue Yue. That’s not up for discussion!” Ai Ou glared at Yang Kai. He looked quite unhappy.
“No discussion!?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“No means no!” Au Ou squinted his eyes. He looked as if he would rather be struck by lightning than agree.
“In that case…” Yang Kai pondered a little. “I guess, there is nothing left to discuss between Senior and this junior. Let’s do it like this, I will leave Water Sky City tomorrow.”
“Hmm!?” Now, it was Ai Ou’s turn to be terrified. He hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would be so easy to talk to. He thought that Yang Kai would hang on without any sense of shame, but he really hadn’t expected Yang Kai to retreat in the face of difficulties.
He was immediately wild with joy. In this case, he now had an explanation that he could give to Gu Bi Hu. [Anyway, I’m not forcing him to leave, he is leaving on his own. It has nothing to do with this King.]
Just as he was about to say something, he heard Yang Kai heave a heavy sigh. “Sigh, but if I leave. I’m afraid those five hundred or so Alchemists will also leave with me.”
“What do you mean?” Ai Ou suddenly became nervous.
“Hehe, I forgot to tell President Ai Ou. After you left, I preached Alchemy for a few days. I can now be considered as a half-teacher to those Alchemists. Originally, they wanted to stay by my side to learn Alchemy. But I thought that since we’re all one family, there wasn’t any difference between staying by my side and staying in the Alchemist Pavilion, so I didn’t agree. Since I don’t have any fate with Xue Yue, then I won’t force it, but if I leave, I’m afraid they would want to follow me.”
“Half-teacher!?” Ai Ou was shocked. He immediately lashed at Yang Kai, “Kid, are you threatening me!?”
He knew that Yang Kai was definitely not kidding. Alchemists attached great importance to heritage. It was quite clear from how Zhan Yuan left with Zuo De. And now, Yang Kai was a half-teacher to five hundred or so Alchemists. He had the grace of enlightening them, so as long as he raised his arm and called for action, nothing would be left in the Alchemist Pavilion. Not the grass, or the tile, or anyone for him.
That was the elite force of the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce!
Ai Ou’s heart was gripped with a chill. He realized that he had underestimated Yang Kai’s ability.
“How could I dare?” Yang Kai looked at Ai Ou, smiling.
“You sure have guts!” Ai Ou said, grinding his teeth.
Yang Kai, ignoring him, suddenly took a stone tablet-like thing from the Space Ring. He then heaved a sigh and said, “Originally, this junior was planning on gifting this to Senior. Alas… forget it! I can keep it for myself!”
“What’s that!” Ai Ou asked curiously.
“A Secret Art!” Yang Kai smiled brightly.
Originally, Ai Ou was very curious about what Yang Kai had taken out. After all, with Yang Kai’s extraordinary strength and high status, anything taken out by him should be extraordinary.
But when he heard Yang Kai say a Secret Art, Ai Ou immediately lost interest. He curled his lips and said, “I was wondering what it was, so it was a Secret Art. Although my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is focused on business, we do regard Martial Dao as important. Whatever that Secret Art is… Kid, you can keep it to yourself. My Chamber of Commerce doesn’t lack these kinds of things.”
Yang Kai smiled slightly as he threw out a few words in an extremely calm manner, “This Secret Art is known as… The Star Refining Art!”
Just as he said this, Ai Ou’s eyes bloomed with white brilliance. He snatched the stone tablet from Yang Kai’s hands as swiftly as a lightning bolt, reading it carefully with widened eyes.
Three ancient words were engraved on the stone tablet. They looked extremely mysterious and were completely different from the existing characters.
But if one looked at them closely, he or she would find that they were somewhat similar to today’s three words of Star Refining Art.
Ai Ou’s hands couldn’t help but shake.
“Senior, isn’t this a bit out of character for someone with your status?” Yang Kai teased Ai Ou.
“Shut your trap!” Ai Ou shouted angrily. Without any vigilance against Yang Kai, he immersed his consciousness straight into the stone tablet, trying to figure it out.
This stone tablet was something Yang Kai had obtained from the deepest part of the Emperor Garden. It was due to this Star Refining Art that Xia Ning Chang could refine the Star Source of Tong Xuan Realm. It might be useless to him, who had refined the Source of Shadowed Star, but this was absolutely the ultimate art to refine the Star Source.
Later, when the Avatar refined the Source of the Floating Continent had also confirmed this point.
Today, Ai Ou was a peak Second-Order Origin King. If he could get the Star Refining Art and refine the Source of a Cultivation Star, not only would it provide him limitless future prospects, but his advance to the Third-Order Origin King Realm was a done deal. That’s why he had forgotten his manners.
Last time, Ai Ou had asked Xue Yue to take a large number of masters to the Emperor Garden for this Star Refining Art, but unfortunately, it ended up in Yang Kai’s hands.
Xue Yue hadn’t told the truth to Ai Ou after she came back, so Ai Ou had no idea that the Star Refining Art was actually in Yang Kai’s hands.
When it was suddenly presented before him, he was naturally ecstatic.
Yang Kai smiled and stood on one side, waiting for Ai Ou.
With time, Ai Ou’s expression changed in a flash. Excited, nervous, eager, happy… all kinds of expressions had appeared on his face.
After a long time, he suddenly broke into hearty laughter.
“Senior, did you get some gains?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Ai Ou looked at Yang Kai. His face finally softened as he nodded and said, “Kid, you are really good, you sure know how to please others. What is rare is that your status is not the slightest bit inferior to this King with your strength, but you still know how to respect elders. This King is very satisfied with this!”
“If Senior is satisfied, then nothing could be better.”
“I have accepted this thing. I will give the matter between Xue Yue and you a careful thought!”
Yang Kai smiled. He didn’t coerce him at all. Because since Ai Ou had said this, it meant that he had agreed to it. However, he was just trying to maintain a bit of face, that’s all.
“Come, walk with me. I want to ask you something.” Ai Ou’s past domineering attitude was nowhere to be seen. He had become a lot kinder.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “How can I disobey from Senior’s orders!”
Ai Ou looked extremely satisfied with Yang Kai’s attitude. He then started walking forward carrying his hands behind his back as he asked, “This King wants to know: How old are you this year?”
“This… I’m not too clear about this.” Yang Kai smiled with embarrassment. Since he left Tong Xuan Realm and entered the Star Field, he had been wandering from place to place. How could he have the time to calculate his own age. “I’m almost fifty to sixty years old.”
“Fifty to sixty years old?” Ai Ou’s face changed slightly. “Are you sure you are only this old?”
To an ordinary mortal, fifty to sixty years of age was old, but to cultivators, it was just the beginning.
Most of the Saint Grade cultivators and Saint King Grade cultivators had almost the same age.
Even some Transcendent Realm and Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators with poor aptitude were much older than this.
And Yang Kai was the Second-Order Origin King!
In the entire Star Field, every Origin King Realm cultivator was an old monster who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years. Without a solid foundation and accumulation over these many years, it was impossible to advance to the Origin King Realm!
Thus, after Ai Ou came to know that Yang Kai was just fifty-sixty years old, Ai Ou was shocked.
“I want to check your bone age. You won’t mind, right?” Ai Ou suspiciously looked at Yang Kai.
“Of course not!” Yang Kai smiled and proactively stretched his hand out.
Ai Ou reached out and put his fingers on his wrist, pouring his Divine Sense into Yang Kai’s hand. After having probed for a while, he let go of Yang Kai’s hand in shock.
Under his investigation, he discovered that Yang Kai was only a few decades old, there was no doubt about it. After all, even though a cultivator’s appearance will change because of an increase in strength, only the bones reflected the true age of the cultivator.
[How did this guy even cultivate?] Suddenly, Ai Ou felt that he had lived all these years in vain. What shocked him even more was the fact that, when he checked Yang Kai’s bone age, he discovered that Yang Kai’s vitality was simply shocking.
But right then, he was struck with the realization that it should be because Yang Kai had refined the Immortal Divine Tree!
President Ai Ou really believed that Yang Kai had refined the Immortal Divine Tree, and due to this very reason, Yang Kai had become a Second-Order Origin King in such a short period of time.
He took a deep breath and said sincerely, “With your talent, I believe that no girl is worthy of you in this Star Field. It’s Xue Yue’s blessing that you have taken a liking to her. This King can rest assured now.”
He finally agreed to the relationship between Yang Kai and Xue Yue.
After all, a genius like Yang Kai was born once a blue moon. And he was more than worthy of Xue Yue.
“However, this King needs to remind you of one thing,” Ai Ou suddenly said as if he had thought of something.
“Senior, please say.”
“Do you know about Xue Yue’s physique?” asked Ai Ou.
“Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body.” Yang Kai smiled. “If not for this Special Constitution, Xue Yue might not have been able to hoodwink the eyes of the entire Star Field. Her disguise would have been already seen through.”
“That’s right! Since you know about the Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body, you must be aware of the greatest effect of this physique.”
Yang Kai nodded with a weird look on his face.
Ai Ou forced a cough and said, looking a little embarrassed, “As an elder, it might not be appropriate for me to talk about this but I have to remind you, for your own good and Xue Yue, don’t do it too early… Hmm, you understand what I mean, right!? It won’t be too late when Xue Yue had made success in Martial Dao. I believe that a man of your temperament would show enough patience.”
“I understand.” Yang Kai couldn’t help but wipe the cold sweat off his forehead. It was embarrassing to talk about this matter with his future father-in-law.
“Hehe, as long as you understand it,” Ai Ou affectionately patted Yang Kai’s shoulder before sighing. “Don’t blame this King for being cold and unreasonable. You will understand why I did everything when you become a father.”
Yang Kai earnestly assured, “This Junior understands that Senior does everything out of his love for your daughter.”
“Great!” Ai Ou nodded, “Hmm, I was thinking of inviting you to join the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce as a Foreign Elder. What do you think?”
“There’s no harm in it. I understand that Senior just wants to use my fame. I’m okay with that.”
“I knew it! I knew that you would notice this. Furthermore, you have just won an Alchemy competition with Zuo De. More importantly, I’ve already spread the word about you triggering the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone. I believe that this news will spread to the vast Star Field very soon. And with you as my Chamber of Commerce Foreign Elder, the Alchemists in the Star Field will come swarming! This time, I will make them beg to join the Chamber of Commerce, I don’t need to give them a face anymore. Hahaha!” Ai Ou broke into a hearty laugh as if he was finally going to have his revenge.
Yang Kai forced a smile. He realized that Ai Ou was quite angry with those temperamental Alchemists.
“Also, what about your bet with Zuo De? What should I do with the several dozen Origin King Grade pills each year? Where do you live? Where do you need this King to send them to you?” Ai Ou asked.
“No need. You can think of those pills as this junior’s betrothal gift!” Yang Kai said with a smile.
Ai Ou’s pupils immediately shrank. “Don’t you want them? It’s several dozen pills every year, a couple hundred pills every decade, a couple thousand pills every millennium. Those are Origin King Grade pills, not some ordinary pills!”
“Senior, you are forgetting something. I too am an Alchemist! I can refine those pills myself.”
Ai Ou couldn’t suppress his laughter. “So, you don’t think that this betrothal gift is enough, right!?”
Yang Kai pursued his lips into a smile. “Plus the Star Refining Art, and my Alchemist disciples…”
“Mhmm, it’s almost there!” Ai Ou cheerfully said.
“What if I add dozens of Inter-Star Space Arrays?” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
Ai Ou was dumbstruck for a second. He immediately asked in a low voice, “I just wanted to ask you about this. Can you really lay out this kind of Space Array, an Array that could transmit from one star to another?”
“Senior, since you know about this, then you should have come to know about it from Shen Tu. Didn’t Shen Tu tell you that he had tested it himself!?”
“Shen Tu informed me, but… this King found it hard to believe,” Ai Ou’s face turned serious. “My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is in control of Cultivation Stars, Ore Stars, and Medicine Stars, a total of eighteen stars! It costs me a fortune to transport material to and from these stars, so if you can really have a Space Array to connect them with each other, then you will be the benefactor of my entire Chamber of Commerce. Let alone marrying Xue Yue, this King can let you marry all of my daughters if you want!”
“Senior, you must be joking! Xue Yue is enough for me! And it has nothing to do with it.”
“Excellent! Sure enough, Xue Yue didn’t find the wrong person. Her vision is pretty good!” Having said this, Ai Ou suddenly added, “Come with me!”
Just as he said this, he started rushing ahead.
Yang Kai had no idea what Ai Ou wanted to do, but he still followed after him without asking any question.
Not long after, the two arrived before a heavily guarded palace. The palace front was guarded by cultivators in golden armour. What’s more, all these cultivators were surprisingly Second-Order Origin Returning Realm masters.
The palace was also surrounded by dense barriers.
It was quite evident that this place was the most important part of Water Sky City.
“Greetings, President,” many guards hastily greeted after noticing Ai Ou’s arrival.
Ai Ou nodded his acknowledgement as he led Yang Kai inside.
Just after entering the palace, Yang Kai felt a faint Space Force blowing on his face.
He immediately focused his eyes, and sure enough, there was a Space Array at the centre of the main hall, which happened to be glowing slightly. This place was guarded by many cultivators, overtly and covertly.
[This should be the Space Array hub of Water Moon Star.] Yang Kai realized it immediately. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so heavily guarded.
Sure enough, Ai Ou then introduced, “This is a Space Array, connecting my Water Moon Star cities and many important strongholds. It’s an extremely important part of Water Moon Star.”
Yang Kai nodded. As he swept through it with his Divine Sense, he immediately knew the internal structure of the Array. He didn’t care about it too much. After all, it wasn’t that hard for him to arrange this kind of Space Array.
“Senior, why do you want to show me this?” Yang Kai asked.
“This is not the thing I want to show you.” Ai Ou smiled mysteriously as he beckoned Yang Kai to follow him. Then, he walked to the side and entered through a side door. There happened to be a staircase spiralling down the palace.
Fist-sized night pearls dotted the walls around the stairs, emitting a soft and warm light, lightening the staircase a little.
Ai Ou led the way for about fifteen minutes before the two came to some place underground.
As they were walking, the front became wider all of a sudden. To Yang Kai’s surprise, there wasn’t an underground cave here but an extremely spacious secret room. There was nothing in this secret room other than something at the very centre of the room that was exuding an ancient desolate aura.
“This…” Yang Kai raised his eyes as he hurried forward. With the help of the light of the night pearls embedded in the walls all around, he circled around an area of about five feet as if he was wandering around an Array.
“This is a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array?” Yang Kai looked at Ai Ou in amazement.
“Indeed!” Ai Ou earnestly nodded. “As you can see, this is indeed a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array. It can transmit anyone or anything from Water Moon Star to another star!”
“You can’t use it?” Yang Kai asked again.
“Mhmm! I don’t know what went wrong, but according to records in ancient books, no one has been able to activate it for over ten thousand years already. Over the years, every Chamber of Commerce President had asked someone to repair it. Unfortunately, no one could. Yang Kai, it’s not that this King doesn’t trust you, but this is a very important matter. This King can only believe what he sees. If you can repair this Array, this King will believe you!” Ai Ou said with a solemn look on his face.
“What’s so difficult about it!?” Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile. He looked extremely relaxed.
“Can you really fix it!?” Ai Ou cheered up right away.
“I can,” Yang Kai nodded his affirmation. “But Senior, where is this Array connected to?”
Ai Ou furrowed his brow slightly as if it was hard to disclose. However, he pondered for a moment before answering, “Since you didn’t hide anything from me, treating me with sincerity, and Xue Yue is deeply in love with you, you aren’t an outsider. There is no harm in telling you. Have you heard of the existences of the Dark Stars in the Star Field?”
“Dark Stars!?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow. He asked in surprise, “Are they the stars that can’t be reached by conventional means and are hiding in the depths of the Star Field? The ones that could not be found with naked eyes?”
“So you do know about them!” Ai Ou nodded. “Yep, those are Dark Stars. The vast Star Field is hiding many secrets. It might seem that there aren’t many Dark Stars in the entire Star Field but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are many Dark Stars, it’s just that they couldn’t be found with conventional methods. All the stars with some or a little value had been divvied up by various great forces already. Take my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, for example, we have as many as eighteen stars in our control. If any force wants to grow stronger, they could either resort to invasion and aggression or start searching for a Dark Star. There are many unknown factors to invasion and aggression, so the safest and the most convenient way was to find a Dark Star. Unfortunately, the Dark Stars were very hard to find. Even if someone brushed past it, he or she might fail to notice it.”
Yang Kai nodded and agreed, “I’ve heard about them. It’s said that there are many Natural Arrays in the Star Field hiding some stars. The mystery of these Natural Arrays can even hoodwink the eyes of a Third-Order Origin King master.”
While speaking, Yang Kai brow twitched as he cried in surprise, “Senior, you mean to say that this Space Array is connected to a Dark Star?”
Ai Ou looked a little excited as he nodded and replied, “Yeah, it’s connected to a Dark Star. You may not know, but my Chamber of Commerce’s ancestor used to have some friendship with the Starry Sky Great Emperor. That Dark Star was discovered by the Great Emperor. Finally, he told the Chamber of Commerce’s ancestors. This Array was laid by the Great Emperor himself.”
[It’s actually Yang Yan!?]
Yang Kai was a little surprised. He finally realized why the Array before him was almost the same as the Array arranged by him.
It came from Yang Yan, and his Space Array layouts were all taught by her as well. It would be a wonder instead if they were different.
Originally, Ai Ou thought that Yang Kai would look shocked after hearing about the friendship between the Great Emperor and Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, but he noticed that Yang Kai remained indifferent. Ai Ou was surprised and raised his evaluation of Yang Kai in his heart.
Only someone with a calm temperament could be so indifferent. How could he have known that Yang Kai and Yang Yan had spent a lot of time together? No one in the entire Star Field had a better understanding of the Great Emperors than him.
Ai Ou continued, “That Dark Star is an Ore Star of great value. But unfortunately, my Chamber of Commerce has been sitting on this treasure for over ten thousand years but could never get their hands on it. We really aren’t befitting of the Great Emperor’s trust. Yang Kai, if you can restore this Array, you will be the true benefactor of my Chamber of Commerce. This King…”
After having spoken to this point, Ai Ou discovered that he couldn’t go on.
He originally wanted to thank Yang Kai, but just as he was about to speak, he discovered that he couldn’t thank Yang Kai enough. Yang Kai’s appearance had provided benefits to the Chamber of Commerce beyond his estimate. [What should I use to thank him for all this!]
[Even if I sold the entire Chamber of Commerce to thank him, it would still be lacking.]
“Senior can rest assured, leave it to me.” Yang Kai nodded like it was his responsibility, and he couldn’t shrink from it.
“Alright! Then this King will be waiting. How long will it take?” Ai Ou asked excitedly.
“It will just take a minute!” As Yang Kai spoke, he had already arrived at the foundation of the Space Array that had not been repaired for ten thousand years. Next, he released his Divine Sense to investigate for a moment before an expression that says that he already has a plan appeared on his face.
Then, he took out various materials from the Space Ring, including the pure Space Spirit Crystal he had obtained from the Severed World.
Immediately after, scorching-hot heat broke out from Yang Kai, changing the shapes of all those materials as they were merged into the Array Foundation. At the same time, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense shuttled through the Array Foundation back and forth, repairing and perfecting the interior structure of the Spirit Array with his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
From the beginning to the end, it just took a stick of incense worth of time. Finally, Yang Kai raised his hand as the pure Space Spirit Crystals were inlaid in their position in the Array.
The entire Array suddenly hummed, emitting distinct Space Force fluctuations. The dismal, grey Array started glowing faintly at this moment.
“This…” Ai Ou was simply dumbstruck, his jaw slacked so far that one could almost squeeze a fist into it.
As Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce President and a Second-Order Origin King master who had lived most of his life, he had seen almost all kinds of strange things. He would remain unfazed even if a mountain collapsed before his eyes.
But at this moment, he was shocked.
He thought that it wouldn’t be an easy thing for Yang Kai to repair the Space Array.
He thought that it would take him a month or two, or even a year or two.
He thought that it would take a huge toll on Yang Kai, both physically and mentally.
He thought…
But he only took the time it takes to burn an incense! Much to his surprise, Yang Kai had solved the problem that had been plaguing the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce for tens of thousands of years and untold elites just like that.
[Is this kid Human?]
Ai Ou felt something in his mind break as he looked at the sight before him in disbelief. But the humming of the Array, fluctuating Space Force, and the faint glow were proof in itself that this Space Array had been repaired.
While he was still reeling from the shock, Yang Kai took out some more material and refined them in his hands. After a short while, a token-like thing took shape in his hands.
Immediately after, Yang Kai beckoned Ai Ou and proposed, smiling, “Senior, do you want to take a look at what’s on the other side?”
“Is… is this possible?” Ai Ou sceptically asked. It wasn’t that he was questioning Yang Kai’s ability but everything that he saw had exceeded his scope of understanding.
“Mhmm, this array is the same as what I have learned. The problem was that there was something wrong with the internal structure of the Spirit Array. It was nothing big, I have fixed it already. I have also strengthened the Array Foundation and added some Space Spirit Crystals. It would be enough for this Array to operate for ten thousand years without any problem!”
Ai Ou gulped a mouthful of saliva, but when he remembered that there was a rich Ore Star on the other side of this Array that none of the Chamber of Commerce Presidents had been able to get their hands on, he couldn’t help restrain his excitement. He jumped straight into the Array.
“Senior, take this and stabilize your Soul.” Yang Kai handed Ai Ou the token refined by him and exhorted.
“Is this your especially refined Transmission Token, without which the Space Array can’t be used?” Ai Ou asked, pondering. Obviously, Shen Tu had reported everything to him. So, he knew about the Transmission Token.
“Yeah! However, it’s not that you can’t use it, if you use it rashly, you will be exiled into the endless void.” Yang Kai pursed his lips.
“Great! Since it’s your handiwork, this King doesn’t have to be worried.” Ai Ou broke into laughter. He then raised his hand and proposed, “Let’s head off! This King wants to see how rich that Ore Star is.”
Without further ado, Yang Kai placed many Saint Crystals into the Array and formed a few hand seals, activating the Spirit Array.
A dazzling light suddenly swallowed Yang Kai and Ai Ou before the two disappeared.
Somewhere tens of thousands of kilometres away, on a lonely and desolate star, a light started flickering in a quaint palace. It lasted for ten or so breaths before it slowly dimmed out.
After the light disappeared, Yang Kai and Ai Ou’s figures appeared in the palace.
Unlike Shen Tu, who was dizzy for a long time, Ai Ou quickly came to his senses even after experiencing an inter-star transmission. As expected of Second-Order Origin King, a master with endless Spiritual Energy.
He hurriedly looked around and rapidly spread his Divine Sense. Apparently, he was checking the surrounding environment for danger.
The two of them were now inside a hall that gave off an ancient aura. Obviously, no one had trespassed this place all these years, and since no one had attended to it there were signs of damage all around the hall.
What’s more, over a hundred skeletons were sitting cross-legged inside the hall.
These withered skeletons had long lost their lives and flesh. Even the clothes on their bodies had been eroded by time, leaving white and withered bones behind. Some of them still maintained a human form, but some of them were just lying on the ground. It was really a ghastly sight.
After confirming that it was safe, Ai Ou finally focused his gaze on the withered bones in the surroundings. His eyes couldn’t help but become a little dull as he said, heaving a sigh, “These should be our Chamber of Commerce disciples who couldn’t evacuate in time back then.”
In the past, the Space Array stopped functioning all of a sudden and some of the cultivators that were still mining on this Ore Star didn’t have the time to return to Water Moon Star. Now, over ten millenniums had passed. Since an Ore Star was unsuitable for cultivation, they couldn’t make any advancements in cultivation, so all they could do was wait for their deaths.
Hundreds of people had died in the main hall alone. One could only imagine how many died outside.
At that time, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had suffered heavy losses. According to the ancient records, they had lost contact with more than 5,000 disciples!
In other words, about 5,000 Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce disciples had died on this Ore Star.
“Senior, restrain your grief,” Seeing the dismal look on Ai Ou’s face, Yang Kai was at a loss on how to comfort Ai Ou. All he could do was say this.
Ai Ou forced a smile, “This King knows that it happened tens of thousands of years ago. I just feel that the Chamber of Commerce has not done justice to them. They spilt their blood over here, but hardly anyone can remember them after ten millennia.”
“People will remember them in the future. I think that they are dead here mainly because they were protecting the array here, preventing the invasion of any outside force. This feat is a meritorious deed in and of itself.”
“Why do you say so?” Ai Ou asked, confused.
Yang Kai pursed his lips into a slight smile, “Let me put it this way, if one wants to teleport across stars, we must have two stars connected with Space Arrays. If any one of them was damaged, you cannot teleport. The one in Water Moon City was already damaged. But after I repaired it, we could teleport here. In other words, the Array here is completely intact. Previously, I was still a little worried. If the Array here was damaged, I would have to enter the Void Corridor alone to repair the transmission node. It’s a dangerous task for me, but I didn’t have to do that, which means that they had protected the Array here till their deaths. Haven’t they done a meritorious deed for the Chamber of Commerce? Senior, you should remember this. You should commemorate them for the future generations to worship.”
Ai Ou looked to be in a daze. He nodded again and again and said, “You are right. This King might have no idea about their names but they are indeed the heroes of the Chamber of Commerce. Our future generations should remember their merits.”
People in desperation, in the time of their deaths, become mad and irrational. They could do just about anything. Thankfully, the hundreds of people who died here didn’t go mad and damage the Space Array here. They probably hoped that someone from Water Moon Star would come and rescue them.
Unfortunately, this wait had lasted over ten millennia! They were already reduced to withered bones.
Ai Ou’s face suddenly became solemn. He got off the Array, made his way to those hundreds of skeletons, and said solemnly, “This one is the current Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce President, Ai Ou. This Ai Ou has etched everyone’s effort into my mind, so you can rest in peace. Although this Ai is late, I will take you home today. I have to lay everyone to rest. If I somehow desecrate you while trying, I hope that your dearly departed spirit can forgive me!”
While speaking, he took out an empty Space Ring and waved his hand and carefully circulated his Saint Qi, putting the withered bones in front of him into the ring.
Then the second, the third…
It took him half a stick of incense time before Ai Ou had collected all the bones.
He then turned his head to look at Yang Kai and said, “I’m going to see if there are other disciples out there. You can look around in the meantime. This is an Ore Star. If you will gain something, you are more than welcome to take it. If you discover anything, it will be your lucky encounter.”
“Alright, then we will meet here one month later. I still have something to discuss with Senior.”
Ai Ou nodded and disappeared from his place in a flash.
Yang Kai also followed him out of the hall.
[This Ore Star is very similar to the one I had accidentally discovered. It’s dark, damp, and cold with weak World Energy. It’s not suitable for cultivation, but it contains extremely rich minerals.]
[The High Heaven Sect has become extremely rich by relying on the deposits of that Ore Star. I believe that if the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce can develop this Ore Star, their financial resources will go up by another level.]
Thinking of that Ore Star, Yang Kai brow twitched. He immediately let Xiao Xiao and Firebird out with the wave of his hand.
“Master, what can I do for you?” Liu Yan was still in her fire form. Her white-as-lotus arms laid bare for everyone to enjoy. Her fiery red top, coupled with her exposed lower abdomen and belly button, looked quite tempting.
Yang Kai glanced at her and shook his head. He then turned his gaze to the Stone Puppet and asked, “Xiao Xiao, is there anything you like here?”
In fact, Yang Kai didn’t need to ask this question. As soon as he took out Xiao Xiao, his round black bean-like eyes started looking around. He looked extremely dumb but Yang Kai knew that this expression meant that he was extremely excited.
To the Stone Puppet Family, who were born to refine the essence of ores for themselves, this Ore Star was simply a paradise. As long as they were given time, they could devour the entire Ore Star.
Just as Yang Kai asked, Xiao Xiao’s head moved up and down like a chicken pecking rice.
Yang Kai curled his lips into a smile as he asked in a low voice, “Does this star have a residual Source?”
Last time, when they were in that Ore Star, Xiao Xiao entered into a deep sleep after having swallowed the residual Star Source. He might not have become stronger after he woke up but its Origin King Realm’s demon could not be underestimated.
This was another way of growing stronger.
If he could swallow some of the residual Source here, Xiao Xiao would surely grow stronger.
An Ore Star’s Source was different from a Cultivation Star’s Source. Because the Ore Star’s Source was severely damaged, the World Energy was sparse and the star was unsuitable for cultivation, so it didn’t matter if it had the Source or not.
As long the mineral deposits were still there, the value of the Ore Star would not be reduced.
But the same couldn’t be said for a Cultivation Star. Each Cultivation Star was inhabited by hundreds of millions of souls. Without its Source, it would soon be reduced into a Dead Star. At that time, all its residents would suffer.
The same was true for a Medicine Star.
A Medicine Star’s World Energy was quite rich, even far denser than an ordinary Cultivation Star’s. And because of its rich World Energy that the spirit medicines could mature so quickly.
Having heard Yang Kai’s question, Xiao Xiao seemed to be a little confused. It scratched its head while looking at Yang Kai, confused. He looked as if he had no idea what Yang Kai was asking.
“Stupid, it’s the thing you ate last time and fell asleep,” the nearby Liu Yuan knocked Xiao Xiao’s head hard.
Xiao Xiao seemed to have understood now and his eyes couldn’t help but light up. He hurriedly nodded.
“Go ahead and swallow it. If we come across a treasure along the way, we can’t let it go, can we!? When you are done, you can wait for me here,” Yang Kai waved his hand and said, smiling.
Having gotten the permission, Xiao Xiao flipped in the air before his short figure dived straight into the ground, disappearing in a flash.
Under Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, he had actually dived a hundred miles underground in this short span and was still diving into the earth at an astonishing speed. Obviously, it was looking for the residual Source.
“Master, what do I do?” asked Liu Yan.
“You can also look around and see if you have a lucky encounter of your own. No one has entered this star for over ten millennia, so there should be some good stuff lying here. Maybe it’s been waiting just for you to collect it.”
“You don’t need me by your side!?”
“No.” Yang Kai shook his head. Suddenly, he seemed to have realized something, staring Liu Yan in surprise. “Your sentience…”
In the past, Liu Yan didn’t appear to be self-assertive. She didn’t ask these kinds of questions. But today, Liu Yan was behaving a little differently.
Liu Yan herself was dumbstruck. She furrowed her pretty eyebrows and appeared to be at a loss.
Yang Kai smiled. “I guess refining the Sun’s True Fire has been really helpful to your growth. Unfortunately… Xiao Xiao’s natural sentience is too low, otherwise, he would have become smarter. Keep working hard! If I get the chance someday, I will think of a way to shape your physical body. You don’t have to live in this energy body.”
Liu Yan’s pretty eyes immediately glowed with a dazzling light as she said, bowing elegantly, “Then, this Liu Yan would like to thank Master in advance.”
Yang Kai waved her off. Liu Yan immediately let out a cry as she transformed into a Firebird, shooting towards the horizon and leaving a tail of scorching fire behind.
After his two helpers had left, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and checked the situation of the Avatar inside the Sealed World Bead.
However, the Avatar was still digesting the floating continent. Its body was as huge as a mountain and was particularly daunting.
Seeing its current situation, Yang Kai knew that this wasn’t a suitable time to let it out.
The next moment, his figure jolted before flying straight into the sky.
This was a Dark Star, a star hidden by a natural Array. The ores here were worth nothing to Yang Kai, but the natural Array hiding the Dark Star was another thing. He wanted to have a glimpse of its mysteries.
If he could get some inkling from that strange Array, it would be extremely beneficial to Yang Kai.
The sky was dim and dark, unlike any Cultivation Star he had seen so far. There was no sun or moon, and not even the twinkling of stars could be seen, only a dim light cascading through the sky. God knows where it was coming from, but the entire Ore Star was barely visible because of this weak light.
The entire sky and earth seemed to be shrouded by an invisible lid, forming a world of its own.
After flying to a height of over a hundred thousand kilometres, Yang Kai didn’t go up anymore because he felt that the natural Array had some kind of effect here. If he went up again, he might trigger some kind of lethal trap.
Even he might not be able to escape from this kind of lethal track. It was the wrath of Heaven and Earth itself, the might of the Principles.
Yang Kai, sitting cross-legged in the air, let loose his Divine Sense and merged it into the surroundings. Then, he started sensing the Principles here.
Yang Kai came to know the importance of the power of Principles from Yang Yan.
A cultivator could only exceed the Origin King Realm by comprehending the power of the Principles, and only then could they get a chance to glimpse at the mystery of the higher realm.
That was also why Yang Yan said it was easier for the Star Master-level characters to grow up.
Because Star Masters were the masters of Cultivation Stars and fused with the Star Sources, they could easily comprehend the World Principles of the Cultivation Star, becoming proficient over time.
Yang Kai let Xiao Xiao devour the residual Source for this very reason.
He never gave up on helping his two helpers as he grew stronger. If Xiao Xiao could comprehend the Principles one day, his combat power would surely rise. At that time, he could not only ignore the power of an Origin King Realm’s Domain but could easily suppress it.
Very soon, Yang Kai entered a selfless state. All his thoughts were focused on his senses, what he was feeling.
He could clearly feel that there was a mysterious and obscure power flowing around him. Even he could not sense the depth of this power.
It was the Principles!
He wasn’t expecting to comprehend much from them, he just wanted to come in contact with them as much as possible, making preparations for the future.
Just like this, one month had gone by in a flash.
Today, Yang Kai finally opened his eyes. A faint, intelligent gleam could be found in his eyes. As he looked around, everything that was originally obscure seemed a lot clearer.
He had a slight glimpse of the power of Principles.
“As I expected, it’s stronger than Domain. If I can really comprehend the World Principles, everything I Will shall be strictly enforced.” Yang Kai sunk into his thoughts. “What could be the next realm? It can actually let one control such a strong power.”
Whether it was the Shi of the Origin Returning Realm masters or the Domain of the Origin King Realm masters, they were all exerted outwards with one’s own power as the core. They influenced the surroundings with their own ability.
But the power of Principles was different. It controlled the power of Heaven and Earth at the fundamental level. In just one glance, it was clear which was stronger and which was weaker.
Yang Kai stood in his place quietly, pondering for three whole days, but he was still a little confused.
He knew that it might be too early for him to consider all these.
[It can’t be forced.]
Yang Kai then flew down.
Yang Kai immediately sensed Ai Ou’s aura inside just as he returned to the palace. Obviously, he had already returned from outside. Along with him, there were Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan.
However, Xiao Xiao seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, again. His aura was steady. There weren’t any fluctuations.
When Yang Kai walked into the hall, he was surprised to find Ai Ou looking at Liu Yang suspiciously. He had no idea where she came from, but with Ai Ou’s insight, he could easily tell that Liu Yan was an intangible existence. She was an energy body.
At this moment, Liu Yan was hugging the Stone Puppet, sitting calmly on one side, waiting for Yang Kai.
“Senior.” Yang Kai stepped up and cupped his fists to greet Ai Ou.
“You are back.” Ai Ou nodded his acknowledgement.
“How did it go?” asked Yang Kai.
“I have collected more than two thousand skeletons. As for the rest… I couldn’t find them. But I found a few Starships that are still usable, mostly filled with mined out ores. After we go back, I will send people to continue mining.”
“That’s great! Since there is nothing else, let’s go back.”
“Alright!” Ai Ou didn’t make mindless talk and stepped into the Space Array first as he agreed.
Yang Kai waved his hand and put Liu Yan and Xiao Xiao away together.
He might not have asked Liu Yan about her gains, but judging by her expression, she had a bountiful harvest. After all, there was still unrefined and unstable scorching-hot energy in Liu Yang’s body, just happening to disturb her aura.
Presumably, Liu Yan must have found some Heaven and Earth Fire on this Ore Star.
Ai Ou parted his lips. He wanted to ask about Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan, but gave up this notion after a thought.
He had felt the power hidden in their bodies and both of them gave him jitters. In other words, if he fought them alone, he wasn’t sure that he could take down either of them.
Owing to this, he found Yang Kai more and more mysterious.
[He is not even sixty but he is already a Second-Order Origin King and an Origin King Grade Alchemist. He can also arrange Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays and even has such fearsome subordinates. All this at such a young age…]
[Can there be a human of such calibre? Can a human have all these powers alone?]
[Aren’t the Heavens being too partial?]
But when he thought of how Xue Yue had captured the heart of such a man, he was overjoyed!
[If someone like him became an enemy of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, it would be a disaster for the Chamber of Commerce. No wonder Kuang Shi Zhong crumbled under Yang Kai’s hands and Purple Star suffered such a heavy loss.]
After a blinding flash, the two returned to the underground secret room of Water Sky City.
After regaining his senses, Ai Ou immediately said, “Yang Kai, I have personally verified your abilities. I will leave the Space Arrays between the eighteen stars to you. Whatever you need, you can ask Xue Yue. She will do her best to assist you. I will need to deal with the matter of Ore Star, so I won’t be available for a while.”
“It’s alright.” Yang Kai smiled. “However, this junior has a presumptuous request, I wonder if Senior can agree to it.”
“Why are you still being polite?” After everything, Ai Ou regarded Yang Kai as a member of his family. Would he still refuse Yang Kai’s request?
“I need your Chamber of Commerce’s Star Emperor Token!” Yang Kai said in a low voice.
Ai Ou’s face turned cold. “How do you know that my Chamber of Commerce has Star Emperor Token?”
Immediately, he seemed to be in a daze. “Xue Yue told you about it, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me what you need that Star Emperor Token for? Although it was something left by the Great Emperor, the Divine Ability sealed inside had already been activated, so it’s of no great use. It’s now just a heritage, that’s all. If you can tell me the truth, I will give it to you.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before taking out a jade slip and pouring his Divine Sense into it. He then handed it to Ai Ou and said, “Senior, just look at this.”
Ai Ou took it sceptically and carefully started reading.
The information in the jade slip was exactly the same as the one Yang Kai had given to Red Moon Tribal Lord. It contained the secret of gathering nine Star Emperor Tokens to open the way to the Star Boundary.
Sure enough, Ai Ou looked shocked after reading it. He asked in surprise, “Is this true?”
“How can this junior dare make any jokes regarding this?” Yang Kai earnestly replied.
“No wonder you want that Star Emperor Token. If so, it doesn’t matter if I give it to you, but about those six Third-Order Origin King…”
“Senior, counting you, this junior already has four candidates.”
Ai Ou looked at him in amazement and said, smiling, “It seems you are already prepared.”
“Then, I wonder if Senior has any thoughts of going to the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai asked, grinning.
Ai Ou fell into his thoughts. He wasn’t as fanatical as the Red Moon Tribal Lord, and after having pondered for a while, he said, “I can’t give an answer at the moment, but even if I don’t go, I think Martial Uncle Long will be very excited about this.”
“Senior Long!?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. He nodded and said, “He is a very suitable candidate.
Long Tian Shang was a peak Third-Order Origin King and fully met the requirement for opening the Star Boundary channel. For Yang Kai, it was like adding wings to a tiger.
“Martial Uncle Long has been studying the deeper secrets of Martial Dao over the years. If he is told about this, he would be overjoyed and would definitely not refuse.” Ai Ou smiled slightly.
No one had an idea about the persistent pursuit of Martial Dao by a Third-Order Origin King. Only when the cultivator reached this state himself did he come to understand it.
Therefore, Yang Kai had long reckoned that it was a piece of cake gathering the number of people. He only had to spread the news in his hand, then hidden old monsters would come looking for him themselves.
It was just that he didn’t want to work with unfamiliar people. So, he gave priority to familiar cultivators.
“You can rest assured. Either Martial Uncle Long or I from the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce will certainly join you.” Ai Ou asked with a serious look on his face, “But kid, how many Star Emperors Tokens have you collected?”
“Counting the one at the Chamber of Commerce, I have already gathered eight.”
Ai Ou’s pupils couldn’t help but constrict. “Where is the last piece?”
“Sword Union!”
“Sword Union!?” Ai Ou raised his brow as he suddenly started grinning. Patting Yang Kai’s shoulder, he said, “That’s easy. Leave this to me. I will do it for you, take it as my repayment. Just wait for the good news.”
Watching him take on everything, Yang Kai was extremely pleased. Originally, he was planning on going to the Sword Union after dealing with things at the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and have a good talk with the Sword Union President. But now, with Ai Ou taking the matters in his hand, it had saved him time and effort. He believed Ai Ou could do it.
“Then, thank you very much, Senior.”
“Why are you being polite and all. We’re all one family.” Ai Ou broke into laughter, hugging Yang Kai’s shoulder affectionately.
The more he looked at Yang Kai, the more satisfied he was. He felt that such a son-in-law would be extremely hard to find.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai rarely had free time.
Since President Ai Ou was busy taking people to the Ore Star to mine ores and Xue Yue was busy collecting materials for arranging the Space Arrays…
Yang Kai had no one to accompany him.
So, the extremely enthusiastic Alchemists of the Alchemist Pavilion visited Yang Kai from time to time, calling themselves disciples. They would cause a big commotion in the name of paying a visit, but it was rather clear what they really wanted.
Yang Kai was helpless. He had no choice but to take a trip to the Alchemist Pavilion and preach Alchemy again. After preaching for five days, he finally satisfied these shameless Alchemists.
And after five days, Xue Yue had also prepared everything. All the materials for arranging the Space Arrays had been collected, so the only thing left was for Yang Kai to arrange it.
Naturally, Yang Kai didn’t waste time. He immediately started assembling the first Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array hub at the most hidden location of Water Sky City.
The Array was finished in just ten days.
Next, Yang Kai and Xue Yue, together with a large team of cultivators, took an Origin King Grade Starship to the nearest Cultivation Star.
Time flew, and two years went by in a flash.
Over these two years, Yang Kai had been always on the go, arranging the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array on the eighteen stars of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
The stars owned by the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce were far away from each other. Yang Kai had really spent a great deal of time just travelling between stars. Otherwise, based on his skills, it would have taken him less than three months to arrange the Space Arrays alone.
Most of his time was wasted on Starships.
After two years, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s eighteen stars were completely connected. And with the hub in Water Sky City, the transmission between the stars was made easy.
Xue Yue had always been by Yang Kai’s side these two years.
Being accompanied by a beauty naturally made the travels far from boring.
Today, the team finally returned to Water Moon Star.
Ni Guang was responsible for Yang Kai’s grand reception. He kept thanking Yang Kai for his efforts over these two years on the behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. Because of these Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would save a lot of time and money in transportation.
Ai Ou hadn’t appeared. When Xue Yue asked, only then she came to know that Ai Ou had already gone to a certain Cultivation Star to refine the Star Source.
This was a matter of great importance. In the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, only Long Tian Shang and Ni Guang knew about it. The others only thought that Ai Ou had entered a retreat, that’s all.
When Xue Yue came to learn about it, she couldn’t help but look worried.
After all, refining the Star Source was dangerous. Generally speaking, only when the cultivators had reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm could they successfully refine the Star Source. A Second-Order Origin King would basically be unsuccessful.
Luo Hai, the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, was really an exception.
At present, Ai Ou only had the cultivation of Second-Order Origin King Realm. As a girl, Xue Yue couldn’t help but worry.
Yang Kai persuaded her and informed her of the power of the Star Refining Art, which finally put Xue Yue much at ease.
“Yang Kai, someone is here to see you,” suddenly, Ni Guang walked to Yang Kai’s side and whispered to him, acting all mysterious.
“Who!?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously.
Ni Guang smiled. “You will know if you follow me.”
Yang Kai didn’t ask any more questions and followed Ni Guang into a secret room.
There were only three people in the secret room; a man and two women. The man was young. He had sword-like straight eyebrows and stars-like bright and shining eyes. He was quite handsome. And the two sisters were like flowers, serving him from left and right.
Seeing Yang Kai arrive, the man in the room broke into laughter and greeted, cupping his fists, “Brother Yang, we meet again.”
Yang Kai stood in a daze. He immediately asked in surprise, “Brother Gu, how come you’re here?”
He hadn’t expected to meet the Young Union Master of the Sword Union, Gu Jian Xin, at Water Moon Star.
He and Gu Jian Xin had met once, and they had lived together for a while. Although it couldn’t be said that they had a deep friendship, they still found each other pleasing to the eye. In the time they had not seen each other, Gu Jian Xin’s cultivation seemed to have improved a lot. He wasn’t that far from the Origin King Realm. Presumably, he got his lucky break and just needed some time to stabilize his cultivation before he could try to break through.
And the girls by Gu Jian Xin’s side were naturally his left and right sword servants, Ling Yue and An Xing!
The two girls grew up with Gu Jian Xin and the master-servants trio had developed a set of Secret Techniques. When they fought against an enemy together, their power was simply extraordinary. Furthermore, the trio had a very good relationship. Gu Jian Xin had never regarded the two sword servants as his subordinates. When he was attacked by Origin King Realm master, Li Ming Hai, Gu Jian Xin was even willing to sacrifice himself to save Ling Yue and An Xing.
This had left a good impression on Yang Kai.
Only people who valued love and brotherhood were worth making friends.
“Greetings, Young Master Yang!” Ling Yue and An Xing weren’t strangers to Yang Kai either. After seeing Yang Kai, they hurriedly bowed and greeted him in a crisp voice.
“Ladies, greetings to you too!” Yang Kai smiled and returned the greetings.
“Brother Yang, did this Gu catch you by surprise by waiting for you here?” Gu Jian Xin looked at Yang Kai, smiling.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment as various thoughts flashed in his mind. But then he said, “I was surprised but… it was within my calculations.”
“It seems Brother Yang knows why this Gu is here.”
“I can guess a little but I ask Brother Gu to make it clear,” Yang Kai said earnestly.
Gu Jian Xin nodded. “Talking with Brother Yang is really fun. If that’s the case, this Gu will shed some light.”
While speaking, he took out something from his Space Ring and said, handing it to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, look at this.”
“Star Emperor Token!” Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up. He hurriedly took it from Gu Jian Xin’s hand.
This was the last Star Emperor Token. It looked exactly the same as those he had collected before. With this piece of the Star Emperor Token, he had gathered all nine Star Emperor Token crafted by that Great Emperor back then!
Gu Jian Xin smiled. “My father asked me to give this to you. He said that you need it.”
“Union Master Gu?” Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment. He then carefully put the Star Emperor Token away before speaking, “I wonder what are Union Master Gu’s conditions?”
He didn’t have much contact with the Sword Union. He had just a little friendship with Gu Jian Xin. Yang Kai didn’t believe that Union Master of Sword Union, Gu Cang Yun would hand over the Star Emperor Token just because of this. Obviously, there were other conditions.
Gu Jian Xin broke into laughter. He looked to Ni Guang and said, “Conditions, of course there are conditions. I beg Senior Ni to elaborate.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Ni Guang.
Ni Guang lightly coughed and said, “Yang Kai, it’s like this: President had already negotiated this matter for you before entering the retreat. Union Master Gu is willing to give you this Star Emperor Token for use and is also willing to become one of the six people. But… the condition is that you have to go to Sword Union and arrange the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Arrays for them!”
“As I thought!” Yang Kai forced a wry smile.
He had already guessed it, but when he heard the request made by the Sword Union, he felt a little tired.
After all, helping the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce set up the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array wasn’t a matter of a day or two and the Sword Union had its own intelligence network. They would definitely get the news.
How could a great force not be greedy of the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array!
Yang Kai looked at Gu Jian and asked, frustrated, “How many Cultivation Stars does the Sword Union have?”
Gu Jian Xin replied with a grin, “It’s not that many, we have a little less than the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. It’s just seventeen stars!”
Yang Kai stretched his hand out and rubbed his forehead.
It took him two years to set up Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array for the eighteen stars of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Presumably, it would take him no less than two years to set up another seventeen for the Sword Union.
“Brother Yang, an able man is always busy. My Sword Union is counting on you,” Gu Jian Xin persuaded.
“Are there any other conditions apart from this?” asked Yang Kai.
Gu Jian Xin forced a smile. “There is one, a unanimous request by my Sword Union Alchemists. I hope Grandmaster Yang can come to the Sword Union’s Home Star to teach Alchemy at least once!”
“Is this matter out too?” Yang Kai was having a big headache.
“Brother Yang, I’m afraid you don’t know how big your reputation in the Star Field is now!” Gu Jian Xin looked at Yang Kai with a strange look in his eyes. His eyes were filled with endless envy. “Brother Yang’s name is on everyone’s tongue in the Star Field today! You are a Second-Order Origin King and an Origin King Grade Alchemist as well! Who can compare with you? You have also triggered the Grand Alchemist Dao Tone, a matter that will be known for ages to come!”
Ni Guang added, nodding sincerely, “Yang Kai, since you have been moving around over these two years, maybe you haven’t heard much about it, but everyone in the Star Field has indeed heard of you.”
Gu Jian Xin added again, “Of course, my Sword Union won’t ask Brother Yang to work in vain. Every time you arrange a Cross- Cultivation Star Space Array, we will give you satisfactory compensation. Brother Yang, please don’t refuse. This Gu is begging you.”
While speaking, he bowed to Yang Kai in a serious manner.
Before coming here, Gu Cang Yun had said that if he couldn’t invite Yang Kai to the Sword Union, he could forget coming back. His father’s words were still ringing in his ears. How dare Gu Jian Xin dismiss them?
Yang Kai thought for a moment and agreed, nodding, “Brother Gu, don’t do this. I agree.”
“Really!?” Gu Jian Xin was overjoyed. “Excellent. I wonder when Brother Yang is planning to set off? The Sword Union isn’t very far from here!”
“Tomorrow, we will head straight to Azure Tree Star.”
“Azure Tree Star!?” Gu Jian Xin was a little confused. But very soon, he seemed to have thought of something. He asked in surprise, “Brother Yang, have you set up a Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array on Azure Tree Star!?”
“Mhmm.” Yang Kai smiled and acknowledged it, nodding.
“That saves us a lot of time. Since that’s the case, this Gu will be waiting for Brother Yang’s good news.”
After coming out of the room, Yang Kai went straight to Xue Yue and told her about the next trip. Xue Yue was a little reluctant, but she couldn’t ask him to stay.
Furthermore, she knew that Yang Kai would be going to someplace called Star Boundary in the foreseeable future. If she wanted to remain by his side, she could only improve her cultivation. Otherwise, she would only become a burden.
“You don’t have to worry. I will enter a retreat after you leave, trying to break through to the Origin King Realm!” Xue Yue angrily said, “All your women are so great. I don’t want to be at the bottom.”
Yang Kai chuckled. “You don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself. You are also outstanding.”
Xue Yue immediately smiled sweetly.
“By the way, when Senior Ai Ou returns, be sure to hand this thing to him.” Yang Kai suddenly took out something from his Storage Ring and handed it to Xue Yue.
“What’s this!?”
“Star Chart, it will tell him where I am so he can look for me,” explained Yang Kai.
“I understand.”
“And one more thing, there is one last candidate left. Ask your father or Senior Long to be on a lookout. If they find anyone reliable, please invite him or her.”
“Alright, I will remember it.”
Staying up all night, Yang Kai explained the mystery of the Origin King Realm to Xue Yue, telling her how to form a Domain. Finally, he bid her goodbye in the morning.
Gu Jian Xin and his two sword servants, Ling Yue and An Xing had already finished their preparations. They were only waiting for Yang Kai to set off.
Yang Kai and his team went straight to the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array Hub at Water Sky City. Yang Kai tinkered with it a bit, connecting it to the Array on the Twin Shark Island of Azure Tree Star. Soon, their figures slowly disappeared under everyone’s gaze.
When their vision finally restored, Yang Kai, Gu Jian Xin, and the others were already in Yang Kai’s palace on the Twin Shark Island of Azure Tree Star.
Yue Xi and her disciples, He Zao and He Mao, who had been stationed at the palace, immediately greeted them. Over these few years they had not seen each other, Yue Xi and her disciples’ cultivation had also greatly improved with He Zao and He Miao entering the ranks of Origin Returning Realm masters.
The days spent in the Sword Union were almost the same as in the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. He was running around here and there, taking Starships to Cultivation Stars, Medicine Stars, Ore Stars, and setting up the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays.
Fortunately, as Azure Tree Star served as a transit, not much time was consumed.
In just a year and a half, the seventeen stars of the Sword Union had all been linked together.
Yang Kai preached the Alchemy Way to the Alchemists for the Sword Union before extricating himself.
At this time, there were only six years left before the ten-year agreement with Gui Zu.
Finally, Yang Kai returned to Shadowed Star!
When Yang Kai returned to the Sect, everyone in the High Heaven Sect was overjoyed. Tens of thousands of disciples lined up to welcome.
Yang Kai was stunned when he noticed that the level of the cultivators in the Sect was a level or more higher than before he left. Especially Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang. Much to his surprise, they had broken through to the Origin King Realm together!
After breaking through, Su Yan’s aura had grown purer and more flawless. She might have cultivated the Ice Crystal Jade Body postnatally, not being born with it, but this set of Secret Techniques from Scarlet Wave Star was still quite powerful. It was able to optimise her powers thanks to her physique.
Ice Crystal Jade Body, coupled with the Ice Phoenix Source Power in her body and the Profound Frost Divine Sword in her hand, made the current Su Yan far from an ordinary First-Order Origin King.
She would not fall leeward against an ordinary Second-Order Origin King, and if she were to join Yang Kai, it would not be difficult to kill a Third-Order Origin King.
Meanwhile, Xin Ning Chang’s aura had grown more and more natural after the breakthrough, as if her entire body was integrated with the world. Yang Kai studied her for a long time but couldn’t find any clues. He believed that this should be because of the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body returning to its original nature.
Combat was not Xian Ning Chang’s strongest aspect, but when it came to Alchemy, she was a peerless genius.
After having advanced to the Origin King Realm, her Alchemy Technique advanced by miles overnight. She had already surpassed the current Yang Kai in Alchemy.
She had gone back to Tong Xuan Realm several times over, and after witnessing the vigorous World Energy and the growth of the land, she knew that only by improving her strength could she bring a better and brighter future to Tong Xuan Realm. So, she spared no effort to cultivate.
What she cultivated was Alchemy!
That led to a huge stock of pills for the High Heaven Sect. No matter how many herbs flowed into the High Heaven Sect, they would all be refined into pills by Xia Ning Chang, which would immediately be sent to Shadowed Star for sales, changing back to even more herbs.
Except for these two, the others had also made considerable progress in cultivation.
However, Ye Xi Yun had just broken through to the Origin King Realm and couldn’t go any further anytime soon, while Gui Zu had been in a retreat all the while. He too had failed to take that crucial step and had been stuck in the Second-Order Origin King Realm.
Yang Kai took a one month break in the High Heaven Sect. During this one month, he accompanied his parents, Grand Master, Ancestor Founder, and other friends and family. Also, he was almost inseparable from Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang.
After one month, he disappeared from everyone’s sight all of a sudden.
Except for a few, no one knew where he went.
At night, the sky was dotted with stars.
At the top of the Medicine Peak of the High Heaven Sect, Xia Ning Chang was sitting on the stone steps outside the main hall, looking up at the sky with her cheek resting on her palm. Through the starry sky, she seemed to be able to see a familiar figure.
Sha sha…
Slight rustles of footsteps suddenly made Xia Ning Chang turn around. When she saw who it was, she couldn’t help but smile. “Senior Sister Su!”
Su Yan gently nodded as she made her way to Xin Ning Chang’s side and stood, looking somewhere in the sky.
With two peerless beauties sitting and standing side by side, it became the most beautiful scenery in the world.
Their hair danced along with the breeze like a waterfall.
Su Yan narrowed her beautiful eyes and asked, “Junior Sister, are you worried for him?”
Xia Ning Chang slowly shook her head. “I’m not worried. He returns safely every time.”
“Then, is it that you couldn’t bear to part with him!?” Su Yan asked again.
Xia Ning Chang couldn’t help but flush. She bit her cherry red lips and said, “Senior Sister, you don’t?”
Su Yan’s white as jade cheeks flushed red slightly. She shook her head and replied, “I hate to part with him, too. But… it doesn’t matter. It’s like this every time.”
“Yes, it’s like this every time.” Xia Ning Chang smiled. “I have already gotten used to it.”
Su Yan said, “Men! Sigh, they really make others worry! Back then, we were just insignificant cogs in the world, that’s all. Then, we went to Tong Xuan Realm, and then to the Star Field. Every time we changed places, our vision grew a lot higher, and every time, he would act as the vanguard. It’s the same this time around. Although we don’t know anything about the Star Boundary, how dangerous it is, we can do nothing apart from not fall too much behind him in cultivation and wait.”
“Senior Sister, aren’t you unwilling!?”
“I do want to experience the winds and storms with him!” Su Yan’s beautiful eyes flickered with sadness.
[Thinking about it, I was never with him when he was in danger. But every time I had a crisis, he would appear before me like a god, stopping all the violent storms by his brave and heroic body.]
While enjoying the feeling of being protected, Su Yan was a bit reluctant.
[Even if it’s a sea of swords or a Hell, I want to walk with you all the way, even if it’s just once. Even if I am bruised and bleeding, even if I have to sacrifice myself, even if my Soul is destroyed, I will not regret it.]
Silent, two pairs of beautiful eyes peered through the void, staring somewhere into the distance.
The area within a range of ten thousand kilometres of Shadowed Star was a Dead Zone with a tremendous amount of horrible energy remaining. It was the aura of destruction leftover from the battle between the Starry Sky Great Emperor and the Insect Emperor, as well as the oppressive Emperor Pressure and the chaotic principles. An Origin King Realm master dared not trespass here.
It was because of being wrapped in such a Dead Zone that Shadowed Star wasn’t discovered by the outside world for many years and remained in a semi-isolated state.
At this moment, Yang Kai was right in the centre of the Dead Zone, naked.
He was drenched in blood and was exuding a golden light. the outstanding healing ability of his own Golden Blood was constantly repairing his injuries, but the terrifying Emperor Pressure around him was constantly destroying it.
His body was going through destruction and reconstruction, again and again.
Yang Kai was under unimaginable pain and torture.
This was Yang Kai. He wasn’t using any power to resist the surrounding Emperor Pressure. He was only feeling the mystery of the Emperor Pressure and profoundness of the principles with his very own body.
Having cultivated the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, he had a strong physical body and had also taken countless Shadowed Heaven Pills, not to mention his pure Golden Blood. All these factors allowed him to survive in this terrible place.
Any other Origin King would have to circulate his energy to block the terrifying power of this Dead Zone.
But that extremely oppressive Emperor Pressure was something he still couldn’t block, so he had no choice but to burn through the accumulated Golden Blood to maintain his life.
With time, a layer of golden blood cocoon had formed around Yang Kai. He seemed to have turned into a silkworm. Only the resounding and powerful heartbeats coming from the cocoon showed his surging vitality.
Although it was unbearable torture, Yang Kai felt that it was also a rare experience and opportunity for him. It was an excellent opportunity to cultivate the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art.
Wrapped in the blood cocoon, he took out the five elements’ treasures and started madly devouring the five elements Yuan Qi from them, storing it in his body.
Not only that, but he also took out the Origin Essence Crystal he got from the Clear Sky Auction House of Purple Star, prying into the mysteries of the Third-Origin King Realm!
In the quiet Starry Sky, no one would have thought that someone would be breaking through their limits in this daunting Dead Zone, using its tremendous pressure to stimulate their own potential.
Yang Kai knew that he didn’t have much time left. He had already wasted a lot of time arranging the Space Arrays for the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and the Sword Union, so he could only make up for the lost time using this method.
Time went by, days, months, one year, two years, three years…
Today, the weather was bright and clear. The sky was blue and clear as a mirror.
But suddenly, a dazzling golden light flashed somewhere in the void before disappearing in the next moment.
At the same time, a terrifying pressure could be felt from a very far distance.
The World Energy of the entire Shadowed Star started growing denser all of a sudden. Countless beautiful rays of light shot towards Shadowed Star from the Star Field, each like a rainbow. They left a long tail behind them as they fell into the nooks and crannies of the Shadowed Star, leaving Shadowed Star cultivators shocked. They had no idea what was going on.
Soon, they discovered that wherever those colourful rays fell would turn into paradise on earth. The World Energy was dozens of times or even hundreds of times greater than usual.
The barren mountain that no one used to care about was filled with World Energy at the moment. Presumably, it would turn lush and green very soon, becoming beautiful and refreshing, like a spring.
The ordinary cultivation paradise with decent World Energy grew even better suited for a cultivator’s retreat.
Every cultivator felt their blood boiling. The comfortable environment around them made them ecstatic.
They thought that it was a gift from Heaven itself!
High Heaven Sect, Hundred Flowers Peak…
Ye Xi Xun saw through it clearly the moment the golden light flashed. She raised her head and looked up.
The next moment, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared beside her. The figure was surrounded by an unfathomable aura. It was Gui Zu, who had successfully advanced to the Third-Order Origin King Realm not long ago.
Seeing Gui Zu arrive, Ye Xi Xun nodded her acknowledgement.
Gui Zu pursed his lips into a smile and said, “That kid has exited his retreat!”
“Is all of this due to Sect Master?” Ye Xi Xun asked.
Gui Zu replied, “Beside the Lord of Shadowed Star, who can arouse this kind of fortune for the entire star? He has refined the Source of Shadowed Star, so his strength and Shadowed Star are closely related. You have lived on this star for a long time. Haven’t you noticed that every time his strength improves, it will bring huge benefits to Shadowed Star?”
Hearing what Gui Zu said, Ye Xi Yun also gently nodded, “The current Shadowed Star is indeed a little different from several dozen years ago, but that change happened quite subtly and very few people could detect it. This time, the change is obvious.”
“That only shows that this time, that boy has made great progress, perhaps he’s even reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm,” Gui Zu grinned as black Qi wrapped around him, making him look a little eerie.
The farther a Star Master’s strength increased, the greater the benefits the corresponding Cultivation Star would receive. It was a symbiotic relationship after all.
“Third-Order Origin King…” Ye Xi Yun muttered to herself, wondering when she would be able to reach such a height.
She was more eager to go to the Star Boundary than anyone because the Star Boundary was the Starry Sky Great Emperor’s home!
The last time the Great Emperor left, she had been unable to follow her, a reality that filled Ye Xi Yun with regret.
The movement in the distant void was not only noticed by Ye Xi Yun and Gui Zu, but also by countless people across Shadowed Star.
Needless to say, Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, and Qian Tong, the other three Origin Kings on the star who had far sharper senses than other cultivators, noticed, together with many Origin Returning Realm masters who turned their eyes towards the sky at that moment.
However, none of them was able to see much, only faint streaks of multi-coloured energy penetrating from the depths of the Star Field and falling onto Shadowed Star, causing the World Energy aura to seemingly become richer.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood stark naked in the distant Dead Zone, frowning slightly as he remained motionless.
For a moment, even he could not properly evaluate his situation.
Over the past few years, he had been cultivating in the Dead Zone to feel the ambient Emperor Pressure, the strength of Principles, and also refine the Origin Essence Crystal.
He thought he could break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm with ease!
But for some unknown reason, there was a thin line he had been unable to cross no matter how he tried, leaving him at the peak of the Second-Order Origin King Realm.
The most obvious clue was that he had still not been able to condense his own Origin Essence Crystal!
The Origin Essence Crystal was the crystalized essence and the perceptions of an Origin King’s lifetime of cultivation. Without an Origin Essence Crystal, one could not be a Third-Order Origin King.
Although he had failed to make a breakthrough in his cultivation, his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art broke through under the strong pressure of the Dead Zone, and among the Five Elements supreme treasures, all except for the Sun’s True Essence had been completely used up.
In addition, his Domain was on the verge of reaching the grand accomplishment stage!
So even though he failed to break through, Yang Kai felt that he was much stronger than before his retreat.
“Has the opportunity not arrived yet? Or is there something I’m missing?” Yang Kai could not understand.
A cultivator was destined to go through all kinds of hardships and some things simply could not be forced, so Yang Kai was not discouraged despite failing to break through this time. He was confident that his aptitude was no worse than anyone else’s, and since others could reach the Third-Order, he could too. All he needed was time.
“Forget it, let’s not worry about that for the time being. Anyway, my current strength is not much worse than any of the others and should be more than enough to open the road to the Star Boundary,” Yang Kai quickly relaxed and took out a brand-new set of clothes from his Space Ring. After dressing himself, his figure flickered, and he directly crossed the million-kilometre distance to Shadowed Star.
As a Star Master, this kind of thing was easy for him.
After returning to the Sect, Yang Kai did not disturb too many people, choosing to only meet with his relatives.
A few days later, he took Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang through the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array and left Shadowed Star.
For the next year, no one knew his whereabouts.
A year was not long, but also not short.
One day, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array in High Heaven Sect’s main square suddenly lit up, and two human figures appeared from the bright white light.
Ye Xi Yun and Gui Zu were already waiting here and after seeing the visitors, Ye Xi Yun cupped her fists towards one of the majestic men and asked, “Would Your Excellency happen to be Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President Ai Ou?”
The man nodded slightly, smiled, and responded, “It is this Ai.”
“High Heaven Sect’s Ye Xi Yun, greets President Ai Ou!”
“So, it is Elder Ye, I’ve heard much about you!” Ai Ou cupped his fists quickly. He also learned about the situation in High Heaven Sect from Yang Kai.
Ye Xi Yun then turned to the next man and said with a smile, “Then this must be Senior Long Tian Shang.”
“Indeed, pleasure to meet you,” Long Tian Shang’s attitude was calm and gentle as he returned the greeting.
“The two of you came a little early,” Gui Zu laughed wickedly to the side.
Ai Ou and Long Tian Shang’s gazes landed on Gui Zu simultaneously, and although they felt his aura was a bit uncomfortable, they both knew he was a master who could stand on equal footing with them, a genuine Third-Order Origin King.
Not daring to show any neglect at the moment, both of them exchanged greetings one after another.
“What about that boy Yang Kai? Why is he not here to greet us?” Ai Ou grumbled a little unhappily; after all, he was still Yang Kai’s nominal father-in-law. How could a son-in-law not come to greet his father-in-law?
“Sect Master hasn’t returned to the Sect yet and I don’t know where he went, but Sect Master will definitely not miss the appointed time,” Ye Xi Yun explained.
“That damn brat!” Ai Ou spat disdainfully, “He is definitely out there gallivanting about and completely lost track of time.”
Long Tian Shang could not help laughing loudly, “A year ago, he came to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and took Xue Yue away. Didn’t he tell you where he was going?”
Ai Ou just grumbled with a sullen face, “That boy mysteriously appears and disappears as he pleases. Before I even agreed, he snatched up Xue Yue and left. En, he was accompanied by three women at the time, all of them Origin Kings. I really don’t know where he found all of them.”
“Three women?” Ye Xi Yun raised her brow slightly, “President Ai Ou must be referring to Sect Master’s Senior Sisters who are Origin Kings, but there are only two of them. Who is the third?”
As soon as Ye Xi Yun’s voice fell, she heard someone say, “She should be this Queen’s adopted daughter!”
As this voice sounded, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array’s light faded once more and an elegant, mature woman appeared, accompanied by a burly man who looked as gruff as a bear.
Ai Ou and Long Tian Shang were shocked when they heard this voice and quickly looked back. After seeing the face of the person who came, Ai Ou’s eyes almost popped out as he exclaimed, “Chi Yue! How could it be you, you old ghost!”
The person who had come was none other than Red Moon Tribal Lord Chi Yue: The only Monster King of Monster Emperor Star!
And listening to Ai Ou’s tone, these two obviously knew each other.
But that was not too surprising, as there were only so many Origin Kings in the Star Field, and even fewer above the First-Order, so even if they had never met face to face, they would have at least heard of one another.
Chi Yue simply sneered, “What? If you two old farts can come here, why can’t this Queen?”
Ai Ou snorted, “I haven’t seen you for many years, but your tongue is still as sharp as ever. I didn’t expect that brat, Yang Kai, to actually have connections to your Monster Race, and what’s more unexpected is that you actually reached Third-Order.”
“Didn’t you as well?” Chi Yue looked at Ai Ou with a light smile.
Ai Ou squinted his eyes, “So, you are one of the six?”
“Aren’t you?” Chi Yue asked back.
“Naturally. Yang Kai is this King’s son-in-law, so how could this King not agree to his invitation?” Ai Ou smiled triumphantly.
“Sorry, Yang Kai is also the son-in-law of this Queen,” Chi Yue sneered.
The two masters glanced at each other before suddenly grinding their teeth and cursing in synch, “Just how many women does that smelly brat have!?”
A year ago, Yang Kai went to the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and took Xue Yue away. Similarly, he had gone to Monster Emperor Star and snatched up Shan Qing Luo. Together with Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, who were following him from the start, he now had four stunning beauties gathered around him.
Moreover, all four of them were masters at the First-Order Origin King Realm!
During the few years Yang Kai had been in retreat, Xue Yue had also broken through to the Origin King Realm, not disappointing her natural talent.
“Who was not once young and loose!?” Long Tian Shang laughed aloud to the side, “You two shouldn’t be dissatisfied, having a character like Yang Kai as a son-in-law is like picking up a big bargain.”
Ai Ou still frowned and muttered, “Nevertheless, I am a bit unwilling.”
Chi Yue added coldly, “When he comes back, we need to teach him a severe lesson first!”
Ai Ou nodded sharply, expressing his agreement, the two of them suddenly standing united because of this.
“Everyone is an honoured guest of my High Heaven Sect, and since Sect Master has not returned yet, everything in the Sect has been left to this Mistress’s management. Please allow me to show you your accommodations, where you can rest and refresh yourselves. The scenery of my High Heaven Sect is quite picturesque!” Ye Xi Yun saw that the greetings were finished and spoke before motioning to everyone.
No one raised any objections and immediately followed Ye Xi Yun into High Heaven Sect, towards the main peak.
More honoured guests arrived one after another.
Sword Union’s Union Master Gu Cang Yun travelled through the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array together with Gu Jian Xin a few days later.
The hidden dragon who showed his tail but never his face, Wu Dao, also arrived in High Heaven Sect through the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array.
Ye Xi Yun had made proper arrangements before to ensure a respectful welcome was extended to all involved parties.
Today’s High Heaven Sect had six Third-Order Origin Kings gathered inside it.
This was a sight fundamentally impossible to witness in the past. Third-Order Origin Kings were rare existences, and most of them were constantly in secluded retreat to contemplate and study the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, but now, so many of them had arrived in one place.
After everyone got together, they began discussing the Martial Dao atop High Heaven Sect’s main peak, exchanging their cultivation experiences. The sound of their discussion inspired the surrounding World Energy, and a mysterious sound spread out in all directions, causing many High Heaven Sect disciples to benefit greatly.
The concept of time had already become extremely weak in the hearts of Origin Kings, and once these six Third-Order Origin King masters sat down, they did not move for an entire month. Within this one month, the voices of these six people atop the main peak constantly sparred with one another, their sound shaping the very world around them in a profound manner.
Even ten years later, this main peak would still retain traces of these Third-Order Origin King’s discussion about the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way. Many High Heaven Sect disciples would visit the main peak to enter retreat in order to gain insights from this residual aura.
One month later, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, which had been silent for a long time, flickered again.
This time, five figures appeared.
One male and four females.
The one in the centre was Yang Kai, and the other four were naturally Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, and Xue Yue.
The Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays that Yang Kai had arranged over the past few years had nearly connected the entire Star Field together, making it extremely convenient to travel.
Over the past year, he took his four women to visit every famous mountain and river, walking every picturesque land they could. He also stayed in Nine Heavens Holy Land on Tong Xuan Realm for a period of time and visited many more familiar places, completing a tour of all the most beautiful sights to see in the Star Field.
This year had been an extremely fulfilling and joyful year for Yang Kai and the four young women.
There were no disputes, no battles, not even any cultivating this year, just travelling about together, hand in hand, forgetting about everything else and just cherishing what was right in front of them, and standing beside them.
But this had to end eventually, and today, Yang Kai returned to High Heaven Sect with the four girls.
When Yang Kai’s figure appeared, all the Third-Order Origin King masters who were discussing the Heavenly Way suddenly turned to look at the Space Array.
“That boy is back,” Long Tian Shang grinned.
“Smelly brat, you’re finally willing to show up,” Chi Yue snorted coldly as she looked rather unhappy.
Gui Zu just laughed wickedly, “Sect Master enjoys the blessing of having four wives, it’s already more than enough for him to remember to be on time. You shouldn’t complain too much.”
Ai Ou cut straight to the point and called out, “Brat, you have three days to finish up anything you have left to deal with. Three days later and we’ll begin.”
Atop the Space Array, Yang Kai’s expression changed as he cupped his fists towards the main peak where everyone was.
As soon as he finished, he turned and smiled at the four women, “I have three days left.”
No matter who among the four it was, they could not help wearing gloomy expressions.
Although they had already prepared themselves for this, when the day really came, no matter who it was, they felt extremely reluctant. But more than that, they felt worried about the unknown place Yang Kai was going to.
Over the next three days, Yang Kai handled all his business in High Heaven Sect, gathering the Elders to discuss the development of the Sect, as well as passing the position of Sect Master to Ye Xi Yun. Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang were also promoted to Elder status to assist her.
This way, even if he and Gui Zu left High Heaven Sect, with three First-Order Origin Kings assuming command, coupled with the myriad of powerful Spirit Arrays protecting it, the Sect would certainly be safe unless it encountered an attack from a Third-Order Origin King.
Even if a Third-Order Origin King were to appear though, High Heaven Sect would still have the strength to fight back.
After finishing the arrangements, Yang Kai was finally able to relax.
Next, he left a large number of Secret Arts, Secret Techniques, pills, and various other treasures in the High Heaven Sect’s Treasury for the disciples to use in the future.
Three days passed in a flash.
On this day, the atmosphere inside High Heaven Sect was extremely solemn.
Countless disciples had exited their retreat and gathered in the main square, looking up at the man who created High Heaven Sect single-handedly.
Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu shed tears as they bid farewell to Yang Kai.
Su Yan and the others also surrounded Yang Kai and spoke to him one after another.
“When you get there, if you meet someone who can take care of you, make sure to accept her. A man needs a woman to support him if he wants to achieve great things,” Su Yan said earnestly.
“Junior Brother, you have to take care of yourself, don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Xia Ning Chang entreated with puffy eyes.
“No matter how you conduct yourself out there, make sure you keep us all in your heart!” Xue Yue expressed faintly.
“If you dare to abandon us sisters, next time we meet…” Shan Qing Luo smiled wickedly as she made a slicing motion with her hand, real murderous intent leaking out from her body.
Yang Kai smiled dryly at this before putting on a serious expression and saying, “I’ll have to trouble you to look after my parents while I’m away.”
“That’s a given, go with peace of mind,” Su Yan nodded sincerely.
“It’s a blessing having all of you!” Yang Kai said affectionately.
The four women could not help blushing as Shan Qing Luo said in a sharp tone, “Just get going, don’t embarrass us in front of our Seniors over there.”
Yang Kai chuckled and took the four women into his arms one by one without any scruples about the eyes of others, hugging them tightly, as if trying to imprint the tenderness and warmth of their bodies onto his own before he turned around and soared up into the sky without looking back.
All four of the beauties standing down below opened their mouths, but none of them was able to make a sound.
“High Heaven Sect pays respect to Sect Master on his day of departure! May Sect Master achieve victory and success, enjoying prosperity and fortune, returning safely in triumph!” Ye Xi Yun’s voice sounded behind him.
The next moment, all of High Heaven Sect shouted, “May Sect Master achieve victory and success, enjoying prosperity and fortune, returning safely in triumph!”
The thunderous chorus of voices rang out through the sky.
“We shall take advantage of your auspicious words!” Long Tian Shang laughed loudly in a distant response.
Several streaks of light then swiftly shot towards Starry Sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Only once they were gone did many people shed tears in silence.
…..
Somewhere in Starry Sky, a group of seven stood together.
Besides Yang Kai, everyone else present was a Third-Order Origin King.
For Yang Kai, basically all these people were his acquaintances. Gui Zu, Chi Yue, and Ai Ou did not even need to be mentioned, and although Long Tian Shang and Yang Kai hadn’t interacted much, they had at least met one another. As for Sword Union’s Union Master Gu Cang Yun, Yang Kai had often exchanged cultivation experiences with this short old man during the year or so he was travelling around Sword Union. Gu Cang Yun had a friendly and free-spirited personality, so Yang Kai had gotten along with him quite well.
The relationship between the two was fairly pleasant.
As for the last person… Yang Kai actually didn’t recognize him.
Seeing him cast a curious glance towards the last master present, Long Tian Shang smiled and said, “Come here, Yang Kai. Let me introduce you. This one is the oldest and strongest amongst the Third-Order Origin Kings in the Star Field, Brother Wu Dao!”
Yang Kai’s eyes bulged in surprise as he asked, “You are Senior Wu Dao?”
Wu Dao did not have an eye-catching appearance and just wore plain grey robes, which matched well with his white beard. Although he had some sage-like features and aura about him, even that was somewhat unremarkable. If Long Tian Shang hadn’t introduced him as Wu Dao, Yang Kai would never have guessed that this living legend was the one who stood before him.
Wu Dao’s name itself was a type of symbol for this era.
Rumour had it that he had lived for more than five thousand years and had experienced countless major events in the Star Field, witnessing the rise and downfall of many great forces.
Although he was a hidden dragon who never deigned to show his face, all Origin Kings in the Star Field recognized him as the strongest!
Yang Kai had first heard the name Wu Dao when he visited Green Mountains Star.
At that time, Yang Kai had met a young man named Xu Bin Bai during the Blood Prison Trial, Wu Dao’s Disciple. Precisely because of this, Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Luo Hai treated Xu Bin Bai, a mere Junior to him, with a great deal of respect; this was proof of just how famous and influential Wu Dao was.
He was like an Ancestor to the entire Star Field.
What was rarer still was that, although this man had astonishing strength, there were no instances at all of him acting wickedly or even arrogantly, maintaining a spotless reputation for his entire life and causing him to be worshipped by many cultivators.
“Junior Yang Kai, greets Senior Wu Dao!” Yang Kai did not dare to neglect and hurriedly offered a salute.
“Sect Master Yang is too polite,” Wu Dao smiled slightly. “Brother Long shows this old master too much favour, there’s no need to act so constrained. This old master has simply lived the life of a tortoise. Living longer simply gives one more time to accumulate experiences in life. On the other hand, Sect Master Yang being able to find a way to the Star Boundary and opening up an opportunity to spy on a higher Martial Dao is truly worthy of this Wu Dao’s admiration. This old master will have to ask Sect Master Yang to lead the way.”
Yang Kai quickly shook his head and declined such praise modestly before turning around and saying seriously, “All of you being willing to cast aside your own safety and help Junior open the road to the Star Boundary is a graciousness this Junior will never forget! Please accept Junior’s worship!”
Saying so, Yang Kai cupped his fists and bowed.
Chi Yue laughed lightly and shook her head as she said, “There’s no need for you to act so reservedly. We agreed to help you not just for you, but for ourselves as well. Having reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, if we ever want to advance a step further, we can only travel to the Star Boundary, and as cultivators, who among us can really stand to not take that leap? Wu Dao being here is the best example.”
Wu Dao smiled bitterly, “Yes, when Brother Long mentioned this, this old master knew that he had to come. If he didn’t, this old master would soon pass away from old age!”
As a Third-Order Origin King who had lived for five thousand years, Wu Dao could already be considered an extremely long-lived individual. Wu Dao himself did not have much of a life span left, and if he did not want to simply pass away in obscurity somewhere, he could only attempt to raise his cultivation once more, so travelling to the Star Boundary was his last and only hope. With this being the case, how could he not come?
“Be that as it may, Junior must still offer his sincere thanks,” Yang Kai still spoke while concealing a little guilt, because he had not told them everything he knew, like about the Star Field Guardians. However, this information was irrelevant to everyone else at the moment, so Yang Kai had decided not to explain it to them.
“Alright, enough idle chatter. Boy, just tell us what you want us to do,” Ai Ou urged impatiently.
“Is everyone here planning to travel to the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai asked.
“Martial Uncle Long won’t be accompanying us, he is only here to offer his assistance in opening the way,” Ai Ou explained. “My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has a vast empire to oversee, after all, so someone must stay behind to watch over it. This time, only I will be following you.”
Yang Kai nodded, expressing his understanding.
Even for High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had to make proper arrangements. Three Origin Kings being left to oversee the High Heaven Sect was barely enough, so Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce need not even be mentioned.
If there was no Third-Order Origin King assuming command of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, it would likely not take more than a few years for it to be carved up either from the inside or out.
“In that case, Junior will begin,” Yang Kai declared before he turned around and with a wave of his hand summoned out all nine Star Emperor Tokens.
The nine Star Emperor Tokens, which now appeared insignificant and unremarkable, had once sealed the Divine Ability of the Great Emperor. Now, they only radiated a slight Emperor Pressure, but when all of them appeared together here, they began to resonate.
Soon, various flickering patterns began to appear on the Star Emperor Tokens.
These patterns were extremely profound and complex, hiding untold mysteries. Without any need for outside control, the nine Star Emperor Tokens flew out and began to arrange themselves in a specific formation.
One Star Emperor Token assumed a central position while the other eight scattered around and formed a symmetrical eight-pointed array.
The Star Emperor Tokens began to hum even more noticeably as they seemed to draw in a kind of mystical energy from the infinite Star Field, and energy that caused the nine tokens to radiate a brilliant light.
At this moment, Yang Kai shouted, “Please take action together and pour your Saint Qi in!”
As soon as his words fell, he took the lead to push his Saint Qi into the eight-pointed formation.
Everyone else followed suit and with a myriad of shouts. They too began to pour out the strength they had condensed over the course of their lives.
At that moment, with this single point as a centre, a ten thousand kilometre region of the visibly Starry Sky shook.
If a Third-Order Origin King acted with all their strength, they could destroy a small Cultivation Star.
And in this region of the Starry Sky, a total of six Third-Order Origin Kings and one Second-Order Origin King were gathered. The seven of them taking action together, just how spectacular of a scene was that? If such a massive burst of energy were to be sent out, it could definitely vaporize everything within a million kilometres, turning this region of the Starry Sky into a shattered space.
But nothing close to that happened. The eight-pointed array formed by the gathering of all nine Star Emperor Tokens seemed to have transformed into some kind of bottomless pit at this moment, swallowing all the Saint Qi that these seven masters could pour out with ease.
Everyone’s complexion changed drastically as they realized that they had deeply underestimated the methods of the Great Emperor.
These Star Emperor Tokens were refined by the Great Emperor over ten thousand years ago, yet they still had such power even today. It was difficult to imagine just how astonishing the Great Emperor’s strength was.
Exchanging a quick glance, everyone silently understood what they needed to do and simultaneously pushed their strength even more fiercely into the formation.
As time passed, the light of the eight-pointed array became brighter and brighter, and the array itself also expanded out from its original washbasin size to become as big as a large dinner table.
By now, each of the Origin Kings wore a dignified expression as they madly poured out their Saint Qi like this was actually quite taxing on them.
However, they also felt somewhat inspired at the moment, because it had been many years for them since they had gone all out. Having stood at the pinnacle of the Star Field, who was qualified to make them exert their fullest?
The current eight-pointed array, this entrance, was a perfect target for them to let loose their strength!
Gu Cang Yun couldn’t help but laugh as he ignored the passing of his own strength and desperately squeezed out as much strength from his body as he could, as if trying to see where his limits were.
Naturally the others weren’t about to be outdone and each began using their own methods to add even more energy into the eight-pointed formation.
Some time later though, everyone’s expression became a bit difficult.
Because they found that even if they kept pushing their Saint Qi madly like this, there were no signs at all of the road to the Star Boundary opening. The only change that could be seen was that the eight-pointed array was steadily expanding.
All of them couldn’t help glancing over at Yang Kai, hoping to glean some clues from his face, but all they could see was his calm demeanour as he continued to pour out his strength at a rate and intensity no worse than anyone else present.
His composure allowed everyone to feel at ease and after each of them popped a restorative Spirit Pill into their mouths, they continued on.
This situation actually lasted for three days and three nights, and during this period, the several Origin Kings lost track of just how many pills they had taken in order to maintain their power. Finally, on the third day, a dull hum suddenly rang out from the Starry Sky.
The shining eight-pointed array suddenly expanded greatly at this moment before shrinking down to the size of a house and stabilizing in place.
As a profound and mysterious light flowed out from the eight-pointed array, it stood silently in the void like the open mouth of a great beast. As for the Star Emperor Tokens, they had all seemingly vanished.
Everyone withdrew their hands and stood staring at the entrance the eight-pointed array in front of them had transformed into, none of them able to say a word for a long time.
“Is this the passage?” After a long silence, Gui Zu finally asked. He could feel the power of the Void coming from this entrance, similar to that of a Void Corridor, but also completely different. It seemed far more dangerous, causing even someone as strong as him to feel some chills.
“Do we enter or not?” Gu Cang Yun swept his gaze around.
No one was able to give him an answer though.
Quickly, everyone’s eyes landed on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned as he said, “I’m definitely going to enter, but… Let’s restore ourselves first.”
“Yang Kai is right,” Chi Yue nodded sincerely, “There may be some danger inside.”
“Then, we’ll take half a day to restore ourselves. None of us knows how long this entrance will remain open, so if we delay too long and it disappears, the benefits will not be able to make up for the loss,” Wu Dao said with some slight concern.
No one had any objections and quickly took out some Spirit Pills before finding a location to sit down, meditate, and recover.
Yang Kai directly took out a mountain of Saint Crystals from his Space Ring and crushed them, allowing their energy to flood the surrounding area to help everyone quickly restore themselves.
Half a day later, everyone gathered again in front of the entrance.
Yang Kai took the initiative without any fear and said, “Leave the vanguard up to this Junior, Seniors please bring up the rear!”
“How could we allow that?” Ai Ou snorted in objection. Yang Kai was his son-in-law, and as Xue Yue’s father, certainly couldn’t let Yang Kai take such risks. What if something happened? Wouldn’t that leave Xue Yue as a widow?
Saying so, he stepped forward, determined to enter first.
Yang Kai, however, quickly stretched out his hand to stop him and said lightly, “I am proficient in Space Force, and as this is a type of Void Corridor, it would be best if I take the lead.”
“Yang Kai is right. Ai Ou it’s best if you back down here, his mastery of Space Force makes him far more suited to this role,” Chi Yue nodded in agreement.
Ai Ou hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Then, act cautiously kid.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly at him before turning back to Long Tian Shang and saying, “Senior Long, I’ll have to trouble you to watch over Shadowed Star while we’re gone.”
“You may rest assured; I will come here from time to time. In any case, it’s quite convenient to travel around now. As long as my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has not fallen, Shadowed Star will surely be safe and sound!” Long Tian Shang quickly pledged.
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai cupped his fists before turning around and plunging into the entrance.
Following him, Gu Cang Yun, Wu Dao, and Gui Zu all stepped inside one by one.
Chi Yue followed suit.
Ai Ou bid farewell to Long Tian Shang before he brought up the rear.
In the blink of an eye, only Long Tian Shang was left. Staring at the glowing entrance before him, his eyes showed a look of incomparable yearning, but he simply sighed, turned around, and flew back towards Shadowed Star, in the end.
….
After Yang Kai crossed the threshold, he was immediately stunned by the sight in front of him.
He had expected that he would be greeted by the sight of a Void Corridor, an empty chaotic nothingness.
But on the contrary, when he walked inside, things were very different.
Instead of black chaos with vast emptiness, there was actually a rich and pure flow of mysterious energy.
There were also little fluorescent wisps of light all around, making people feel like they were being surrounded by an ocean of starlight. These wisps behaved almost like fireflies, moving as if they had their own sentience.
Looking around, to the front, rear, left, and right, everywhere was filled with a similar starlight scene.
It was really like staring at the starry sky reflecting on the calm surface of a lake.
Yang Kai couldn’t help taking a deep breath. Breathing out comfortably, it felt like the exhaustion he had built up over the past few days from opening the Star Boundary channel had simply faded away.
In the next instant, the little wisps of starlight were somehow drawn towards his body and soon sank into his form.
The pure energy contained in these wisps of starlight quickly began to penetrate into his flesh and bone, rapidly recovering Yang Kai’s strength.
Yang Kai was overjoyed, never having expected such a thing to happen.
“This is…” An exclamation came from behind, one filled with obvious shock from what the voice’s owner was seeing.
Yang Kai didn’t have to look back to know it was Sword Union’s Gu Cang Yun who had called out.
Immediately afterwards, the exclamations from Wu Dao, Gui Zu, Chi Yue, and Ai Ou followed, all of them tossing aside the aloof images they had built up over the years as Third-Order Origin Kings as they were unable to contain their shock and awe.
“Such rich World Energy… it’s so pure and clean. It can be absorbed directly even without trying to refine it.”
“If one cultivated here for a day, wouldn’t it be the same as cultivating for a year outside?”
“What is this place? Have we already reached the Star Boundary?”
“This shouldn’t be the Star Boundary!” Yang Kai shook his head.
“How do you know?”
“I’m not clear,” Yang Kai explained with a wry smile. “But I can somehow tell that this is a place between the Star Field and Star Boundary. Only after passing through here can we truly enter the Star Boundary.”
“The environment here is already so astonishing. How much better must the Star Boundary be?”
As such thoughts swirling in their heads, none of them was able to calm themselves. If everything they speculated was true, then breaking through to the next realm was just around the corner for them. Anyone able to cultivate to the Third-Order Origin King Realm was a genius among geniuses, so if they could find a suitable environment, they could steadily raise their cultivation.
“I don’t know what the Star Boundary’s situation is, but this place… we probably can’t stay here for too long,” Yang Kai didn’t get dazzled by everything in front of him and calmly analyzed.
“Why do you say so?”
“In the end, this is a passageway, so who can guarantee that it will remain stable forever? If some kind of turbulence happens, we may be lost here forever.”
Hearing what he said, everyone couldn’t help being shocked, only then realizing they were actually in danger.
Ai Ou nodded and said, “Yang Kai is right, this likely isn’t a place we can remain for an extended period.”
Yang Kai smiled and added, “But there’s no need to be too nervous. Since we need to pass through this place, it’s only natural to harvest as much benefit as possible along the way. It seems like the starlight here can not only restore Saint Qi but also cleanse and temper one’s physique and Soul. Everyone should try their best to absorb as much as possible.”
“A cleaning effect on the body and Soul!” Wu Dao’s eyes lit up and laughed, “If that’s the case, we certainly cannot miss it!”
Hearing this news, how could any of them not be moved? Hurriedly circulating their own Secret Arts, all of them began trying to gather the dense wisps of starlight around them.
But soon, everyone noticed an anomaly.
Among the group of six, the speed at which Yang Kai and Ai Ou were able to absorb this starlight seemed to be more than ten times faster than the others, with Yang Kai’s performance being particularly conspicuous. The wisps of starlight seemed to be naturally drawn to him, like moths to a flame, causing the path he walked along to be devoid of any wisps at all.
Although Ai Ou’s situation wasn’t bad either, there was still a noticeable gap between him and Yang Kai.
As for the others, their performance was even worse.
All of them had to work hard and use their own Saint Qi to draw in these wisps of starlight.
In terms of efficiency, they were a hundred times worse than Yang Kai!
“What Secret Technique are you two using?” Wu Dao asked curiously. Among the six people here, Yang Kai and Ai Ou weren’t the strongest, especially Yang Kai, who was only a Second-Order Origin King in terms of cultivation. Technically, it made him the weakest here, but he was actually able to absorb more of this starlight than anyone else, eliciting some confusion.
The others also quickly discovered this issue and looked at Yang Kai and Ai Ou suspiciously.
“I’m not using any kind of Secret Technique, I’m just absorbing them normally,” Ai Ou said with an innocent expression on his face, turning to look at Yang Kai for confirmation.
Yang Kai also nodded and said, “I haven’t used any Secret Technique either.”
Everyone present was a hegemon-level figure from the Star Field, but after arriving at this juncture together, they worked together without any kind of intrigue, so if Ai Ou and Yang Kai said they were not doing anything special, the others didn’t doubt them.
“That’s strange, then is there something… different about you two?” Gu Cang Yun frowned in thought.
Soon, Chi Yue’s beautiful eyes lit up as she muttered thoughtfully, “Could it be… because you’re both Star Masters?”
Hearing what she said, everyone could not help showing a stunned look before thinking this very well could be the case.
Among the six present, only Yang Kai and Ai Ou had refined a Star Source and become Star Masters. If there was a significant difference between the two of them and the others, this was it.
Thinking about it carefully, this was the only plausible explanation.
“Strange… does being a Star Master really grant such a mysterious benefit?” Wu Dao shook his head as he wore a slight look of regret on his face. If he had known this before, he would have found a way to refine a Cultivation Star’s Star Source before coming here; even if there was great danger, he still would have had to try.
The surrounding starlight had the effect of cleansing and tempering one’s body and Soul, and this was only what everyone had been able to sense so far. There may still be unknown benefits, so the more they could absorb, the better.
But now, the other four could only look on at Yang Kai and Ai Ou with envy, watching those wisps of starlight pour into their bodies and disappear.
Ai Ou could not help grinning smugly.
Yang Kai knit his brow for a moment before suggesting, “We should slightly separate. I’ll walk further apart from everyone else, and several Seniors should space themselves out somewhat as well, just don’t stray too far from each other.”
Wherever Yang Kai walked, no starlight remained, so he could not travel together with the others.
Fortunately, no obvious signs of danger were to be seen yet, so separating was not too much of a risk.
“Sounds good,” Wu Dao nodded and agreed with Yang Kai’s proposal.
The others also did not have any objections and quickly, the group separated into two, with Yang Kai on the right, and the others to the left. The group of six then continued forward unhurriedly.
Although Yang Kai did not know why being a Star Master gave such an advantage, he tell that the wisps of starlight flooding into his body had something to do with the Star Source he had refined, otherwise, he and Ai Ou wouldn’t have such different performances to the others.
It was probably the very existence of the Star Source’s energy in his body that drew in these wisps of starlight and allowed him to absorb them so easily.
Observing the situation on the left side for a while, Yang Kai confirmed that Ai Ou and the others were all in a stable condition, allowing him to relax and concentrate on analysing the benefits the starlight brought to him.
Yang Kai’s physique was already extraordinarily strong. After several years of tempering in the Dead Zone, he had already surpassed the level an Origin King Realm should have.
But as these wisps of starlight entered his body, Yang Kai could still feel his physical quality being significantly improved. Vitality burgeoned from every inch of his flesh, and his body seemed to now contain a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power.
Even the Pure Golden Blood flowing through his body was distilled to a certain extent.
This Pure Golden Blood was one of Yang Kai’s unique treasures, and he had long ago thought it had reached a state of perfection, but now he realized that he was short-sighted.
His Pure Golden Blood could still be enhanced!
His body was washed of all impurities, leaving him with flawless flesh and crystal-jade bones. Even his five viscera and six organs seemed to have been strengthened and now emitted a lustre.
This was a manifestation of his physical body’s enhancement.
His Soul also reaped huge benefits.
Yang Kai sent his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea, and through his Soul Avatar, he could see the tiny wisps of starlight flooding in from the outside. While his Knowledge Sea was absorbing some of these wisps though, many were also flying towards his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
The Soul Warming Lotus, which was accepting all the starlight coming to it, now gave off a dreamlike glow as faint ripples spread out.
This dazzling radiance seemed to contain a mysterious power that continuously strengthened Yang Kai’s Soul as it rippled forth.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai suddenly understood!
Him and Ai Ou being able to absorb the starlight here at a much faster rate than the others could be explained by their identities as Star Masters.
But even so, Yang Kai was still able to absorb the starlight almost ten times faster than Ai Ou!
This was a fact difficult to explain.
Yang Kai did not understand the reason for this at first, but now that he had seen the situation in his Knowledge Sea, he realized the truth.
The Soul Warming Lotus was causing this phenomenon! With the Soul Warming Lotus helping to absorb the starlight and merge it with him, how could Ai Ou compete?
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai’s brow suddenly twitched as he remembered what that master named Wu Sheng Feng from Star Boundary’s Falling Star Sect said back then.
Wu Sheng Feng said that the Soul Warming Lotus could still evolve further.
Yang Kai was extremely surprised at that time because he had always felt that the seven-coloured form was the final form of the Soul Warming Lotus, but now, he realized that Wu Sheng Feng was correct.
What would the Soul Warming Lotus look like if it was able to evolve further? Just what kind of benefits would it be able to provide? Yang Kai did not know, but now that the Soul Warming Lotus was actively trying to absorb this mysterious starlight, he knew it had a great nourishing effect.
Allowing the Soul Warming Lotus to do as it pleased, Yang Kai simply walked forward slowly.
His whole body was like a vortex, and wherever he walked, the starlight would converge towards him. Feeling the changes happening in his body, Yang Kai felt joyous in his heart.
Simply closing his eyes, he began to meander about in a leisurely manner.
Time slowly passed by, but with no sun, moon, or stars here, it was not long before everyone lost track of how long they had been walking. A rough estimate would say they had been travelling for at least a month.
Suddenly, a low shout came from Yang Kai’s side.
Yang Kai was stunned, and thinking that something had gone wrong, he quickly opened his eyes and looked over.
But soon, he knew his assumption was wrong as the other five were all safe and sound. It was only that Ai Ou showed a shocked expression on his face and was deeply frowning, seemingly pondering something.
The other four people also had similar expressions.
“Everyone, what happened?” Yang Kai asked.
Gui Zu raised his head and said, “Sect Master, feel the power in your body and see if there are any changes!”
He did not directly answer Yang Kai’s question but instead directed him to investigate for himself. Yang Kai immediately understood that this was an important matter, so he immediately began to inspect himself.
Soon, Yang Kai also showed a shocked look as his expression changed greatly.
“It looks like you’ve noticed too,” Gui Zu laughed gratingly. “It is precisely because we discovered this that we suddenly woke up.”
“What exactly is happening?” Yang Kai looked at everyone in amazement.
Everyone shook their heads, however, unable to explain.
Wu Dao pondered for a long time before offering a theory, “According to the observation of this old master, the Saint Qi in our bodies seems to be transforming into a higher form.”
“Transforming into a higher form?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“Indeed,” Wu Dao gently nodded, “This is just this old master’s opinion, however, and I have no proof either way.”
He paused and continued to speak, “We cultivators start our cultivation journey with Yuan Qi. After cultivating to the True Element Boundary, Yuan Qi is transformed into True Qi. Only True Qi can support a True Element Boundary Cultivator’s Martial Skills and techniques, Yuan Qi is simply insufficient. This is similar to a child needing to wear bigger clothes when he grows up. The smaller clothes would only serve to hinder his movements.”
Everyone nodded lightly.
What Wu Dao said was common sense. Everyone who cultivated knew this, so there was no reason they would not understand.
“Then, when a cultivator reaches the Saint Realm, the True Qi in the body will transform into Saint Qi!” Wu Dao’s eyes flickered, “However, after the Saint Realm, there is the Saint King Realm, Origin Returning Realm, and Origin King Realm, but through those realms, Saint Qi shows no further transformations. This old master has considered this issue in the past and felt that there should be a higher form of power a cultivator can possess, but nothing tangible ever came out from my ponderings until today!”
The longer he spoke, the more Wu Dao’s eyes burst with excitement.
“Senior Wu Dao means…” Yang Kai’s brow rose, “The Saint Qi in our bodies is being transformed into a stronger form?”
“It should be,” Wu Dao laughed. “And the starlight here not only has the effect of cleanings one’s body and Soul but can also assist in this transformation process! This old master speculates that once all the Saint Qi in our bodies has undergone this transformation, we can take that next step!”
As soon as this remark came out, everyone’s body shook.
The masters here, besides Yang Kai, were all Third-Order Origin Kings, so they naturally understood what Wu Dao meant by taking that next step.
That was the step above the Origin King Realm!
It was a realm that no master from the Star Field’s history had ever been able to reach.
At this moment, the change in the strength of everyone’s body was not just an opportunity, it was a guiding ray of light.
This was definitely a brand-new force that they had never encountered before, one that was far more refined, condensed, and powerful than Saint Qi.
In other words, even if two Origin Kings had the same cultivation, but one of them had Saint Qi while the other had this new strength, the one with the latter would be able to triumph over the former with ease.
True Qi was stronger than Yuan Qi, and Saint Qi was stronger than True Qi, so this new power was naturally much stronger than Saint Qi.
“I just don’t know what this power is called,” Wu Dao said with some regret. This was not a surprise though as no one here had contacted a higher-level Martial Dao.
“I feel that this new power is closely linked to the essence of my life and Soul, my source so to speak!” Chi Yue said thoughtfully.
Everything in this world had an origin, a source. Stars had Star Sources and cultivators had their own sources as well, the root of their existence. Without that source, they would not be.
The power everyone’s Saint Qi was transforming into seemed to somehow be related to their own source.
“Yang Kai, you’ve absorbed the most starlight of all of us; how much of your Saint Qi has transformed?” Gu Cang Yun asked curiously.
As soon as this question was asked, everyone could not help turning their heads to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai checked quickly and said, “About one percent.”
“So much!?” Wu Dao called out in shock as everyone else looked at him with envy.
“Is that a lot?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Wu Dao smiled bitterly, “Indeed, the amount of this old master’s Saint Qi that has transformed is barely noticeable, but it has already provided some great benefits. Since you have already transformed one percent of your Saint Qi, it likely won’t be long before the conversion is complete!”
“En, I suspected that, at the rate my Saint Qi is transforming, it will take at least five or six years to complete, even if I stay here,” Chi Yue nodded.
“What about President Ai Ou?” Everyone turned their eyes to the other person who held an advantage in this regard.
“I’m much worse than Yang Boy, about ten times so,” Ai Ou slowly shook his head.
“That’s fast enough,” Everyone could not help feeling a little frustrated.
None of them had thought that being a Star Master would result in such benefits after entering here. The power in Yang Kai’s body was transforming so fast that they could hardly believe it.
After discussing this unexpected development for a short while, everyone deeply felt that they had no more time to waste; after all, such an opportunity was not one you met every day. Splitting into two groups again, everyone hurriedly began absorbing the starlight wisps while moving forward on the road.
…..
At a spot, some ten thousand kilometres ahead of where Yang Kai’s group was.
This place was also filled with starlight, the same as everywhere else in this strange corridor.
However, in this place, there were three figures.
Among these three people, two were men and one was a woman, none of whom seemed old, even dressed up as youths, but their auras were extremely powerful.
One of them, sat cross-legged in the sea of starlight with a gloomy face, like a dormant beast, his aura so daunting that the other two stayed as far away from him as possible, seemingly afraid to approach.
All three were Third-Order Origin Kings.
And where the three of them sat, there was a semi-circular energy barrier covering them. This barrier was quite profound and was able to block the intrusion of the surrounding starlight.
As such, in a ten-metre radius around the group of three, there was just a clean, empty void.
The imposing man had his eyes closed tightly and was slowly forming a series of seals with his hands, seemingly cultivating some kind of Secret Technique. From time to time, there would be a violent energy fluctuation from his body.
Although all of them were Third-Order Origin Kings, this man gave off a far stronger aura compared to the other two.
Suddenly, the bald man amongst the male and female pair opened his eyes and glanced around with an impatient look on his face before muttering, “We’ve already been here for five years. How long more do we have to wait?”
Hearing what he said, the woman next to him also opened her eyes and glanced towards the front before whispering, “Calm yourself Brother Feng De, is five years really a long time for you or me? Both of us have benefited a lot from staying in the Starlight Corridor with the help of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud provided by Senior Brother Yin Le Sheng.”
Hearing her mention Yin Le Sheng, Feng De, the bald man, looked towards the man in front of him who was releasing a thick malevolent aura with some fear and nodded, “En, we did take advantage of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud provided by Brother Yin in order to stay here for so long; if not for it, the Starlight Corridor would surely have expelled us after just a month or two, but… why are we waiting here anyway? What exactly is Brother Yin waiting for? Junior Sister Liu, do you know anything?”
Liu Xian Yun slowly shook her head, “I don’t know, but Brother Yin must have his own plans!”
Feng De smiled bitterly, “Fine, let us not mention this anymore. By the way, how much of your Saint Qi have you managed to transform, Junior Sister Liu?”
“About one-fifth,” Liu Xian Yun smiled wryly before turning to look at Yin Le Sheng with some envy and saying in a low voice. “I am incomparable to Brother Yin. In my opinion, the Saint Qi in his body should almost be completely transformed into Source Qi! Once we leave this Starlight Corridor, he will likely be able to break through to the Dao Source Realm immediately!”
“The advantages of being a Star Master are really extraordinary,” Feng De said, filled with jealousy, “If I had known this before, this Feng would have also gone and refined some Cultivation Star’s Star Source.”
“And how dangerous is refining a Star Source?” Liu Xian Yun slowly shook her head, “Without great luck, it is impossible to succeed in refining one. How many of our Grand Desolation Star Field’s Third-Order Origin Kings have died over the past ten thousand years trying to refine Star Sources? This Mistress never attempted it because she never had full confidence in succeeding. In any case, we will soon arrive at the Star Boundary, so it won’t be too late to look for a Star Source in the future.”
Feng De slowly shook his head, “That might be true, but I’ve also heard that Star Sources are extremely rare treasures in the Star Boundary. Many masters intentionally regress their own cultivation in order to access the Starlight Corridor and return to the major Star Fields just to seek such an opportunity. Since you and I have already missed the opportunity, I’m afraid it will be difficult to obtain a Star Source in the future.”
Liu Xian Yun looked somewhat depressed, knowing that Feng De was right.
“Can you two be silent? Your noise is disturbing this King’s tranquillity,” Suddenly, a gloomy voice sounded.
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De could not help shivering slightly as they turned their heads fearfully towards the front, just in time to see Yin Le Sheng, who had been sitting cross-legged the whole time, open his eyes.
Those eyes were extremely cold and seemed to have no emotion in them at all, making any who gazed into them feel extremely uncomfortable.
Liu Xian Yun squeezed out a smile and apologized, “This Mistress was just chatting with Brother Feng casually and did not intend to disturb Senior Brother Yin. Please don’t take it to heart, Senior Brother Yin.”
Yin Le Sheng just glowered at them indifferently, not saying anything.
Feng De soon frowned though and asked, “Brother Yin, we’ve been waiting here for five years. How long are we supposed to linger?”
“Do you want to leave?” Yin Le Sheng glanced at Feng De lightly.
Feng De replied, “If Brother Yin could inform us what he is waiting for here, this Feng would be fine accompanying him for a lifetime, but… Since entering this Starlight Corridor, Brother Yin has been in meditative retreat, so this Feng is somewhat…”
“Dissatisfied with my attitude?” Yin Le Sheng’s voice sounded coldly.
Feng De wore an ugly expression, frowned, and said, “I wouldn’t dare, it’s just…”
Before he could finish speaking though, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. At some unknown point, Yin Le Sheng had already approached and Feng De could not help shivering under his icy eyes. Feeling the aura of death approaching him, Feng De instinctually punched out.
“Don’t!” Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face changed drastically as she cried out softly.
“Hmph!” Yin Le Sheng coldly snorted. Facing the terrifying blow that Feng De had just released, he did not even try to dodge and instead raised a single hand and lightly dispersed the incoming attack, before reaching out and pinching Feng De’s neck.
Suddenly, Feng De, who was also a Third-Order Origin King, was restrained, his Saint Qi unable to circulate properly. Yin Le Sheng then hoisted him up like a chicken to be slaughtered.
This scene was so incredible that even Liu Xian Yun was frozen in shock.
At this moment, she knew that she had been underestimating Yin Le Sheng. He had transformed all his Saint Qi in his body into Source Qi, otherwise he would never have been able to so easily overwhelm Feng De who had the same cultivation as him.
After all, before coming here, while Yin Le Sheng was indeed stronger than either of them, the discrepancy wasn’t so obvious.
But after coming to this place, the distance between him and them suddenly expanded.
This was directly related to his Saint Qi’s transformation into Source Qi.
“Brother Yin…” Feng De struggled but could not get rid of Yin Le Sheng’s restraint, a look of horror flashing across his eyes as he called out pleadingly, his face slowly losing colour.
“If you were not from the Grand Desolation Star Field, do you think this King would so kindly allow you to enjoy the benefits of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud? Not only are you not grateful, but you also actually dare to question this King’s actions? Even your death won’t be worth pitying!” Yin Le Sheng spat coldly, adding a little strength to his hand, causing Feng De’s life to shorten even further.
Liu Xian Yun to the side was completely pale right now and wanted to intercede, but when she thought of Yin Le Sheng’s cruel methods and manner, she couldn’t work up the courage to speak.
Because she knew that if Yin Le Sheng was truly angered, Feng De would die without a doubt.
She could only force a smile and say, “Senior Brother Yin, please show mercy. This Mistress and Brother Feng know our wrongs and apologize. Please spare Brother Feng, Senior Brother Yin.”
“You know your wrongs?” Yin Le Sheng asked indifferently.
Feng De nodded quickly.
“There will be no second chance!” Yin Le Sheng snorted coldly before tossing Feng De aside like some kind of rag sack.
Liu Xian Yun wanted to help Feng De but did not dare to move rashly. Instead, she only able to watch Yin Le Sheng nervously.
After punishing Feng De a little, the latter did not make another move. Instead, he folded his hands behind his back and said lightly, “This King does not want to take extreme measures, you are both from the Grand Desolation Star Field like me after all, and my Netherworld Sect has a base in the Star Boundary. After we arrive, both of you will join my Netherworld Sect and we will all belong to the same family in the future.”
Liu Xian Yun squeezed out a smile and said, “Since Senior Brother Yin has said so, this Mistress will respectfully obey.”
Netherworld Sect’s reputation in the Grand Desolation Star Field was terrible, so its base in the Star Boundary was not going to be anything good. However, with so many masters in the Sect, few dared to challenge it. After this trip to the Star Boundary, if they could really join an established force, perhaps their future cultivation would be much smoother.
However, that also meant being thoroughly tainted with the stigma of the Netherworld Sect, causing Liu Xian Yun to be a little bit displeased.
But with things as they were now, she had no choice.
Feng De, on the other hand, was just grateful for having escaped death, so he did not dare raise any objections.
Yin Le Sheng was very satisfied with the attitude of the two of them and took the initiative to say, “You want to know why this King hasn’t entered the Star Boundary for so long and instead chose to remain here?”
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De looked at each other, the former saying, “If it is not convenient for Senior Brother Yin to say…”
“There’s nothing inconvenient,” Yin Le Sheng said lightly. “Since you will both be joining my Netherworld Sect, you are not outsiders, so it won’t hurt to tell you. The reason why this King has been waiting here is to wait for others from different Star Fields who are also travelling to the Star Boundary.”
“Waiting for cultivators from other Star Fields travelling to the Star Boundary?” Liu Xian Yun and Feng De were stunned, not expecting that Yin Le Sheng was actually using the Netherworld Darkness Shroud to isolate them from the surrounding starlight and remain here for five years just because of this.
One had to know that the Netherworld Darkness Shroud was a core treasure of Netherworld Sect, said to have been passed down to it from the Star Boundary, its grade already surpassing Origin King Grade.
Only the Netherworld Sect, which had a foothold in the Star Boundary, could possess this kind of Heaven-defying treasure. What’s more, every time it was used, the Netherworld Darkness Shroud had to absorb countless Souls to fuel itself.
Liu Xian Yun suddenly recalled that Yin Le Sheng had gone to a certain Cultivation Star in the Grand Desolation Star Field five years ago and slaughtered the inhabitants of more than a dozen cities. At that time, everyone had thought he had fallen into depravity and was wantonly slaughtering to amuse himself, but now it seemed he was actually preparing the Netherworld Darkness Shroud for this.
“Do you understand?” Yin Le Sheng stared at the two faintly.
Liu Xian Yun shook her head and said, “Please dispel our doubts, Senior Brother Yin.”
Yin Le Sheng said, “I’m waiting for Star Masters!”
As soon as this remark came out, both Liu Xian Yun and Feng De showed a look of enlightenment, with Lin Xian Yun saying, “Could it be that the rumour about Netherworld Sect possessing a Secret Technique to seize Star Sources from others is true?”
Yin Le Sheng nodded and said, “Naturally.”
“So, Senior Brother Yin wants to snatch others’ Star Source?”
“No!” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed coldly, “I already have a Star Source, so I won’t be able to absorb a second for some time.”
“Then Senior Brother Yin, you…”
“I can’t make use of it, but now that I am heading to the Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect, I must prepare a decent gift. If this King can prepare such a gift, this King’s future will surely become smooth after entering Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect! “
Only now did Liu Xian Yun and Feng De truly understand why Yin Le Sheng had been waiting here for five years.
Although Yin Le Sheng all but ruled over the Grand Desolation Star Field, he was still just a Third-Order Origin King. After entering the Star Boundary, such a cultivation would be worthless. Netherworld Sect had fierce internal competition, and it was commonplace for disciples to fight amongst themselves.
Yin Le Sheng was travelling to Netherworld Sect in the Star Boundary without a backer, and without support, one could only rely on themselves.
As such, he was here targeting Star Masters.
As long as he could bring a Star Source as a gift to the Netherworld Sect, what lack of support could he have?
For a moment, Liu Xian Yun and Feng De could not help but admire Yin Le Sheng’s level of vision. He truly stood higher and saw further.
Any Third-Order Origin King had an extreme yearning for the Star Boundary, so spending five years waiting here also showed how strong Yin Le Sheng’s will was.
However… this was all a gamble, one that could result in great gains, or complete losses.
After all, staying here was also delaying their progress. Even if the Saint Qi in Yin Le Sheng’s body had completely transformed into Source Qi, he was unable to break through here, wasting a great deal of time.
“As long as this King can obtain the attention of Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect, he will not lack for resources in the future and becoming an Emperor will be just around the corner. Follow me, and the benefits you reap won’t be small.”
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De quickly thanked him.
“Now that you know this King’s plan, cease your incessant prattling. This King prefers silence!” Yin Le Sheng waved his hand.
“Yes,” Liu Xian Yun and Feng De nodded together.
After experiencing the scene just now, regardless of how they really felt, they knew they could not put up any resistance. If Yin Le Sheng wanted to kill them, it was probably as simple as waving his hand. The gap between them was too great now.
At that moment, a clear ringing sound came out.
Yin Le Sheng was startled and immediately took a small bell from his waist. This bell seemed perfectly ordinary, but right now it seemed to have been disturbed by something and was ringing softly.
“Someone is coming!” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed brightly, and he couldn’t help grinning, “This King has not waited here for five years in vain! I hope these people don’t let me down too much, otherwise… heh heh heh…”
His low laughter was so harsh and grating that Liu Xian Yun and Feng De could not help cringing slightly, silently paying tribute to the people who were approaching.
It did not matter how powerful or what kind of status these newcomers had in their Star Field, they could only curse their own bad luck for facing Yin Le Sheng here.
If the ones who came had a Star Master among them, Yin Le Sheng might be willing to send them all off painlessly.
But if no such character existed, Liu Xian Yun and Feng De were certain that these people would soon understand what a life worse than death felt like! After all, Netherworld Sect’s torture methods caused the entire Grand Desolation Star Field to tremble in fear.
A hundred kilometres away, Yang Kai and the others were still casually strolling forward.
Yang Kai could not tell how the others were, but the Saint Qi in his body had been transforming into this new, higher form at a very fast rate. This power seemed closely related to his essence and was incredibly smooth to circulate and operate, on top of being far more powerful.
However, the speed of conversion still seemed a bit slow to him, and Yang Kai estimated that, at this rate, it would take him at least one or two years to finish the process.
The group of six people was silent.
Suddenly, Yang Kai raised his head and looked ahead with a frown.
Faintly, he felt some kind of life aura coming from the front, but the environment here was too strange so even with his powerful Divine Sense, he couldn’t probe too far, making him uncertain.
After thinking about it, Yang Kai pushed both his Space Force and his Divine Sense.
In an instant, his Divine Sense leapt across space into the distance up ahead.
“There’s really someone there!” Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became strange. He never thought that there would be other people in this Starlight Corridor.
[Could they be from some other Star Field and were also preparing to enter the Star Boundary?]
He could only make this speculation.
At the same time, he quickly used his Divine Sense to tell everyone to pause.
On the other side, Yin Le Sheng, who was waiting quietly, narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a suspicious look on his face.
Just now, he felt a Divine Sense drifting by his side strangely, which was quite shocking to him as Divine Sense could not probe too far in this Starlight Corridor, not even one as strong as his own. Even seeing someone a few kilometres away was all but impossible, which was why he had to use the bell-like artifact on his belt to check for the life auras of nearby people.
“Did I imagine it?” Yin Le Sheng muttered to himself before grinning slightly, “If not, then it seems I’ve met a real master. Interesting, very interesting!”
He had been waiting here for five years and had already transformed his Saint Qi into Source Qi, so although he had yet to break through to the Dao Source Realm, his combat strength was now no longer comparable to that of an ordinary Origin King.
No matter who the approaching person was, since they were travelling to the Star Boundary from some Star Field, their cultivation would certainly not exceed the Origin King Realm.
As such, Yin Le Sheng did not put them in his eyes at all.
The movement of the bell in his hand stopped temporarily, causing Yin Le Sheng to be even more certain that he had encountered a cultivator with a strong Divine Sense, and that the other party had someone who discovered him already.
The truth was exactly as he thought. After Yang Kai stopped the other five people, he told them the situation there.
“There are people here? Three of them?” Chi Yue’s beautiful eyes widened, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“Yang Boy, are you sure you didn’t sense wrong?” Ai Ou also had a suspicious expression on his face.
“Since Sect Master Yang has said so, he must be certain,” Wu Dao frowned. “Now it is just a question of whether these three strangers are friends or foes.”
“En, since we’re all new and unfamiliar with this place, it would be best to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yang Kai, what’s the exact situation, be more specific.”
Yang Kai knit his brow slightly as he said, “From what I could perceive, the three people up ahead are just standing in place, seemingly waiting for something. As for their cultivation, they are all Third-Order Origin Kings, but one of them… gives me an extremely dangerous feeling.”
“If even you feel a threat from them, they’re not weak,” Ai Ou frowned. “But since they are all Third-Order Origin Kings, they should be cultivators from a different Star Field and are probably trying to enter the Star Boundary just like us. Did they perhaps get lost here?”
“Why don’t we just ask?” Gui Zu laughed strangely, “There are three of them and six of us, what is there to be afraid of?”
“While that might be true, you also know that after entering this place, a massive gap can appear between different Third-Order Origin Kings. Take President Ai Ou as an example, I’m afraid that none of us is his opponent now!”
“En, the power our Saint Qi is transforming into is very powerful.”
“But we can’t just continue standing here, right? Each of us is an overlord in our own domain. Since when have we begun acting so timidly?”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone could not help feeling shocked and realized that since entering the Starlight Corridor and feeling the mysteries of this place, while looking forward to the Star Boundary, their mentality had also gradually changed.
They could no longer behave as they once did, standing aloof and dominating over all others.
“Alright, we’ll proceed carefully and let everything take its course. If they are really lost, it is fine to have a discussion with them, but if they are hostile, then we’ll fight!” Yang Kai said lightly.
“So be it!” Wu Dao nodded in agreement.
“Then Junior will take the lead!” Yang Kai smiled slightly and offered.
“I’ll go, you stand back!” Ai Ou snorted and stood at the forefront.
As an elder, how could he always allow Yang Kai to take the risks?
Chi Yue also smiled and said, “This time, you just follow along obediently.”
“Eh… en, alright,” Yang Kai did not insist. In any case, it was not clear whether the people up ahead were friends or enemies, so it didn’t make much difference who went forward.
And so, the group of six approached the direction where Yin Le Sheng and his group were waiting.
As they approached, the bell in Yin Le Sheng’s hand rang quicker and quicker.
A distance of a hundred kilometres was nothing to cultivators of their level, so after just a stick of incense’s time, the two groups of people met.
Ai Ou took the lead and stood still about three hundred metres away from Yin Le Sheng and looked forward intently.
The starlight around him flooded into his body uncontrollably as he absorbed and accepted it.
Yin Le Sheng’s originally dull gaze burst with a strong light when he saw Ai Ou and he couldn’t help laughing heartily, “Good, good, good! After waiting for five years, this King has finally found someone decent.”
Yin Le Sheng laughed wildly as he clapped his hands, causing Yang Kai and his group to become extremely unhappy, especially Ai Ou who, being stared at by this unknown man, could not help feeling an extreme sense of danger.
Out of courtesy, Ai Ou did not get angry, however, but instead cupped his fists intently and said, “This one is Ai Ou, dare I ask these friends’ names and what you are doing here?”
Yin Le Sheng grinned lightly and replied, “This King is Grand Desolation Star Field, Netherworld Sect’s Yin Le Sheng, which Star Field are you from?”
Which Star Field?
Yang Kai and others looked at each other, at a loss for how to answer.
However, everyone had heard from Yang Kai before that theirs was not the only Star Field and that there were many others out there, separated by some kind of unpassable boundary that only those of extraordinary strength could cross.
So, when they heard the other party report the name of their home Star Field, this so-called Grand Desolation Star Field, they were able to understand.
“You don’t even know what your Star Field is called?” On the side, the bald man called Feng De looked at Yang Kai and others with a weird expression, like he was staring at a group of country bumpkins.
Ai Ou let out a wry chuckle as he explained, “Well… we really don’t know. Our Star Field has been closed off for over ten thousand years, so none of us or our ancestors had any contact with the Star Boundary. Thus, we don’t know what the outside world calls us.”
“Closed off for ten thousand years?” Feng De and Liu Xian Yun looked surprised, the latter wondering out loud, “Then how did you find the Starlight Corridor and arrive here?”
She knew that there were times when the connection between a Star Field and the Star Boundary was cut off. For example, when the Star Field’s Principles became damaged or unbalanced and cultivators could no longer reach a sufficient height to open a connection. Another example would be if the passage to the Star Boundary itself collapsed.
As such, she was very curious how Ai Ou and the others repaired the passage after ten thousand years.
“This…” Ai Ou showed a hesitant look as he did not want to explain in detail; after all, this matter involved the Starry Sky Great Emperor and the other party was a stranger who they just happened to meet, there was no reason to tell them too much.
Liu Xian Yun observed his reaction and smiled lightly, “This Mistress has been indiscreet.”
“It’s fine!” Ai Ou observed her polite response and the resistance in his heart reduced greatly, quickly changing the subject, “Are you three also heading to the Star Boundary?”
“Of course!” Liu Xian Yun nodded.
“Then why linger here? Did you become lost?”
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De did not know how to answer this question and could only turn to Yin Le Sheng.
Ai Ou then realized that this man, who made him feel quite uncomfortable, was this group’s leader. Turning his eyes back to Yin Le Sheng, Ai Ou was about to ask another question when suddenly Yin Le Sheng’s gaze fixed onto Yang Kai who had been blocked by the crowd all this time, a brilliant light flashing across his eyes.
While Ai Ou had been trying to communicate with the other party, Wu Dao, Chi Yue, and the others were also observing these three. Each of them was a figure who had lived thousands of years and dominated one side of the Star Field, reaching the pinnacle of strength and status.
What kind of character someone had and what their intentions were, they could often tell at a glance.
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De both gave off a fairly passive feel, but Yin Le Sheng made each of them uncomfortable. This could not be helped though as the malevolent aura coming from him was far too rich.
At this moment, seeing how interested he seemed to be in Yang Kai, how could they not understand that the situation was moving in a bad direction? Instantly, all of them stepped slightly to covering Yang Kai’s figure.
“Hahahaha!” Yin Le Sheng burst into laughter suddenly, “There’s actually more than one Star Master among you! The Heavens have truly blessed this King!”
In this Starlight Corridor, Star Masters appeared extremely different from others. Their status could be seen at a glance through how they absorbed the surrounding starlight wisps.
Before, Yin Le Sheng’s attention had been attracted by Ai Ou, so he hadn’t noticed Yang Kai’s existence, but it hadn’t taken long for him to discover Yang Kai hiding in the back, absorbing the starlight more than ten times faster than Ai Ou.
What made him even more excited was that one of his ‘prey’ was just a Second-Order Origin King.
How could he not be happy?
After waiting here for five years just to bring a gift to the Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect, the Heavens had delivered two big gifts to him.
Yin Le Sheng’s eyes filled with greed in an instant.
“Friend…” Ai Ou’s face went cold as he stood in front of everyone, staring at Yin Le Sheng intently.
“Friend?” Yin Le Sheng tilted his head and squinted towards Ai Ou, as if he didn’t put him in his eyes at all, walked towards the edge of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud step by step, and declared slowly, “Who is your friend?”
“What is Your Excellency’s meaning here?” Ai Ou’s expression turned gloomy. He couldn’t figure out why the attitude of this man, the apparent leader of this group, would be so different from his companions; after all, up until now, they had been chatting in a relatively pleasant manner.
“It’s nothing much!” Yin Le Sheng came to the edge of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud, looked forward with indifferent eyes, and declared lightly, “If you ants don’t want to die, lower your Knowledge Sea defences and allow this King to mark your Souls. Depending on whether this King is in a good mood, perhaps he will spare your lives!”
“What?”
“Ants?”
“Impudence!”
“You want to enslave me? Don’t make this old master laugh to death!”
Ai Ou and the others were immediately filled with outrage. Of the six, aside from Yang Kai, which one had not stood at the peak of the Star Field for centuries? Which one was not a master who held worlds in their hand?
They had always been the ones standing at the summit, looking down on the masses below? When had they ever been so despised?
None of them could even remember the last time they were referred to as ants.
What was even more unacceptable was that Yin Le Sheng actually commanded them to open their Knowledge Seas and allow him to mark their Souls!
If they really obeyed, they would become slaves to Yin Le Sheng for the rest of their lives, with him able to control whether they lived or died.
With someone stepping on their faces so presumptuously, even if Ai Ou and the others had the calmest of temperaments, they would become enraged.
Yang Kai’s expression also became gloomy as he knew that this encounter was no doubt a great misfortune. Although the other party was also just a Third-Order Origin King, daring to act so wantonly obviously meant he had something to back his arrogance up.
Yang Kai was not able to determine what gave this wicked looking man his confidence though, only by fighting would that become apparent.
“You’re angry?” Facing the rage of Ai Ou and the others, Yin Le Sheng remained perfectly calm and said indifferently, “Ants aren’t qualified to be angry. Know that this King branding your Souls is your life’s honour, not a shame!”
“Honour my foot!” Chi Yue snapped, “If you think it’s such an honour, why not let this Queen mark your Soul instead!”
Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed coldly hearing this and took another step, his body finally appearing outside the Netherworld Darkness Shroud.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from his body and pressed down on everyone like a mountain.
The appearance of this aura was so abrupt that it caused everyone’s complexion to change drastically.
Yin Le Sheng raised his hand, pointed his finger towards Chi Yue, and condensed a light at its tip before softly calling out, “Netherworld Finger Spear!”
An attack formed from pure energy seemed to break through the barriers of space at that instant and arrive directly in front of Chi Yue.
Feeling the terrifying power behind this blow, Chi Yue’s pretty face changed drastically and she swiftly pressed her palms together to summon a massive silver spider phantom behind herself. This silver spider flashed its fangs and legs menacingly as the crescent-moon shaped mark on its forehead began exuding a faint fluorescence reminiscent of pure moonlight.
Heavenly Moon Demon Spider!
Chi Yue was also a descendant of the Ancient Divine Spirit Heavenly Moon Demon Spider and had its blood flowing through her veins. This was the reason she had so willingly accepted Shan Qing Luo as her adopted daughter and taken the utmost care of her.
Chi Yue was a Monster King level master, and with the blood of an Ancient Divine Spirit running through her, when she displayed this Secret Technique its might was naturally extraordinary.
The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider phantom opened its giant mouth and spat out a beam of pure white energy that rapidly transformed into a spider web, one that seemed extremely tough and durable, creating a shield in front of her.
“Oh? A descendant of an Ancient Divine Spirit?” Yin Le Sheng seemed surprised at the scene in front of him, but the look on his face was still as calm as ever, “Interesting, but if that’s all… you can just die!”
As soon as his voice fell, his finger spear touched the spider web.
With a puff, the seemingly sturdy spider web was instantly pierced through by the spear.
Seeing this scene, Chi Yue’s face turned pale as she realized just how massive the gap between her, and her opponent was. This attack was not something she could resist at all.
“Universe Inversion!” A whisper suddenly sounded as Wu Dao stretched out his hand towards the void and pulled out a long sword covered in cold light that began drawing in all the surrounding luminescence.
Wu Dao waved his long sword and slashed forward.
“Jie Jie Jie Jie… Sky Devouring Ten Thousand Souls!” Gui Zu smiled wickedly as he summoned out his Ten Thousand Soul Banner and transformed it into a black curtain that released an endless series of cries and howls. On this black curtain’s surface, one could vaguely see all sorts of distorted human faces, making it appear quite terrifying.
“Grand Sun Golden Disk!” Gu Cang Yun followed up.
“Tyrant Body Destructive Fist!” Ai Ou took action.
The five Third-Order Origin Kings all displayed their own Secret Techniques to block the finger spear Yin Le Sheng had just sent out.
*Hong long long…*
The world trembled as waves of energy crashed against the void.
Faced with this violent explosion, Ai Ou and the others were all forced back a few steps.
The finger spear was stopped, and everyone’s Secret Technique had disappeared.
However, all of their faces were extremely ugly!
They needed to all combine their strength just to block a casual blow from their enemy! If this man had used all his strength, just how terrifying would his power be?
They could hardly imagine.
All of them had never felt so powerless before. Facing any opponent in the same realm as them, they were confident they would not lose fighting spirit, and even if they were to die, they would surely drag down their enemy with them.
But when facing Yin Le Sheng, everyone felt that they were facing a high mountain that could not be crossed, one they could only look up at but could not see the peak of. Everything seemed shrouded in clouds and mist…
Ai Ou and the others were all world shocking figures, and all of their strengths were comparable to each other’s, but in front of Yin Le Sheng’s unfathomable power, the strength they had always been so proud of suddenly felt so trivial and insignificant.
After this exchange, none of them dared to move rashly and all of them wore extremely solemn expressions as they stared at Yin Le Sheng vigilantly, lest he make another move.
“Interesting!” Yin Le Sheng smiled indifferently, “But it is too early for you to contend with this King based on your current strength. This King warns you one last time, if you don’t want to die, lower your Knowledge Sea defences!”
“In your dreams!”
“We’d rather die!”
“Pfft, this King isn’t in the habit of being a slave!”
Although Ai Ou and others felt the situation was bad, they still responded firmly.
“Fine then, since you want to die, you can’t blame this King for being ruthless!” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed cold as his figure flashed and suddenly disappeared from where he stood. When he reappeared, he had already arrived in front of Gu Cang Yun.
Pushing his hand forward, his palm slammed towards Gu Cang Yun.
From this palm, a fierce rotational force emerged, causing even a master of Gu Cang Yun’s level to be unable to resist. Unable to control his body, Gu Cang Yun was only able to watch helplessly as this palm approached.
[This is the end!] Such a thought flashed across Gu Cang’s mind.
The next moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, one covered in a blinding five coloured glow.
“Union Master Gu, fall back!” Yang Kai’s voice rang in Gu Cang Yun’s ears and Gu Cang Yun was pleasantly surprised as at the same time the voice sounded, the strength which was holding him in place was suddenly relieved.
Not daring to hesitate, he desperately pushed his strength and quickly withdrew from where he stood.
Yang Kai quickly punched out, his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi enveloping his fists with the five different Sword Qis mutually supporting and enhancing one another.
*Hong…*
As his fist impacted Yin Le Sheng’s palm, a violent bang sounded. Yang Kai snorted as the five-coloured glow on his fist burst like a bubble and his whole body was sent flying back like a rag sack.
On the other hand, Yin Le Sheng’s body shook slightly, and he was forced back a few steps before he managed to stabilize himself.
This scene happened so suddenly that everyone was left stunned.
By the time everyone recovered, Yang Kai had been knocked far away, his life or death uncertain.
“Yang Kai!” The expressions of Ai Ou and Chi Yue changed drastically as they hurried over to check his condition.
Gu Cang Yun, Wu Dao, and Gui Zu, who had escaped from the death just now, all stood in front of Yin Le Sheng, watching him vigilantly lest he make another move.
“He…” Liu Xian Yun, who had been standing in the Netherworld Darkness Shroud, had her beautiful eyes shrink violently as she stared in shock towards the direction Yang Kai flew, her delicate face filled with disbelief as she muttered, “Did he actually blocked a blow from Senior Brother Yin?”
Not just that, this unknown young man had forced Yin Le Sheng to retreat a few steps!
Although his life or death was uncertain, it was already shocking enough that an Origin King Realm cultivator could achieve such a feat, much less a mere Second-Order Origin King!
Beside Liu Xian Yun, Feng De also had his jaw dropped as his heart pounded fiercely.
He knew firsthand how powerful Yin Le Sheng was at this moment. When Yin Le Sheng attacked him just now, he was unable to even summon the courage to resist and had lost control of whether he lived or died, but this young man from some unknown Star Field was actually able to do so, shocking Feng De greatly.
[He must be dead, right?] Feng De thought to himself. However, even if this young man had died, he could do so with pride; after all, he had faced Yin Le Sheng with only a Second-Order Origin King cultivation.
Before he could finish these thoughts though, a violent coughing sound rang out.
“He’s not dead?” Feng De exclaimed with a dumbfounded look on his face, his eyes bulging as he stared towards the spot where Yang Kai flew.
Liu Xian Yun also let out a cry of shock as she covered her mouth with her delicate hands.
On the other side, Yang Kai struggled to get up, waving his hands at Ai Ou and Chi Yue to indicate he was fine. His face, however, had gone pale and the vitality in his chest was roiling. Unable to hold back, Yang Kai coughed up a mouthful of Golden Blood spewed out.
“Fierce!” Yang Kai took a few deep breaths before straightening himself up and squinting towards Yin Le Sheng.
Yin Le Sheng had been standing in place with a strange expression on his face ever since he was forced back by Yang Kai. Instead of taking the opportunity to chase him down, he simply frowned, as if puzzling over something.
Hearing Yang Kai’s voice, Yin Le Sheng seemed to recover his senses and he glanced over faintly, “You’re also quite good. This King was mistaken, it turns out you’re the strongest among this group!”
“Haha!” Yang Kai smiled sharply and spat out the last bit of blood in his mouth before squinting at him and saying, “I wouldn’t dare make such a claim, I’ve just managed to transform a bit more of my Saint Qi than them. Isn’t that the case for you as well? I’m afraid the power in your body has been completely converted, no?”
Yin Le Sheng narrowed his eyes and said, “Boy, your vision is quite sharp!”
Yang Kai grinned, “If that weren’t the case, how could a Third-Order Origin King possibly face off against five others in the same realm? It’s not that they aren’t strong enough, it’s that they haven’t had enough time here yet.”
Hearing what Yang Kai said, Ai Ou and others suddenly understood.
Prior to this, they had already experienced the benefits to their strength the transformation of their Saint Qi brought, but because their time was too short here, the gap between them was not too obvious.
Before they could adapt to this new power in their bodies, however, they were suddenly met with Yin Le Sheng, causing Ai Ou and the others to doubt their own strength for a moment.
After Yang Kai enlightened them, they realized that the reason for the scene before them was not because they were weak, but because Yin Le Sheng had an advantage they did not.
If the Saint Qi in his body had been completely transformed, how could they possibly stand up against him despite their cultivation realms being the same?
This was like two cultivators with the same amount of power facing one another, but one had an ordinary wooden sword while the other had a legendary weapon. Naturally, the latter occupied the absolute advantage.
“I’m curious, how long have you been here?” Yang Kai took this chance to make some inquiries.
“Not too long, only five years!” Although Yin Le Sheng saw what Yang Kai was trying to do, he did not bother concealing anything.
“Five years… It seems that Your Excellency is also a Star Master,” Yang Kai said thoughtfully.
“You’re really quite sharp!” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes lit up as he looked at Yang Kai appreciatively, “This King has a soft spot for talents. Surrender to this King and this King will give you endless benefits and even allow your friends to live!”
Yang Kai laughed, “If I submit to you, you will give me whatever benefits I want?”
Yin Le Sheng lifted his chin and declared arrogantly, “As long as this King is able to afford it.”
“Then I want your life!” Yang Kai smiled grimly.
Yin Le Sheng shook his head slowly, “Then you die here! Although you are quite smart, it seems you don’t even know what this new power is called, so how can you contend with this King? In addition, let me tell you one more piece of news; just now, this King only used thirty percent of his strength!”
As soon as this remark came out, everyone’s face changed drastically.
Only thirty percent of his strength was already enough to render them helpless. If he went all out…
“Hahahaha, this look of despair before death, this is what this King likes best!” Yin Le Sheng laughed as he stepped forward and suddenly arrived in front of Gu Cang Yun and Wu Dao.
“Netherworld Seven Hells Flower!” As he shouted, he formed a seal with his hands and pure Source Qi burst from his body. Pushing both his palms forward, a strange and enchanting looking flower suddenly appeared before him and shot towards Gu Cang Yun and Wu Dao.
“Setting Rivers and Mountains!” Wu Dao’s complexion darkened drastically as he gathered all the surrounding light onto his sword and poured every last ounce of his lifetime of strength into its body as he slashed forward.
“Heavenly Sword Illuminates the Universe!” Gu Cang Yun’s whole body also illuminated with crimson light as he hastily bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of his Blood Essence onto his sword as he stabbed it forward.
The two of them acted jointly to block Yin Le Sheng’s terrifying blow.
“In front of this King, all of you are ants. What qualifications do you have to resist?” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed coldly as he pointed a finger at both of them.
With two soft pops, Wu Dao and Gu Cang Yun’s protective Saint Qi was instantly pierced through, causing blood to splash from their chests as they screamed and flew backwards.
Yin Le Sheng simply waved his hand at them, like he was sweeping away flies, causing a burst of power to swat at the injured pair and break several of their bones.
“Kill them!” Yin Le Sheng shouted coldly as he continued to forward without stopping.
After hearing his order, Feng De and Liu Xian Yun, who had been hiding in the Netherworld Darkness Shroud, could only walk out.
Feng De rushed directly towards Gu Cang Yun with a brutal look, seemingly wanting to kill him immediately.
He did not dare to violate Yin Le Sheng’s orders.
Liu Xian Yun on the other hand flew towards Wu Dao as she called out softly, “Pardon my offence!”
While speaking, her jade palm shot towards Wu Dao, and although this move appeared quite ruthless, there was no murderous intent behind it.
If not for her having no other choice, she did not want to kill innocent people; after all, she had a very good reputation back in the Grand Desolation Star Field. Unfortunately, people under the eaves had to bow their heads.
A hazy darkness suddenly appeared, wrapping around the injured Wu Dao and Gu Cang Yun, before flashing off into the distance. When the black haze disappeared, Gui Zu’s figure appeared, his black Qi flickering light a wicked flame.
“You two okay?” Gui Zu asked in a low voice.
“We’ll live!” Wu Dao responded.
“This will be troublesome!” Gui Zu said dejectedly, “From what that guy said, it seems they’ve been here for five years! That is to say, they’ve had five years to transform the power in their bodies. Clearly, they’re much stronger than us.”
“So what? Even if we die here, we cannot make them feel any better,” Gu Cang Yun showed a fierce look as he stared at Feng De and Liu Xian Yun approaching them.
On the other side, Yang Kai took a few breaths as he witnessed the crisis that had befallen Gui Zu and the others before whispering, “Seniors, leave this place to me and go assist them!”
Ai Ou and Chi Yue were shocked when they heard these words and both shook their heads without thinking.
They could also see that the strength of Yin Le Sheng was far above everyone else here, and that Yang Kai was not his opponent at all. Allowing Yang Kai to fight him alone would be like allowing him to die, how could they possibly allow that to happen?
“We’ll fight with you,” Ai Ou quickly said.
“En, with the strength of the three of us, we may have a chance to beat him!” Chi Yue nodded.
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “You’re underestimating the severity of the situation. This new strength… it’s too great. If I cannot match him on my own, it will be useless even if we all go together; however, if the two of you help Gui Zu and the others, you may be able to open up a path to escape.”
“And what about you?” Ai Ou asked solemnly.
“I’ll find a way to leave on my own. Don’t forget, escaping is my speciality,” Yang Kai smiled confidently as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Hearing what he said, Ai Ou and Chi Yue exchanged a glance before nodding, Ai Ou quickly saying, “Boy, don’t die.”
“Be careful!” Chi Yue also exhorted, only then turning around with Ai Ou and joining together with Gui Zu’s group.
Yin Le Sheng watched all this happen without even trying to intervene. It seemed like even if all five of the others joined together, it made no difference to him. Feng De and Liu Xian Yun would be enough to take them down.
“You want to fight me alone? Kid, aren’t you being a bit too arrogant?” Yin Le Sheng looked at Yang Kai for a while with a mocking grin.
Yang Kai chuckled and said lightly, “As the saying goes, enmity should be solved rather than settled. Everyone is aiming for the Star Boundary, so there is no need for us to kill each other here, right? Besides, we have neither grievances nor grudges, we didn’t even know each other until today. Why must Your Excellency insist on acting so?”
“What’s wrong, scared?” Yin Le Sheng looked at Yang Kai sarcastically.
Yang Kai laughed and said nothing.
“Actually, I don’t mind explaining to you!” Yin Le Sheng suddenly said, “This King wants to strip the Star Source strength from your body and take it as a gift for Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect, so whether you live or die does not matter to me. If you are scared, surrender to this King and I can spare your life!”
“Strip my Star Source?” Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly, “So that’s what you’re after.”
“Indeed, this King waited five fruitless years in this place, but just as I was about to leave, you appeared. It seems your luck is quite bad.”
Yang Kai laughed, “Truly so, but… your luck doesn’t seem to be very good either.”
“You still refuse to surrender?” Yin Le Sheng’s face went cold.
“I haven’t been beaten yet, so how can I just give up?” Yang Kai grinned before his figure flickered and he suddenly disappeared, the next moment appearing in front of Yin Le Sheng as he stretched out his hand towards him and shouted, “Secret Technique, Exile!”
From his hand, a pitch-black whirlpool suddenly appeared and began rapidly expanding towards Ye Le Sheng like a great beast’s maw.
If negotiating was useless, Yang Kai decided to seize the initiative and attack first.
“This is…” Yin Le Sheng narrowed his eyes as he sensed the strange power contained in this black vortex, his expression becoming solemn for the first time as he too stretched out his hand. A mighty power burst out from his figure as he shouted lowly, “Shatter!”
*Hong long…*
Yang Kai’s Secret Technique was instantly broken, and his body was forced backwards, but he didn’t slow his assault as he waved his hands rapidly and shouted, “Secret Technique, Moon Blade!”
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A barrage of pitch-black, crescent-shaped blades shot towards Yin Le Sheng rapidly.
“It’s really a Space Force Secret Technique!” Yin Le Sheng’s complexion was shaken as he stared at the scene before him in shock.
When Yang Kai performed his Exile Secret Technique just now, Yin Le Sheng had already guessed this, but he could not be certain. Now seeing the rich Space Force fluctuations contained in the countless Moon Blades flying towards him, he immediately confirmed that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space.
And incredibly proficient at that!
Being able to manipulate Space Force to this extent showed that this boy before him had a profound comprehension of the Dao of Space, at least on a Grandmaster level.
Clear jealousy flashed across Yin Le Sheng’s eyes, but this could not be helped. The Dao of Space was extremely esoteric and incredibly difficult to learn, much less master, but throughout the ages, those who had succeeded had always become legendary figures!
Yin Le Sheng was the overlord of Grand Desolation Star Field and had reigned supreme for countless years. After breaking through to the Third-Order Origin King, he had spent some time trying to comprehend this mysterious power.
However, he had failed to even begin cultivating it and was forced to reluctantly give up.
Now, he saw such a magnificent display of Space Force from a mere Second-Order Origin King.
This both shocked and angered him.
Why was this power beyond his grasp, but this boy was able to use it so freely? Did that mean he was inferior to this kid?
As this thought flashed across his mind, Yin Le Sheng’s eyes suddenly turned red and a cold murderous intent filled his whole body.
“So what if you can manipulate Space Force? In the face of absolute strength, you must still kneel and prostrate yourself at the feet of this King!” Yin Le Sheng roared wildly as he stretched out his hand and the Netherworld Darkness Shroud far behind him transformed into a stream of black light and flew over, rapidly enveloping him.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
The countless Moon Blades struck the Netherworld Darkness Shroud but could not break it; all of them disappearing after only making some faint ripples on its surface.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed slightly as he instantly realized that the other party’s defensive artifact was of an extremely high grade. Otherwise, it would never have been able to withstand his Moon Blades so easily.
Yin Le Sheng looked down at where the Moon Blades had struck and snickered sarcastically, “This King’s Netherworld Darkness Shroud is a Dao Source Grade artifact passed down from the Star Boundary. With your paltry means, even if this King were to simply stand here and let you attack, you would never be able to break it!”
Saying so, he flew forward, right through Yang Kai’s storm of Moon Blades, and punched out.
Yang Kai’s face sank and he tried to use his Space Force to flicker away, but he realized something was wrong in the next instant.
The surrounding space was incredibly viscous, and his instant movement technique which had always allowed him complete mobility in the past now seemed greatly hindered.
Yin Le Sheng saw this and grinned, “This is not the Star Field anymore, this is the Starlight Corridor, the intersection between all Star Fields and the Star Boundary. The World Principles here are hundreds of times stronger than in your Star Field, so all your Space Force Techniques will be greatly restricted.”
As his words fell, his fist had already arrived in front of Yang Kai’s chest.
Even before this punch landed, the mere pressure from it caused Yang Kai’s bones to creak and his skin to crack. It was conceivable that if this fist hit, even if Yang Kai did not die, he would be seriously injured.
At that last moment, Yang Kai roared, “Dragon Transformation!”
A shocking dragon roar sounded, shaking the world itself.
Yin Le Sheng froze for a moment as he felt the ancient and desolate aura suddenly surging out of Yang Kai’s body, even trembling slightly from its majesty.
Dragon scales condensed from Saint Qi rapidly covered Yang Kai’s right arm and transformed it into the shape of a dragon’s claw.
At the same time, on his chest, a unique, palm-size dragon scale emerged.
This was naturally a True Dragon Scale, a True Dragon Relic.
This dragon scale was something Yang Kai obtained from Purple Star’s Vault and had been refined into his body. Coupled with the Golden Divine Dragon Source he possessed; Yang Kai was able to exert a small fraction of the True Dragon’s Divine Ability contained within this scale.
*Hong…*
Yin Le Sheng’s fist impacted Yang Kai’s chest in the next instant, but the scene of Yang Kai bursting into a blood fog failed to appear. Instead, Yin Le Sheng only felt his fist go slightly numb.
Yin Le Sheng involuntarily retreated a few steps, and when he raised his fist and took a look, he was completely stunned.
He found that his fist was bleeding! On the other hand, Yang Kai, although greatly shaken, had not suffered any significant damage.
Yin Le Sheng cast his gaze to the dragon scale on Yang Kai’s chest and his eyes flickered for a moment before a greedy light burst from them, “An actual Dragon Scale? How did you refine it into your body?”
At this moment, he seemed to have discovered an astonishing treasure, and his expression became frenzied.
This was not a surprise as a genuine Dragon Scale, in terms of value, was far above his Netherworld Darkness Shroud.
If he could obtain this dragon scale, how could his future achievements possibly be ordinary?
“What qualifications do you have to possess such a treasure?” Yin Le Sheng roared as he madly attacked Yang Kai, “Hand it over to this King!”
“If you have the ability, try to take it yourself!” Yang Kai also became somewhat feral. Since he stepped onto the path of cultivation, although he had encountered countless powerful enemies, he was always able to turn every dire situation into a good fortune. Unfortunately, he had encountered a very tricky opponent this time.
The heart of the Martial Dao lay in perseverance, courage, and unbroken resolve.
Facing a powerful enemy like Yin Le Sheng had stimulated Yang Kai’s fighting spirit.
Greeting his enemy without fear, he began a desperate battle.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Two fists struck one another. Yang Kai had displayed his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique and his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, raising his strength to an unprecedented level, but even so, he was not Yin Le Sheng’s opponent.
The power surging out of Yin Le Sheng’s body was almost overwhelming.
The halo of Yang Kai’s Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art constantly shattered, reformed, and shattered again under Yin Le Sheng’s assault.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai became bloodied, and if not for the True Dragon Scale which was protecting his vitals, Yang Kai estimated that he might have already lost the ability to fight back.
On the other hand, the Netherworld Darkness Shroud around Yin Le Sheng remained completely unscathed, resisting all of Yang Kai attacks with ease.
“Boy, accept your fate, you’re not my opponent!” Yin Le Sheng laughed wildly as he continued to attack Yang Kai.
“Come out!” Yang Kai suddenly roared.
In the next moment, Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao and Firebird Liu Yan appeared.
Seemingly sensing the urgency in Yang Kai’s summon, as soon as Xiao Xiao appeared, he immediately assumed his stone giant form and donned his lava armour before slamming the Heaven Shaking Pillar down at Yin Le Sheng.
Liu Yan also transformed into her Firebird form and spat out a violent blast of fire and thunder.
Yin Le Sheng’s eyes only narrowed slightly as, although he was astonished at the two helpers Yang Kai suddenly summoned, he did not put Xiao Xiao or Liu Yan’s attacks in his eyes and only focused on butchering Yang Kai.
*Hong…*
When the Heaven Shaking Pillar hit Yin Le Sheng and he felt the violent force behind it though, Yin Le Sheng realized he had greatly underestimated the power of this stone giant. Even with the Netherworld Darkness Shroud protecting him, he was still almost sent flying as the black light halo around him flickered wildly.
“What the hell is that?” Yin Le Sheng looked at Xiao Xiao with flickering eyes, astonished.
Even with his experience and vision, he could not tell whether Xiao Xiao was a living creature or some kind of puppet.
The Stone Puppet Race was simply too rare. If Yang Kai had not had Yang Yan to explain things to him, he likely would not know about Xiao Xiao’s background or origins either, so although Yin Le Sheng had traversed the Grand Desolation Star Field for many years, with the world being as wide as it was, it was only natural there were things he did not know about.
Stone Puppets were one of them!
Transformed into a stone giant, Xiao Xiao had astonishing strength. Wielding the Heaven Shaking Pillar, which weighed millions of tons, he was able to even shatter space.
Having succeeded once, Xiao Xiao did not pause, raising the Heaven Shaking Pillar and smashing it down again.
“Bind!” Yin Le Sheng shouted in a low voice as he pushed his Domain vigorously, wanting to shackle Xiao Xiao and impede his actions.
But his plan failed as Xiao Xiao seemed completely unaffected by his Domain. On the contrary, a strange and inexplicable force pulsed from Xiao Xiao’s body which threw Yin Le Sheng’s Domain into chaos.
“Is this… Principle Strength?” Yin Le Sheng’s face changed wildly as he felt the magical power emanating from Xiao Xiao’s body, a look of pure shock covering his face.
Principle Strength was something that only those as the Dao Source Realm should be able to use. It was vastly superior to Domain and even Yin Le Sheng was unable to grasp it, yet this strange puppet-like creature was able to.
This surprised him greatly.
“Did you also swallow a Source?” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes were sharp, and he swiftly guessed how Xiao Xiao could master Principle Strength, roaring madly, “So what if it is Principle Strength? Do you want to use this broken power to act presumptuously in front of this King? Impudence!”
While roaring, he suddenly formed a seal with his hands and a vigorous power began to condense around his body. In the next instant, he shouted lowly, “Netherworld Bone Spear!”
A giant spear fashioned from jade white bone suddenly appeared in front of him, appearing flawless but exuding a haunting;y eerie power. Trembling slightly for but a moment, it then flickered and disappeared.
The next moment, the bone spear appeared in front of Xiao Xiao.
*Hong…*
The bone spear struck Xiao Xiao’s chest and exploded, causing Xiao Xiao to roar fiercely as he was sent flying by the massive impact force. Rock splashed out from Xiao Xiao’s body as he seemed to suffer great damage before disappearing somewhere into the distance.
*Li…*
Liu Yan’s cry sounded as she released countless thunder-fire balls like a rain of arrows to blanket the place where Yin Le Sheng stood.
“Some kind of mutated Thunder-Fire, it seems that you’ve also refined a lot of exotic flames!” Yin Le Sheng glanced at Liu Yan and grinned wickedly, “Good, this King happens to be missing a good Artifact Spirit. You’ll do nicely!”
At a glance, he saw that Liu Yan’s was an Artifact Spirit that had obtained sentience, illustrating just how sharp his vision and insight were.
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards Liu Yan.
Up in the air, a huge palm print which seemed to cover the sky suddenly appeared and instantly moved to suppress Liu Yan like a giant falling mountain.
Liu Yan was shocked and rapidly flapped her wings, soaring away from the spot she was hovering at.
However, the giant palm print seemed to have a life of its own and chased after her like a shadow. No matter where Liu Yan ran, she could not escape this palm print and soon was caught by it.
The palm print transformed into a cage and imprisoned Liu Yan the moment it hit. Liu Yan cried out fiercely as she spat out thunder and flame, trying to burn down this cage, but with just a glance, it was obvious it would take her some time to free herself.
At that moment, Yang Kai appeared like a ghost in front of Yin Le Sheng. If it weren’t for the Netherworld Darkness Shroud, it was likely Yang Kai would have stuck right to him.
Yang Kai’s expression was filled with ferocity as his right arm, in its Dragon Claw state, tightly gripped the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword and slammed it towards Yin Le Sheng with all his strength.
“Ant, you dare pester me so!” Yin Le Sheng roared, causing the thick malevolent aura around him to shrink and condense into a giant phantom head above his head which opened its mouth wide and screamed towards Yang Kai.
An invisible force shot forth and, like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, destroyed Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea defences, shaking his Soul and causing him to become somewhat disoriented.
[Such a strong Divine Sense attack?]
Yang Kai’s heart sank, knowing that if he did not go all out this time, he would be doomed.
Although this Yin Le Sheng was not the most powerful enemy he had ever encountered, Yang Kai knew he was definitely not his opponent. The Wu Sheng Feng Yang Kai had encountered before was definitely much stronger than Yin Le Sheng, but at the time Yang Yan was there to help him, and Wu Sheng Feng was absolutely not a match for her.
Now though, Yang Kai could only depend on himself.
Resisting the discomfort in his mind, Yang Kai poured all his strength into the Dragon Bone Sword and slashed at the Netherworld Darkness Shroud.
With a bang, Yang Kai was sent flying, bleeding profusely as he tumbled through the air, his appearance extremely miserable.
“You still want to resist?” Yin Le Sheng looked at Yang Kai coldly, a smug expression on his face, as if victory was already in his grip. After he landed, he said in a leisurely manner, “Your ability and aptitude in your Star Field is no doubt top-notch, even this King admits he was inferior when he was in your realm, but… you have appeared in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is your fate, obediently accept it, Boy!”
Yang Kai braced himself and struggled to his feet, raising his head to glance over at the other battlefield, his expression cold and severe.
Over there, Gui Zu and the others were still fighting together, but it was clear they were not the opponents of Feng De and Liu Xian Yun.
Their cultivations were all technically the same, but the gap in their inner strength was obvious. The three masters from the Grand Desolation Star Field who had spent five years in this Starlight Corridor had clearly transformed a good portion of their Saint Qi into this new power.
What about them?
Yang Kai and his group had only been here for a month.
How could they compare to these three?
As such, it did not take long for Gui Zu and the others to fall into a disadvantage. Gui Zu was in a particularly bad state, his black Qi almost completely scattered, revealing a bloodied body. Ai Ou was also bleeding from a deep gash on his chest, obviously having suffered a severe injury. The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider manifestation floating behind Chi Yue had become bleak while Wu Dao’s face was pale and Gu Cang Yun was coughing up blood.
They had almost reached a dead end!
The bald man was absolutely ruthless in his approach, but the woman seemed to have some reservation in her actions.
Even so, Gui Zu and the others would not last much longer.
As for his two big helpers, Xiao Xiao had been sent flying, his condition unknown, while Liu Yan was imprisoned in a cage that she was struggling desperately to escape. While there did not seem to be any worry about her life at the moment, once Yang Kai was defeated, Liu Yan would likely have her will erased and be grafted into some artifact by Yin Le Sheng, becoming his Artifact Spirit.
The six of them had all departed in high spirits, with infinite yearning for the Star Boundary in their hearts, but who could have anticipated that what was waiting for them was such a scene?
Yang Kai felt great sorrow in his heart.
“Give up! You and that other one have Star Sources, so this King can’t kill you now, but the others…” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed a cold light. He had suffered a small loss at Xiao Xiao’s hand, causing his appearance to become a bit dishevelled, but aside from that, he was basically unharmed.
“Feng De, leave the one with the Star Source, kill the others!” Yin Le Sheng suddenly ordered.
“Yes!” Feng De shouted before grinning and pushing his strength even more violently, as if he was trying to vent the humiliation he had suffered at Yin Le Sheng’s hand before on Gui Zu and the others a hundred times over.
Suddenly, the situation of Gui Zu and the others became more and more worrying.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before he gazed towards Yin Le Sheng and said, “You want my Star Source? I can give it to you!”
“Oh? Finally willing to submit?” A sarcastic smile appeared on the corner of Yin Le Sheng’s mouth.
“But you’ll have to take this first!” Yang Kai’s face suddenly became fierce as he stretched out his hand, a small bead glowing a faint purple hue tightly gripped in his palm. This bead was about the size of a pigeon egg and looked quite attractive as faint lighting arcs flickered across its surface.
“That’s…” Yin Le Sheng furrowed his brows as a sense of unease suddenly washed over him, like this seemingly unremarkable bead could bring him great danger.
Before he could identify just what kind or grade of artifact this bead was, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from it, one that seemed capable of extinguishing all creation, one that was tinged with the aura of death…
Yin Le Sheng’s expression finally changed as he exclaimed in shock, “You actually have a Dao Source Grade artifact?”
He mistakenly regarded the Annihilation Thunder Bead as an artifact at the Dao Source Grade.
Yang Kai grinned and said, “What’s wrong, scared?”
Yin Le Sheng’s expression flickered fiercely before he quickly regained his calm and said lightly, “So what if you have a Dao Source Grade artifact? You can boast after breaking this King’s defence!”
As he spoke, he rushed straight towards Yang Kai.
Although he did not believe that the bead in Yang Kai’s hand could break through the defense of his Netherworld Darkness Shroud, it didn’t hurt to act cautiously, so he did not plan to give Yang Kai a chance to use it.
Yang Kai simply stood in place, unmoving, allowing Yin Le Sheng to rush towards him while he poured all his strength into the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
As Yang Kai’s strength flooded into the Thunder Bead, a single lighting arc condensed.
*Xiu…*
With a faint puff, a small purple bolt of lightning shot out from the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
This purple bolt flashed forward leisurely, looking completely harmless.
But this tiny, inconspicuous purple lightning arc directly penetrated the Netherworld Darkness Shroud around Yin Le Sheng’s body which had resisted all of Yang Kai’s and Xiao Xiao’s attacks to this point. Before this lightning bolt, the black halo which seemed impenetrable was actually as fragile as paper.
Yin Le Sheng suddenly froze on the spot, as if he had been subjected to some kind of profound binding technique, his eyes trembling violently as he glanced down in disbelief.
The next instant, he witnessed something terrifying. His Netherworld Darkness Shroud unexpectedly had a tiny hole in it!
*Kacha…*
A loud crack soon followed, together with some chaotic energy fluctuation and the sound of something crumbling.
The Netherworld Darkness Shroud’s protective halo directly shattered!
The Dao Source Grade artifact had directly returned to its original appearance and was now barely emitting any glow, apparently having completely lost almost all of its spirituality.
“An Emperor Artifact?” Yin Le Sheng paled in horror as his eyes shot towards the Annihilation Thunder Bead in Yang Kai’s hand.
It was not until this moment that he realized how greatly he had underestimated Yang Kai’s depths. The bead in his hand was no mere Dao Source Grade artifact, but a genuine Emperor Artifact!
Only an Emperor Artifact could possess such terrifying destructive power. The spirituality of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud had been all but destroyed in a single blow, and no Dao Source Grade artifact could achieve such a feat.
Just who was this little brat? Not only did he have a True Dragon Scale refined into his body, he even possessed an Emperor Artifact. Didn’t they say that their Star Field had been closed off for over ten thousand years? Why did it have such an astonishing heritage then?
At that moment, Yin Le Sheng’s eyes shook violently.
*Pu…*
He could help coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Checking again, he realized that the Emperor Artifact had not only destroyed his Netherworld Darkness Shroud but also caused massive damage to his body. Pure destructive energy was now wreaking havoc in his physique and meridians, and no matter how he tried, he was unable to suppress it.
Yin Le Sheng immediately felt both frightened and lucky.
Fortunately, Yang Kai’s strength was too low to display the full power of this Emperor Artifact, otherwise, even if he was a Dao Source Realm master, he would have been vaporized.
This Emperor Artifact… he needed to seize it. If the value of the dragon scale was above that of his Netherworld Darkness Shroud’s, then the value of this Emperor Artifact was above that of the dragon scale. Even in the Star Boundary, an Emperor Artifact was a rare and precious treasure!
Yin Le Sheng lifted his hand and madly struck his own body as he crazily pushed his strength, forcefully suppressing his wounds while at the same time he stuffed a number of Spirit Pills into his mouth like beans and crushed them.
Lifting his feet with great difficulty, he dragged his severely wounded body towards Yang Kai!
But at that moment, a cry filled with fear rang out from Liu Xian Yun, “Senior Brother Yin!”
Yin Le Sheng was startled and quickly turned his head only to see a shocking scene.
A massive tear had appeared in the Starlight Corridor, like the passageway itself had broken apart, a black chaotic nothingness rapidly sucking in the surrounding starlight wisps.
*Kacha…*
Countless more cracks soon speared from this gash in the Starlight Corridor.
At this moment, the entire Starlight Corridor seemed akin to a broken mirror, crisscrossing cracks spreading out at an alarming rate.
“Damn it!” Yin Le Sheng’s face turned pale as he realized that the blow from the Emperor Artifact just now had shaken the stability of the Starlight Corridor and that this place was on the verge of collapsing.
“Hateful!” Yin Le Sheng roared. This was a result he had never anticipated. He thought that after waiting here for five years, converting all his Saint Qi into Source Qi; supplemented with his Netherworld Darkness Shroud’s defensive ability, he could kill anyone who came through here with ease!
How could he have known a variable like Yang Kai would appear?
The Starlight Corridor was the bridge that allowed cultivators from the various Star Fields to travel to the Star Boundary, so generally speaking, the cultivators that entered this place were Origin Kings. No matter how an Origin King tossed about here, it should be impossible for them to affect the stability of the Starlight Corridor.
But Yang Kai using an Emperor Artifact was a completely different story. The Annihilation Thunder Bead contained the strength of a real Emperor, so how could the Starlight Corridor withstand it?
That’s why such a situation had occurred.
“Senior Brother Yin, what’s happening here?” Feng De had also gone pale as he felt the Starlight Corridor begin to collapse around him, becoming as anxious as a headless fly, no longer even bothering about Gui Zu and the others he was just trying to kill.
“This place is about to collapse,” Yin Le Sheng said hurriedly before turning his head to stare at Yang Kai fiercely, “Since we can’t catch them alive, they have to die, all of them!”
His last words were clearly orders to Feng De and Liu Xian Yun.
Yang Kai’s expression changed when he heard this and he shouted sharply, “Don’t even think about it!”
Saying so, disregarding all the injuries he had suffered, he exploded several drops of Golden Blood in his body to replace the Qi consumed by the Annihilation Thunder Bead and began pushing a rich Space Force from his body.
As if he had gone mad, Yang Kai, began attacking the surrounding space.
Waves of Space Force spreading around like ripples, further destabilizing the already crumbling Starlight Corridor and causing it to crumble even faster.
A series of massive Void Cracks began to appear, like fierce beasts trying to swallow everything around them.
Yin Le Sheng realized what Yang Kai’s intentions were and madly charged towards him.
Yang Kai did not even bother with him though and instead focused entirely on manipulating his Space Force to further collapse the Starlight Corridor power.
*Hualala…*
As if a mirror had broken, the entire Starlight Corridor instantly shattered as countless Void Cracks took shape.
“Yang Kai!” Ai Ou suddenly yelled. The place where he and everyone else was standing was swiftly swallowed up by a Void Crack as soon as his voice fell though, causing them to disappear into the chaotic nothingness.
Yang Kai resisted the many discomforts in his body as he shot his Divine Sense into the Void Crack to guide Ai Ou and the others forward.
A soft cry rang out next as Liu Xian Yun was also swallowed by a different Void Crack, her figure disappearing just before Feng De also vanished.
*Li…*
Liu Yan escaped from the cage she had been trapped inside at that moment and frantically flapped her wings, trying to fly towards Yang Kai, but an ocean of Void Cracks was between them.
Liu Yan’s eyes filled with anxiety as she was unable to rush to Yang Kai’s side no matter how she tried. Three breaths later, she too was swallowed by a Void Crack.
Xiao Xiao had long been missing, so at this moment, only Yang Kai and Yin Le Sheng remained inside what was left of the Starlight Corridor.
Yin Le Sheng had a ferocious expression on his face as he stretched out his hand towards Yang Kai and condensed a massive bone spear.
Yang Kai turned to him at that moment and smiled coldly, “I’ll remember you! Today’s enmity, I swear to repay a hundred times over!”
As soon as these words fell, he took the initiative to leap into the Void Crack behind him, causing Yin Le Sheng’s bone spear to hit nothing.
“Damn it, damn it!” Yin Le Sheng roared furiously as he saw more and more Void Cracks form around him, the surrounding space becoming more and more unstable. Left with no other choice, he could only grit his teeth and actively jump into the crack closest to him, disappearing in the next instant.
After everyone left, the Starlight Corridor suddenly burst apart as the various Void Cracks all swirled around like sharp blades. It was conceivable that if there were any living creatures left here, they would have been shredded apart.
This scene lasted for half an hour before it was slowly restored to its original form under the guidance of the World Principles here.
…..
Upon an unknown mountain range, Yang Kai lay on his back, motionless, looking up at the gorgeous starry sky.
Currently, Yang Kai seemed as tranquil as an ancient well, without any sadness or joy apparent on his face, only indifference.
The battle with Yin Le Sheng and his group just now had made Yang Kai instantly aware of his shortcomings. His group, comprised of six peak level masters from their Star Field, were toyed with by Yin Le Sheng alone and almost wiped out without even the ability to resist. If it were not for the Annihilation Thunder Bead’s saving blow, it was likely all six of them would now be dead or enslaved.
Yin Le Sheng was also from a different Star Field called the Grand Desolation Star Field and had yet to even step into the Star Boundary, but he already had such terrifying strength, so what about the real cultivators from this place? Would they all show such astonishing power?
Yang Kai felt an incomparable yearning for such strength.
As for Gui Zu and the others, Yang Kai was not too worried about them; after all, the five of them were at least together. At the last moment, Yang Kai had used his Divine Sense to guide them together, so he was confident they would not be lost to the Void somewhere.
Liu Yan and Xiao Xiao were also separated from him during this battle.
Yang Kai was more worried about his two big helpers; after all, Liu Yan was a sentient Artifact Spirit, a treasure anyone would covet, while Xiao Xiao had a unique form and ability. If either of them were caught, they would likely become enslaved.
But worrying now was useless, as Yang Kai himself hadn’t even escaped danger yet.
Using the Annihilation Thunder Bead had completely emptied his energy, and at the last moment, he had also used his Space Force recklessly to hasten the collapse of the Starlight Corridor, completely overdrawing his strength.
Since arriving in this place, Yang Kai had not been able to move and could only silently breathe while inspecting his injuries and trying to restore his strength.
His injuries themselves, fortunately, did not seem too serious, thanks in large part to his dragon scale which had blocked the larger portion of Yin Le Sheng’s strength, what was a problem was his extreme overdraft.
[This is the Star Boundary, right?] Yang Kai wondered to himself.
As he lay there, looking up, everything he saw seemed so different from what he could see in the Star Field. In the sky, huge, beautiful nebulae of every shape and size stretched out before him.
Such a scene could not be witnessed anywhere in the Star Field. The night sky of the Star Field was only filled with gleaming stars.
As he stared up into the night sky, Yang Kai could perceive the direction his Star Field lay in. There seemed to be something that connected him closely to his Star Field, allowing him to perceive the location of his hometown no matter where he was.
He did not understand what this connection was though, causing him to frown.
After a long time, when his strength had been restored slightly, Yang Kai let out a sigh of relief before taking out all kinds of Spirit Pills from his Space Ring with difficulty and stuffing them into his mouth.
Immediately, he sent his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
He was faintly aware that the key to his connection with his hometown lay inside his Knowledge Sea.
Looking around, Yang Kai observed carefully.
When he looked up at the sky above his Knowledge Sea, he could not help his eyes from lighting up as he finally understood what was connecting him and his homeland.
The Star Chart!
It was actually this mysterious Star Chart he had always regarded as only being useful for finding his way!
At this moment, looking at the Star Chart again, Yang Kai suddenly found that its shape was exactly the same as one of the distant nebulae he had seen in the starry sky above.
Yang Kai could not help showing a thoughtful look.
If that was the case though, could one of the countless nebulae he had seen just now really be the Star Field he had come from? Was that why the shape of that particular nebula was exactly the same as the Star Chart in his Knowledge Sea.
Did that mean the other nebulas were also other Star Fields?
Thinking so, Yang Kai could not help feeling shocked. According to his observations just now, there were almost too many nebulas to count, and if each of them represented a unique Star Field, then this world which was able to see them all was simply too astonishing in size.
The scale and scope of this world were probably so grand that even an Emperor would not be able to see its complete form.
Wu Sheng Feng was extremely excited when he saw the Star Chart in his mind, causing Yang Kai to realize that this Star Chart seemed to involve some huge secret, but Yang Yan had not said much when he asked.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai guessed that this Star Chart probably had a lot to do with becoming a Star Field Guardian!
Yang Kai could not help but grin when he found out that the Star Chart in his Knowledge Sea somehow connected him with his home Star Field, even allowing him to perceive its location from so far away.
This way, no matter where he was, he would be able to feel the existence of his home so long as he looked up, as if he could see its familiar figure.
This made his heart feel full, so even at this moment, though he was alone, he did not feel isolated.
He did not know if he could still summon the strength of his home star in the Star Boundary.
As the Star Master of Shadowed Star, Yang Kai could summon the strength of Shadowed Star to assist him and increase his strength with a single thought in his native Star Field. Now that he had reached the Star Boundary, he didn’t know if he still had this convenience.
Considering all this, Yang Kai returned his consciousness to his body and stimulated the Star Source of Shadowed Star in his body.
At the same time, he closely stared at the sky up above where his native Star Field was located.
Suddenly, a little light flickered somewhere in that vast nebula and a faint bolt of starlight which seemed to cross over space in an instant shot towards him.
In the blink of an eye, this beam of starlight rushed into Yang Kai’s body.
[It is really possible?] Yang Kai was surprised.
He had only felt a slight whim and tried a small experiment, but Yang Kai had not expected that he could still summon the power of Shadowed Star in the Star Boundary.
However… perhaps because the distance was so great, even if he was able to summon this strength, it had a negligible effect. Once this weak beam of starlight entered him, Yang Kai’s strength essentially didn’t change.
Realizing this, Yang Kai quickly severed his connection with Shadowed Star.
At this moment, he was in an unfamiliar place, and if such an obvious phenomenon continued, it would likely draw unwanted attention.
Yang Kai was faintly regretting his recklessness.
Immediately afterwards, he closed his eyes and began to circulate his Secret Art to refine the medicinal efficacies in his body and replenish the strength he had lost.
The surrounding environment was extremely comfortable. The World Energy here was extremely rich, far more so than in any place in his Star Field. Moreover, the World Energy here seemed subtly different when compared to the Star Field. In this environment, Yang Kai estimated that it would only take a few days for him to restore himself to his peak.
As for what came next, Yang Kai did not have any firm plans, only thinking he needed to quickly search for Gui Zu and the others, especially Liu Yan and Xiao Xiao. Being separated from his two big helpers made Yang Kai feel somewhat anxious for their well-being.
Time passed by in this silent mountain range as there seemed to be no beasts nearby, only the light sound of the wind rustling the nearby leaves broke the stillness of the night.
Suddenly, Yang Kai opened his eyes and stared towards a certain spot in the sky coldly.
There, at some unknown point, a figure had appeared, floating quietly in the air. The moonlight gently fell upon this figure allowing Yang Kai to see her in all her beauty.
“It’s you!” The visitor also looked at Yang Kai with a surprised expression.
“Death!” Yang Kai suddenly shot up from the ground, using his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique instantly, transforming his arm into a golden dragon claw and with a ferocious dragon roar, he violently struck towards this newcomer.
“Wait, wait!” The woman called out in shock while she quickly moved to disperse Yang Kai’s attack, backing away quickly as she called out anxiously, “There’s been a misunderstanding between us!”
Yang Kai did not reply as he struck out with his dragon claw towards the woman’s chest, as if trying to gouge out her heart.
The woman saw this and knit her brow, “Stop this, in your current state, if you exert yourself like this, you’ll only further aggravate your wounds!”
“I don’t need your fake pity!” Yang Kai coldly snorted as he pushed his strength even harder. Space Force began pulsing from his body as it flickered about randomly, instantly breaking through the woman’s defences and allowing him to directly appear beside her.
The woman called out in shock as she swept her hand out and condensed a defensive light to resist Yang Kai’s blow while at the same time withdrawing once again, her beautiful eyes staring at Yang Kai incredulously as she called out, “Even in that state, you still have such power, you’re really not ordinary. No wonder you were able to survive Senior Brother Yin’s assault.”
Yang Kai frowned but did not continue to act.
He had not restored much of his strength yet and clearly couldn’t kill this woman in a short time, so he was at a slight loss about what to do now.
Seeing him calm down, the woman forced out a smile and said, “Can we talk now?”
“If you want to fart, just let it out!” Yang Kai snapped coldly without giving this woman any face.
The other party frowned hearing such crass language directed at her, but although she was a little annoyed, she knew that Yang Kai’s attitude was only natural after what had transpired so she simply said, “You haven’t healed your wounds yet, and I’m also quite afraid of the Emperor Artifact in your hands, so I think it’s best if we can end our hostilities here. As for what happened between us earlier… That was not my intention, I was simply forced to act.”
Yang Kai stared at her coldly for a moment before nodding, “Go on!”
This woman was none other than the female Third-Order Origin King cultivator who was together with Yin Le Sheng in the Starlight Corridor before. At that time, she had teamed up with the bald youth to attack Gui Zu and the others.
Yang Kai had a chance to observe that fight and had noticed at the time that she was different from the bald man in that she had no murderous intent, so after hearing what she said now, he at least somewhat believed her. If it were Yin Le Sheng or the bald man here, Yang Kai would not have bothered even listening to them.
If it were not for these three suddenly attacking them, how could he have been separated from Gui Zu and the others? How could Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan now be forced to wander the world alone?
Yang Kai carried a deep seething hatred towards these three.
“First, allow me to introduce myself. This Mistress is Liu Xian Yun, and like the Senior Brother Yin, I come from the Grand Desolation Star Field,” Liu Xian Yun lightly opened her delicate lips as she gazed towards Yang Kai elegantly.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly before simply spitting, “Yang Kai!”
“So it is Brother Yang!” Liu Xian Yun smiled, “About earlier, let me explain. Although Senior Brother Yin and I indeed come from Grand Desolation Star Field, we are not from the same Sect, nor are we companions. I was simply helpless to disobey him and was forced to act against your companions. For that, this Mistress apologizes.”
“If apologies were useful, why would we bother cultivating?” Yang Kai sneered.
“Think what you like,” Liu Xian Yun smiled flatly. She was also considered to be a peak level figure where she came from; her taking so much time to explain to Yang Kai was simply because she felt guilty about her actions. Yang Kai having resentment was something she could understand.
“Now that Senior Brother Yin is not there, this Mistress doesn’t need to give him any face or act against her conscience, so I think it would be best for us to exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk.”
“Not fighting is fine, as for anything else, I have no interest. I want to heal now and have no time to waste with you,” Yang Kai closed his eyes and said coldly.
Liu Xian Yun smiled and said, “Why must Brother Yang act so distant.”
“How should I act?”
Liu Xian Yun smiled, “Why don’t we cooperate? You and I are both from lower Star Fields, newcomers in this strange place, so working together will benefit both of us. What does Brother Yang think?”
Yang Kai didn’t answer right away as he seriously thought about it.
Liu Xian Yun saw this and quickly continued, “Since I want us to work together, this Mistress will speak frankly. Brother Yang, although you are only a Second-Order Origin King, your strength and ability are far above that of your realm. If it were any of your companions here instead, hehe… this Mistress would have no interest in cooperating with them.”
“Should I feel honoured then?” Yang Kai sneered.
“That’s not what I meant. This Mistress simply doesn’t want to wander the Star Boundary alone, the Star Boundary is much more dangerous than the Star Field after all…”
Hearing this, Yang Kai suddenly became interested, “You know something about the Star Boundary?”
“I don’t know much, but I believe it should be more than you,” Liu Xian Yun smiled slyly.
Yang Kai snorted, “You also know that our Star Field has been closed off for ten thousand years and naturally have very limited information.”
Saying so, he simply sat down cross-legged. Since he was sure that this Liu Xian Yun was not hostile to him, Yang Kai didn’t bother putting up his guard and instead focused on recovering his strength.
“If Brother Yang wants to know what this Mistress knows, I can tell you. Consider it a bit of sincerity from this Mistress,” Seeing Yang Kai relax, Liu Xian Yun realized he was at least willing to hear out her proposal, so she couldn’t help but smile.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Yang Kai said lightly, “How did you find this place?”
“Oh, I came out of the Void Crack nearby, and just saw a beam of starlight fall around here, so I thought some kind of treasure had appeared and came to take a look, but I found Brother Yang healing here instead,” Liu Xian Yun laughed lightly.
Yang Kai instantly looked a bit depressed, realizing that his actions earlier were a bit hair-brained. Fortunately, only Liu Xian Yun had been attracted, if it had been a powerful enemy the consequences would have been disastrous.
“We should find another place to talk then!” Yang Kai pondered for a moment before deciding it wasn’t safe to remain here any longer.
Liu Xian Yun nodded, “Agreed!”
Saying so, the pair flew up into the sky and rushed towards the depths of the mountain range.
Somewhere a few thousand kilometres away, inside a cave, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun sat facing each other across a dozen meter gap.
Yang Kai went straight to the point and asked, “I have a question I need to ask you.”
“Please feel free, Brother Yang,” Liu Xian Yun lifted her hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear charmingly.
“Why did you think of working with me? We were enemies just a moment ago,” Yang Kai looked directly into her eyes, as if trying to see into the depths of her heart.
Liu Xian Yun smiled lightly and replied, “Because I think Brother Yang is not a wicked person but rather trustworthy.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai sneered.
Liu Xian Yun said sternly, “This Mistress is not a naïve little girl. After living for so many years, I have gained some ability to see through people, and while I dare not say my judgement is always right, this Mistress can at least weigh things fairly. Brother Yang’s previous actions in the Starlight Corridor were all witnessed by this Mistress, so I believe you’re a man of heavy affection and righteousness, on top of being quite capable!”
“The latter being the main point,” Yang Kai spat disdainfully.
Liu Xian Yun nodded and said, “I won’t deny that, but if you weren’t a man of principles, this Mistress wouldn’t have taken the initiative to propose we cooperate.”
“Well, since you are an honest and upfront woman, it would only make me seem petty if I were to continue doubting you,” Yang Kai nodded. “You and I can cooperate, as I also want to know more about the Star Boundary, but you should remember well… If one day you dare to stab me in the back… heh heh heh!”
Yang Kai’s grin caused Liu Xian Yun’s tender to shiver inexplicably, and she quickly nodded with a straight face, “You may rest assured, this Mistress is not someone who engages in treachery.”
“That would be best!”
“So we have a deal?” Liu Xian Yun looked at Yang Kai with a smile.
Yang Kai nodded.
Inside the cave, while Yang Kai was healing his injuries, he asked Liu Xian Yun for information about the Star Boundary. She was also frank and explained things simply and straightforwardly without concealing anything, which greatly improved Yang Kai’s impression of her.
“So in summary, the realm above the Origin King Realm is the Dao Source Realm, and above the Dao Source Realm is the Emperor Realm?”
“Yes,” Liu Xian Yun nodded. “Only when a cultivator’s Shi reaches the grand accomplishment stage and touches upon Domain can they break through to the Origin King Realm, and only after fully comprehending Domain to the grand accomplishment stage and touching upon Principle Strength, otherwise called Law Strength, can they break through to the Dao Source Realm and manipulate such power.”
“Principle Strength!” Yang Kai showed a reverent expression.
Liu Xian Yun smiled slightly and said, “Brother Yang should not misunderstand. Even a Dao Source Realm master can only slightly utilize Principle Strength. I have heard that only upon reaching the Emperor Realm can one actually control Principles, allowing their thoughts to be made manifest and command the world with their intention alone!”
“I understand!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Of course, comprehending Principles is only the most basic requirement for breaking through to the Dao Source Realm. The other essential condition is that one needs to transform their Saint Qi into Source Qi!”
“Source Qi?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “Is that the name of this new power in our bodies?”
“Indeed, the stage above Saint Qi is Source Qi. Brother Yang must have felt that this new power is closely related to your own root, your source. Therefore, it is called Source Qi.”
“I did notice that.”
“In the Starlight Corridor, the biggest role of those starlight wisps is to help transform Saint Qi in an Origin King’s body into Source Qi, so the more starlight one can absorb there, the better,” Liu Xian Yun explained patiently.
“So after staying there for five years, were you able to completely transform your strength?” Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn.
Liu Xian Yun smiled bitterly and shook her head, “Brother Yang’s thoughts are too simple. Although we stayed there for five years, the total time we spent absorbing starlight wisps was less than two months, the rest of the time we spent hiding in the Netherworld Darkness Shroud.”
“Netherworld Darkness Shroud?” Yang Kai frowned.
“En, the defensive artifact that Senior Brother Yin used, a Dao Source Grade artifact. I heard it was a treasure that came from the Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect. This time, it was brought along by Senior Brother Yin. If not for it, we would have long ago been forced out of the Starlight Corridor.”
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“The starlight wisps in the Starlight Corridor can bring massive benefits to cultivators, especially those who travel from low-level Star Fields to the Star Boundary. It can be said that the starlight wisps are the first opportunity we encounter on our path to this world. However, does Brother Yang really think cultivators can remain in the Starlight Corridor at will?” Liu Xian Yun smiled, “That’s impossible. The longest one can stay inside the Starlight Corridor is about two months, once that time is up, they will be rejected by the World Principles of the corridor and forced out.”
Yang Kai showed a look of understanding.
He had his doubts even before now. If cultivators could remain in the Starlight Corridor at will, it would undoubtedly become a disaster for the cultivators from the lower Star Fields.
As long as there was someone like Yin Le Sheng who blocked the Starlight Corridor, no one would be able to pass.
Now, after listening to Liu Xian Yun’s explanation, he realized that this was only possible thanks to that Netherworld Darkness Shroud.
“The starlight wisps in the Starlight Corridor can speed up the conversion of Saint Qi into Source Qi in our body, so the more we can absorb, the better. In this regard, Star Masters have a great advantage thanks to their Star Sources, which increase their affinity with those starlight wisps. The speed at which Star Masters absorb that starlight is much faster than ordinary cultivators,” When Liu Xian Yun said this, she suddenly paused, and her beautiful eyes widened as she swept them over Yang Kai in shock.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Strange!” Liu Xian Yun frowned as she said in surprise, “Brother Yang, aren’t you a Star Master?”
Before, she could clearly see all the surrounding starlight rush into Yang Kai’s body like a whale sucking in water in the Starlight Corridor. That was irrefutable proof he was a Star Master, as Yang Kai’s speed of absorption was even higher than Yin Le Sheng’s.
The other Star Master who was present together with Yang Kai could not even absorb a tenth as much starlight.
“I am a Star Master!” Yang Kai did not deny it as he had already been exposed back in the Starlight Corridor.
“But why don’t you have starlight glow about you?” Liu Xian Yun’s expression became even stranger.
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai looked at her in confusion.
Liu Xian Yun quickly explained, “Let’s put it this way, when a Star Master first enters the Star Boundary, because they have absorbed too much starlight from the Starlight Corridor, they naturally release a faint starlight glow from their bodies. This glow, while not strong, is incredibly obvious and something completely unique to Star Masters, but you…”
Yang Kai looked down at himself and found no trace of excess starlight.
However, when he quickly checked inside his Knowledge Sea, he found it filled with brilliant starlight, especially the area around his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus. The starlight there was so rich it was nearly blinding.
At once, he felt relieved as he understood that this starlight had simply not integrated into his body yet and had been instead gathered into his Knowledge Sea.
Liu Xian Yun’s information was not wrong, it was just that Yang Kai was a unique case, and since this matter was related to his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai naturally didn’t explain.
“Does this have something to do with the Starlight Corridor shattering?” Liu Xian Yun frowned, trying to come up with a possible explanation.
“Perhaps!” Yang Kai immediately hit the snake with a stick.
Liu Xian Yun glanced at him faintly but did not dwell on the issue anymore, simply smiling instead and saying, “It’s better this way anyway. Without that starlight glow, Brother Yang would be much safer.”
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai asked.
“Because of the Star Source,” Liu Xian Yun explained. “Why did Senior Brother Yin target you? It was because he wanted to rob you of your Star Source. In the Star Boundary, Star Sources are rare treasures as a cultivator with a Star Source can more easily sense World Principles and more easily break through to the Dao Source Realm and Emperor Realm, which is why everyone covets Star Sources. If you still had that starlight around your body, wouldn’t that be a sign that you are a Star Master who just came out of the Starlight Corridor? Wouldn’t that draw people’s greed? You should know that there is more than one Secret Technique to extract a Star Source from someone in the Star Boundary. This Mistress will advise you now, don’t let others know that you are a Star Master, otherwise, you will likely be killed.”
“Damn it!” Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed.
Liu Xian Yun was taken aback by his sudden reaction and asked, “What happened?”
“My companion!” Yang Kai thought of Ai Ou, who was also a Star Master, and his face suddenly sank.
Ai Ou did not know anything about the Star Boundary and had also absorbed a lot of starlight in the Starlight Corridor. Right now, it would be obvious to anyone from the Star Boundary that Ai Ou was a Star Master.
If what Liu Xian Yun said was true, Ai Ou may be in a bad situation right now.
Liu Xian Yun soon also understood, thought for a moment, then said, “The Starlight Corridor collapsed, causing everyone to be swallowed up by Void Cracks, so there’s nothing you can do for now other than pray your friend has good luck. There are both pros and cons to this situation. Although Star Master cultivators are easily aimed at, if he encounters a powerful master with noble character, perhaps this will be his opportunity.”
Seeing Yang Kai looking towards her questioningly, Liu Xian Yun took the initiative to explain, “If your friend encounters a righteous master, there’s a good chance he will be recruited as a disciple. Star Masters from the lower Star Fields are all highly valued and have great potential, so the bigger Sects do their best to recruit people like you and your companions as disciples to train.”
“Is that true?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Of course,” Liu Xian Yun nodded sincerely. “There are ten peak Emperors in the Star Boundary, and it is rumoured that six of them came from low-level Star Fields. Each of them a Star Master.”
“Ten peak Emperors?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he heard it, “Who are they?”
He suddenly thought of Yang Yan and wondered if she was qualified to be among these ten masters.
Liu Xian Yun chuckled, “I don’t know. Everything I know about the Star Boundary is from Senior Brother Yin. His Netherworld Sect’s main headquarters is in the Star Boundary, so they know more than us. What I do know is that the ten peak Emperors are all characters who can shake the world and possess strength we can only look up to… En, Brother Yang may one day reach such a height. As for this Mistress, it will be enough to cultivate to the Emperor Realm someday.”
Saying so, Liu Xian Yun smiled bitterly.
Yang Kai said lightly, “Don’t be too modest, no one knows what the future will bring. Perhaps you will soar from the branches into the sky one day.”
Liu Xian Yun smiled, “Then I’ll borrow Brother Yang’s auspicious words.”
Yang Kai nodded, and although he was anxious for Ai Ou deep in his heart, he understood he was currently helpless to do anything about the situation. He could only hope that Ai Ou would notice something and conceal himself well to refine the starlight before emerging. Yang Kai believed that Ai Ou would definitely not act rashly; he was an experienced veteran, after all.
After their chat, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun felt much more cordial and there was no longer a sharp, tense atmosphere like when they first met.
Yang Kai also gained a certain understanding of Liu Xian Yun’s character and realized that she was truly helpless when they attacked his group.
In the Starlight Corridor before, she had been forced to obey Yin Le Sheng, so there was no point blaming her.
Yang Kai was not too anxious to recover his strength and instead prioritised his talk with Liu Xian Yun to gain more information while he slowly restored.
Unfortunately, Liu Xian Yun did not know much about the Star Boundary, so she had told him everything she knew after only a short time.
Afterwards, the two of them chatted about their respective Star Fields.
Although it was just a casual discussion, Yang Kai soon discovered that her Grand Desolation Star Field was quite similar to his home Star Field in almost every respect.
The biggest difference was Yin Le Sheng’s presence in the Grand Desolation Star Field, a sole hegemon who stood above all others, while in Yang Kai’s Star Field, three peak powers shared the distinction of ‘strongest’.
The more Yang Kai learned about the Star Boundary’s wonders, the more he realized how grand this world truly was and how small his existence was.
He felt a deep desire for greater power.
As the two were talking though, suddenly, Yang Kai’s expression turned extremely serious.
“What happened?” Liu Xian Yun looked at him with a puzzled expression, but in the next instant, her body became stiff as her pretty face turned to Yang Kai’s nervously.
Yang Kai put a finger up to his lips and gestured for her to stay silent.
But before Liu Xian Yun could even respond, a light flashed at the entrance of the cave and a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.
The two of them instinctively pushed their Saint Qi and flew back to take up defensive stances as they stared at this newcomer warily.
The visitor had no intention of hiding his presence though as he simply looked at Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun coldly and sneered, “You two little rats are quite vigilant.”
With the help of the dim light, Yang Kai could see the opponent’s face clearly.
He was a man who looked around thirty years old and was dressed in fine white robes, but that was of little consequence. What Yang Kai really cared about was this man’s aura, one that was unfathomably deep, far more so than Yin Le Sheng’s back in the Starlight Corridor and one that brought him great pressure.
[Dao Source Realm!]
As this thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, his face became more and more ugly.
Both he and Liu Xian Yun were peak level existences in their respective Star Fields, so after concealing themselves inside this cave to talk while completely withdrawing their auras, if it had been another Origin King it would have been impossible to notice them.
But if the other party was a Dao Source master, it was obvious he would be aware of their existence.
Yang Kai did not know exactly how powerful a Dao Source Realm cultivator was, only that this man was not someone he could compete with right now.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Several whooshing sounds came from outside as three more figures landed at the edge of the cave behind the first man to appear.
One of them asked, “Senior Brother Kou, what did you find?”
Another man said in surprise, “Hey, there really are two people hiding here. Senior Brother Kou’s senses are really amazing, actually able to find them here.”
The last person laughed, “Senior Brother Kou is a First-Order Dao Source Realm master while these two are just like us, how could they hide under Senior Brother Kou’s nose?”
The three men observed Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun mockingly after they entered the cave, the eyes of the person who spoke first flashing a meaningful light. Observing Yang Kai first, then Liu Xian Yun, a knowing grin appeared on his face, obviously thinking that these two were hiding in this small cave to do something shameful.
Although Liu Xian Yun looked embarrassed, she didn’t dare lash out.
Yang Kai also remained silent.
Without even mentioning the other party had three Third-Order Origin Kings, just the lead Dao Source master was more than he and Liu Xian Yun could handle now, so Yang Kai had to act discreetly. Fortunately, the other party had not immediately attacked, otherwise, he and Liu Xian Yun would have suffered disaster already.
The Senior Brother Kou who led this group gave Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun a cold look over as the light in his eyes became more and more contemptuous, snorting a moment later as he commented, “Seems like there is only some slight Source Qi in your bodies. Where are you two from and what are you plotting here in my Blue Feather Sect?”
“Blue Feather Sect?” Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun looked at each other as they both showed confused expressions.
Quickly though, the two of them speculated that they had inadvertently intruded into the territory of this so-called Blue Feather Sect and had now been discovered by its disciples.
Considering all this, Yang Kai tried to put on a relaxed expression as he cupped his fists and said, “Greetings friends, we didn’t know this was the site of your noble Sect and accidentally trespassed. If we have offended you in any way, please forgive us. You may rest assured; we will depart immediately!”
Saying so, Yang Kai winked at Liu Xian Yun.
Liu Xian Yun understood his intentions and tried to follow Yang Kai out.
The leading man surnamed Kou and the other three Origin Kings, however, stood at the entrance of the cave, motionless, showing no intention to give way.
The man surnamed Kou sneered and said, “Accidentally trespassed? You might be able to fool children with such lies, but you think you can deceive this Kou? I think it’s more likely you’re from Daybreak Pavilion!”
“Daybreak Pavilion?” Yang Kai frowned before shaking his head, “Sorry, I‘ve never heard of it.”
“Your acting skills aren’t bad,” One of the Origin Kings sneered and said. “Senior Brother Kou, don’t talk nonsense with them, let us just take them back with us and make them spit out the truth. Daring to trespass into my Blue Feather Sect’s site, these Daybreak Pavilion dogs simply don’t put us in their eyes.”
The man surnamed Kou also spoke with a cold expression, “Better to kill a thousand innocents than let off one guilty!”
Saying so, he stretched out his hand and formed a seal before pressing his palms towards Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun up ahead.
Two beams of light shot out and struck Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun’s chests before they could dodge.
The two were taken aback and hurriedly tried to resist, but to their amazement, they found that some kind of rope had at some point appeared on their bodies. These ropes were covered in dense runes that flashed lightly and completely suppressed them.
The more the two struggled, the firmer this Secret Technique’s binding became.
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun’s complexions instantly became gloomy.
A casual move was enough to completely seal their fighting ability, making Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun fully realize how terrifying a Dao Source Realm master was.
After finishing this, the man surnamed Kou did not spare Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun a second glance and simply waved, “Take them!”
Saying so, he turned around and did not even give them an opportunity to argue.
Yang Kai was annoyed but knew that now was not the time to act rashly.
The three cultivators following the man surnamed Kou swarmed up and pushed Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun outwards.
Liu Xian Yun twisted her body and ground her teeth as she snapped, “Don’t touch me, I can walk myself!”
The previous cultivator who kept looking at Liu Xian Yun sneered and said, “The little lady here is quite grumpy, I like it! Let’s see how you stand up to some torture later.”
The other two showed an expression of wicked understanding hearing this.
This only frustrated Liu Xian Yun even more.
She was an overlord of the Grand Desolation Star Field, but after coming here, before she could even enjoy the sights and scenes of the Star Boundary, she had been taken prisoner. She had never encountered such an embarrassing situation in her life and found it simply unacceptable.
And listening to the way these three men were chatting, it seemed that after arriving at Blue Feather Sect, the ‘torture’ she would suffer would be…
Just imagining it caused Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face to pale as she instinctually turned to Yang Kai for help.
“Several friends, there seems to be a misunderstanding between us, could you listen to my explanation first?” Yang Kai calmly made a last-ditch attempt.
“Explanation? You can explain all you like once we’re back at the sect!” The man surnamed Kou snorted coldly.
“Yeah, first hand over your Space Rings if you want to avoid some immediate pain!”
Yang Kai glanced at Liu Xian Yun as he shook his head slowly, taking off his Space Ring and tossing it towards the nearest person.
There was not anything valuable in his Space Ring, just some everyday items he needed frequently. The real precious treasures were hidden inside his Sealed World Bead.
As such, surrendering his Space Ring did not cause Yang Kai much of a psychological burden.
On the other hand, Liu Xian Yun wore a look of intense struggle and unwillingness. If it were not for her strength being sealed right now, she would likely have gone all out to resist.
All her possessions were stored in her Space Ring, so how could she be willing to simply hand it over like this?
However, people under the eaves must bow their heads, so she could only reluctantly remove her ring like Yang Kai and throw it out.
Receiving the two Space Rings, the three Origin Kings did not try to inspect them at all and instead turned them over to their leader. Senior Brother Kou was very satisfied with their performance and simply put these Space Rings away.
A short time later, the group left the cave.
Senior Brother Kou waved his hand lightly and summoned a small shuttle which immediately enlarged to a ship engraved with dragons and phoenixes in the blink of an eye.
This ship was not very big, only having about two decks to it, but it was more than enough to accommodate their small number.
Senior Brother Kou casually leapt up, binding Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun with his own strength and landed lightly on the deck. The other three quickly followed.
Subsequently, Senior Brother Kou activated a Spirit Array on the ship and a light barrier surrounded it before it shot off with astonishing speed.
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun both observed all of this in amazement, pure surprise and shock filling their eyes.
In their respective Star Fields, neither of them had ever encountered this type of flight artifact. They had only seen Star Shuttles and Starships.
Although this ship was not grand or magnificent like a Starship, its refinement was vastly superior, and it was incomparable to a mere Star Shuttle in terms of practicality.
It was a type of existence between a Star Shuttle and Starship that was incredibly well suited for rapid travel.
The man surnamed Kou and the others did not pay Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun any mind; after all, their strength was sealed so they posed no threat at all.
However, after seeing the expressions of the two, the Blue Feather Sect’s disciples could not help but laugh as they got together and whispered amongst themselves, pointing at Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun like they were mocking them.
The pair quickly became aware of this and could not help feeling embarrassed.
In their native Star Fields, they were undisputed masters, but after coming to the Star Boundary, they were now behaving like country bumpkins, it was indeed a bit shameful.
Senior Brother Kou, on the other hand, saw their reactions and frowned slightly, but he did not say much and simply focused on controlling the speed and direction of the small ship.
After flying for about half an hour, a mountain range came into view that had a dense cluster of buildings built around it. Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun knew that this was Blue Feather Sect’s headquarters right away. Regarding this Star Boundary Sect, the two were quite curious and could not help standing up from the deck to look around.
The next moment, the two shook on the spot.
As far as they could see, for many tens of thousands of kilometres, the mountains had palaces and pavilions dotting the landscape. Obviously, all of this belonged to Blue Feather Sect.
The Sect stood among the vast mountain range and had an incredibly rich World Energy aura floating about it. This kind of aura was extraordinary compared to any Star Field Sect. Even Yang Kai’s High Heaven Sect had no way to compare with this Blue Feather Sect, the two were simply of two different grades.
“The headquarters of your Daybreak Pavilion is not worse than here. Why make such a fuss?” Senior Brother Kou squinted, his eyes flashing a faint light as he observed the shock on Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun’s faces.
Yang Kai turned his head and quickly said, “As I explained before, we are not from the Daybreak Pavilion. This is our first time here, but believe what you like!”
Senior Brother Kou nodded faintly and said nothing, just standing on the deck with his hands behind his back, enjoying the bit of wind he allowed past the ship’s barrier.
After reaching Blue Feather Sect’s sky, Senior Brother Kou tapped his foot lightly and the boat quickly descended to the ground.
Down below, many cultivators saw the ship approach, and when they noticed that it was Senior Brother Kou driving it, they cupped their fists in greeting.
Apparently, this Senior Brother Kou was quite famous in Blue Feather Sect, with many disciples recognizing him.
Some people directed curious looks towards Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun as they wondered how Senior Brother Kou had gone out and suddenly caught two people. Yang Kai vaguely heard them whispering about Daybreak Pavilion and it was clear that they suspected him and Liu Xian Yun of being spies.
[This Daybreak Pavilion and Blue Feather Sect definitely have many grievances between them!]
Yang Kai thought to himself.
At the same time, he and Liu Xian Yun were also secretly looking around at the surrounding cultivators and were shocked by what they saw.
There were about seventy or eighty people in the square around them, and half were Origin Kings. Third-Order Origin Kings were everywhere, with at least a dozen of them giving off a more intimidating aura than Yin Le Sheng.
If it were a battle in which Yin Le Sheng couldn’t use his Dao Source Grade Netherworld Darkness Shroud, Yang Kai was a hundred percent certain these dozens or so cultivators could defeat him.
Based on the information he obtained from Liu Xian Yun, Yang Kai immediately understood that these dozen or so people must have successfully transformed their Saint Qi into Source Qi but were unable to break through to the Dao Source Realm due to a lack of comprehension of Principles.
There was an almost insurmountable gap between the Origin King Realm and the Dao Source Realm, which was also the most basic reason why Senior Brother Kou was regarded with such awe.
This was the first Sect that Yang Kai had encountered since coming to the Star Boundary, so everything he saw shocked him.
Several dozen Origin Kings all gathered was a scene that would be absolutely impossible to encounter in the Star Field. Origin Kings were peak-level existences where Yang Kai had come from. Without even mentioning those old monsters who hid from the world and never showed their faces, most ordinary cultivators would not ever get a chance to meet even a First-Order Origin King.
But here, such masters were as common as weeds in the field, literally scattered around randomly.
And this was just the tip of the iceberg, who knew how many disciples this Blue Feather Sect had, or how many Origin King, Dao Source, and even Emperor Realm masters there were!
Among the seventy or eighty people, in addition to more than half which were Origin Kings, there were also some Origin Realm and Saint King Realm cultivators, but they were actually the minority.
Even in the Star Boundary, strength was not something that a cultivator could come to possess overnight. Although the cultivation environment here was countless times better than that of the Star Field, cultivators still had to advance steadily from the bottom, which was why it wasn’t surprising to see Saint Kings and Origin Realm masters walking about.
Just as Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun were immersing in their shock, Senior Brother Kou pointed to a cultivator who had been following him and said, “Cui Jing, send them both to the Bone Prison. I’ll report to Protector Bian to decide how to deal with them.”
“Send them to the Bone Prison?” The cultivator named Cui Jing was a little stunned, as if Senior Brother Kou handling Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun this way came as a surprise to him; however, he did not question his orders and simply nodded, “Yes!”
Saying so, he waved his hand at Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun and said with a cold face, “Get down, how long do you two want to stay on the boat?”
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun sighed helplessly and could only jump off the ship.
“Follow me!” Cui Jing said before leading the way forward.
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun followed reluctantly.
Both of them knew that it was useless to explain anything now. Since Senior Brother Kou did not trust them from the start, he definitely wouldn’t believe them now.
Fortunately, although their strength had been locked, they had not suffered any harm yet.
Passing along the road, it seemed they were travelling towards a certain mountain.
Halfway there, Yang Kai asked tentatively, “Dare I ask this friend, what is this Bone Prison?”
Cui Jing turned his head and snorted at Yang Kai, “Who is your friend?”
Yang Kai frowned but still cupped his fists and said, “Pardon this one’s offence. Senior Brother, could you explain to both of us what exactly this Bone Prison is?”
Yang Kai’s attitude made Cui Jing very satisfied, so he put on a kind face and said lightly, “Just like the name implies, it’s a prison where people are detained. Inside there… heh heh heh… well you’ll understand when we get there.”
The low, sullen laughter made Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun’s expressions slightly change as they subconsciously realized this Bone Prison was definitely not a good place to go.
The Bone Prison was indeed located under a certain mountain and had a number of Blue Feather Sect disciples guarding it. After Cui Jing handed over Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun to the disciples here, he left directly without sparing them a second glance.
The disciple who was now charged with Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun was also a Third-Order Origin King, and he had an extremely powerful aura. He was obviously not an affable individual.
After Cui Jing left, this man squinted his eyes and swept his gaze over Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun before frowning and cursing, “Damn that Cui Jing, every time he brings someone over, he always snatches their Space Ring first, not leaving any soup for Father here to drink.”
After grumbling for a while, he turned to Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun again and commanded, “Don’t even try to pretend, just hand over whatever you have left.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun were confused.
“The artifacts you’ve refined, or are you going to tell Father here that Cui Jing snatched those too,” The Blue Feather Sect disciple sneered.
As soon as this remark came out, not only did Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face change, Yang Kai’s face also became unsightly.
A cultivator could refine artifacts into their bodies to summon whenever needed, this was common sense. Previously, Senior Brother Kou and his group had only forced Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun to surrender their Space Rings and had not mentioned their artifacts, seemingly leaving them a little leeway.
But as soon as they came to this Bone Prison, the cultivator guarding this place demanded they hand over their artifacts. Naturally, their expressions became ugly.
The artifacts a cultivator refined into their body were obviously their strongest and most precious, along with the ones they most commonly used. These artifacts had formed a deep connection with both their mind and Soul. If they were forcefully seized, they would suffer great harm!
Compared to Senior Brother Kou and his subordinates, Yang Kai suddenly felt that this man was far more wicked.
There were only three artifacts on Yang Kai’s body.
The Verdant Dragon Bone Sword, Annihilation Thunder Bead, and Sealed World Bead, the last two being Emperor Artifacts. Yang Kai had not refined anything else into his body, but no matter which one it was, he could not surrender any of these three to others.
Although he did not know what kind of natal artifacts Liu Xian Yun possessed, Yang Kai was clear she wouldn’t give them up easily.
However, the other party seemed to have expected this and seeing Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun remain silent, he simply sneered, “You want me to take them by force? Woman, if you want to refuse, this Yan Xiu Ran may be able to accommodate you, after all, Father here knows how to show tender affection, heh heh heh…”
Saying so, an obscene look appeared on his face.
Liu Xian Yun naturally understood his intentions and immediately hid behind Yang Kai.
Yan Xiu Ran’s eyes became cold next as he squinted at Yang Kai and said, “The woman can say no, but you can’t!”
“I don’t have any artifacts on me,” Yang Kai quickly said.
Yan Xiu Ran coldly snorted, “You think you can deceive Father here with such an obvious lie? Since you refuse to cooperate, don’t blame Father for acting ruthlessly.”
Saying so, he quickly took off a small bag that was hanging on his waist.
This bag was quite small and exquisite and was currently bulging slightly, as if there was something alive inside, squirming about.
Yan Xiu Ran sneered, opened the bag, and poured something out of it.
After seeing the appearance of this thing, Liu Xian Yun could not help calling out in alarm.
It was a small snake, but it looked very different from a normal snake. Instead, it was pure white and looked like it had been carved from the finest jade.
Even with Yang Kai’s experience though, he could not recognize the name or purpose of this snake-like Monster Beast; however, since Yan Xiu Ran took out this Monster Beast at this time, obviously it played some role in snatching another cultivator’s artifacts.
Yan Xiu Ran also undoubtedly attached great importance to this small spirit snake and acted cautiously when he took it out.
Immediately, he stretched out his hand and grabbed Yang Kai directly in front of him before grinning, “Since you refuse a toast, you must drink a forfeit. Do your best not to scream.”
As soon as these words fell, his hand shook and the white spirit snake shot towards Yang Kai like an arrow from the string before impacting the back of Yang Kai’s hand.
A strange scene happened next. The white spirit snake bit Yang Kai’s skin, then, like smoke, entered into the wound before beginning to shuttle along Yang Kai’s meridians and physique.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s body trembled violently as an unbearable pain came from his muscles and meridians, causing his face to turn bright red.
If it weren’t for his strong willpower, Yang Kai would have cried out miserably.
“Brother Yang!” Liu Xian Yun called out; worried Yang Kai might encounter some kind of accident.
A low roar, like that of a wounded beast, burst from Yang Kai’s throat as he turned a scarlet gaze towards Yan Xiu Ran in front of him.
Yan Xiu Ran showed no fear as he simply laughed loudly, “Don’t worry, you won’t die. My Treasure Seizing Snake has no offensive ability, all it can do is take out artifacts from others’ bodies. After it takes away your artifacts, you can just heal yourself naturally.”
[It seems to be true…]
Yang Kai felt his heart clench. The purpose of this spirit snake was exactly the same as he had previously guessed, it was actually able to arbitrarily snatch other people’s artifacts. Realizing this, his heart sank.
Regardless of which of these three artifacts it was, Yang Kai could not let them be easily revealed. Even in the Star Boundary, the revelation of these artifacts would surely bring about a rain of terror.
Needless to say, the two Emperor Artifacts were the inheritance he obtained from Yang Yan and were of extremely high grade and power, enough to make cultivators below the Emperor Realm risk their lives to snatch. Even Emperors would likely covet them greatly.
Although the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was not as high-grade, that was only because Yang Kai had not completely refined it into a real artifact. The Dragon Bone Sword was basically a semi-finished product now.
But its primary materials were a piece of Dragon Bone and a Dragon Bead.
These were relics of an ancient True Dragon, on par with the Dragon Scale fused into Yang Kai’s body. Even if these relics were not as valuable as the two Emperor Artifacts, the difference wasn’t that great.
So as soon as the Treasure Seizing Snake entered his body, Yang Kai became anxious.
These three artifacts, no matter which one was taken away, were not a loss he could bear, but right now, with his strength imprisoned, he could only silently endure the pain caused by the Treasure Seizing Snake swimming about his body, unable to resist.
What’s more, even if he was at his peak, he may not be this Yan Xiu Ran’s opponent.
Yan Xiu Ran was smiling deviously to the side, a cold look in his eyes. Obviously, this was not the first time he had done this kind of thing. Grinning, he taunted, “It’s not too late for you to regret now. If you don’t want to endure this pain, just cooperate obediently. “You have to know, although you might think your artifacts are precious, if you die, you’ll have no use for them anyway.”
Yang Kai just glared back at him coldly, without saying a word, his eyes filled with hatred as he seemingly tried to burn the appearance of this person in front of him deep into his bones.
Yan Xiu Ran snorted contemptuously and said, “Fine, be stubborn, just don’t blame Father here later when you can’t endure it any longer.”
Saying so, he formed a seal with his hands and pushed his strength slightly.
Seemingly receiving some kind of signal, the Treasure Seizing Snake inside Yang Kai’s body began moving about even more fiercely.
Yang Kai’s screams rang out again.
He could clearly feel the path the Treasure Seizing Snake was travelling through inside his body. This Monster Beast had some kind of innate ability to sniff out artifacts inside a cultivator’s body, making it impossible to try to conceal anything from it.
Quickly, it located the Dragon Bone Sword and swiftly slithered towards it.
Yang Kai endured the pain as big beads of sweat dripped from his forehead while trying to shift around the Dragon Bone Sword, but he was unable to help matters at all.
The Treasure Seizing Snake soon approached the Dragon Bone Sword and it opened its mouth to swallow it whole without even pausing.
If it succeeded, Yang Kai’s loss would be immense.
However, something unexpected happened next. The Treasure Seizing Snake was only halfway through its swallowing motion when it suddenly seemed to be greatly frightened and backed away in a hurry.
Turning around, it scurried away from the Dragon Bone Sword with all haste.
In that moment, Yang Kai clearly felt a faint Dragon Pressure being emitted from the Dragon Bone Sword while inside the Dragon Bead which was embedded into the hilt of the Dragon Bone Sword, the Dragon Soul suddenly opened its eyes and out glanced lightly towards the Treasure Seizing Snake.
Feeling the faint Dragon Pressure coming from the Dragon Soul had shocked and forced back the Treasure Seizing Snake.
Yang Kai was ecstatic seeing this, and after just a little thought, he understood why things had transpired this way.
It was not that the Dragon Bone Sword was too high-grade, but rather that the Dragon Bone Sword’s Dragon Pressure and remnant Dragon Soul possessed a natural restraint and deterrence towards the Treasure Seizing Snake.
This was not too surprising though as Dragons were the rulers of all Ancient Divine Spirits and according to rumours, the bloodline of Flood Dragons and snakes were all originated from Dragons, only diluted innumerable times over the aeons. True Dragons were great ancestors to these creatures and could naturally restrain them.
The Treasure Seizing Snake was still a type of snake, so of course it did not dare act presumptuously in front of its ancestor and immediately backed down.
“Hm?” Yan Xiu Ran, who had been observing, could not help letting out a note of surprise as he frowned, not knowing what happened to his Treasure Seizing Snake which had seemingly just failed to snatch the other party’s artifact from his body for the first time.
In the past, his Treasure Seizing Snake could easily rob artifacts from others, clearing them out within just ten breaths of effort, but today, it seemed to be having difficulties…
He could not help taking a deeper look at Yang Kai, but he didn’t care too much in the end and simply continued to wait.
The Treasure Seizing Snake did not dare to swallow the Dragon Bone Sword, so it could only look for other artifacts.
Its next goal was the Annihilation Thunder Bead!
Naturally, the Annihilation Thunder Bead did not give off an innate Dragon Pressure that could deter it, but the rich Thunder Attribute energy which it contained was not something the Treasure Seizing Snake dared to provoke, so it only took a single glance at the Annihilation Thunder Bead before slithering away.
With the ability of the Treasure Seizing Snake, it dared not get involved with an Emperor Artifact such as the Annihilation Thunder Bead. The only result of forcibly plundering it would be frying itself to ashes!
This Treasures Seizing Snake had some level of intelligence, so it knew how to advance while avoiding disasters.
Soon, it came to the Sealed World Bead, and possibly because it had already failed twice with the Dragon Bone Sword and Annihilation Thunder Bead, the Treasure Seizing Snake did not rush to devour the Sealed World Bead but instead wandered about nearby, observing this new prey carefully.
After confirming that the Sealed World Bead did not give it a sense of danger, it opened its mouth and swallowed the Sealed World Bead into its abdomen in one bite before trying to withdraw from Yang Kai’s body.
But it immediately realized it had made a terrible mistake.
The moment the Sealed World Bead entered its belly, a surge of World Force exploded in its abdomen and in an instant, a big hole blasted out of the Treasure Seizing Snake’s abdomen, causing it to hiss and cry as it fled in panic.
The Sealed World Bead was literally an independent world. Yang Kai was only able to keep it inside his body because he had painstakingly refined it. How could the Treasure Seizing Snake possibly swallow an entire world with its pitiful strength? It was nothing more than good luck it had not exploded on the spot from trying.
The Treasure Seizing Snake had quickly discovered that all the things in Yang Kai’s body were not things it could covet, and even with its faint sentience, how could it dare to remain after suffering such a loss?
At the same time, Yan Xiu Ran’s face could not help changing dramatically as he shouted, “What happened?”
He shared some connection with the Treasure Seizing Snake, so the moment Treasure Seizing Snake was wounded, he noticed and, in a panic, hurriedly formed a series of seals to try to urge the Treasure Seizing Snake to return.
Yang Kai endured the unbearable pain before suddenly stumbling backwards a few steps.
*Xiu…*
From somewhere in his chest, a small snake covered in blood shot out, hissing frantically as if it had been greatly wronged, and shot towards Yan Xiu Ran. There was a big hole in this small snake’s abdomen that was continuously leaking blood and its organs were clearly exposed to the air, causing Yan Xiu Ran to feel incredibly distressed.
In the next instant though, Yang Kai made a move that shocked Yan Xiu Ran and Liu Xian Yun.
Leaping forward, Yang Kai stretched out his hand, grabbed the Treasure Seizing Snake, and with a squeeze of his palm crushed its head.
Yang Kai’s Qi was indeed imprisoned right now, but he still retained his physical strength, so the speed of his actions was as fast as lightning.
By the time Yan Xiu Ran reacted, the Treasure Seizing Snake was already dead.
Yang Kai grinned at him wickedly before stuffing the little snake into his mouth and chomping down on it.
Blood overflowing from his lips, Yang Kai appeared akin to a ravenous beast, his scarlet eyes gleaming with a terrifying light.
“You…” Yan Xiu Ran was stunned, never having anticipated such an outcome. Because Yang Kai’s strength was supposedly sealed, he did not expect him to be able to move so quickly, and by the time he realized something was wrong and tried to rescue his precious snake, it was already too late.
The Treasure Seizing Snake had now become a snack in Yang Kai’s belly.
Liu Xian Yun could not stop her tender body from trembling slightly. Right now, she and Yang Kai were a pair of grasshoppers on the same rope. In her opinion, Yang Kai’s actions just now were no different from pushing them into a fiery pit.
Didn’t he understand that people under the eaves have to bow their heads?
[Disaster, this is a true disaster!] At that moment, she deeply regretted cooperating with Yang Kai. How could he seem so steady and stable in one moment, and in the next, act like a madman? Liu Xian Yun’s stomach was filled with regret as her expression turned incredibly ugly!
“You court death!” Yan Xiu Ran was truly enraged as he arrived in front of Yang Kai with a few hurried steps and punched his face in.
*Hong…*
Facing a violent blow from a Third-Order Origin King, how could Yang Kai possibly defend himself in his current state? Immediately, he flew out like a ragged sack and directly sank into a big mountain wall a hundred metres away, opening a giant pit in the process.
The sound of broken bones rang out.
A moment later, Yang Kai slipped down from the mountain wall.
“Brother Yang!” Liu Xian Yun exclaimed in panic. Although she did not understand why Yang Kai had made such a crazy move all of a sudden, she couldn’t help calling out to him nervously when she saw him taking this hit.
After all, no matter what, she and Yang Kai were both from the low-level Star Fields and shared some common fate. On the other hand, none of these Blue Feather Sect disciples seemed to be anything good, so if Yang Kai really died here like this, her own future would become worrying.
She subconsciously did not want Yang Kai to die like this.
But she also knew that Yang Kai had little hope of survival. Yan Xiu Ran had not shown any mercy with his attack just now. Even if it was her, in her current state, she would have certainly been killed, so what hope was there for a mere Second-Order Origin King like Yang Kai?
*Hai hai…*
A violent cough suddenly rang out as Yang Kai struggled to stand up, spat out most of the Treasure Seizing Snake’s meat from his mouth, then swallowed down its bladder alone.
Liu Xian Yun’s beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Yang Kai like he was some kind of monster, her heart beating wildly!
[He… he survived?]
How was that possible?
“He didn’t die?” Yan Xiu Ran was also stunned. Just now, he had furiously tried to take Yang Kai’s life in order to avenge his Treasure Seizing Snake’s death; after all, while the Treasure Seizing Snake had no use in battle, its innate Divine Ability to rob other people’s refined artifacts was still incredibly useful to him. He had purchased this little snake for an incredibly high price, but it had died tragically at Yang Kai’s hand; how could Yan Xiu Ran possibly forgive him?
As such, after seeing that Yang Kai really was not dead, Yan Xiu Ran’s eyes became cold as he stepped towards Yang Kai menacingly, his Qi erupting like a volcano as he directed all his anger and hatred towards him.
Yang Kai didn’t show any fear though and instead just grinned and said, “If you kill me, you may not be able to withstand the consequences!”
“A trivial prisoner dares try to bargain with Father? No one will care if trash like you dies!”
“Really?” Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of blood, “Senior Brother Kou said he is going to ask Protector Bian for instructions about how to deal with us. You tell me: What will your fate be if Protector Bian learns that you killed me without her permission?”
Hearing the name ‘Protector Bian’, Yan Xiu Ran’s eyes flashed with a strong sense of fear and like a basin of cold water was splashed onto him, his anger instantly cooled.
[Seems like I am right!]
Seeing his expression, Yang Kai completely calmed down.
Judging from these Blue Feather Sect disciples’ behaviour, this Sect did not seem to be anything good. Likewise, these cultivators were not good people. Most likely, the only reason this Sect continued to exist was that rules were strictly enforced and breaking them led to severe punishment!
This was why Yang Kai used Protector Bian’s name as a deterrent despite never having met her before.
Yan Xiu Ran really did begin to hesitate.
Just as Yang Kai said, if Yan Xiu Ran really killed him before Protector Bian gave the order, it would be a disaster for him. Even if Protector Bian didn’t kill him, he would still lose a layer of skin.
As such, he didn’t dare think about killing anymore.
However, his Treasure Seizing Snake was killed by Yang Kai, so it was impossible for him to simply drop this matter. After hesitating for a while, Yan Xiu Ran walked towards Yang Kai and savagely spat, “Brat, know this! Once Protector Bian orders your death, Father here will personally send you down.”
Yang Kai curled his lips sharply when he heard these words.
“But now… while you can escape capital punishment, some suffering is due. Your physique seems a bit unusual, so Father here hopes you do not give in too quickly!”
Saying so, Yan Xiu Ran rushed in front of Yang Kai and pushed his Source Qi violently onto his fist and punched Yang Kai’s abdomen fiercely.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai felt as if he had been struck by lightning and his whole body bent into a shrimp shape as he convulsed in pain. Unable to hold back, Yang Kai coughed up a big mouthful of blood onto Yan Xiu Ran.
The latter was caught off guard again, and before he knew it, his face was covered in blood.
Being provoked again and again, Yan Xiu Ran’s patience was at its limits and he could not stop himself from lifting his leg and sweeping it towards Yang Kai’s neck.
The next moment, Yang Kai flew out and fell to the ground, motionless.
From the looks of it, he had passed out.
“Consider yourself lucky!” Yan Xiu Ran snorted coldly before turning around and shouting at Liu Xian Yun viciously, “Drag him with you and follow me!”
Now that his Treasure Seizing Snake had died, it would be impossible to snatch Liu Xian Yun’s artifacts even if Yan Xiu Ran wanted to. He could only imprison the two of them in the Bone Prison first before finding other ways to torture them.
Liu Xian Yun heard this and hurriedly ran over to Yang Kai’s side before stretching out her finger to check his pulse. After confirming that he was still alive, she could not help breathing a sigh of relief.
After calming down, Liu Xian Yun stretched out her hand and lifted Yang Kai up before carrying him on her back.
Following Yan Xiu Ran, she walked into the cave in the mountainside and immediately felt a kind of pressure that forced her neck to shrink slightly.
From the belly of the mountain, pained shouts faintly echoed, adding a gloomy and menacing air to the already gloomy cave.
As Yan Xiu Ran led the way, he sneered and commented, “After entering the Bone Prison, there are not many people who come out alive. If you do not want to suffer any inhuman treatment, you’d best hand over your artifacts to me as soon as possible and I can make life a bit more comfortable for you, otherwise… you’ll learn what living a life worse than death really means!”
Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face paled slightly as her tender body trembled, but she still bit her thin lip and held her tongue.
The deeper they went, the darker and damper the environment became, and it wasn’t long before an unpleasant smell also began to fill the air, causing Liu Xian Yun to frown.
After descending what seemed to be about a thousand metres, they arrived at a dungeon.
The cells here were separated by some kind of fencing refined from Monster Beast bones that seemed extremely strong.
From the dim cells, many scarlet eyes, like those of wild beasts, stared towards Yan Xiu Ran and the others, causing Liu Xian Yun’s hair to stand on end slightly.
“Kill me, kill me, please kill me!” A horrible howl came from somewhere as someone begged for death. Liu Xian Yun could not imagine what kind of torture this man was enduring that actually made him prefer death to life.
But here, death obviously became a kind of extravagant hope as the pleading voice quickly turned into a series of extremely miserable howls.
Liu Xian Yun’s cheeks were already pale and bloodless as she felt that this might be her future destiny, causing her great sorrow and pain.
“Get in!” Yan Xiu Ran suddenly stopped in front of a cell, opened the door, and motioned to Liu Xian Yun.
Liu Xian Yun did not dare to defy him, so she could only walk into the cell with Yang Kai still on her back.
Yan Xiu Ran closed the cell tightly as soon as Liu Xian Yun entered before directing a sneer at her and rapping his fingers on the bone fence, “These two are new, make sure you entertain them well.”
Having said what he wanted to say, he turned around and left.
At the same time, a few scarlet eyes suddenly lit up inside the cell that was originally dark and silent.
Liu Xian Yun was taken aback as it was not until this time that she realized that there were already four people inside this cell.
“Huh? A woman?” Suddenly, a shout of pleasant surprise rang out as a cultivator who had been imprisoned here began taking deep sniffs of the air with his nose, apparently indulging in Liu Xian Yun’s faint body scent, his whole person became extremely excited.
“A woman came here? Hahahaha! The Heavens have blessed us brothers!” Someone immediately laughed.
When this word spread, there was a commotion in the nearby cells as numerous prisoners crowded beside the fence to stare at Liu Xian Yun with interest. Bursts of lewd laughter rang out as everyone was clearly expecting a good show to start soon.
Liu Xian Yun’s complexion sank as she hurriedly backed away to the innermost position and leaned herself against a wall while staring forward vigilantly.
Inside the cell, a burly man stood up slowly. This man was at least two metres tall and his huge size alone gave him an imposing presence. Although his strength was also clearly sealed, his whole figure exuded a fierce aura like that of a great beast.
“This woman is mine!” The burly man said faintly but in a tone that would allow no objections.
The other three men heard this and cringed for a moment before one of them said flatly, “Since Boss Zong has spoken, we brothers will naturally have to give some face, but after Boss Zong has finished enjoying her, can we… heh heh heh?”
“Do as you please!” Zong Qi said coldly.
“Many thanks Boss Zong!” The three people hurriedly thanked him before taking a step back while obscene smiles filled their faces as they prepared to watch.
The burly man named Zong Qi stared at Liu Xian Yun closely. Using the dim light to see Liu Xian Yun’s appearance clearly, he couldn’t help but nod his head in approval, “En, the highest quality goods! Those Blue Feather Sect bastards finally did something good for Grandfather here.”
“What do you want to do?” Liu Xian Yun asked with a calm face, her phoenix eyes filled with sharp light as she stared at Zong Qi.
She did not panic because she knew in such a place, trying to reason with others was useless, only strength mattered here.
Now that everyone’s Qi had been sealed, and one could only use their physical strength though, Liu Xian Yun felt great pressure just looking at the giant iron body before her.
“You still don’t know what I want to do?” Zong Qi coldly snorted, then without putting the petite Liu Xian Yun in his eyes at all, he commanded, “If you don’t want to suffer, do you best to enjoy it!”
“Hahahaha, Boss Zong’s words couldn’t be more correct. En, I advise you not to provoke Boss Zong, little girl. He’s quite skilled in Body Tempering, so with your tiny frame, you can’t resist. Just lay back and enjoy yourself, or are you afraid Boss Zong can’t satisfy you?”
“Shameless bastards!” Liu Xian Yun ground her teeth and cursed.
“Haa, if you scold him like this, you’ll only stimulate his animal desires! It’s better to just keep quiet,” Suddenly, Yang Kai’s voice came from behind.
Liu Xian Yun was startled at first before she became overjoyed and asked softly, “You woke up?”
“I never passed out!” Yang Kai leapt off Liu Xian Yun’s back as he spoke and began to rub his neck and abdomen, grimacing in pain for a moment as he muttered, “That bastard really used a heavy hand, he nearly crippled me. Damn it, I’ll make him pay for this one day.”
Liu Xian Yun looked at Yang Kai dumbly, completely shocked he had actually not passed out being hit like that.
[This man… what kind of freak is he!] Yan Xiu Ran’s attack just now was not even enough to rob his consciousness. Just how strong was his endurance?
Absent-minded, she even forgot about the dangerous situation she was currently in.
“Oh? You have a lover already?” Zong Qi stood ten metres away from Yang Kai as he looked down at him with eyes filled with disdain and mockery.
“Haha, this friend must be joking, she and I… are just friends,” Yang Kai explained.
Zong Qi coldly snorted, “Whether you are her friend or lover, I warn you, scram if you don’t want to die!”
“You’re quite the arrogant one aren’t you!” Yang Kai raised his head to look up at the burly man in front of him with half-squinted eyes, “In that case, I should also warn you… scram if you don’t want to die!”
Using the same words, Yang Kai returned the exact same intent.
The cell suddenly went quiet.
The other three men hiding in the dark had their jaws drop as they stared at Yang Kai as if he was a dead man. Suddenly, one of them reacted and called out, “Not good, run! Boss Zong is definitely going to explode.”
The other two were also quite agitated as a look of horror filled their eyes, seemingly recalling some kind of hellish memories as they hurriedly moved to the outer edge of the cell.
A moment later, Zong Qi sneered and said, “You’re quite funny, but… angering Grandpa here will do you no good. I’ll give you one chance to survive: Kneel down and lick my shoes, otherwise, this time next year will be the anniversary of your death!”
“Shit!” Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing as his bad mood only got worse.
Since he entered the Starlight Corridor, he seemed to only run into one disaster after another.
First, he had met Yin Le Sheng who had attacked and tried to rob him, then he met Senior Brother Kou who had captured him and brought him back to Blue Feather Sect for no reason. After that, he met Yan Xiu Ran who wanted to steal his artifacts in front of the Bone Prison, and finally, he met this tall, brawny man…
Yang Kai suddenly discovered that, up until now, the Star Boundary was only filled with unpleasant memories.
Were all people from the Star Boundary so cruel and aggressive? Or did he just have terrible luck?
Regardless of the reason, Yang Kai’s patience had run out.
After all these repeated misfortunes, the anger in his heart had become like a raging torrent, just waiting to erupt.
This Zong Qi’s shameless provocation was like a fuse that set off all the rage Yang Kai had been building up.
So after hearing Zong Qi’s threats, Yang Kai not only wasn’t afraid, he instead grinned with interest, “If I understand what you mean, it doesn’t seem to matter if people die here, right?”
Zong Qi sneered, “This is Blue Feather Sect’s Bone Prison. What does it matter how many people die in here?”
“Understood,” Yang Kai gently nodded before suddenly raising his head and grinning fiercely, “Then it seems you’re quite unlucky!”
As soon as his voice fell, he rushed in front of Zong Qi in a single bound and threw out a punch.
This punch seemed to contain all the anger and dissatisfaction Yang Kai had pent up until this point, his rage soaring to the Heavens as his fist flew as fast as lightning.
Zong Qi was extremely proud of his burly stature and his great attainments in Body Tempering, so he did not put Yang Kai’s attacks in his eyes at all, simply sneering as he mocked, “Interesting, someone dares to provoke this Zong. I’ll crush every bone in your body as punishment!”
Saying so, he too threw out a punch to meet Yang Kai’s head-on.
When the two fists collided, the cold look on Yang Kai’s face turned into a sneer while the disdain on Zong Qi’s face rapidly changed to astonishment, then panic…
With a pitiful scream, Zong Qi’s towering figure was actually sent flying through the air as the crisp sound of the bones in his arm breaking rang out.
*Peng…*
Zong Qi hit the bone bars of the Bone Prison before falling to the ground heavily.
Before he could get up though, Yang Kai had already rushed out like a fierce tiger and mounted him before unleashing a storm of fists.
*Peng peng peng…*
Inside the Bone Prison, shockwaves from the continuous bombardment propagated, creating a war-drum-like rhythm that seemed to pound directly on people’s hearts.
Inside the Bone Prison cell, the three men who were expecting to see a good show had long gone dumbfounded, their eyes bulging as they stared at the sight in front of them in amazement.
Liu Xian Yun was also standing frozen on the spot, her heart filling with both shock as well as excitement.
This could not be helped though. In this kind of place, the stronger Yang Kai’s performance was, the safer she would be. Regardless of anything else, she was currently Yang Kai’s ally!
In the other cells, calls and shouts echoed about. The cultivators detained here were tortured year-round, which had either completely eroded their wills or stimulated their inner ferocity. Many enjoyed watching this kind of bloody fight as it gave them some entertainment in this gloomy, depressing hole.
*Peng peng peng…*
The muffled impacts continued to be heard as red blood splashed out, sometimes mixed with bits of broken bone and organs.
The commotion in the cell aroused the guards’ attention, and two Blue Feather Sect’s disciples soon came over to investigate. After they discovered that Yang Kai, the guy who had just been imprisoned, was making a display of his strength, these guards just stood by and watched with cold grins, not showing any intention to interfere. After entertaining themselves for a moment, the guards turned around and left.
Zong Qi was right about one thing: In this Blue Feather Sect Bone Prison, what did it matter if some people died? The Blue Feather Sect guards had no interest in stopping this.
As time passed, Zong Qi’s pitiful roars and howls began to fade, his curses and bravado giving way to pleas for mercy.
However, Yang Kai seemed to have devolved into a wild beast and ignored all of these cries.
Soon, Zong Qi’s groans were silenced altogether.
When Yang Kai stopped and stood up, what was left of Zong Qi lay in a puddle of bloody mud, most of his bones shattered beyond recognition, dead beyond any doubt.
Yang Kai shook off the blood staining his hands before letting out a long breath. He immediately felt refreshed as the depression in his heart was greatly lifted.
Yang Kai turned to the other three inside the cell next, causing all of them to scurry to the corner of the cell and stare back at him with clear terror filling their eyes, panicking as they worried Yang Kai would butcher them next.
They were well aware of Zong Qi’s abilities. Under the premise that everyone’s Qi was sealed inside this Bone Prison, whoever had the strongest physical body occupied the absolute advantage in a fight. All three of them had been subdued by Zong Qi previously, and even all together, they knew they were not his match.
However, this newcomer was actually able to overwhelm Zong Qi to the point where the latter couldn’t even fight back. It was easy to imagine just how powerful this boy’s body was!
There was good reason for them to be afraid.
Fortunately, Yang Kai did not seem interested in fighting anymore and simply walked to a corner of the cell and sat down cross-legged. This made the three breathe a sigh of relief, as if they had just escaped from the jaws of death.
Liu Xian Yun did not disturb Yang Kai either, realizing that his mood was still a bit unstable at the moment. Finding a place nearby, she also sat down cross-legged and began to recover her strength.
After some unknown length of time, the door of the cell was suddenly opened.
The two Blue Feather Sect guards who had shown up earlier entered the cell and with cold faces called out to Yang Kai, “Boy, get up!”
Yang Kai raised his eyes to look at them before slowly standing up.
Liu Xian Yun pulled on his clothes from behind, a worried look on her face.
Yang Kai just smiled slightly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a while. They won’t dare to kill me.”
As long as that Protector Bian whom he had never met didn’t pass judgement on him, no one in Blue Feather Sect would dare to take extreme measures. Regarding this, Yang Kai felt he should thank Protector Bian.
After comforting Liu Xian Yun, Yang Kai turned his head to the three cowering men in the cell and grinned, “If you do not want to die, don’t make a fuss. If I come back and find that you hurt a single hair on my companion’s head, you know what the consequences will be.”
The three men had been deterred by Yang Kai’s ferocity long ago, not even daring to move Zong Qi’s mashed up corpse, which was lying nearby, so how could they dare have any improper thoughts now? All three of them kept nodding their heads like chicken pecking rice.
“Still dawdling? Do you want to die? Hurry up and get out here!” The guards at the door urged impatiently.
Yang Kai spat disdainfully before he walked out of the cell.
Once outside, the two guards swept their eyes over Yang Kai for a moment before one of them sneered and said, “I heard that you made Senior Brother Yan suffer a big loss?”
“Boy, you’re quite capable, killing Zong Qi the first day you arrived. He was a nasty one. For this alone, we brothers admire you a bit.”
“But, Senior Brother Yan said that we need to ‘take care’ of you well, so don’t blame us for what comes next. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for having eyes but failing to see, provoking those who shouldn’t be provoked.”
From the way these two spoke, Yang Kai quickly understood the whole story.
As such, he did not bother responding and simply motioned for these two to lead the way.
The two guards glanced at each other and could not help but give Yang Kai a big thumbs up as they laughed deeply, “You’ve got guts!”
Soon, Yang Kai was taken to a dim cell, chained up, and tortured in various ways by the two Blue Feather Sect disciples.
It was not until half a day later that a half-dead Yang Kai was thrown back into his cell.
After seeing Yang Kai’s miserable appearance, Liu Xian Yun was deeply frightened, thinking that he would soon be dead. If Yang Kai died, she would become isolated and alone. In this kind of place, in that kind of condition, she didn’t even want to imagine what her fate would be.
However, contrary to her expectations, Yang Kai, who seemed to be on the verge of death, actually got into a cross-legged sitting position after an hour and entered a state of meditation.
By the next day, Yang Kai was once again as mighty as a dragon and fierce as a tiger. Although he looked quite dishevelled, his injuries seemed to be mostly healed, and even the scars on his body had mostly disappeared. Even the dried up blood had fallen off, revealing new, healthy-looking skin.
Liu Xian Yun found it even more difficult to see through Yang Kai as time passed and instinctively realized that he was absolutely hiding some unimaginable secrets…
This routine repeated itself for the next few days.
Yang Kai would endure the torture of the two Blue Feather Sect guards every day, then be thrown back into his cell half-dead, meditate, then restore himself.
What’s more, as time passed, Liu Xian Yun was shocked to discover that Yang Kai’s condition seemed to be changing little by little, his body actually becoming stronger and stronger. There seemed to be an unimaginable surging power coming from his frame, one that was being suppressed by some incredible force that was slowly being lifted.
In fact, this was not far from the truth!
The torture the two Blue Feather Sect guards administered to Yang Kai had actually caused the starlight he had absorbed in the Starlight Corridor to quickly merge into his physique, prompting the transformation of his Saint Qi into Source Qi.
He had absorbed an unimaginable amount of starlight in the Starlight Corridor, part of which was fused into his body, becoming a catalyst to transform his strength, but most of it had been stored away in his Knowledge Sea.
This was why, even as a Star Master, he did not give off any starlight glow.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Kai would need to slowly guide the starlight in his Knowledge Sea to integrate it into his body and promote the transformation of his Saint Qi.
But right now, his cultivation was sealed, so he was unable to complete this process on his own.
When the two Blue Feather Sect guards tortured him the first day though, Yang Kai quickly realized something.
When his physical body was damaged and then forced to repair itself, the stored starlight would actively rush out of his Knowledge Sea and pour into his physique, forcefully transforming his Saint Qi into Source Qi!
After discovering this, Yang Kai could not help feeling overjoyed.
As such, facing the repeated torture of the two guards, instead of feeling it unbearable, he was actually willing to do so, wishing they would torture him as mercilessly as possible to help speed up this process.
Time marched on and soon, ten days had passed. Yang Kai woke up from his meditation and silently sensed his physical condition before shaking his head, somewhat dissatisfied.
The slow rate at which his Saint Qi was being transformed was somewhat frustrating to him.
For an Origin King like him, the higher the proportion of Source Qi there was in his body, the higher the strength he could exert.
At this moment, only about a fifth of Yang Kai’s Saint Qi had been transformed into Source Qi, and at this rate, it would take at least another year or two to finish the conversion process.
Seeing him open his eyes, the three male prisoners in the cell all put on their best flattering smiles, but none of them dared to speak.
The brutal and overwhelming image of Yang Kai had penetrated deep into their bones and they knew that it would be simple for him to take their lives in this place. With him controlling whether they lived or died, how could they not go all out to flatter Yang Kai?
Even Liu Xian Yun was repeatedly praised and flattered by these three men over the past few days.
Although Yang Kai very much looked down on these three who bullied the weak and feared the strong, he kept them around because they were useful sources of information.
These three were able to inform him about various things regarding Blue Feather Sect and the Star Boundary as a whole.
As Yang Kai expected, Blue Feather Sect was really not a righteous Sect, but it also couldn’t be said to be an evil one. Simply put, the disciples of this Sect were unscrupulous and unruly. There was also Daybreak Pavilion nearby, which had many grievances and grudges with Blue Feather Sect, leading to constant small-scale conflicts between the two forces as they competed for resources and prestige.
Beyond Blue Feather Sect, the Star Boundary seemed to be divided into four primary territories split between south, west, north, and east. Each of these territories was unimaginably vast, to the point where even a Dao Source master could spend their entire life travelling and still not see everything in a single territory.
Within each territory, there were countless smaller provinces. Blue Feather Sect was situated in the Star Boundary’s Southern Territory, Qi Province.
Qi Province was roughly 80 million kilometres from end to end and was considered average in the Southern Territory, whether it was in terms of the number of masters or overall strength and size.
In Qi Province, forces like Blue Feather Sect were countless in number.
This information allowed Yang Kai to vividly feel the magnificence of the Star Boundary as he realized just how much wider a world it was than the Star Field. Just the words of these three had painted an epic picture before Yang Kai, causing him to yearn for that broader sky.
However, it was questionable how accurate this information was, as these three were just First-Order Origin Kings who had never even left the Qi Province before.
Still, this information was enough for Yang Kai to digest for a long time.
Right now though, Yang Kai had his brow furrowed slightly as he continued to inspect the changes inside his body.
Suddenly, Yang Kai raised his head and frowned deeply.
“Heh heh heh… kid, you’re indeed a bit unusual, even able to detect the Divine Sense of this old master!” A voice suddenly sounded in Yang Kai’s ear, one that was ethereal and untraceable.
Yang Kai remained silent as he swept his eyes around, but no matter how he looked, he was unable to notice anything from the surrounding prisoners.
“Don’t bother, this old master is locked up in the innermost depths. You can’t see me from where you’re sitting,” The voice sounded again.
After being imprisoned here for more than ten days, Yang Kai also knew that the more powerful a prisoner’s cultivation was, the deeper inside they would be imprisoned. This mysterious master said he was imprisoned in the innermost depths, so his strength obviously was not low, at least reaching the Dao Source Realm. If this weren’t the case, it would have been impossible for this master to conceal himself while still using his Divine Sense to talk to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before asking, “Who is Senior? Is there something Senior needs to discuss with me?”
“Naturally, there is something, and it’s a good deed at that,” The voice cackled. “Since you entered this place and killed Zong Qi, this old master has been paying special attention to you. If this old master is not mistaken, you have cultivated any extremely advanced Body Tempering Secret Art, yes?”
“And so?” Yang Kai frowned, not denying it. Since the other party had been paying attention to him for some time now, there was no way Yang Kai could conceal the strength of his physique.
“If so, this old master wants you to do him a favour.”
“Senior, please speak plainly.”
“This old master wants you to free him!” the voice’s master said.
Yang Kai could not help but sneer, “Senior must be joking. Junior is a prisoner himself, how is he supposed to free you?”
“Since this old master has made this request, he has a plan,” The person coldly snorted. “I can pass you the method to unlock the seals on your body and restore your strength. With your ability, as long as you can recover the use of your cultivation, no one in this Bone Prison will be able to stop you and you can easily free this old master.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s eyes could not help but brighten up.
The mysterious person quickly spoke again, “You do not want your destiny to be controlled by others, do you? This old master’s Secret Technique can definitely allow you to free yourself!”
The words were spoken in a steady tone, but they contained an almost irresistible charm. Yang Kai almost instinctually agreed, but he was shaken awake in the next moment as he realized something was wrong. This unknown figure was definitely using some kind of mental manipulation technique to influence his thinking. Snorting coldly, Yang Kai snapped, “Senior using such tricks to tempt me, don’t you feel any shame?”
The voice laughed loudly hearing this, “Boy, you’re better than I thought! En, it was this old master’s mistake, this old master will apologize to you.”
Seeing him apologize and admit his mistake so frankly left Yang Kai speechless for a while.
After a short, dumbfounded silence, Yang Kai said, “Since you have a Secret Technique to restore your strength, why not use it yourself instead of asking for Junior’s help?”
The voice snarled, “If I could use it myself, why would I be asking you for help? This old master not only has his strength sealed, he has also been shackled with chains made from Spirit Suppressing Gold by those bastards and cannot use any Secret Techniques at all. Even if this old master were to unseal his cultivation, with these Spirit Suppressing Gold chains, he wouldn’t be able to circulate any strength!”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded faintly.
Although he had never heard of Spirit Suppressing Gold, from the information revealed by this unseen master, Yang Kai could tell that it was definitely some kind of metal used to impede the flow of Source Qi, otherwise, it would have been impossible to imprison a Dao Source Realm master.
“One more question: There are so many cultivators in this Bone Prison, so why did Senior choose me? With your eyesight, it should not be difficult to see that I’m not that strong, right?” Yang Kai asked cautiously.
“This old master naturally knows what kind of cultivation you possess, and there are indeed many others in this Bone Prison who are stronger, but… Spirit Suppressing Gold is impenetrable by Source Qi, only brute force can destroy it, so this old master thinks you’re the most appropriate one to ask.”
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai understood why this man had asked him whether he cultivated some kind of extremely profound Body Tempering Secret Art, it was all because of the existence of the Spirit Suppressing Gold.
Many thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind.
Although he did not know who this person was, or what kind of strength he possessed, Yang Kai himself was currently imprisoned here and didn’t even know what kind of fate he would have tomorrow. If Protector Bian sent an order to execute him, Yang Kai was certain Yan Xiu Ran would happily carry out the sentence.
If he could really obtain the method to lift the seal on his body, he would at least be able to put up a fight and not simply be a fish on the chopping board.
As for whether or not to rescue the mysterious man, that would depend on how he felt at the time.
Seeing Yang Kai thinking through his offer over, the unknown man quickly struck while the iron was hot and said, “This old man will speak frankly with you. This old master is a Third-Order Dao Source cultivator, only one step away from the Emperor Realm. If you can save this old master, this old master will certainly compensate you handsomely!”
[A Third-Order Dao Source Realm master!] Yang Kai was shocked!
Senior Brother Kou who he had met before was nothing more than First-Order Dao Source Realm, but that was enough to totally suppress Yang Kai. If it were a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, Yang Kai imagined he could be killed on a whim.
Before knowing this person’s temperament, Yang Kai did not dare to rashly agree, he didn’t want to try to steal a chicken but end up losing the rice in the process.
“I know what you are worrying about, but you may rest assured, this old master is not deceiving you in any way. If you cannot believe this old master, he can swear an oath on his Soul!”
Yang Kai frowned, pondered for a moment, then said, “Junior can feel Senior’s sincerity, but this matter… let me think about it before giving an answer!”
“No rush, there is no rush, you can just ponder over it carefully!” The man cackled gratingly, not trying to urge him any further.
“By the way, dare I ask Senior’s name?”
“Wu Meng Chuan!”
Yang Kai silently memorised this man’s name as he began to consider the pros and cons between agreeing or not.
In fact, Yang Kai felt that agreeing right away in order to obtain that Secret Technique to lift the seal on his strength wasn’t a bad idea.
But with his current strength, even if he was restored to his peak, he wouldn’t be able to leave Blue Feather Sect. At that time, he would still need to rescue Wu Meng Chuan to make use of his Third-Order Dao Source strength.
However, there was no way to tell what Wu Meng Chuan would do to him once he was free.
As such, Yang Kai hesitated to give an answer.
Just as he was feeling indecisive, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the cell.
Yang Kai raised his head in amazement and frowned slightly.
Every day, at exactly the same time, he would be taken out by the two guards and tortured, but the hour had yet to arrive for today’s ‘session’.
Yang Kai did not know what the guards wanted with him to come early today.
A moment later, the two guards who had been responsible for torturing Yang Kai appeared at the door to the cell with a strange expression on their faces. After opening the cell, they motioned to Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun, “You two, come out!”
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun exchanged a glance but did not try to resist and simply stood up obediently.
Liu Xian Yun’s tender body trembled slightly as she subconsciously thought that she would be subjected to the same torture as Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai asked thoughtfully, “Do two friends have instructions for us?”
One of the two guards swept his eyes over Yang Kai and grinned, “It seems your luck is changing. Protector Bian wants to see you.”
“Protector Bian!” Yang Kai frowned.
Being locked here for more than ten days without any word from Protector Bian, Yang Kai thought that the other party was disinclined to even bother with him and Liu Xian Yun, but now it seems he was mistaken.
Regardless of why the other party wanted to see them, Yang Kai knew that an opportunity was about to present itself before him.
Turning to Liu Xian Yun, Yan Kai found the other party’s beautiful eyes had also lit up slightly, obviously also aware of what this change meant.
Since Protector Bian wanted to see Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun, the two Bone Prison guards did not dare disobey. Quickly entering the Bone Prison, they brought the pair out.
“Kid, the deal this old master offered will remain valid. If you have nowhere else to turn to, you can come and find this old master.”
Just when Yang Kai was about to leave the Bone Prison, Wu Meng Chuan’s voice rang in his ears again.
Yang Kai continued walking as if he hadn’t heard anything and soon departed, leaving only the envy-filled gazes of the other imprisoned cultivators in the Bone Prison behind.
Once outside, Yang Kai immediately felt a hate-filled glare being directed at him. Turning towards the source, he saw a gloomy-looking Yan Xiu Ran.
He was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Bone Prison, so of course he was here.
Yang Kai had killed and eaten his Treasure Seizing Snake, causing Yan Xiu Ran to harbour deep hatred towards Yang Kai. The torture that Yang Kai had suffered these days was all due to his instigation.
“Brat, you should thank your good luck that Protector Bian found time to see you, but don’t get too comfortable. One day, you will fall into my hands again, and then Father here will show you what a life worse than death really means!” Yan Xiu Ran Yin sneered wickedly.
Yang Kai gave him a faint, indifferent look, while he was cursing his eighteen generations of ancestors on the inside. He hated his lack of strength. If he was strong enough, he would simply kill all these Blue Feather Sect disciples on the spot.
However, he knew he did not have the strength to fight back, and it would only end miserably for him if he tried to resist, so for now, all he could do was grit his teeth and endure, turning a deaf ear to Yan Xiu Ran’s provocation.
“Good, good. Senior Brother Yan, don’t be angry. Protector Bian wants to see these two people right away, so we can’t delay,” the Bone Prison guards smiled slightly as he faintly spoke to Yan Xiu Ran before waving his hand and summoning something.
It was a flight-type artifact, but completely different from the ship that Senior Brother Kou had used. This flight-type artifact looked more like a chariot and was noticeably smaller than Senior Brother Kou’s. However, it was still big enough to easily hold five people, and gave off a threatening aura.
The owner of the chariot jumped up before immediately waving his hand and dragging Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun up as well. Soon, the chariot turned into a streamer and shot towards the centre of Blue Feather Mountain.
The journey went by silently.
Eventually, the chariot came to a certain mountain peak, at the top of which was a massive palace.
After Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun got out of the chariot, the Bone Prison guard took back his flight-type artifact before moving forward and speaking to the guards outside the palace.
“Go in, Protector Bian is waiting inside,” The palace guard did not make things difficult and simply allowed them to pass.
“Good luck to the two of you!” The Bone Prison guards did not follow, simply smiling meaningfully towards Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun before summoning the chariot again and returning the way they came.
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun looked at each other, not knowing whether this was a blessing or a curse that could not be avoided. So, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and secretly prayed that Protector Bian was not a person who was hard to talk to.
At this moment, the two of them still had their cultivations sealed and were incapable of raising a fuss in front of the Blue Feather Sect masters.
Ignoring the curious looks of the guards, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun walked into the palace step by step.
Inside the palace, at the head of a spacious hall, two people were waiting for them.
As soon as Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun appeared, the eyes of these two focused on them.
In an instant, Yang Kai tensed up as he felt like he was being thoroughly examined, an extremely uncomfortable sensation.
Looking towards the sources of these piercing gazes, Yang Kai could not help raising his brow.
He found that one of the two in the hall was the Senior Brother Kou who had captured him. He was standing next to a beautiful woman with a graceful figure and a charming visage.
This woman wore a light blue palace dress and was lazily lying on a long chair. Her hair was done up in a bun, exposing her jade white neck, and she was currently fiddling with something in her hand, a faint smile on her face as she looked at Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun with great interest.
This woman was extremely charming, a true Heavenly beauty, but Yang Kai felt a pressure from her that made him not dare look at her directly!
[Is this woman Protector Bian?] Yang Kai was shocked.
“Are these the two you caught a few days ago?” When Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun approached, the beautiful woman asked lightly.
Her voice was sweet and sensuous, to the point where it felt like it was gently caressing one’s heart, drawing out the inner desires one kept hidden within themselves.
As for who she was speaking to, it was obviously Senior Brother Kou.
Senior Brother Kou hurriedly bowed his head and lowered his eyes, as if afraid to look at this beautiful woman as he replied respectfully, “Reporting to Lady Protector, these are indeed the two who were recently captured!”
The beautiful woman nodded lightly as her elegant eyes flashed a sharp light, her red lips curving upwards slightly as she said, “Release their seals.”
Senior Brother Kou immediately formed a seal with his hand before pushing his palm towards Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun.
Two streaks of light shot out and pierced into their bodies.
In the next moment, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun both let out a slight groan as they felt their strength begin to circulate again.
“Hehe…” The beautiful woman suddenly laughed and slowly raised her jade hand under the dumbfounded gazes of Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun.
As she raised her hand though, whether it was Yang Kai or Liu Xian Yun, they both felt that something had suddenly changed in the atmosphere around them, turning it thick and tense and causing the pair’s complexions to become solemn.
Senior Brother Kou seemed to have expected this from the start and was not surprised at all, instead just observing the reactions of Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun indifferently.
The beautiful woman gently pressed her jade palm forward next, causing the surrounding World Energy to condense into a terrifying attack that covered Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun.
“What are you doing!?” Liu Xian Yun exclaimed as such hurriedly bit the top of her tongue and spat out a mouthful of her Blood Essence onto a mirror-like artifact she summoned into her hands.
As soon as the artifact appeared, it split into two, then into four, then into eight… In an instant, countless small mirrors were surrounding Liu Xian Yun, each one reflecting a brilliant blue light like the deepest ocean, releasing a powerful and imposing aura.
She knew that her opponent this time was a Dao Source Realm master, and likely a peak-level one at that, so she did not hesitate to use her strongest artifact to defend herself.
She did not even think about contending with the beautiful woman and focused solely on enduring the incoming attack.
Yang Kai also let out a roar as he pushed his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi while simultaneously flicking his ten fingers and releasing all of his Golden Blood Threads towards the sky to intercept the terrifying palm.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
With a wind-cutting sound, the Golden Blood Threads launched a barrage of attacks under Yang Kai’s control, but just like snow in the early spring encountering the scorching sun, they were all melted and blown away.
Liu Xian Yun also let out a roar of defiance as the mirrors gathered atop her and Yang Kai’s heads.
*Huala…*
The next moment, the mirrors all shattered, and Liu Xian Yun’s face turned white as she coughed up a mouthful of blood. The mirror-like artifact reverted to its original form as well, and was now only releasing a dim light.
Taking this opportunity, Yang Kai soared into the sky as he gathered all of his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi onto his hand and sliced apart what was left of the falling palm, finally dispersing its might.
Twisting mid-air, he next plunged towards the beautiful woman who was still laying down lazily on her chair.
The beautiful woman did not move at all as she just smiled lightly as Yang Kai approached.
Senior Brother Kou, who was standing behind her, made a move at that moment as he pushed his palm towards Yang Kai.
This palm seemed quite simple, but there was a violent power swirling about it and as soon as Yang Kai came into contact with it, he felt his defences being smashed through like they were made of rotten wood, unable to block any of the impact at all.
With a stuffy grunt, he was forced backwards.
Liu Xian Yun looked flustered as she felt that they were really doomed to die this time. Recognizing this reality, she grit her teeth and pushed all the strength she had as she charged towards the beautiful woman and Senior Brother Kou.
If she had to die, she would do so fighting!
“Xian Yun, stand down!” Yang Kai was still mid-air as he shouted loudly, crashing to the ground a moment later in an embarrassing state.
Hearing Yang Kai’s call, Liu Xian Yun stopped her advance, but she continued to stare warily towards the front as she maintained a battle stance.
The beautiful woman laughed happily as her beautiful eyes began scrutinizing Yang Kai again before she nodded lightly, “Kou Wu, what did I say? They really were able to block my blow, yes?”
Kou Wu heard this and bowed his head, “Milady’s vision is indeed sharp, this Kou Wu has nothing but praise!”
The beautiful woman giggled as her proud peaks trembled lightly. Pursing her lips, she waved her hand lightly and said, “Dispense with the flattery. Although this Queen only used a bit of her strength just now, the two of them being able to resist is still quite impressive.”
“It is as Milady says,” Kou Wu nodded again.
The conversation between the two was done out loud without any attempt at concealment, so Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun naturally heard it clearly. Yang Kai did not show any surprise, while Liu Xian Yun frowned slightly in dissatisfaction at being toyed with.
“You seem to have noticed, yes?” The beautiful woman turned to look at Yang Kai and asked unhurriedly.
Yang Kai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned, “If Senior really wanted to kill us, why bother bringing us here? The previous attack was obviously a test.”
The beautiful woman heard this and smiled, “You’re an interesting one little boy. Then, do you know why this Queen wanted to see you in the first place?”
Yang Kai frowned hearing this and quickly said, “Please enlighten us, Senior!”
The beautiful woman nodded, stretched out her hand, picked up two Space Rings from the table next to her, and tossed them casually towards Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun.
The two caught the Space Rings and swept them with their Divine Senses, quickly showing strange expressions on their faces.
Because they discovered that these were actually their own Space Rings, which Kou Wu had taken away earlier. What’s more, nothing at all was missing from them.
“What is Senior’s meaning?” Yang Kai frowned.
“If this Queen isn’t mistaken, you two are from one of the lower Star Fields, right?” The beautiful woman asked the two with a smile.
Liu Xian Yun wore a look of surprise as she subconsciously glanced towards Yang Kai. Thinking that his status as a Star Master had been exposed, she could not help feeling a little worried.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly, but after a little thought, he understood and asked, “Senior came to this conclusion based on the things in our Space Rings?”
“Indeed!” the beautiful woman nodded lightly, “Only a cultivator from the lower Star Fields would have so much junk in their Space Ring!”
Having all her most precious treasures be evaluated as junk made Liu Xian Yun feel quite uncomfortable, but when she thought about her opponent’s strength, status, and methods, she could not say anything. Perhaps her possessions really were trash to this woman.
On the other hand, Yang Kai did not care at all because his Space Ring was originally designed as a type of camouflage to deceive others and really didn’t have anything precious inside it. Compared to the items stored away in his Sealed World Bead, it was not an exaggeration to say the things in his ring were trash. Smiling indifferently, he continued to ask, “In that case, are the suspicions against us cleared?”
The suspicions he mentioned were naturally related to them possibly being Daybreak Pavilion spies.
The beautiful woman smiled lightly, “En, but this Queen is curious, which Star Field are you from?”
“Grand Desolation Star Field!” Yang Kai replied without hesitation.
Liu Xian Yun felt some surprise but showed nothing on her face.
“Oh…” The beautiful woman raised her brow thoughtfully, “I have heard of that Star Field. It seems there is a Sect here in the Star Boundary that is related to them.”
“Is Senior referring to the Netherworld Sect? We are not from the Netherworld Sect,” Yang Kai didn’t know whether the other party was testing her or simply curious, so he simply responded accordingly before smiling coldly, “On the contrary, we have some grudges with the people from the Netherworld Sect.”
“Is that so?” The beautiful woman looked at Yang Kai with a faint smile, her pair of beautiful eyes exuding a strange light, as if trying to pierce into Yang Kai’s heart to see if he was being honest or not.
“En, in the Starlight Corridor, we were ambushed by people from the Netherworld Sect,” Yang Kai snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with undisguised hatred, as if the Netherworld Sect was his irreconcilable enemy.
The beautiful woman nodded and said nothing.
Pondering for a moment, she eventually said, “Since you are not spies from Daybreak Pavilion, and you are from the lower Star Fields, this Queen will give you two choices.”
“Please elaborate!”
“One, leave my Blue Feather Sect now, the further the better!” The beautiful woman put up a single jade white finger and smiled softly.
Hearing her say this, Liu Xian Yun expression could not help changing as she almost instinctually agreed, but before she spoke, she glanced over at Yang Kai subconsciously and found that his expression was actually still indifferent, so she quickly swallowed down her words.
“And the second choice?” Yang Kai asked.
“Second, join my Blue Feather Sect and become my Blue Feather Sect’s disciples. Although my Blue Feather Sect is not the biggest in the Southern Territory, it still has a stable foundation. By joining, you can gain a foothold in this land and also have a place of refuge. If you encounter any problems in your cultivation, this Queen can also answer one or two questions for you.”
“Is such a good deed really an option?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he heard this and seemed to be extremely excited.
The beautiful woman smiled without speaking, seemingly quite satisfied with Yang Kai’s attitude.
Yang Kai thought for a while before knitting his brow and asking, “I have another question.”
“Speak!” The beautiful woman raised her chin slightly, her expression aloof and arrogant.
“Our strength is not worth mentioning, so why does Senior want to recruit us into her Sect?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
The beautiful woman covered her mouth lightly and smiled, “Because you are from the lower Star Fields. Cultivators like you are all worth training; it is just a pity neither of you is a Star Master. If you were Star Masters, this Queen would give you even more care.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
This was something Liu Xian Yun had mentioned to him before, that cultivators from the lower Star Fields all required genius-level aptitude in order to simply reach the Star Boundary. Once they arrived, they would become popular recruitment targets by big Sects, even if they weren’t Star Masters.
This beautiful woman’s explanation was reasonable.
“So, what will you choose?” The beautiful woman looked at Yang Kai and asked.
“What other choice is there? Naturally, we want to join the Blue Feather Sect!” Yang Kai did not even think about it before agreeing, immediately turning his head and asking, “Xian Yun, what do you think?”
Liu Xian Yun looked dazed, never having expected that Yang Kai would decide this matter so hastily, leaving her somewhat at a loss about how to respond.
However, after meeting eyes with Yang Kai’s briefly, Liu Xian Yun nodded, “If that is Brother Yang’s intention, I will join too!”
The beautiful woman heard this and smiled brightly before standing up from her chair and saying, “Good. From now on you will be disciples of my Blue Feather Sect, temporarily under the jurisdiction of this Queen. Kou Wu, take them down and arrange a place for them to stay. Make sure they cultivate diligently so as not to disappoint this Queen’s expectations.”
After saying what she wanted to, the beautiful woman turned around and left.
Kou Wu respectfully bowed.
After the beautiful woman left, Kou Wu looked at Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun with a smile and said, “So from now on, everyone will be fellow brothers and sisters. Senior Brother hasn’t asked you your names yet?”
“Yang Kai greets Senior Brother Kou,” Yang Kai cupped his fists with a grin, appearing quite open and friendly.
Although Liu Xian Yun felt a bit awkward, she too quickly reported her name.
After learning the names of the two, Kou Wu said, “So it is Junior Brother Yang and Junior Sister Liu. Senior Brother has offended you two a few days ago, but please don’t take it to heart. Senior Brother was simply performing his duties.”
“Senior Brother Kou is too polite. The previous incident was our fault for being careless, Senior Brother need not blame himself.”
Kou Wu nodded before beckoning to them, “Follow me, I’ll take you to your accommodations so you can get settled in and familiarize yourselves with the environment. While our Blue Feather Sect is not a peak-level existence, it’s also not bad.”
A short time later, after reaching the bottom of the mountain, Kou Wu pointed to the two adjacent wooden houses and said, “These will be your residences for the time being. Each house has a barrier protecting it and requires an Identity Token to enter and exit. As for those tokens, someone will bring them to you in two days. It would be best if you stay here until you obtain your Identity Tokens, otherwise, you might encounter some difficulties if you go out without them.”
“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded and said, “Then what should we do from now on, Senior Brother Kou?”
Kou Wu smiled upon hearing these words and said, “There’s no need to do anything specific for the time being, just cultivate well. If a mission comes up that you need to participate in, I will inform you. In addition, we are under the jurisdiction of Protector Bian, so we need not pay any attention to anyone else, just following Milady’s orders will suffice. Good, that is all for today.”
Having said so, Kou Wu turned to leave.
Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out, “Senior Brother Kou!”
“What else do you want to ask?” Kou Wu frowned, seemingly growing impatient.
Yang Kai leaned closer and asked in a low voice, “Senior Brother Kou, Senior Protector’s cultivation…”
Kou Wu smiled meaningfully, “Third-Order Dao Source Realm, but you need not concern yourself with that for now. Just cultivate diligently.”
“What Senior Brother says is correct!” Yang Kai nodded appreciatively.
After Kou Wu left and only Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun remained, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly turned cold as he signalled to Liu Xian Yun and walked towards one of the wooden houses.
Liu Xian Yun followed closely behind.
The layout of the house was quite simple: One bed, one table, and one chair. Although it seemed to have been vacant for a long time, it was spotless, so the barrier around it appeared to be working properly.
After Yang Kai took a seat, he released his Divine Sense and checked around to confirm no one was eavesdropping before saying, “You want to ask me why I agreed to join Blue Feather Sect, right?”
Liu Xian Yun thought for a moment before saying, “I did wonder why at first, but after some thought, I understood that this was probably the only chance we have to survive!”
“En, even though that Protector Bian gave us two choices, who knows what the consequences of choosing the first option would have been? You also saw what kind of behaviour these Blue Feather Sect people have. They’re certainly not kind people,” Yang Kai sighed.
Liu Xian Yun also smiled bitterly, “I didn’t expect it would be like this when I entered the Star Boundary. If I had only known…”
“It’s useless to regret now, we just need to take one step at a time. As long as we become strong enough, why would we need to fear anyone here?” Yang Kai sneered.
“I suppose so…” Liu Xian Yun smiled bitterly. “Since that’s the case, I’ll go take a rest first.”
“En.”
Over the next few days, everything was peaceful.
Because he had not received his Identity Token yet, Yang Kai didn’t dare to walk around at will and just remained inside his house to cultivate.
Without the seal on his cultivation, the speed at which his Saint Qi transformed into Source Qi increased greatly.
Yang Kai already vaguely felt that he was about to touch the threshold of the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
Before entering the Star Field, he had spent several years cultivating in the Dead Zone outside Shadowed Star, using the omnipresent Emperor Pressure to increase his comprehension of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way, which benefited him greatly. Later, he had accumulated much in the Starlight Corridor, so he was now fully confident he could break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
But he was not in a hurry.
After all, as newcomers that joined Blue Feather Sect, if his performance was too eye-catching, it would likely attract unnecessary trouble.
Therefore, Yang Kai chose to focus on allowing his body to absorb the starlight he had collected and transforming his Saint Qi into Source Qi instead, before striving for a breakthrough.
A few days later, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun’s Identity Tokens were brought over by Kou Wu. With these Identity Tokens, the two of them had truly become disciples of the Blue Feather Sect, and besides a few restricted areas, they were free to walk around.
Yang Kai took this opportunity to tour around and get acquainted with a number of Blue Feather Sect’s disciples. Regardless of their temperaments, what Yang Kai was able to tell was that among the Origin Kings here, all of them were natives of the Star Boundary.
After some inquiries, Yang Kai learned some good information.
There was no Emperor Realm master in Blue Feather Sect!
There were only five Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, of which, Bian Yu Qing was one.
This was similar to his original estimates. After learning that Bian Yu Qing was at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, Yang Kai had figured that even if there was an Emperor here in Blue Feather Sect, there would be only one or two, and their cultivations wouldn’t be high!
Because a Protector of a Sect would normally represent the highest strength and combat power of that force.
In addition to Bian Yu Qing, there were four other Third-Order Dao Source Realm masters, one of whom was the Sect Master while the others were also Protectors. The four protectors each occupied one of the four main peaks in the Sect and generally did not interfere with one another’s affairs.
Time flew by and soon it had been more than a month since Yang Kai had arrived in Blue Feather Sect.
Over the past month, he had basically learned the general situation inside the Sect, and during this time, besides cultivating, his life with Liu Xian Yun was calm and steady. No one came looking for trouble with them and the Sect did not issue them any tasks.
Based on this situation, choosing to join Blue Feather Sect was actually a good choice. At least they had a place to stay.
But Yang Kai knew that this was only temporary.
Anyone who joined a Sect would eventually have to contribute to that Sect. The reason why he and Liu Xian Yun could spend their time leisurely now was that the Blue Feather Sect was facing no great difficulties. Once the Blue Feather Sect encountered foreign enemies or some other crisis, Yang Kai knew that lower disciples like himself would be forced to participate in the battle.
He had no sense of belonging to the Blue Feather Sect, so he was unwilling to risk his life for such a Sect.
What’s more, Yang Kai always felt that he and Liu Xian Yun were secretly being observed, but this was obvious since they had only just joined the Sect and were still being evaluated.
Yang Kai did not care too much about this, and he and Liu Xian Yun didn’t show anything too out of the ordinary during this period. Both of them were always well-behaved, so even if they were being monitored, they didn’t reveal any of their secrets.
In Blue Feather Sect, there was a lively shopping district where Blue Feather Sect disciples exchanged materials or purchased things. In this shopping district, some places occupied large areas of land and had easy access to the main roads, but these places were all occupied by the most powerful and influential factions. As for the common disciples, they had to settle for using the more remote areas.
Early in the morning, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun would come to the shopping district and walk to a relatively remote spot, where a humble-looking shop stood.
Outside the shop, there were already more than thirty cultivators lined up, and seeing Yang Kai arrive, they all cupped their fists and greeted him, “Good morning, Junior Brother Yang.”
“Junior Brother Yang, please hurry and open the shop! We have been waiting for you for a long time already.”
“Junior Brother Yang, I was here first today, help me first!”
All of these cultivators were basically Origin Kings, with a few Origin Returning Realm cultivators mixed in, but all of them wore the same friendly smile on their faces as they took the initiative to greet Yang Kai.
Yang Kai wore a business-like smile on his face and cupped his fists to the line, “Many thanks, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, for waiting for so long. Junior Brother will begin right away.”
Saying so, he walked straight towards the shop.
At that moment, a beautiful and enchanting young woman walked up in a sultry manner and without any scruples about the eyes staring at her, directly took Yang Kai’s arm and pressed it between her luscious peaks before exhaling a light orchid scent into his ear and whispering, “Junior Brother, forget about them and help Senior Sister here refine a furnace of Nine Revolutions Origin Spirit Pills, Senior Sister wants to hurry back and cultivate.”
“Uh… this Senior Sister, the shop has rules, and it is important to maintain a first-come-first-served policy,” Yang Kai frowned as he freed his arm from this enchantress’ grip.
The young woman did not give up though and continued to press Yang Kai, “Don’t worry about that, Senior Sister will go and talk to them, I’d like to see if they dare disagree. If Junior Brother can help Senior Sister first, Senior Sister can…”
Leaning in closer, she whispered a few words into Yang Kai’s ear as her eyes flashed a shy yet seductive look that was obvious to all.
“Really?” Yang Kai’s eyes burst out with green light as an excited expression appeared on his face.
“Hmph!” To the side, Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face went cold as she glared at Yang Kai contemptuously, a meaningful snort escaping her lips.
Yang Kai gave a dry laugh before stretching out his hand and gently caressing the young woman’s assets before he said with a look of regret, “Senior Sister, Junior Brother can’t break the rules, but… if Senior Sister wants to, perhaps she could come visit Junior Brother’s humble home so we can have a good chat.”
Seeing that her attempts were all meaningless, the young woman immediately spat disdainfully and snorted, “You won’t even do this small favour? Meany!”
Saying so, she flung Yang Kai’s arm away before shooting Liu Xian Yun a vicious look, as if to blame her for ruining her own good deed.
Liu Xian Yun’s expression remained indifferent as she pulled out a signboard from her Space Ring and set it down forcefully before declaring coldly, “Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, please line up for your Alchemy requests in order. The fee for service is as written here. Please have the required ingredients for the Spirit Pill you require refined prepared in advance. If the refining fails, there will be no refunds!”
Everything she said was already written on the signboard, so there was no need for her to deliberately repeat it, but she still took the time to do so.
While she was speaking, Yang Kai had already entered the shop and took out his Purple Origin Furnace, closed his eyes, and prepared to start the day’s work.
After more than a month of getting along, his relationship with Liu Xian Yun had become quite harmonious. In this unfamiliar Star Boundary, although the two were not from the same Star Field and didn’t know much about one another, having similar situations allowed them to bond.
Just a few days after arriving in Blue Feather Sect, the two discovered a problem: They could not obtain any cultivation resources!
Although they were already disciples of the Blue Feather Sect, the Sect would not distribute cultivation resources to the disciples for no reason. If you wanted to obtain resources, you had to pay the Sect for them or find a way to get some yourself.
For Origin Kings, Saint Crystals were essentially useless. The energy stored in Saint Crystals could not meet the needs of an Origin King.
In the Star Boundary, there was a special resource called Source Crystals that replaced Saint Crystals.
The energy stored in Source Crystals was countless times richer than Saint Crystals, so even Origin Kings or Dao Source Realm cultivators could use them to cultivate.
Like Saint Crystals, Source Crystals were divided into high, mid, and low grade. The exchange ratio between each grade was one to ten, and they were used as hard currency between cultivators!
In other words, if Yang Kai wanted to speed up his cultivation, he needed to find a way to earn Source Crystals to buy resources.
However, he was unfamiliar with this place and did not know what to do in order to earn resources.
After discovering the existence of this shopping district though, Yang Kai came up with the idea of performing Alchemy in order to earn some Source Crystals.
He was an Origin King Grade Alchemist that had inspired the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, so although his technique and talent were inferior to a genius like Xia Ning Chang, they were by no means weak.
Origin King Grade Alchemists in his native Star Field were extremely extraordinary existences.
But in the Star Boundary, they were quite common.
As such, Yang Kai did not need to worry about drawing attention to himself as long as he didn’t show too much of his real skill. What’s more, the identity of Alchemist would increase his worth and, in a disguised way, improve his and Liu Xian Yun’s safety somewhat.
After considering the gains and losses, Yang Kai did not hesitate anymore and set up a shop in the shopping district after discussing with Liu Xian Yun.
The first few days were extremely difficult.
No one dared hand over their precious herbs to him.
After all, the cultivation materials acquired by these Blue Feather Sect disciples were done so by risking their lives; who would dare hand over their hard-earned gains to an unknown and unproven Junior Brother? What’s more, there was already more than one Alchemist offering Alchemy services in this shopping district, so there was no need to risk losing everything by trusting Yang Kai.
After three days, Yang Kai did not even have a single customer, causing him and Liu Xian Yun to become somewhat desperate.
On the fourth day, Yang Kai grit his teeth and wrote on his signboard that he would be performing Alchemy for free and would offer full compensation if the refining failed.
Once this advertisement went up, someone was finally willing to give him a chance.
In any case, even if the refinement failed, they would be compensated in full, so it did not matter if they gave him a try.
While Yang Kai was refining the first Spirit Pill, Liu Xian Yun felt as anxious as an ant on a hot wok.
After all, she and Yang Kai do not even have a single piece of Source Crystal now, which meant that they wouldn’t be able to compensate their customer at all if the refining failed.
Waiting for an hour felt like an entire year.
In the end, though, Yang Kai succeeded!
Moreover, the refined Origin King Grade Spirit Pill was of extremely high quality, causing the client to be very satisfied! When the pill was successfully refined, a rich pill fragrance spread out across half the nearby street.
The man who received his pill praised Yang Kai’s ability liberally and promised that if he ever wanted Alchemy services again in the future, he would definitely come to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai generously accepted his praise before requesting that this young man spread the word about his Alchemy services.
The Blue Feather Sect disciple who had just picked up a bargain naturally agreed.
That day, Yang Kai refined three furnaces of pills, all of which were successful and of high quality.
The next day, Yang Kai refined eight furnaces…
On the third day, the cultivators who came to look for Alchemy from Yang Kai had formed a long line before he even arrived.
Yang Kai immediately asked Liu Xian Yun to replace the free Alchemy signboard with clearly marked prices about how many Source Crystals would be charged per pill!
One month of hard work allowed Yang Kai to accumulate a lot of Source Crystals, and more importantly, his name began to spread throughout the shopping district. Almost all the Blue Feather Sect disciples who came to the shopping district for Alchemy now knew there was a humble shop in this remote corner where a Junior Brother with exceptional skill had appeared. Not only was the probability of failure extremely low, but the quality of the refined pills was always top-notch.
Those who wanted to ask for Alchemy naturally began to flock here, causing this small out-of-the-way shop to become quite lively.
Yang Kai also exercised proper restraint, never refining Spirit Pills that formed Pill Veins and deliberately failing in the refinements from time to time.
This way, he could hide his true accomplishments in the Alchemic Dao.
A few years ago, when he had caused the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone to sound on Water Moon Star, Yang Kai’s comprehension and ability in the Alchemic Dao had been greatly enhanced. Now, his handling of Alchemy was far more dexterous than before, and the various herbs seemed to dance in his hands.
His Alchemy methods now coincided with the Alchemic Dao itself, reaching a realm that few humans could ever hope to attain.
As for Liu Xian Yun, she was responsible for receiving cultivators who came to ask for pills outside, delivering the herbs into the shop, and taking out the refined Spirit Pills to the waiting customers.
The two performed their own duties with flawless cooperation.
After returning from work every night, Yang Kai would give Liu Xian Yun thirty percent of the earnings from the day.
In fact, according to Liu Xian Yun’s original idea, she was not even qualified to take ten percent; after all, Yang Kai was the one performing Alchemy while she was only responsible for receiving customers.
But Yang Kai insisted on giving her thirty percent of the profits, making her extremely grateful for his generosity.
Before he started performing Alchemy, Yang Kai made sure to inquire a little bit about the Star Boundary’s Alchemy standards in the shopping district from the Blue Feather Sect disciples he had met.
He found that the Star Boundary’s Alchemic Dao was extremely advanced, on a different level entirely to the Star Field.
Among other things, Pill Condensing was common in the Star Boundary, with an average Alchemist able to condense at least two or three pills from a single set of ingredients, unlike in the Star Field where one was the standard.
The reason for this was that Pill Condensing Arts and Techniques were widely publicised in the Star Boundary and any qualified Alchemist was qualified to study them.
However, there was an upper limit to the number of pills which could ultimately be condensed from a single furnace of materials.
The furnace of Origin Grade Mid-Rank Vibrant Monarch Spirit Pills Yang Kai was currently refining was not difficult for him to successfully complete, and if he went all out, there was even a good chance to produce a few pills that formed Pill Veins.
This Spirit Pill consumed seventeen different raw materials and was not too difficult to refine, but even the greatest of Alchemist would only be able to produce nine pills during the final Pill Condensing.
Nine was the limit for this furnace of Vibrant Monarch Spirit Pills. This would be true even if it was an Emperor Grade Alchemist taking action.
Different Spirit Pills with different pill recipes had different upper limits to the number of pills which could be condensed.
If one wants to condense the maximum number of Origin King Grade Mid-Rank Spirit Pills from a single furnace, they would need to at least be a Dao Source Grade Alchemist.
As for Yang Kai, his current limit was six!
While performing Alchemy this past month, Yang Kai had also constantly been familiarizing himself with the Pill Condensing Technique he had obtained from the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, causing his skills to improve noticeably.
In less than an hour, the Vibrant Monarch Spirit Pills, which were able to quickly restore the Source Qi of an Origin King, were completed with a total of six pills being condensed!
Yang Kai stuffed three of them into his Space Ring before tossing the remaining three into a jade bottle he had prepared.
The Spirit Pills in the jade bottle were for the client, as three were enough to meet that person’s needs. As for the extra Spirit Pills, Yang Kai pocketed them.
This way, over the past month, Yang Kai had not only gained many Source Crystals, but also a variety of Spirit Pills for various purposes. If he were to sell out all his stock, it would definitely earn him a small fortune.
Unfortunately, he could only refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills at the moment, as no one would provide him with Dao Source Grade materials to practice with. Otherwise, Yang Kai would have liked to try his hand to see if he had reached that level.
Sealing the jade bottle, Yang Kai casually played with it for a moment as he felt it really was easy for Alchemists to earn resources.
Just when he was about to go out and meet with Liu Xian Yun outside to complete the transaction though, Liu Xian Yun’s soft shout rang in his ears, followed by a loud clattering sound.
Yang Kai’s face sank as he quickly got up and rushed out of the shop.
When he arrived outside, Yang Kai scanned his eyes around only to see Liu Xian Yun standing nearby with an ugly expression on her face. The signboard, which had originally been placed in front of her, had been thrown to the ground and stomped on by a cultivator wearing a Blue Feather Sect uniform, turning it into bits and pieces of broken wood.
Outside the shop, all the cultivators who had been waiting in line for Alchemy frowned one by one and spread out to observe from a distance.
Seeing Yang Kai appear, Liu Xian Yun seemed to have found a backer and ran towards him quickly.
“What happened?” Yang Kai frowned and asked.
He had been occupying this spot with Liu Xian Yun for almost a month now and had not provoked anyone as far as he could remember, so he couldn’t figure out why someone had come today and smashed his signboard.
“They said there was a problem with the pill you refined,” Liu Xian Yun came up to Yang Kai and said in a low voice.
“What kind of problem?” Yang Kai raised his brow and scanned the opposite side.
“They didn’t make it clear and just began smashing things when they arrived,” Liu Xian Yun grit her teeth as a trace of confusion flashed across her face while she stared aggrievedly at the signboard which was being stepped on by the cultivator in front of her.
Because Yang Kai was generously giving her thirty percent of the profits from their cooperation, even though she could not help him in Alchemy, Liu Xian Yun had been doing her best to fulfil her own role, especially when it came to taking care of this signboard.
From the design of the signboard to each and every character which was written on it, she had meticulously created every detail. Every night, after she took down the signboard, she would wipe it down carefully to ensure it was not the least bit dirty before carefully storing it in her Space Ring.
She felt this was the least she could do to help Yang Kai.
But now, the signboard filled with her painstaking effort and care had been smashed, causing Liu Xian Yun to feel extremely dissatisfied.
“They didn’t say what was wrong and just began smashing things?” Yang Kai raised his brows while coldly snorting to himself, realizing that even though he had done his best not to stand out this past month, he had obviously caught someone’s eye or perhaps cut into someone else’s profits. Otherwise, how could such a scene have happened?
“Are you the Alchemist here?” On the opposite side, the cultivator who was stepping on the signboard looked at Yang Kai arrogantly, with a cold smile on his face as he asked in a pointed manner.
“Indeed. Dare I ask how this Senior Brother is called?” Yang Kai looked at the other party indifferently.
“Chu Fei, a disciple under Protector Zhu!”
Yang Kai brow rose, knowing that the Protector Zhu that was mentioned was Zhu Jun Shan, one of the Protectors of Blue Feather Sect. This man had the same cultivation as Bian Yu Qing, Third-Order Dao Source Realm, and was not someone Yang Kai could currently challenge.
The four Protectors did not have a harmonious relationship with one another, and if it weren’t for the Sect Master suppressing the conflicts, it was likely that the Blue Feather Sect would have already fallen into chaos. However, it was also precisely because of this that the lower disciples did not have peaceful relationships.
In this Sect, there were many private and public disputes between the lower disciple factions, with fights often causing injuries or even disabilities.
When Yang Kai heard that the other party was a disciple under Protector Zhu, he knew that this person was here to make trouble.
“So it is Senior Brother Chu, dare I ask why Senior Brother has broken Junior Brother’s signboard?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
“Don’t play dumb in front of this Chu. Are you seriously trying to say you don’t know what you did wrong?” Chu Fei coldly snorted as he said in a stern tone.
Yang Kai, however, just shook his head and said, “Junior Brother only entered the Sect a month ago and does not recall offending Senior Brother Chu in any way, so I hope Senior Brother can clarify his actions today!”
Chu Fei chuckled, nodded, and said, “Of course, since you’ve said as much, then Senior Brother will make you understand!”
Saying so, he waved his hand and shouted, “Bring him!”
Immediately, a couple of cultivators came out from behind Chu Fei carrying a stretcher. On the stretcher was a man who looked extremely miserable. His aura was fluctuating chaotically while his eyes were bulged and bloodshot. He was also spouting some cruel and miserable cries randomly from his mouth.
Even as he lay on the stretcher, this man was clearly struggling, but his body was bound by the barrier so that he was unable to move.
“Cultivation Dissonance! He’s experienced Cultivation Dissonance!” The onlookers exclaimed.
The situation of this cultivator lying on a stretcher was obviously the result of dissonance in his cultivation, most likely caused by something going wrong in his secluded cultivation and sending his strength running wild. If his condition was not treated promptly, he would likely degenerate into a cripple.
However, Cultivation Dissonance was extremely difficult to resolve; only if a master with far greater strength and ability took action could this situation be remedied.
This was a situation all cultivators feared encountering as once they did, it could very well lead to their destruction.
“Junior Brother, do you recognize this person?” Chu Fei asked Yang Kai coldly as he pointed to the man lying on the stretcher.
Yang Kai cast him a glance before nodding slightly, “I have an impression of him. If I recall correctly, he came to ask for Alchemy five days ago.”
As soon as this remark came out, Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face turned pale.
She was no fool and vaguely guessed what was about to happen, so she couldn’t help looking at Yang Kai worriedly.
“So Junior Brother admits it,” Chu Fei sneered. “Junior Brother Jiang here is a talented man and reached the Second-Order Origin King at a young age. His future was simply boundless and was praised by Protector Zhu over and over again as one of the rising stars of our Blue Feather Sect.”
“And?” Yang Kai looked at Chu Fei indifferently.
Chu Fei’s face became cold as he said grimly, “But he was ruined by your hands! Junior Brother, what do you have to say?”
“Senior Brother surely jests,” Yang Kai chuckled and said. “This Senior Brother Jiang is clearly experiencing Cultivation Dissonance, how is that my fault?”
“You still refuse to admit fault? How could a dissonance in his cultivation have occurred if he had not taken that Spirit Pill you refined? You just said yourself that he obtained a pill from your hands five days ago!” Chu Fei shouted sharply.
Hearing what Chu Fei said, the faces of the onlookers suddenly changed; after all, they were all waiting here for Alchemy services from Yang Kai. If the Spirit Pills refined by Yang Kai really had problems, how could they dare seek him out?
Instantly, they began to feel a little grateful. Fortunately, Chu Fei had come at this time, otherwise, they might have ended up like Junior Brother Jiang.
“While it’s true he came to ask for pills from me five days ago, that doesn’t mean his Cultivation Dissonance has anything to do with me. Perhaps his own foundation was unstable, or he recklessly tried to achieve something beyond his means. Cultivation Dissonance can be caused by many things. Isn’t Senior Brother slandering me without any evidence unjustified?” Yang Kai looked at Chu Fei coldly.
The other party was just a Third-Order Origin King, so Yang Kai had no reason to fear him at all. The only thing that worried Yang Kai was whether someone was pulling the strings behind this Chu Fei.
It was impossible for Chu Fei to come and seek trouble with him for no reason. Regarding Spirit Pills, several other Alchemists and shops provided Alchemy services in this shopping district, but each of these establishments was managed by Blue Feather Sect directly and had no relationship with the several Protectors.
“Senior Brother isn’t slandering you. Junior Brother Jiang came to ask for pills five days ago, then after returning entered retreat right away to cultivate. As a result, he suddenly experienced dissonance in his cultivation a few days later. Now, he has become like this. Do not say that this is just a coincidence. Protector Zhu said that Junior Brother Jiang’s talent was first class, so how could his foundation possibly be unstable? Apart from a problem with your Spirit Pills, there is no other explanation!”
“That’s right! Senior Brother Jiang looked so happy after he received those pills that day, even bragging he had picked up a great bargain. I tried to persuade him to find someone to verify the quality of those pills first but he was too anxious to enter retreat. As it turns out, they really were cheap quality goods! I never could have imagined Senior Brother Jiang would encounter such a serious problem only a few days into his retreat!” A Blue Feather Sect disciple who had been with Chu Fei chimed in suddenly.
The shopping district was extremely lively, with people coming and going constantly, so although the store rented by Yang Kai was located in a remote corner, the incident here naturally attracted countless onlookers.
The ones who arrived later did not know the whole story and only saw the miserable appearance of the cultivator surnamed Jiang. After realizing how dark his future would be, they all felt sorrowful and glared at Yang Kai as if he really was a fraud. Many even swore that they would warn their friends not to trust this sham Alchemist when they left.
Of course, some people realized that the situation was not as simple as it first appeared, but in Blue Feather Sect, most disciples were indifferent to others, and since none had any friendship with Yang Kai, they didn’t take the initiative to stand up and draw fire towards themselves.
Yang Kai saw how the situation was developing and knew that if this matter wasn’t resolved properly today, he would never be able to earn Source Crystals from Alchemy here again. That in and of itself was not a great misdemeanour, but what the other party was planning as a follow-up to this conspiracy was not something Yang Kai could simply ignore.
“You… do you have any evidence to prove that this Senior Brother Jiang’s Cultivation Dissonance was caused by the Spirit Pill refined by Brother Yang?” Liu Xian Yun asked through gritted teeth, but even her attempts here seemed quite feeble and desperate.
Chu Fei sneered, “With Junior Brother Jiang in this condition, what more evidence is needed?”
Liu Xian Yun was speechless for a moment as she turned anxiously to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before saying, “Five days ago, this Senior Brother Jiang came to me to refine an Emperor Blood Yang Pill. This kind of Spirit Pill is used to supplement one’s vitality, perhaps it is related to some Secret Technique Senior Brother Jiang is cultivating. I gave him four Spirit Pills at that time. Might I ask if there are any of those pills remaining? If there are, we can simply ask another of the Sect’s Alchemy Grandmasters to confirm whether my Spirit Pill has any problems.”
Liu Xian Yun’s beautiful eyes lit up and quickly nodded, “That’s right, if there are any remaining Spirit Pills, we can verify their efficacy.”
Chu Fei snorted, “All the Spirit Pills were taken by Junior Brother Jiang, how do you want to handle things now?”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, “Since Senior Brother Chu cannot produce any evidence to back up his claims, then it is pure slander. As such, forgive Junior Brother for not being able to do anything. Senior Brothers, please take your leave now, it won’t be too late to discuss this again when you have some kind of proof.”
Saying so, Yang Kai turned around to enter the shop.
The other party was clearly trying to make trouble for him, so Yang Kai did not want to bother dealing with them again.
“You want to just walk away?” When Chu Fei saw the attitude of Yang Kai, he was furious and shouted, “Murder must be paid for with one’s life, and all debts require their due, you think you can harm Junior Brother Jiang like this and just leave? How can something so outrageous act possibly be allowed?”
Yang Kai turned his head, looked at Chu Fei with a smile, and said coldly, “What does Senior Brother Chu think we should do then?”
“Follow me back to Protector Zhu to accept your punishment!” Chu Fei shouted.
“Nonsense, I am one of Protector Bian’s disciples! Even if punishment is due, it would be up to Protector Bian to mete it out, what business is it of Protector Zhu?”
“Bold! How dare you speak so disrespectfully of Sir Protector! If such arrogance is tolerated just after you joined the Sect, how wild will you be later? This Senior Brother will teach you a good lesson about how to behave like a proper Junior Brother!”
Chu Fei had come here in order to make trouble, and now he had finally found a reason to act, so how could he hold himself back? After shouting righteously, he charged at Yang Kai, reaching out to seize him.
A powerful Origin King Domain burst out and completely enveloped Yang Kai, trying to suppress him in place and causing the surrounding space to become extremely viscous.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he also pushed his Domain to resist his opponent’s while at the same time a golden light flickered from his hand as dozens of Golden Blood Threads shot out and condensed into a whip that slashed through the air towards Chu Fei.
Space seemed to be split in half as the shocking vitality contained in the gleaming Golden Blood Whip shot out like a viper, causing all who witnessed it to shiver unconsciously.
Chu Fei was also taken aback.
He thought that the other party was just a Second-Order Origin King Junior Brother who had only entered the Sect recently and could be easily dealt with by a Third-Order Origin King like himself. However, the instant Yang Kai fought back, Chu Fei realized something was wrong.
Not only was his opponent’s Domain not weaker than his own, it actually seemed stronger, able to completely nullify the suppression of his own Domain.
What’s more, the surging aura which came from this seemingly casual counterattack showed that this Junior Brother had transformed a significant amount of his Saint Qi into Source Qi, otherwise, it would have been impossible for Chu Fei to feel such pressure against a cultivator who was a Minor Realm lower in cultivation.
The Golden Blood Thread whip that was rapidly approaching him caused a chill to shoot up Chu Fei’s spine and without even hesitating he opened his palm in front of him and summoned out a mirror-like artifact. A profound light shone from this mirror and formed a light shield between Chu Fei and the Golden Blood Thread whip.
*Pa…*
With a snap, the Golden Blood Thread whip impacted the light shield and was deflected, failing to injure Chu Fei at all.
[This mirror can actually divert my attack?]
[But if that’s all…]
A smirk appeared at the corner of Yang Kai’s lips.
The deflected Golden Blood Thread whip suddenly twisted and transformed into a golden python with glowing red eyes and fangs. Hissing furiously, this golden python shot towards and rapidly wrapped around Chu Fei, capturing him in an instant before it bit into his neck.
Chu Fei cried out in pain, and before he could compose himself, Yang Kai had already arrived right in front of him. Covered in five-coloured light, Yang Kai brought down his fist onto Chu Fei’s face like a great hammer.
Chu Fei instinctively tried to resist but was shocked to discover he was powerless to do so. His opponent’s strange golden python Secret Technique and extremely overbearing Domain had fully suppressed him, making it difficult for him to even circulate his strength.
*Hong…*
With a muffled bang, Chu Fei was sent flying, tumbling several times through the air before smashing into the ground.
The audience immediately went into an uproar! Everyone’s heart shook wildly as they stared dumbfounded at this battle.
The fight between Yang Kai and Chu Fei started and ended so fast that they might have missed it if they blinked. Even Liu Xian Yun, who was standing right beside Yang Kai, was unable to help because Chu Fei had already been knocked out by the time she assumed an attacking stance.
There was simply no room for her to intervene!
Her heart filled with shock as her beautiful eyes stared at Yang Kai tremblingly. She was stunned to discover that, Yang Kai was much more powerful compared to when she saw him in the Starlight Corridor!
She never doubted that Yang Kai could defeat Chu Fei; after all, he had caused Yin Le Sheng to suffer a huge loss back in the Starlight Corridor.
Although Chu Fei was also a Third-Order Origin King, the Saint Qi in his body had certainly not been fully transformed into Source Qi, so he was definitely weaker than Yin Le Sheng.
Yang Kai was able to cause serious trouble to Yin Le Sheng, so he would certainly be able to beat Chu Fei.
But she did not expect Yang Kai’s victory to come so easily.
Was his opponent really a Third-Order Origin King? If people didn’t know any better, they would likely assume he was only a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator.
Did this man really come from a low-level Star Field? If it were not for her encounter in the Starlight Corridor, Liu Xian Yun wouldn’t be able to believe it.
While Liu Xian Yun was immersed in her shock, the surrounding Blue Feather Sect disciples were also stunned to the point where their jaws were hanging loose.
This was especially true of the cultivators who knew that Yang Kai was also a skilled Alchemist; they were simply unable to believe their eyes!
One had to know that although Alchemists also cultivated, their cultivation was generally lower than their Alchemy Grade because they spent most of their time on Alchemy, and even their strength would generally be lower than average for their realm.
Yang Kai was able to refine the Origin King Grade Spirit Pills and was himself an Origin King Realm cultivator, which was unbelievable enough, but now he was able to use his Second-Order Origin King to easily crush a Third-Order Origin King Senior Brother!
The scene in front of them could not even be called a fight, it was more appropriate to call it a thrashing.
Yang Kai’s bizarre performance was beyond their ability to comprehend!
A disciple with such extraordinary combat power, capable of overwhelming opponents a Minor Realm higher than himself, and who was also proficient in Alchemy… it was difficult to even imagine. The spectating Blue Feather Sect disciples now looked at Yang Kai like a monster who would foreseeably receive great attention from the Sect and be cultivated vigorously. As for the injuries to Senior Brother Chu… why would Blue Feather Sect care about him?
Several people were already making plans in their hearts about how to build a good relationship with Yang Kai so that once he rose to prominence one day, they would be able to drink some of the leftover soup.
The other two Origin Kings who had come together with Chu Fei turned pale at this moment.
When the battle between Chu Fei and Yang Kai began, they had wanted to go up and help just like Liu Xian Yun, but in the blink of an eye, Chu Fei had been laid out on the ground with his face punched in, a scenario completely beyond their expectations.
They had thought it would be Yang Kai who was severely beaten by Chu Fei and forced to beg for mercy, allowing them to do what they pleased with him…
But reality was cruel to them, to the point where it robbed them of the ability to think.
Yang Kai’s sharp eyes drifted towards these two next, causing them to involuntarily take a step back.
One of them was a First-Order Origin King while the other was a Second-Order. The two of them together would not have been Chu Fei’s opponents, so how could they dare challenge Yang Kai?
Fortunately, Yang Kai did not seem interested in dealing with them and instead just walked towards Chu Fei step by step, narrowing his eyes slightly as he smiled warmly, “Senior Brother Chu, we have never met before today, nor do we know anything about one another. Why don’t we have a seat and talk about this Senior Brother Jiang’s Cultivation Dissonance like good brothers?”
When Chu Fei heard this, he did not dare continue to lie on the ground and pretend to be dead. Leaping to his feet, he tried to put up a strong front as he shouted, “What do you want to do?”
“Senior Brother is too serious, Junior Brother only joined the Sect recently, how could he have any malicious thoughts towards you? En, Junior Brother simply wants to have a nice chat,” Yang Kai smiled very amiably, but in Chu Fei’s eyes, he only saw the wicked grin of the grim reaper.
As he spoke, Yang Kai cracked his fists lightly.
Chu Fei’s face went pale as his eyes stared out from the swollen and bruised face, angrily shouting, “This time, I acknowledge the punishment is deserved, but don’t reach out for a yard after taking an inch!”
“Don’t reach out for a yard after taking an inch?” Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly became cold, “Senior Brother maliciously smeared my good name as an Alchemist today. If this matter is not resolved properly, how will I be able to offer Alchemy services here ever again?”
“What do you want?” Chu Fei grit his teeth and asked.
After recognizing the gap between himself and Yang Kai, Chu Fei lost his previous arrogance, but here in front of everyone’s eyes, he was unwilling to lose any more face. Otherwise, how would he be able to show himself in Blue Feather Sect in the future?
So even if he was frightened in his heart, he could only put up a front and growl back at Yang Kai.
“It’s quite simple actually,” Yang Kai looked at Chu Fei with a smile and raised a finger. “After Senior Brother caused such a scene, Junior Brother is afraid he won’t be able to continue performing Alchemy here in the future, so shouldn’t Senior Brother compensate for my loss?”
“Compensate for your loss?” Chu Fei’s eyes bulged as he never expected Yang Kai to be so shameless.
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “Junior Brother doesn’t need too much, just a few hundred thousand Source Crystals.”
“A few hundred thousand… in your dreams!” Chu Fei snapped as his face distorted and shouted, “You dare ask for such an absurd amount!”
A few hundred thousand Source Crystals was a number that Chu Fei could not even dream about. From when he first began cultivating until now, even counting the ones he had used up, the total number of Source Crystals he had possessed did not exceed two hundred thousand, yet Yang Kai was asking him for several hundred thousand all at once? What difference was that from asking for his life?
Yang Kai’s face suddenly became cold as he said grimly, “It seems Senior Brother has no sincerity at all. Apparently, negotiations have broken down, and in that case…”
Before Yang Kai could finish what he was saying though, he suddenly turned his head slightly, as if listening to something that just reached his ear.
Seeing this scene, Chu Fei smiled happily and laughed, “Junior Brother, let us end matters here today. Senior Brother will remember you; perhaps we shall meet on some mountain or river in the future.”
Looking at Yang Kai’s expression, how could Chu Fei not understand that a master was sending a message to him? Now that Sect’s leaders were involved, he was safe.
Having said what he wanted to, Chu Fei waved his hand and shouted to his companions, “Let’s go!”
The other two did not dare to delay and quickly lifted up their Junior Brother Jiang, who was still struggling, and tried to quickly flee.
“You want to leave after soiling my reputation so? How could that be allowed?” Yang Kai’s coldly snorted, shocking Chu Fei. Turning around, Chu Fei saw Yang Kai charge towards him and swing a fist covered in five-coloured light.
A thick Domain pressed down on Chu Fei at that moment, completely suppressing his movements, and before he could even let out a scream, he was knocked to the ground again by Yang Kai.
As a Third-Order Origin King, Chu Fei was not weak, and even if he hadn’t completely transformed his Saint Qi into Source Qi, he should have still been able to put up a fight.
However, Chu Fei had deeply realized in the previous confrontation with Yang Kai that he was not this Junior Brother’s opponent at all, so he was unable to muster up the will to resist and instead just frantically pushed his strength to protect his vitals as Yang Kai’s fists fell on him like rain.
The onlookers watched this scene in utter shock.
Amid the muffled bangs, Chu Fei’s wails and moans rang out.
When Yang Kai got up, Chu Fei was already covered with blood and lay on the ground twitching, obviously having suffered serious injuries.
Yang Kai turned his head, glanced in a certain direction, then cursed under his breath before calling out to Liu Xian Yun, “Close up the shop!”
Liu Xian Yun was taken aback for a moment before quickly recovering and following Yang Kai back to their residence.
Wherever the two went, the other Blue Feather Sect disciples took the initiative to give way, all of them staring towards Yang Kai fearfully.
…..
Liu Xian Yun followed after Yang Kai, staring blankly at his wide back, her thoughts still somewhat confused.
She had not expected that Yang Kai, who usually looked like a peaceful person, would actually act so cruel and merciless so suddenly. Back in the shopping district, if it were not for them being from the same Sect, Chu Fei would certainly have been butchered by Yang Kai.
However, after this incident, it was likely they would no longer be able to sell Alchemy services in the shopping district again, causing Liu Xian Yun to feel a little regretful; after all, the two of them had earned a lot of Source Crystals this past month.
Suddenly, as they were walking, Yang Kai came to a halt, causing Liu Xian Yun who was still in a daze to almost bump into him. After steadying herself, she quickly asked, “Brother Yang what happened?”
“You go back first, I’ve been summoned,” Yang Kai turned back.
“Summoned?” Liu Xian Yun frowned but quickly understood, “Does Protector Bian want to see you? The message you received just now…”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded. “It’s just a small matter, don’t worry about it.”
“Should I go with you?” Liu Xian Yun asked.
“Protector Bian didn’t summon you, so I’m afraid you will be sent back even if you came. Just return home for now,” Yang Kai finished speaking before flying off towards a nearby mountain peak.
Liu Xian Yun shouted from behind, “Be careful.”
Yang Kai simply waved his hand in reply.
Halfway up the mountain, a figure flashed in front of Yang Kai and stared at him with some dissatisfaction on his face.
“Senior Brother Kou!” Yang Kai greeted him indifferently as he cupped his fists.
The one who stopped him was none other than Kou Wu. It was also Kou Wu who had just sent his voice to Yang Kai to stop and to come to the mountain to see Protector Bian.
“Your courage isn’t small! Daring to disobey my order, didn’t I tell you to let Chu Fei go? Why did you still beat him after that?” Kou Wu snorted coldly.
Yang Kai sneered, “Someone spat on my face and I have to just choke down the insult? Protector Bian’s faction is not so weak, right? If that is really the case, Senior Brother Kou disappoints me greatly.”
“How long has it been since you joined the Sect? What do you know? Do you think what happened today was just Chu Fei coming to stir up trouble?” Kou Wu questioned coldly.
“Of course I know he was instigated,” Yang Kai sneered. “I was just trying to make some Source Crystals by performing Alchemy but it seems I’ve cut into someone’s interest, yes? Let me guess, Protector Zhu? And Protector Bian doesn’t want to have any conflict with Protector Zhu right now? Is that why you wanted me to compromise?”
Kou Wu looked at Yang Kai in surprise but soon nodded, “Seems you’re not stupid! Yes, although Chu Fei’s actions today were not directed by Protector Zhu personally, they can still be regarded as involving the interests of Protector Zhu. If you want to make money through Alchemy, why not enter the Treasure Yuan Hall? You should know that Treasure Yuan Hall has a Pill Hall inside the shopping district and will protect its Alchemists if something happens.”
Yang Kai spread his hands and shrugged, “I’m poor. If I entered the Treasure Yuan Hall, I’d have to turn over sixty percent of my income to them. Senior Brother knows I just came to the Star Boundary and don’t have a single Source Crystal.”
“Fair enough,” Kou Wu knew that Yang Kai was telling the truth, so he didn’t press this topic much, instead shifting to the next issue. “But you beating Chu Fei today has only given Protector Zhu an excuse to find fault. Do you want to be punished by the Sect’s laws? Regardless of anything else, Chu Fei is your Senior Brother, what you did was akin to defying orders from your Senior!”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “Isn’t that why Protector Bian has summoned me? I believe an old master like her will solve this appropriately.”
Kou Wu’s face turned dark as he quickly muttered, “Don’t mention the words ‘old master’ in front of Lady Protector, or you’ll lose your dog life!”
“I understand, Lady then!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Forget it, come with me, I hope Lady Protector is in a good mood today, otherwise… well, best of luck,” Kou Wu shook his head and did not continue to scold him, instead just leading Yang Kai towards the top of the mountain.
Kou Wu led Yang Kai into the same palace he had visited once before and escorted him to a certain room.
Inside this room, there were luxurious and elegant furnishings everywhere that obviously belonged to a woman’s boudoir.
Bian Yu Qing lay languidly on a sofa, her exquisite curves on full display as she rested her cheek on one hand, her eyes closed lightly, her posture suggestive and enchanting.
The sofa itself was covered in the pelt of some powerful Monster Beast and beside her, there were a few young women in thin robes. These maids were either fanning Bian Yu Qing lightly or peeling grape-like spirit fruits and feeding them to her lips. Still others were gently kneading Bian Yu Qing’s beautiful legs…
When Yang Kai entered this room, the first thought that popped into his mind was ‘extravagance’…
As always, Kou Wu lowered his head and stared straight at his toes while cupping his fists and saying, “Protector Bian, I’ve brought the little brat you requested.”
“Greetings, Lady Protector!” Yang Kai, unlike Kou Wu, stared straight ahead, his eyes clear and limpid, without the slightest trace of obscenity or desire.
Because he knew that a woman like Bian Yu Qing was definitely not someone he could socialize with right now, he made sure to eliminate any trace of distraction in his heart, lest she ruthlessly punish him for his impropriety.
Hearing Yang Kai’s voice, Bian Yu Qing, who had been closing her eyes and resting, lightly opened them. From her majestic phoenix eyes, a sharp light flashed, causing Yang Kai to feel quite uncomfortable, as if he had been cut by a sharp knife.
The moment Yang Kai’s eyes met hers, he felt as if he was staring into a bottomless vortex that was trying to pull out his Soul and consume it.
Yang Kai was shocked and hurriedly bit his tongue to restore his consciousness.
When he looked again, Bian Yu Qing’s eyes had been restored to their original state.
“Boy, your courage isn’t small. Just a few days after entering the Sect, you actually dared cause trouble for this Queen!” Bian Yu Qing’s voice was sweet and pleasant to the ear, but her tone was quite cold and sharp.
“Lady Protector, please understand,” Yang Kai resisted the uncomfortable coercion and quickly said. “It’s not that this disciple was causing trouble, he was simply struggling to resist after being bullied.”
“Struggling to resist? Haha, I heard that you beat your Senior Brother into a pulp and that it will take at least three months for him to recover. Is that your definition of ‘resistance’?” Bian Yu Qing looked at Yang Kai lightly.
“This disciple may have been a bit heavy-handed, but he only acted so to ensure that others don’t dare underestimate Lady Protector’s faction. If this disciple had silently born such disgrace, others would begin to think our faction was weak and easy to bully!”
“Oh?” Bian Yu Qing raised her brow slightly and said with a smile, “Then, according to what you said, should this Queen gather all the disciples and praise you in public, using you as an example?”
“This disciple only did what was necessary, Lady Protector need not pay it any mind!”
“Impudence!” Bian Yu Qing snapped and with a wave of her hand released a burst of force that sent Yang Kai flying into the rear wall.
“Milady, please calm yourself!” Kou Wu quickly soothed.
But a moment later, Bian Yu Qing actually giggled happily, making it impossible for Kou Wu to understand exactly what she was thinking.
Yang Kai hadn’t had any contact with Bian Yu Qing aside from the one meeting together with Liu Xian Yun last time.
When he saw Bian Yu Qing for the first time, Yang Kai only felt that this woman was very powerful; after all, she had a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, but Yang Kai couldn’t figure out what her temperament was.
However, in this second meeting, Yang Kai realized that she was a woman who was subject to shifting moods!
Not someone to be trifled with!
Her casual blow had not used much force, but it was still not something Yang Kai could contend with. After smashing into the wall, he felt his vitality roll and his bones creak.
When he stood up, he only heard Bian Yu Qing’s sweet laughter.
Yang Kai grabbed his chest to try to settle his roiling blood before turning to look at Bian Yu Qing intently.
The latter also stared back at Yang Kai with her pair of beautiful eyes, a hint of approval flashing across them as she nodded lightly, “This Queen likes men with some spine. Good, you’ve performed well, In any case, you haven’t lost face for this Queen!”
Yang Kai frowned but did not answer.
“However…” Bian Yu Qing continued. “Today’s matter can be big or small, and this Queen doesn’t want to give Zhu Jun Shan an excuse to cause trouble; after all, you only entered the Sect a month ago yet dared to commit such an act. This could also be construed as this Queen being inadequate in her supervision, so as punishment you are to be imprisoned in the Ice Cliff for three months. That’s all.”
While she had spoken very casually, Yang Kai could not help feeling a bad premonition and asked solemnly, “Dare I ask, Lady Protector, what is this Ice Cliff…?”
He had only been in Blue Feather Sect for a month and had yet to hear of the existence of this Ice Cliff.
“The Ice Cliff is…” Bian Yu Qing smiled slightly, “En, it’s a place where disciples who committed mistakes are confined, and the environment there… hehe, you’ll know when you get there.”
Yang Kai’s expression could not help but sink.
Kou Wu also turned his head and glanced at him, his eyes full of sympathy, as if this ‘Ice Cliff’ was truly a bad place.
“Take him away!” Bian Yu Qing waved her hand carelessly before closing her beautiful eyes again.
“This disciple will obey!” Kou Wu respectfully stepped back before pulling Yang Kai along with him and leaving.
Yang Kai naturally had more questions, but seeing Bian Yu Qing’s attitude, he knew it was impossible to ask her anything more so he could only turn to Kou Wu.
Once outside the palace, Kou Wu let out a sigh of relief. Every time he met with Bian Yu Qing, he felt tremendous pressure.
“Senior Brother Kou…” Yang Kai turned to look at Kou Wu.
“Ha… Junior Brother Yang!” Kou Wu sighed and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder as he spoke earnestly, “Don’t ask. You’ll know when you get there. Senior Brother can only say… Lady Protector has shown great kindness this time; after all, three months is not a long time… Just enter closed retreat and your sentence will be over in a flash. When the time comes, Senior Brother will come pick you up in person.”
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai felt even worse and became certain that Ice Cliff was a horrendous place.
However, unless he was able to cut a bloody path out of the Blue Feather Sect now, he had no choice but to follow Kou Wu.
Silently evaluating his own strength, Yang Kai could only press down his depression and obey.
Kou Wu once again summoned his flight type artifact, and after the two boarded, the ship flew off in a certain direction at a rapid speed.
From above, the buildings of Blue Feather Sect flew by in the blink of an eye.
As they travelled, Yang Kai began to perceive a bitter chill in the air.
After some time, Kou Wu suddenly pointed to the front and said, “Junior Brother Yang, that is the Ice Cliff. Anyone from the Sect who commits a mistake will be confined here. En, don’t even think about trying to run away; although this place isn’t close to the headquarters, being over ten thousand kilometres away, and is uninhabited, if you leave Ice Cliff without authorization, Lady Protector will know, and when the time comes…”
Kou Wu did not finish his words, but how could Yang Kai not understand his meaning? Powerless to resist, he simply nodded and stared forward.
Somewhere up ahead, hidden in a veil of white clouds, Yang Kai could make out a majestic mountain that had seemingly been split in half. The cut to this mountain was smooth and clean, like a valley in the middle of the sky, a daunting scene to behold.
As the ship approached, the severe cold in the air became more obvious, and Yang Kai could feel a stinging sensation on his skin even through the protective barrier.
What’s more, this icy cold seemed to be mixed with another kind of aura, one that was both familiar and unfamiliar to Yang Kai.
Frowning for a moment, Yang Kai soon understood and muttered aloud, “Emperor Pressure?”
Kou Wu turned to Yang Kai in surprise and asked in amazement, “Junior Brother Yang can detect the Emperor Pressure here? Have you met an Emperor before?”
If one had not met an Emperor Realm master, it would be impossible to know what Emperor Pressure felt like. When Kou Wu first came to this place, he had only felt the cold here was extremely uncomfortable, as if it had a suppressive effect on his cultivation, but he didn’t understand why this was and it wasn’t until he asked Bian Yu Qing some time later that he was enlightened.
Yang Kai was a mere Second-Order Origin King from a lower Star Field, but he had quickly noticed the Emperor Pressure which permeated the cold in this place, which was not something just sharp eyes could detect. The only possibility was that Yang Kai had experienced Emperor Pressure before and was hence able to recognize it.
“En, there is a Restricted Area in the Grand Desolation Star Field where a faint Emperor Pressure still remains, that is where I felt it before!” Yang Kai replied casually.
“So that’s how it is!” Kou Wu did not doubt him, instead just nodding and saying, “Each Star Field supposedly has a Guardian that is a high-level Emperor, perhaps your Grand Desolation Star Field’s Guardian left traces of their power in that Restricted Area.”
“But how can there be Emperor Pressure here?” Yang Kai questioned.
Kou Wu smiled lightly, “This is related to the origin of Ice Cliff. It is rumoured that Ice Cliff was created by an Emperor who controlled Ice Principles. With a single swing of their sword, that Emperor cleaved apart Ice Cliff, causing their Emperor Pressure to remain behind. That was thousands of years ago, yet the Emperor Pressure has not dissipated. Why else would this place be used as a place of confinement for our Blue Feather Sect disciples?”
“So this place was created by an Emperor’s sword strike?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he listened.
“That’s what everyone in the Sect says, but whether or not this story is true is uncertain,” Kou Wu chuckled, “Junior Brother, when we arrive, just stay at the top of the valley and as far away as possible. Whatever you do, do not descend into the valley. The further one goes down, the stronger the ambient Emperor Pressure becomes. Even the Sect Master and the four Protectors cannot reach the bottom of the valley, so with just your strength, you will surely be crushed by the Emperor Pressure if you act recklessly here.”
“I see. Many thanks for the reminder, Senior Brother Kou!” Yang Kai nodded.
“In addition, Lady Protector confining you here is not just to punish you. Although the environment in Ice Cliff is terrible and one cannot remain here for long, if they are able to perceive anything from this place, they will benefit infinitely! Don’t disappoint Lady Protector’s good intentions,” Kou Wu spoke solemnly.
“Is that so?” Yang Kai grinned, “If that’s the case, why doesn’t Senior Brother come down with me and we can spy on the depths of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao together?”
“No thanks!” Kou Wu trembled as a light of fear flashed across his eyes, “I’ve been stuck in this damned place once before, and after just one month I nearly couldn’t return.”
“What was Senior Brother’s cultivation at that time?”
“Third-Order Origin King!” Kou Wu replied.
Yang Kai curled his lips hearing this, “It seems Lady Protector thinks quite highly of me.”
“This shows that Lady Protector believes your potential is greater than mine!” Kou Wu chuckled before he tapped his foot and stopped the ship. Turning to Yang Kai, he said, “Senior Brother will drop you off here, go the rest of the way by yourself. I will return in three months to bring you back!”
Yang Kai nodded before turning around, jumping off the boat, and rushing towards the top of the Ice Cliff.
After Yang Kai left, Kou Wu immediately turned his ship around and flew off at high speed, as if trying to flee from this accursed place.
…..
The biting cold seemed to be able to penetrate all the way to one’s soul and not only hindered the circulation of one’s strength but even slowed down their thinking, giving people the illusion that their thoughts themselves were being frozen.
Breathing out, Yang Kai saw his breath turn to mist as he landed at the top of the Ice Cliff and involuntarily circulated his Qi to ward off the ubiquitous cold.
The expanse above the Ice Cliff was spacious, like flat ground, and in the nearby rock walls were some big and small caves.
Obviously, these were crude cave mansions that had been excavated by the Blue Feather Sect disciples who had been confined here over the years.
Yang Kai stood there and looked around.
He found that there was not a single blade of grass growing here, causing it to appear extremely desolate. Even the rocks seemed to be frozen into ice blocks.
Although there was indeed a faint Emperor Pressure in the air here, one that contained very profound Ice Principles, it was not overbearing at all and was relatively easy for Yang Kai to resist with his current strength.
“If Su Yan were here…” Su Yan’s beautiful image suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s mind.
If she were here, then this Ice Cliff would not be an unbearable Restricted Area, but instead a cultivation paradise. This place contained an Emperor’s comprehension of Ice Principles, which would allow Su Yan to cultivate at a remarkable speed. As long as she could comprehend something from the ambient aura here, it would greatly assist her growth.
Unfortunately, Su Yan was still back on Shadowed Star.
As for Yang Kai himself, he did not comprehend anything related to Ice Principles, so he could only sigh.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai dispelled these distracting thoughts before taking some time to get acquainted with the desolate environment. The first thing Yang Kai did was go to the rock walls and inspect the cave mansions.
Since he would be staying here for three months, naturally, he first needed to determine if there was anyone else living here. If there were others in this place, before entering seclusion, Yang Kai felt it best to at least offer some greetings.
After some investigation though, Yang Kai determined that there was no one living here except for himself!
There were, however, a dozen or so frozen corpses.
These people had all died inside different cave mansions in a cross-legged meditative posture, their expressions all incredibly peaceful, as if they experienced no pain or suffering when they passed away, simply losing all their vitality as they gently slept.
This discovery startled Yang Kai somewhat.
He now understood what the real danger in this Ice Cliff was.
The omnipresent Ice Principles were able to even freeze a cultivator’s thoughts, making them lose their lives without even knowing it, which was why these cultivators had all seemingly passed away serenely without any signs of struggle or pain.
After checking all the cave mansions, Yang Kai debated for a moment before he jumped down the cliff.
Although Kou Wu had told Yang Kai not to descend into the valley, since the power of the Emperor Pressure increased the further one went down, Yang Kai naturally wanted to give it a try.
Back in the Dead Zone surrounding Shadowed Star, Yang Kai had immersed himself in Emperor Pressure and derived many benefits from it.
He already had his own set of methods to cope with the suppression of Emperor Pressure.
However, he did not dare to act rashly and instead controlled his speed to descend slowly.
As Kou Wu said, the further down one went, the stronger the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles became.
After less than a thousand meters, Yang Kai was already beginning to feel a little difficulty resisting the biting chill from reaching his bones. Even by circulating his Source Qi, he was unable to completely protect himself.
With no other option, Yang Kai had to use his Domain.
Yang Kai had forged his Shi, the prototype for his Domain, with the help of the Emperor Pressure from the Emperor Garden, and the Emperor Pressure of the Emperor Garden was much stronger than the one that lingered in this place.
As such, his Domain was able to resist Emperor Pressure to a certain degree.
As soon as he pushed his Domain, Yang Kai felt much more relaxed.
Quietly releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai tried to peer into the depths below to see just how deep this Ice Cliff was, but soon, he was forced to take back his Divine Sense in amazement.
Because he found that the Ice Principles in this place were able to freeze his Spiritual Energy and Divine Sense. If he had not retracted his Divine Sense promptly, he would likely have suffered damage to his Soul.
After realizing this, Yang Kai no longer dared to release his Divine Sense outside his body.
There was only darkness down below, like the giant maw of an ancient beast just waiting to swallow one whole, causing all who stared into it to tremble.
After continuing down another three thousand meters, Yang Kai began to hear slight creaking noises around himself.
This was a sign that his Domain was reaching its limits, and if he continued to dive down, it was likely to collapse. Once that happened, Yang Kai would not be able to resist the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles with just his pure physical strength, leading him to a dead end.
[Seems this is my limit!] Yang Kai understood in his heart and knew when to draw back, so he quickly began flying upwards.
Although he had not achieved anything for his efforts this time, Yang Kai knew that this was indeed a good place to hone himself, so from a certain perspective, he really was thankful to Bian Yu Qing.
Instead of flying up to the top of the Ice Cliff, Yang Kai chose to dig out a cave mansion at a position a thousand meters from the surface.
This was the most suitable position for his current strength. The Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles filling the air here were just rich enough that he could barely contend with them, so entering retreat in such a position would be of great benefit to his own growth.
The excavation of his cave mansion took Yang Kai a lot of effort.
Ice Cliff had been soaked in this icy environment for many centuries, causing the rock to become infused with both the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles, transforming from ordinary stone to extremely solid ice rock.
It took Yang Kai three whole days to excavate a simple cave mansion.
This cave mansion was also only the size of two small rooms.
Yang Kai did not rush to enter secluded retreat and instead sat cross-legged in his new cave mansion while resisting the harsh environment and restoring himself.
Fortunately, thanks to him recently offering Alchemy services, he had accumulated a lot of Origin King Grade Spirit Pills and Source Crystals, so restoring himself was a quick and easy process.
It took a few more days for Yang Kai to adjust his state to its peak before he started to work on the most important matter he was facing.
Breaking through!
Yang Kai had been at the peak of the Second-Order Origin King Realm for some time now, and his comprehension of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way had reached a saturation point. In fact, just after arriving in the Star Boundary and entering Blue Feather Sect, he had the qualifications to break through once more.
However, he did not rush to do that.
For one thing, he did not want to draw too much attention to himself. He was now under the eaves, so acting cautiously was prudent. Secondly, he wanted to accumulate more so that this breakthrough would go smoothly. Lastly, and most importantly, he had no suitable place to break through.
Although he had been assigned a residence in Blue Feather Sect and could use his Identity Token to open the barriers around it to prevent ordinary cultivators from spying on him, that would not stop someone on Bian Yu Qing’s level.
Yang Kai did not want to reveal any of his secrets.
This was not Shadowed Star. On Shadowed Star, he was supreme and could find somewhere uninhabited to enter undisturbed retreat with a single thought.
He originally wanted to stay in Blue Feather Sect for a while to gain the trust of Bian Yu Qing before leaving Blue Feather Sect temporarily on some mission and finding a suitable place to enter retreat and break through by himself.
But this trip to Ice Cliff made him change his mind.
Wasn’t this Ice Cliff the perfect place for a breakthrough?
There was no one else within ten thousand kilometres of this place, and the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles that filled the air would greatly suppress the disturbance caused by a breakthrough.
What’s more, three months from now, if he broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm and returned to Blue Feather Sect, he would have a good excuse to give Bian Yu Qing if she asked.
At that time, he could simply tell her that he had a sudden inspiration while he was in seclusion in the Ice Cliff that allowed him to break through and she would not investigate the matter further; after all, whether he was a Second or Third-Order Origin King, he was still of no concern to her.
For various reasons, Yang Kai felt that breaking through here was the optimum choice.
Regarding how to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm, Yang Kai had considered it greatly over the past few years and formed a plan in his mind long ago.
Inside his new cave mansion, Yang Kai sat cross-legged while surrounded by about thirty thousand Source Crystals he had earned during this period.
These were all the Source Crystals Yang Kai had on him.
Even if he was an Origin King Grade Alchemist and had been selling his services to others for more than a month now, Source Crystals were not easy to earn.
However, Yang Kai figured thirty thousand Low-Rank Source Crystals should be enough to support his breakthrough this time.
Yang Kai did not rush, though, instead reflecting on the Martial Dao he had walked to arrive at this place.
Originally, he was just a Trial Disciple in High Heaven Pavilion, but after countless sorrows and hardships, meeting various friends and beauties, he had reached this far step by step…
He had not lived many years. Among Origin Kings, Yang Kai was actually very young, but his life experience was extremely rich and colourful, not worse than those old monsters who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Various sights and scenes from the years flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, like he had experienced them yesterday, both vivid and lifelike.
Yang Kai’s mood quickly became as tranquil as an ancient well.
As time passed slowly, Yang Kai seemed to forget everything around him.
The icy cold lingered around his body and began seeping into his body, penetrating his five viscera and six organs.
In the cave mansion, a layer of ice gradually formed around Yang Kai and all signs of vitality, even his breathing and heartbeat, seemed to slowly fade.
He gradually became like the dozen or so dead Blue Feather Sect disciples, as if his life was slowly being taken away by the frigid cold.
However, astonishing changes were occurring inside his body.
From his lower abdomen, Yang Kai’s Source Qi and Saint Qi rushed out and rioted inside his physique before flowing back to his dantian and undergoing a miraculous transformation.
The biggest difference between a Second-Order Origin King cultivator and one at the Third Order was not the conversion ratio of Source Qi to Saint Qi in their body, however. Even without a hint of Source Qi, a cultivator could break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
The biggest difference between the two realms was the existence of an Origin Essence Crystal!
Only by condensing your own Origin Essence Crystal could one truly become a Third-Order Origin King!
The Origin Essence Crystal contained the essence of a cultivator, including all their insights into the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way.
It was similar to the Monster Core of a Monster Beast. Monster Beasts could use their Monster Core to activate their unique abilities and increase the power of such Divine Abilities.
Cultivators above the Third-Order Origin King Realm could similarly do so with their Origin Essence Crystal. This unique existence was a representation of a cultivator’s perceptions and comprehensions, and when using it in combat, it could dramatically boost their strength.
In a crisis, one could even directly summon their Origin Essence Crystal and use it to kill their enemy, similar to how a Monster Beast could summon their Monster Core to battle.
If one wanted to condense their own Origin Essence Crystal, however, they needed to first ask a single question, what principle would they use as the foundation upon which to refine it.
An Origin Essence Crystal was not all-powerful and could only strengthen a cultivator’s prowess and power in a certain field, not improve all aspects of their comprehension. For example, when Yang Kai first entered the Martial Dao, he had cultivated a Yang Attribute Secret Art. Later on, he had transformed his strength into his Demonic Flames then cultivated his Golden Blood Threads and Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi. All of these could be taken as the foundation for his Origin Essence Crystal.
However, once one selected a base, their Origin Essence Crystal could only strengthen that particular facet of their strength.
If Yang Kai condensed his Origin Essence Crystal based on his perceptions of his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, when he used his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi in the future, the power it could display would be greatly enhanced.
The same went for his Golden Blood Threads…
However, Yang Kai did not intend to do this. His Origin Essence Crystal had to be condensed based on his comprehensions of the Dao of Space!
Space Force was extremely difficult to guard against and was superior to any other power at his disposal. Since Yang Kai was proficient in Space Force, he naturally planned to follow that path. This idea had not changed once since he came to this conclusion many years ago.
It was also for this reason that he did not dare to make a breakthrough in Blue Feather Sect at will.
This was his trump card. Bian Yu Qing still did not know he cultivated the Dao of Space, but if he were to be exposed, Yang Kai was certain he would immediately draw the attention of Blue Feather Sect’s senior leaders.
Even in the vast Star Boundary, the Dao of Space was only mastered by a handful of individuals.
From his lower abdomen, the mix of Source Qi and Saint Qi continuously converged and slowly condensed, causing a fiery pain in the process.
At the same time, inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, his own perceptions and understanding of the Dao of Space began to transform into an invisible force that washed through the fiery ocean.
Yang Kai’s Soul was unprecedentedly peaceful as his consciousness focused entirely inwards on himself. In that state of enlightenment, Yang Kai’s ethereal Space Force surged, and in a nearly unconscious state, his perceptions and comprehension of the Dao of Space slowly expanded.
Time flowed forward quickly and quietly.
Gradually, extremely obvious signs of Space Force fluctuations spread from Yang Kai’s body, shattering the layer of frost covering his form.
A thousand metres down in the Ice Cliff, extremely obvious Space Force fluctuations began to burst forth from a certain cave mansion, forming a warped space that encompassed the surrounding region.
With cracking sounds, the space around Yang Kai began to destabilize.
One after another, tiny Void Cracks began to take shape and briefly swam through the air like dexterous fish before they were repaired by the ambient World Principles, only to reappear moments later in a seemingly endless cycle.
As time passed, the tiny Void Cracks began to connect, forming extremely terrifying rifts. It was as if the surrounding space was a piece of cloth that had been sliced through with a million sharp swords. Countless scars extended in all directions and the turbulent, chaotic Space Force sent chunks of rock and ice flying all around the small cave mansion.
At the same time, dazzling starlight suddenly burst forth from Yang Kai’s body.
Wisps of starlight began to flit about like fireflies.
These wisps were the same ones that Yang Kai had previously absorbed in the Starlight Corridor but had failed to integrate into his physique so far and were instead stored in his Knowledge Sea.
Stimulated by Yang Kai’s breakthrough, these starlight wisps emerged on their own and began to rapidly catalyze the transformation of his Saint Qi into Source Qi.
If anyone else was present at this moment, they would easily be able to identify Yang Kai as a Star Master; after all, his current appearance was so obvious that it would be hard for someone to not recognize his status.
A rushing force, like a magnificent tsunami, erupted from Yang Kai’s body, but he remained completely unaware as he continued to immerse himself in his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
Big and small tears in space continued to form and be erased around him, which were manifestations of Yang Kai’s Secret Technique: Exile.
A series of pitch-black crescent-shaped blades also shot out in all directions, obviously related to his Moon Blade Secret Technique.
Regarding Space Force, these two Secret Techniques were Yang Kai’s own creations, so it was only natural for them to appear at this time and place.
The sound of metal striking metal seemed to ring out from his lower abdomen as a certain something began to take shape here. This was the condensation of Yang Kai’s perceptions and comprehensions of the Dao of Space.
His Origin Essence Crystal had taken shape!
At the same time, the aura from Yang Kai’s body rapidly inflated.
*Pa pa pa pa…*
All the Source Crystals he had laid out in advance were suddenly lifted by a mysterious force and burst into pieces. Rich World Energy flooded the small cave mansion as Yang Kai’s body seemed to transform into a bottomless pit that began swallowing this aura madly.
The shackles that kept him in the Second-Order Origin King Realm were instantly broken, allowing Yang Kai’s cultivation to advance to the next level in a single, smooth leap.
Things had not ended yet though as Yang Kai continued to absorb the rich, pure energy from the exploded Source Crystals, allowing him to stabilize his cultivation and build a solid foundation.
As for Yang Kai himself, he did not pay any attention to the change in his realm as all his focus was still immersed in his insights into the Dao of Space.
He suddenly discovered that he had a new understanding of the complexities of Space Force.
Another brand-new Secret Technique faintly came to mind.
Ecstatic, Yang Kai remained perfectly calm outwards and focused himself even further as he tried to break through the bottlenecks which were hindering his comprehension so he could bring this new Secret Technique into existence.
Time flew by, and a month and a half soon passed.
During this time, Yang Kai hadn’t even moved, and the thirty thousand Source Crystals that he had taken out had long been used up. His cultivation had stabilized at the Third-Order Origin King Realm, and although the Saint Qi in his body had yet to completely transform into Source Qi, that was not a process that was supposed to take such a short period of time anyway.
However, when he opened his eyes again after all this time, Yang Kai seemed slightly different from before.
From his eyes, a piercing light seemed to shine forth, one that could cause space to shift with just a glance.
“Is this my new Secret Technique?” Yang Kai muttered to himself as his thoughts flashed and his figure suddenly disappeared.
This was not the same as his instantaneous movement Secret Technique, because Yang Kai had actually not moved at all and was still just sitting cross-legged in place, but if one were to sweep the area with their Divine Sense, no trace of his existence could be found. Even as just a Third-Order Origin King, Yang Kai would be able to completely conceal himself from an ordinary Dao Source cultivator with this Secret Technique.
However, if one were to look with their naked eyes, they would still be able to see a vague transparent figure that was sitting there motionlessly, like a reflected image in a ripple filled pond.
This was an extremely profound concealment Secret Technique.
Yang Kai’s new Secret Technique partially merged his body with the Void, making it almost impossible to detect him.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai grinned, “I’ll name it Nihility!”
Unlike Exile and Moon Blade, Nihility was not a Secret Technique for combat, but rather for concealment. To a certain extent, it was more precious than Exile or Moon Blade because it could save his life in a pinch. Only by surviving could one continue to fight.
However, Yang Kai vaguely felt that Nihility did not just have utility as a concealment art, but also had another important effect.
Whether this was true or not required testing though.
After a month and a half of retreat, Yang Kai had achieved all his goals, which naturally lifted his spirits. Closing his eyes, he began to thoroughly inspect his current condition.
Sending his Divine Sense into his dantian, Yang Kai soon discovered that there was now a hexagonal crystal silently floating there. It was his newly condensed Origin Essence Crystal, the condensation of his comprehension of Space Force.
Putting it bluntly, if someone were to obtain this Origin Essence Crystal and then comprehend all the mysteries contained inside it, they would obtain all of Yang Kai’s insights into the Dao of Space and would be able to use all of Space Secret Techniques.
This was no doubt Yang Kai’s most valuable treasure.
It was not the first time he had seen an Origin Essence Crystal. He found an Origin Essence Crystal in the Flowing Flame Sand Field many years ago and was ignorant of what it was at the time. Later, he confirmed it was the Origin Essence Crystal of the Insect Emperor. That particular Origin Essence Crystal was swallowed by Yang Kai’s Soul Warming Lotus, allowing it to evolve into its seven-coloured form. Later, Yang Kai had obtained the Origin Essence Crystal of Mad Crocodile Monster King from the Blood Prison. He had also obtained an Origin Essence Crystal at an auction on Purple Star.
The appearance of all Origin Essence Crystals seemed to be similar, a multi-sided crystal, but the colours varied quite a bit.
Regardless of the colour of other people’s Origin Essence Crystal, Yang Kai’s Origin Essence Crystal was pitch black, to the point where it seemed to be able to swallow all light and darkness!
This colour matched with his Space Force, satisfying Yang Kai greatly. The more he observed it, the more he liked it.
Withdrawing his consciousness, Yang Kai began inspecting his cultivation and the conversion ratio of his Source Qi.
There was not much to say about his cultivation: After condensing his Origin Essence Crystal, it was already obvious Yang Kai had successfully broken through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
But regarding the transformation of his Saint Qi, Yang Kai felt quite dissatisfied!
It was only half complete! Although he had been immersed in condensing his Origin Essence Crystal for the past month and a half, he was still well aware of his situation. He knew that the starlight wisps had voluntarily gushed out of his Knowledge Sea and begun transforming his Saint Qi for him.
But now, the starlight in his Knowledge Sea had almost been consumed clean but only half his Saint Qi had been converted to Source Qi, a depressing reality.
The reason he felt like this was that he did not know much about the Star Boundary.
If he knew that it would normally take several years for him to completely transform his Saint Qi into Source Qi despite being a Star Master and absorbing a lot of starlight from the Starlight Corridor, he might have been more appreciative of his progress.
For example, Yin Le Sheng had taken almost five years inside the Starlight Corridor to transform all his Saint Qi into Source Qi.
He too was a Star Master!
Ai Ou was also a Star Master, but if nothing unexpected happened, it would take him a minimum of five or six years to complete this transformation.
Cultivators who came from the lower Star Fields and were not Star Masters were even more miserable, needing at least ten years to convert their Saint Qi to Source Qi. This was the normal timespan. Even twenty or thirty years was also possible, while spending fifty years wasn’t that unusual either.
A few dozen years, however, was nothing to an Origin King Realm cultivator.
The transformation of Saint Qi into Source Qi increased a cultivator’s power noticeably, so even if one’s realm did not change, the strength they could display would still gradually increase.
However, Yang Kai took less than three months to transform half of his Saint Qi into Source Qi, an incredible achievement in record time!
The current Yang Kai was more than twice as powerful as he was a month and a half ago; after all, his cultivation had risen by a Minor Realm, and the percentage of his Saint Qi which had been converted to Source Qi had also increased significantly.
“There’s not much starlight left in my Knowledge Sea. How am I supposed to continue forming Source Qi in the future? Hmm… Some time ago, I overheard some people mention Source Condensing Pills that seem to have the same function as starlight. Should I try to refine those Source Condensing Pills?” Yang Kai stroked his chin as he muttered to himself.
Source Condensing Pills, as the name suggested, were specially used to transform Saint Qi in a cultivator’s body to Source Qi. They were only taken by Origin Kings and were an Origin King Grade High-Rank Spirit Pill. Although not comparable to the starlight wisps, these pills were the most commonly used auxiliary Spirit Pill for Origin King Realm cultivators.
However, Yang Kai had only heard the name of this Spirit Pill and did not have its recipe, so he was unable to search for the right ingredients to refine them himself.
Yang Kai secretly decided that he would go to the shopping district to find out if he could acquire new pill recipes after his confinement was over, including the one for the Source Condensing Pill. The Star Boundary had far more pill recipes than the Star Field, so now would be a good time to begin collecting them as they might come in handy later on.
However, purchasing pill recipes required a large amount of Source Crystals. Thinking of his now empty Space Ring, Yang Kai felt a big headache.
He did not expect that he, who was extremely wealthy in the Star Field, would suddenly find himself broke in the Star Boundary.
Putting aside these depressing thoughts, Yang Kai stood up.
As he got up, the layer of frost which had covered his body fell off. Yang Kai casually patted himself off before suddenly frowning, only to smile a moment later.
He found that his ability to withstand the severe cold around him had greatly increased.
When he had first entered seclusion here, he had done so because he was just barely able to withstand the harsh environment.
But now, he found that the severe cold in his surroundings had almost no effect on him. Obviously, this was because his strength had experienced a massive increase, allowing him to easily resist this harsh environment.
There was still some time before Yang Kai’s three-month confinement period was up, and now that he had accomplished all the things he had planned to, Yang Kai’s mind began to wander again.
Arriving at the entrance to his cave mansion, Yang Kai looked down into the dark abyss.
A month and a half ago, he could only reach a position less than five thousand meters below the top of Ice Cliff before having to return, illustrating just how harsh the environment was here.
Now that his strength had grown significantly, he was eager to test his limits again.
Additionally, if he could cultivate under the thick Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles for some time, it would be of great benefit to his mind and body. If nothing else, it would serve as good preparation for when he faced Dao Source Realm masters in the future.
If he could withstand Emperor Pressure, what would the coercion of a Dao Source cultivator count for?
Considering all this, Yang Kai did not hesitate to jump down.
Just like previously, the further he descended, the greater the Emperor Pressure and the richer the Ice Principles became. The ubiquitous cold seeped into Yang Kai’s body and Knowledge Sea, hindering his movements greatly.
Yang Kai did not move quickly as he slowly pushed his limits.
At three thousand meters, he was still safe and sound, at five thousand meters he was able to bear it, at eight thousand meters, it became somewhat difficult…
Once he reached ten thousand meters, Yang Kai was barely able to hold on.
He had broken through a Minor Realm and converted a large portion of his Saint Qi into Source Qi while also condensing his Origin Essence Crystal, yet it appeared an additional five thousand meters was all he could withstand. Experiencing this, Yang Kai could only shake his head as he further realized just how horrifying Emperors were.
With his current strength, ten thousand meters was his limit.
Just when he was about to stop and excavate a new cave mansion nearby to further temper himself, an idea flashed across his mind and he quickly became eager to test it out.
“I wonder if Nihility… can resist the frigid Ice Principles here!”
Having hit upon this idea, Yang Kai immediately put it into action and displayed his newly comprehended Secret Technique.
Instantly, his figure disappeared in place, leaving behind only a nearly transparent ripple where he once stood.
After displaying Nihility, Yang Kai immediately felt the terrifying Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles which were threatening to crush him alive disappear entirely.
There was simply no pressure at all where he stood.
[It really works!]
Yang Kai celebrated in pleasant surprise, but soon discovered a new problem.
After displaying his Secret Technique, Nihility, he could indeed ignore the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles in this place, but after just two breaths, the omnipresent Emperor Pressure and Ice Laws would overwhelm his Secret Technique, revealing him again.
The surging pressure descended upon him again in the next instant.
Standing still, Yang Kai frowned, pondering about what had just happened.
Soon, he understood.
His new Secret Technique relied upon him expending Space Force, merging his physical body with the Void to hide it from both visual and Divine Sense probing.
Because his body merged with the Void, it was also able to ignore the surrounding Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles suppression.
However, Nihility was by no means omnipotent; after all, the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles here were extremely profound and powerful, not something he could simply ignore. Under the battering of these two forces, it was natural that Yang Kai was unable to maintain his technique for long at his current level of mastery in Space Force.
Simply put, as long as the power of an attack exceeded his own ability to defend against it by a wide margin, it could dispel his Nihility Secret Technique.
Although this was all just speculation, Yang Kai felt like it was close to the truth.
This was an inevitable result, so Yang Kai was not frustrated and instead felt that it was natural.
There was no such thing as an invincible Secret Technique in this world. In the end, everything depended on one’s own strength.
However, that being the case…
Yang Kai grinned and displayed his Nihility Secret Technique again before immediately teleporting away.
The next moment, he appeared another fifty meters down where the ambient Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles broke his technique again.
However, just as his figure was revealed, before the surrounding terrifying forces could suppress him, Yang Kai once again used Nihility to merge with the Void and avoid the deadly pressure.
Repeating this process, Yang Kai rapidly descended, completely ignoring the dangerous environment surrounding him.
He had only wanted to test out the uses of Nihility, but now, he simply wanted to see how deep he could dive into the Ice Cliff.
Coming to his senses a moment later, Yang Kai could not help breaking out into a cold sweat as he stared up and was unable to even see the sky anymore.
Instinctively, he wanted to flee this place, lest he make a single mistake and wind up buried here. If that really happened, it would be the worst kind of joke.
However, just as he was about to leave, he saw a twinkle of light out of the corner of his eye, like something was gently flickering down below.
“What’s that?” Yang Kai kept displaying Nihility as he turned his head and looked down.
A moment later, the tiny fluorescent flicker appeared again.
Yang Kai was sure that he was not seeing things and there was really something there. After hesitating for a moment, he teleported once more to investigate.
However, to his surprise, Yang Kai actually found he had reached the bottom of the Ice Cliff without knowing it!
In these deepest depths, the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles were so strong they could instantly kill an average Dao Source Realm cultivator. Even a Third-Order Dao Source Realm master would not be able to reach this place.
Kou Wu had told him that the Sect Master and four Protectors had all come here before to investigate the Ice Cliff, but none of them had been able to reach its bottom.
However, Yang Kai’s Nihility Secret Technique gave him the ability to temporarily ignore the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles in this place, allowing him to reach this unexplored land.
The luminous flicker was not too far away from him, so Yang Kai carefully moved towards it while maintaining a vigilant watch on his surroundings, lest some kind of accident occurred.
Soon, he arrived at the source of the light.
There was no sunlight at the bottom of the cliff, but Yang Kai was no ordinary person either, so his vision wasn’t affected in any way. Looking around, his eyes could not help lighting up.
In front of him, a strange object that looked like an Ice Flower appeared. This Ice Flower looked as if it was really carved out of ice, having a pure and flawless appearance without the slightest imperfections.
Budding from this Ice Flower, were three small fruits.
Each of these fruits was only about the size of a small egg and had the appearance of fine ice crystal, a faint light actually pulsing from their surfaces, giving them an ethereal quality.
When Yang Kai first saw this, he subconsciously thought that it was some kind of ice carving rather than a spirit flower and fruits.
But soon, he realized he was mistaken because there was a faint scent in the air, the unique scent of spirit fruit that carried with it both a cool and refreshing aroma.
It was obviously a real spirit fruit!
In this terrifying environment, at the bottom of the deep Ice Cliff, Yang Kai did not dare to release his Divine Sense to check, but he could still tell that this Ice Flower and the three Ice Fruits contained extremely powerful energy. If a cultivator who cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art could obtain these things, it would be a peerless treasure!
They were most likely born here because of the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles.
Yang Kai quickly drew some conclusions about this Ice Flower and Ice Fruits and also understood that they were incredibly valuable. Because this spirit flower and fruits had been nurtured in this unique environment, they now contained traces of the Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles present here, which meant that a cultivator could comprehend some of the Divine Ability the Emperor who created this place used, whether they were used for Alchemy or swallowed directly.
This was a priceless treasure!
Yang Kai could not help breathing a little bit faster and nearly failed to re-active Nihility in time, causing a cold sweat to drip from his forehead.
After stabilizing his emotions, Yang Kai squatted down and began circulating his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi with a thought.
Soon, Yang Kai’s right hand was wrapped in a crimson red light.
Naturally, it was his Fire Sword Qi!
It was impossible to pick this kind of treasure without taking some precautions, but all Yang Kai could think of was to use his Fire Sword Qi to try restraining the rich Ice Attribute energy that radiated from this spirit flower.
However, he still underestimated the horror of this treasure and when his hand touched it, the crimson light which was protecting him collapsed on the spot. In the next instant, an indescribable chill began to seep into his fingers and travel up his arm.
A layer of frost formed on Yang Kai’s arm at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Yang Kai was horrified and without even hesitating for a moment he roared “Dragon Transformation!”
Accompanied by the sound of a thunderous dragon roar, a golden dragon phantom suddenly appeared behind Yang Kai. This dragon phantom flashed before sinking into Yang Kai’s body, at which point his right arm transformed into a dragon claw covered in thick Dragon Scales.
Grabbing the Ice Flower tightly, Yang Kai yanked fiercely before rapidly tossing it into his Sealed World Bead.
The next moment, Yang Kai inspected the situation inside the Sealed World Bead anxiously.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, a giant made from stone was meditating with its eyes closed. It was none other than Yang Kai’s Soul Clone that had been integrated into the second Stone Puppet to become his Embodiment.
This giant mountain-like body stood up and disappeared from where it had been sitting with a flicker to quickly arrive at a different place.
This was where Yang Kai had thrown in the Ice Flower.
*Kacha…*
Crisp cracking sounds rang out as inside the Sealed World Bead, the area around the Ice Flower rapidly transformed into a frozen landscape that spread out at an extremely fast speed. The terrifying Ice Principles contained in the Ice Flower even began to have an effect on the space inside the Sealed World Bead, causing the temperature to drop slightly.
Soon, within a radius of ten kilometres, a thick layer of ice had formed. Only after extending out such a distance did the anomaly caused by the Ice Flower gradually subside.
Receiving a report from his Embodiment inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai finally felt relieved as he stood at the bottom of the cliff.
Yang Kai was in a good mood after inadvertently acquiring a treasure like this Ice Flower.
While this thing was useless to him, it could be exchanged for a large number of cultivation resources, especially Source Crystals, which he was currently short on.
If he could find a good auction house to entrust the three ice fruits too, Yang Kai estimated he wouldn’t have to worry about Source Crystals in the near future.
But the bottom of the cliff was not a place to remain, so after obtaining the Ice Flower, Yang Kai immediately prepared to evacuate.
However, at that moment, a sharp and strange hissing sound suddenly reached his ears and a thin white light shot over from the distance, whistling like thunder as it carried a fierce momentum with it.
Yang Kai’s eyes shrank as an incredible sense of crisis gripped his heart. Without hesitation, he teleported away.
*Chi…*
The snow-white ray of light struck the empty space where Yang Kai once stood and proceeded to plow through the ground, sending ice and rock flying in a shocking display of power.
“Who!” Yang Kai subconsciously thought that a master had hidden themselves at the bottom of this Ice Cliff and had attacked him, because the attack just now gave off the feel of a Sword Dao Secret Technique, and the white light was clearly a kind of sword-light that contained potent Ice Principles!
However, as soon as he shouted, Yang Kai felt that something was wrong. This was the bottom of the Ice Cliff and he was only able to arrive here thanks to his Nihility Secret Technique. If someone else was hiding here, just how terrifying would their strength have to be?
Would such a master need to launch a sneak attack to deal with him?
Thinking so, he quickly looked towards the source of the attack.
In the next instant, Yang Kai received a great shock.
Slashing towards him was another snow-white sword wave that was infused with rich Ice Principles that caused space itself to ripple and freeze as it flew forwards!
[I can’t block it!] Yang Kai instantly judged his situation and did not hesitate to teleport away again.
At the bottom of this cliff, he had to divert a good portion of his attention to resist the suppression of the surrounding Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles by maintaining his Nihility Secret Technique so he wouldn’t be crushed to death. Now, facing such a violent attack, although Yang Kai was somehow able to deal with it, it was by no means easy.
After dodging the enemy’s second blow, Yang Kai finally got a chance to see who it was that was attacking him.
Seeing his attacker though, Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as his heart clenched and he exclaimed in disbelief, “How is that possible?”
He wasn’t being attacked by another person, but rather by a Monster Beast. This Monster Beast had a thick, pure white carapace, possibly from living at the bottom of this Ice Cliff for so long.
“A Spirit Devouring Monster Insect? It can’t be…” Yang Kai couldn’t believe his eyes.
The Spirit Devouring Monster Insect wasn’t a species exclusive to the Star Boundary, it also existed in the Star Field, so Yang Kai was able to recognize this Exotic Insect. The Spirit Devouring Monster Insect was capable of eating everything that contained energy.
Artifacts, Artifact Armour, cultivators, Saint Crystals… anything and everything could be gnawed through by this creature’s powerful jaw. Even powerful ancient barriers could be consumed by it.
There was a legend back in Yang Kai’s native Star Field that a swarm of these Spirit Devouring Monster Insects had been sealed on a certain Cultivation Star, but that after aeons of time, they had managed to eat their way through the seal and then caused a bloody reign of terror, nearly exterminating all life on that Cultivation Star.
Of course, this was only a legend, and whether it was true or not was unknown; however, where there was smoke, there was normally fire, so it was not difficult to understand the danger of Spirit Devouring Monster Insects.
Fortunately, these Exotic Insects matured very slowly, and most cultivators also understood how harmful they could be, so once they were found, they were quickly exterminated.
Yang Kai had also encountered Spirit Devouring Monster Insects before so he was able to recognize it at a glance.
But… the Spirit Devouring Monster Insects he had come across before were no bigger than his finger and couldn’t cause any harm to even weak cultivators.
On the other hand, the snow-white Spirit Devouring Monster Insect in front of him was four meters tall and had a majestic and mighty aura to it. Its fierce appearance alone put great pressure on Yang Kai.
“A Monster Insect Queen?” Yang Kai’s face sank.
Spirit Devouring Monster Insects weren’t high-level sentient creatures, but instead had a similar social structure to common ants. Among a swarm of Spirit Devouring Monster Insects, there was always a matriarchal entity that ruled over them.
The one in front of Yang Kai right now was definitely such a Monster Insect Queen!
What was truly outrageous though was that this snow-white Monster Insect Queen was using its two forelimbs to condense a sharp, white Sword Qi.
Yang Kai couldn’t believe his eyes.
At the bottom of this Ice Cliff, it was already unthinkable that such a huge Monster Insect Queen had appeared, yet it could even use Sword Qi.
What was going on?
The two attacks just now, which were clearly Sword Dao Secret Techniques, were no doubt from this Monster Insect Queen.
Even Yang Kai, who was accustomed to seeing great winds and waves and had a wealth of experience, felt like he was unable to keep up with the situation for a moment. Everything he saw before him completely subverted his common sense, destroyed his cognition, and made him unable to find a reasonable explanation.
The sentience of Spirit Devouring Monster Insects was very low, and even if one grew for tens of thousands of years, it couldn’t evolve to the point where it could use anything resembling a Sword Dao Secret Technique.
However, judging from the power of the two Sword Waves just now, this Monster Insect Queen’s accomplishments in the Sword Dao were not low! That was definitely a Grandmaster level attack.
One more thing that puzzled Yang Kai was that he faintly felt that the two sword attacks earlier gave him a feeling of familiarity.
Just as he was lost in thought, the Monster Insect Queen once again raised its limbs and its two small eyes flashed a cold white light before Ice Principles began condensing around it into a glowing white Sword Qi.
A flash of white light appeared as a pair of Sword Waves surged forward like a mighty dragon going to sea!
Even before these two Sword Waves reached him, Yang Kai’s breathing stagnated as the space around him seemed to freeze.
This was Sword Intent, an extremely profound Sword Intent infused with Ice Principles! The surrounding World Energy even began to condense into millions of tiny ice blades that madly shot towards Yang Kai.
It was as if it had suddenly begun to snow.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai exclaimed in shock, “Clear Sky Snowfall!”
The shock in his heart increased several times over as he never expected to see this Sword Dao Secret Technique in the Star Boundary. He knew the power this Secret Technique contained so he didn’t dare to hesitate as he sent out countless Moon Blades to intercept it.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The Ice Principles and Space Principle collided with one another, causing a series of explosions that shook the entire Ice Cliff. Although Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space had reached a level that ordinary geniuses could never reach, he was still just a Third-Order Origin King, in the end. What’s more, this harsh environment at the bottom of the Ice Cliff greatly suppressed his strength while simultaneously boosting the Sword Dao Secret Technique displayed by the Monster Insect Queen.
So, as soon as the two Secret Techniques touched, Yang Kai’s Moon Blades were smashed to pieces, unable to contend with the Sword Wave at all.
The dazzling icy blade tore through Yang Kai’s resistance and slashed towards his face.
Yang Kai’s heart clenched as he hurriedly pushed his Nihility Secret Technique to its max, further merging himself with the void.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The countless ice blades and the two huge Sword Waves passed through the place where Yang Kai was located, directly nullifying his Nihility Secret Technique.
Yang Kai’s transparent body was revealed again, and although he managed to avoid most of the attack, he had not been able to completely resist the Ice Principles effects.
When he appeared again, his face was a shade of bluish-purple, and before he could gather his energy to deal with the Monster Insect Queen, the surrounding Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles crashed down on him again.
Panicked, Yang Kai quickly used Nihility again to avoid the violent murderous pressure.
[I can’t stay here. If I do, I’ll die!]
Yang Kai immediately understood his situation and the instant his Nihility Secret Technique activated, he madly pushed his Space Force and teleported upwards, trying to escape from the icy depths.
Even if he didn’t look back, Yang Kai knew that the Monster Insect Queen was right behind him, because more Sword Waves were still flying at him from behind. If he wasn’t proficient in the Dao of Space, which allowed him to instantaneously move from one place to another, he would either be an ice sculpture or a shattered ice sculpture at this moment.
“Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!” Yang Kai flew up while dodging the attacks from behind in a flurry as a look of incomprehension covered his face.
The reason was simple: This Sword Dao Secret Technique displayed by the Monster Insect Queen had left him at a total loss.
After observing the Secret Technique several times, Yang Kai confirmed without a doubt that he had seen this attack before.
It really was Clear Sky Snowfall!
This was the Secret Technique that Su Yan used!
Back in High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had occasionally seen Su Yan use this Secret Technique, so his understanding of it was very clear.
After coming to the Star Boundary though, he was now witnessing this Secret Technique be displayed by a Spirit Devouring Monster Insect Queen. How could Yang Kai not be surprised?
A Monster Insect Queen using a Secret Technique was shocking enough, but for it to be a Secret Technique that Su Yan had mastered was just too much. If it wasn’t for the pain Yang Kai felt from heavily breathing in the ice-cold air, he would have definitely thought he was dreaming.
What’s more, this Monster Insect Queen’s mastery and comprehension of Clear Sky Snowfall was definitely far beyond Su Yan’s.
After all, Su Yan was just a First-Order Origin King when Yang Kai left and she had only learned this Secret Technique a few years prior when she was a disciple of Scarlet Wave Star’s Ice Heart Valley.
The same Secret Technique appearing in two different places could only mean that it was somehow inherited by a master who had visited both places. But who could that be?
Did this Secret Technique originate in the Star Boundary or the Star Field?
Many thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, but he could not find a reasonable explanation.
However, he soon recalled Su Yan once saying to him that all the Secret Techniques she learned in Ice Heart Valley were originally created by Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, Bing Yun. Even Profound Frost, Su Yan’s sword, was originally Bing Yun’s personal artifact.
With this connection made, Yang Kai vaguely remembered that Scarlet Wave Star’s Ice Heart Valley’s current Sect Master, Bing Long, had told him that Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder had likely not died because, in the Sect’s Restricted Area, only Profound Frost remained, while there was no sign of Bing Yun’s Origin Essence Crystal.
Could it be…
Did Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder Bing Yun actually travel to the Star Boundary?
The more Yang Kai thought about it, the more he realized that it was possible.
Yang Kai didn’t know how strong Ancestral Founder Bing Yun was, but during her reign, Ice Heart Valley had been a super force that was comparable to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Sword Union, and Purple Star.
However, over thousands of years, Ice Heart Valley’s disciples could not retain the glory of their ancestors and the Sect eventually fell to the point where only a single First-Order Origin King remained to assume command.
The woman who founded a Sect that could reach such a height and endure for over ten thousand years could not possibly be weak.
If Bing Yun had left the Star Field long ago and travelled to the Star Boundary, everything could be explained.
The Clear Sky Snowfall Secret Technique displayed by this Monster Insect Queen was definitely related to Bing Yun, as was the formation of this Ice Cliff.
If Bing Yun was still alive, it should not have been difficult for her to reach the Emperor Realm with her aptitude. If that was so, the remnant Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles in this place would very much match with those of Ice Heart Valley.
Yang Kai gradually sorted out the context of this matter, but whether his hypothesis was correct or not was impossible to know. At the very least, his guess could explain why Clear Sky Snowfall appeared in the Star Boundary.
As the Sword Waves continued to fly at him behind, Yang Kai soon discovered a certain point that allowed him to slightly relax. It seemed this Monster Insect Queen was only able to use Clear Sky Snowfall, and it was likely its strongest move.
This made Yang Kai overjoyed; after all, if that was the case, he would still have a chance to deal with it.
Fortunately, he was proficient in Space Force and was an expert in fleeing. The most difficult kind of cultivator to kill was one skilled in the Dao of Space.
Whether it was in the Star Field or the Star Boundary, this was the case. No one wanted to offend a cultivator like Yang Kai who could use Space Force to come and go without a trace, because if they did and couldn’t instantly kill them, it would only lead to great trouble in the future.
Therefore, once a cultivator offended such an enemy, there were only two safe solutions: Kill them quickly or exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk! Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous.
From the bottom of the cliff all the way to the surface, Yang Kai walked the line between life and death several times. Because he could not use his Divine Sense, Yang Kai didn’t know exactly how strong this Monster Insect Queen was, only that it was an opponent he definitely couldn’t contend with right now. As such, he didn’t even think about fighting and focused entirely on running away.
However, the Monster Insect Queen seemed to be obsessed and chased after Yang Kai relentlessly, its massive body leaping and twisting with uncanny agility as it scaled the walls of the Ice Cliff at a pace not slower than its prey.
After a full stick of incense worth of time, Yang Kai shot out from the Ice Cliff like a bolt of lightning and flew towards a nearby peak, finally able to catch his breath.
Without the suppression of the strong Emperor Pressure and Ice Laws down below, the natural advantage the Monster Insect Queen possessed disappeared and the situation improved.
As his thoughts turned, Yang Kai waited attentively while exhaling tepidly.
In the next moment, the huge snow-white figure shot out from the cliff and landed a few dozen meters in front of Yang Kai.
Observing the Monster Insect Queen’s hideous face, which was now clear in the light of day, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling his skin crawl slightly. Using his Divine Sense, he scanned the aura of his opponent and discovered to his dismay that it was the same if not stronger than Bian Yu Qing’s.
“Emperor Realm?” Yang Kai paled in shock.
Even if this Monster Insect Queen was not a true Emperor level Monster Beast, it was likely not far off. That was almost two Great Realms above Yang Kai.
Fighting such an enemy was no different than courting death! Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling grateful he had not been instantly killed at the bottom of the Ice Cliff.
Just as big beads of sweat were dripping from Yang Kai’s forehead though, he suddenly discovered something else out of place with this Monster Insect Queen: It didn’t give off any life aura, like there wasn’t a trace of vitality in its body at all.
“It’s dead?” Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning.
Without any life aura or vitality, this Monster Insect Queen could only be dead, but how could something dead act so flexibly? It was even able to use a Sword Dao Secret Technique like Clear Sky Snowfall!
However, if this was the case, it also explained why a near Emperor Realm level Monster Beast had not been able to instantly kill Yang Kai. If it was already dead, it wouldn’t be able to display anywhere near its peak strength from when it was alive.
Yang Kai observed carefully and quickly noticed a long scar on its abdomen, one that seemed to have been caused by a single sword slash. There was still some remnant Sword Qi lingering around this wound that had penetrated deep into its body. The wound itself was frozen over with a layer of crystal-clear ice, revealing its internal organs, but strangely no blood was flowing through it.
[It really is dead! Is this something similar to the Corpse Spirit Race with a dead body but a living Soul? Was it somehow brought back to life because of the special environment at the bottom of the Ice Cliff?]
Since encountering this Monster Insect Queen, Yang Kai had been faced with a series of unanswerable questions, but he didn’t have any time to ponder on them as, after the Monster Insect Queen appeared, it immediately began to attack.
Its forelimb swords condensed a rich Sword Qi onto them before it slashed forward.
The sky instantly filled with thick snow, as if the world was being wrapped up in a layer of silvery-white.
A frigid, howling wind swept forth with the Monster Insect Queen at its centre and the land within a ten-kilometre radius was engulfed by an indescribable chill. In this world, it seemed the world’s laws had been erased and all that remained was cold.
Here, the Monster Insect Queen was supreme!
This was an Emperor’s ability to control Principles, the very laws which governed the world and moved the moon and stars.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed drastically as he desperately pushed his strength to resist, but he couldn’t stop his teeth from chattering as the cold overwhelmed him. At the bottom of the cliff, he had been struck by the enemy’s Sword Wave, and although Nihility had allowed him to avoid fatal damage, he did not escape unharmed. Now, inside this field where the enemy’s Sword and Ice Principles filled the air, Yang Kai was immediately beset with problems.
The eyes of the Monster Insect Queen flashed a strange snow-white light as it cried out sharply. As it screamed, its icy Sword Intent affected the surrounding World Principles even further, causing this originally not so cold region to become as unbearable as the bottom of the Ice Cliff.
Yang Kai’s expression sank as he realized that he was in deep trouble this time.
While he was used to challenging opponents with higher cultivations than his own, there were still limits to his ability. Facing this Monster Insect Queen, which had likely touched upon the Emperor Realm and was proficient in a profound Sword Dao Secret Technique, Yang Kai couldn’t put up any meaningful resistance, even with his great skill.
He could almost foresee that when his opponent’s sword finally fell, his soul would be extinguished.
Facing this moment of crisis, Yang Kai desperately pushed his Space Force to escape, but to his dismay, he found that the surrounding space had already been sealed off by the rich Ice Principles, making it impossible for him to teleport away.
The white eyes of the Monster Insect Queen revealed a cruel glow as it raised its two forelimb swords up high and began condensing its Sword Qi.
Standing at the gates of death, inspiration suddenly struck Yang Kai and he hurriedly summoned out a certain object, poured all his strength into it, and hurled it towards the Monster Insect Queen.
It was a bracelet-like artifact that had countless tiny glowing runes engraved on it and released a thick Emperor Pressure.
When Yang Kai threw out this bracelet, the Monster Insect Queen didn’t sense anything from it and completely ignored it, but when the tiny runes on the bracelet lit up, the Monster Insect Queen couldn’t help releasing a pitiful cry.
Its eyes bulging violently as it stared at the bracelet in horror, the Monster Insect Queen’s huge body actually began to tremble slightly.
The bracelet clearly had a powerful suppressive effect on it.
*Dingdang…*
The bracelet struck the Monster Insect Queen’s forehead, and although Yang Kai had thrown it with a good deal of force, such an attack was obviously unable to cause any kind of injury to it; however, the aura which radiated from the bracelet was like a bolt of lightning striking the Monster Insect Queen.
The rich Ice Principles and Sword Intent which had enveloped the surrounding world suddenly collapsed and the heavy snowflakes filling the sky all shot off in random directions like tiny flying blades.
Yang Kai’s face turned pale as he saw this and didn’t dare to remain. Summoning the Sealed World Bead, he hurriedly escaped inside.
The moment after Yang Kai disappeared, a whooshing sound rang out as the entire icy domain poured back into the Monster Insect Queen’s body and exploded.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The Monster Insect Queen’s body lacked any kind of meat or blood, but its snow-white carapace was instantly riddled with holes while even the Sword Qi on its forelimbs collapsed and splashed out.
Backlash!
Displaying such a high-level Sword Dao Secret Technique but being interrupted at a critical moment had caused all the power of this Secret Technique to flow back into the Monster Insect Queen, essentially hitting it with its own technique in a completely unguarded fashion.
*Hualala…*
Above the Ice Cliff, ice and rock were cut to pieces by the overflowing Sword Qi and the entire peak had a layer shaved off. It was conceivable that if Yang Kai was still here, even if he had used all his defensive methods, he would have been sliced to pieces and died on the spot!
A series of rumblings rang out as the fragmented ice and rock fell towards the bottom of the Ice Cliff, hitting the rock walls in a chorus of destruction.
Only after thirty breaths of time did the disturbance at the top of Ice Cliff gradually subside.
It was then that Yang Kai’s figure reappeared from the Sealed World Bead.
The scene before him caused him to gulp unconsciously as he secretly rejoiced, he had acted fast enough to escape.
When he went to observe the Monster Insect Queen, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised to find that it was lying motionless on the ground. It had been fatally wounded and its carapace was now in tatters. Obviously, it couldn’t be any more dead.
A white light suddenly emerged from the Monster Insect Queen, twisted slightly, and directly condensed into the appearance of a long sword.
In form, it looked quite similar to Su Yan’s Profound Frost.
“What the hell is that?” Yang Kai frowned and was just about to take a closer look when the snow-white light shot directly towards him, releasing a frightening ice-cold aura.
However, the pressure from this snow-white sword was nowhere near as terrifying as the Monster Insect Queen’s had been.
Yang Kai grit his teeth, lifted his Sealed World Bead and released his Divine Sense like a tide to wrap up the snow-white light as he shouted, “Come!”
The next moment, the snow-white light wrapped by Yang Kai Divine Sense was pulled into the Sealed World Bead.
Atop the Ice Cliff, the tranquillity that had lasted for thousands of years was finally restored as the snow-white light disappeared. Yang Kai paled slightly as he gasped for breath and took a few steps forward, picking up the bracelet artifact that had been thrown out before. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief from having survived.
This time, he was able to overcome extreme danger and cause the Monster Insect Queen to suffer a severe backlash from its own Secret Technique, thus killing it, all thanks to the power of this bracelet artifact.
The Emperor Artifact, Insect Enslavement Bracelet!
This was the Insect Emperor’s artifact, and was capable of restraining all species of Exotic Insects.
The Insect Emperor had been killed by Yang Kai after much difficulty on Shadowed Star, and his two Emperor Artifacts now belonged to Yang Kai. In addition to this Insect Enslavement Bracelet, which was the Insect Emperor’s most recognized artifact, there was also the Soul Splitting Saber.
However, the grades of these two Emperor Artifacts were too high and could not be properly utilized or even refined by Yang Kai currently.
These two Emperor Artifacts had always been hidden inside Yang Kai’s Sealed World Bead, while the Soul Splitting Saber had never even been used. As for the Insect Enslavement Bracelet, this was only the second time Yang Kai had taken it out since obtaining it.
The previous time was in the Severed World when Yang Kai and Xue Yue were being chased down by countless Illusory Butterflies. At that time, Yang Kai had used the magical effects of the Insect Enslavement Bracelet to easily suppress those butterflies which could even cause difficulty to powerful Origin Kings.
From that experience, Yang Kai realized this Insect Enslavement Bracelet still had its uses even if he had yet to refine it.
It was also just a flash of inspiration when he suddenly remembered this special artifact a moment ago, and with nothing else to lose took it out to try, the effects far surpassing his expectations.
Looking at the Insect Enslavement Bracelet for a moment, Yang Kai felt a bit suspicious, because even if the Insect Enslavement Bracelet was an artifact that the Insect Emperor once possessed, and it had a natural suppressive effect on Exotic Insects, the Monster Insect Queen was not weak after all, How could it suppress it to the point where it died of a simple backlash?
Yang Kai could not figure it out.
Sometime later, he put away the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and his figure flickered, disappearing from where he stood to enter the Small Sealed World of the Sealed World Bead.
After releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai quickly found where the snow-white light which appeared from the Monster Insect Queen was.
Disappearing again, Yang Kai instantly arrived at a different place in the Small Sealed World.
Here, the mountains and rivers were serene and peaceful, with only the white light flying around aimlessly in its long sword shape.
Yang Kai decided to first conceal himself and observe to see what would happen.
Now that he had collected this thing into the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai had full control over it. Even if it had the strength of an Emperor, Yang Kai did not need to fear it.
The more he observed this thing, the more Yang Kai felt it was shaped similar to Su Yan’s Profound Frost, which also bolstered Yang Kai’s previous speculations about Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder Bing Yun.
“Is it the Soul of that Monster Insect Queen?” Yang Kai thought secretly but soon dismissed the idea. This sword-shaped snow-white light was indeed somewhat similar to a Soul, composed entirely of energy with a trace of chaotic consciousness, but it was definitely not the Soul of the Monster Insect Queen. On the other hand, Yang Kai felt an incredibly profound Sword Intent radiating from it.
[Just what the hell is this?]
After some time, Yang Kai determined that it could not pose any threat to him after this thing had left the body of the Monster Insect Queen, so he decided to appear before it.
Just as Yang Kai appeared, the sword-shaped snow-white light suddenly pulsed, releasing rich Ice Principles and Sword Intent as it pointed its tip towards him.
“Don’t get presumptuous!” Yang Kai slowly shook his head as he stretched out his hand with a flick of his wrist controlled the surrounding Principles to shatter the Ice Principles and Sword Intent coming from the light.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, just like back on Shadowed Star, Yang Kai was the supreme master and could change anything he wanted to at will with just a single thought.
An opponent trying to fight with him here was the height of foolishness.
The strange snow-white light obviously did not realize this though and was not discouraged by Yang Kai dispelling its ultimate move so easily. Without pause, it tried again to display its Clear Sky Snowfall technique.
“Stop causing trouble!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully before reaching out and condensing a rope of pure energy that tightly bound the light.
Waving his hand once more, the shackled snow-white light immediately flew to his hand.
Yang Kai closed his eyes and began carefully probing it.
He was very curious about what this thing really was.
As time passed, Yang Kai’s calm and tranquil look gradually changed, becoming astonished, surprised, shocked… and eventually joyous.
After a long time, he opened his eyes and a look of utter disbelief covered his face as he stared down at the snow-white light that was still struggling to escape its restraints.
“A Sentient Sword Intent? Can such a thing really exist in this world?” Yang Kai was astonished.
This snow-white sword-shaped light was not the Soul of the Monster Insect Queen, nor was it the Soul of any living creature. Instead, it was formed from the residual Clear Sky Snowfall Sword Dao Secret Technique’s Sword Intent that had somehow achieved a level of independent consciousness.
In this world, not all creatures required a flesh and blood body to be considered alive and sentient.
Some trees, stones, and even Spirit Pills that absorbed enough World Energy over a long enough period of time would be able to obtain sentience. Examples of such things were the variety of World Spirit Treasures and Pill Spirits…
The world was incredibly vast, so such wonders existed.
However, Yang Kai had never imagined that the Sword Intent of a Secret Technique could also give birth to a conscious will.
This snow-white sword-shaped light was surprisingly the Sword Intent of the Clear Sky Snowfall Secret Technique which, after countless years of tempering under the rich Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles of the Ice Cliff, had obtained sentience.
To put it bluntly, this was a living Sword Intent!
Just how profound a comprehension of the Sword Dao did the master who unleashed this Secret Technique possess to allow the mere Sword Intent of it to produce such a bizarre evolution?
However, this also explained in a certain sense why it couldn’t bring out the real power of an Emperor.
The Monster Insect Queen had died long ago, likely killed by that very Emperor in a single move, and only because of the special environment and its strong body did it manage to maintain its original form. Afterwards, the Sword Intent that lingered in its fatal wound had given birth to a chaotic will and instinctively attached itself to the Monster Insect Queen.
This was not like seizing control of a body by consuming and replacing its Soul, but rather like controlling the body of the Monster Insect Queen as a puppet, making it impossible to draw out its full power.
This also explained why it could only use Clear Sky Snowfall, and all its techniques seemed to be variations of this Secret Technique.
Fundamentally this Sentient Sword Intent was the essence of Clear Sky Snowfall, so aside from Clear Sky Snowfall, it naturally did not know anything else.
What’s more, it obviously had not completely integrated with the Monster Insect Queen, so under the suppression of the Insect Enslavement Bracelet, it was directly driven out of its body. Suddenly being separated from this Sentient Sword Intent, the Monster Insect Queen’s body lost all ability to control the attack it was condensing at that moment, so experiencing a total backlash was understandable.
Many of the incomprehensible events from earlier became clear after Yang Kai learned about the true nature of this snow-white sword-shaped light.
Looking down at the struggling Sword Intent in his hand, Yang Kai knit his brow.
Undeniably, this was a very precious treasure.
After all, it was a Sentient Sword Intent, so if it could be refined and consumed, it would be the equivalent of comprehending an Emperor Realm master’s full understanding of this Secret Technique.
Even Yang Kai was a little moved.
Although he currently had many Secret Techniques, having one more would boost his options when facing enemies in combat.
However… if he wanted to use such a Secret Technique, he needed to first cultivate an Ice Attribute Secret Art or be able to manipulate Ice Principles. Yang Kai did not have the slightest experience controlling Ice Attribute Energy, so even if he were to refine this Sentient Sword Intent, he would be unable to use Clear Sky Snowfall to any reasonable degree.
[It would be wonderful if Su Yan was here!] Yang Kai sighed.
He could not refine it, but he couldn’t let it remain in the Small Sealed World either; after all, his medicine garden was inside this Small Sealed World with all the herbs and spirit medicines he had accumulated. If this unruly fellow were to find the medicine garden and freeze everything inside it, Yang Kai would have nowhere to cry.
[How troublesome!]
Yang Kai frowned as he was unable to refine this thing, unable to let it stay, and unwilling to simply throw it away. Scratching his head for a while, he could not come up with a good solution to the problem at hand.
Just when he was feeling at his wit’s end, an idea suddenly popped into his head.
Yang Kai immediately smiled and carefully began to consider the possible gains and losses.
A moment later, he made up his mind and felt that this was indeed a good idea. Not only would it not waste this Sentient Sword Intent, but it could also boost his strength dramatically in the short run.
Considering all this, he no longer hesitated and exited the Sealed World Bead.
Looking left and right, Yang Kai quickly found the carcass of the Monster Insect Queen which was riddled with the backlash from the Clear Sky Snowfall Secret Technique. Rushing over, he quickly tossed the Monster Insect Queen’s body into the Sealed World Bead before following after it.
Standing in a large clearing, the bound Sword Intent suspended nearby and the huge snow-white Monster Insect Queen in front of him, Yang Kai grinned and stretched out his hand.
Although this Sword Intent had its own consciousness, it was still in a chaotic state and was unable to communicate meaningfully. As such, it only possessed the basic instincts to fight and kill, so Yang Kai did not bother trying to reason with it and directly bound it with his Divine Sense.
Yang Kai wanted to leave his Soul Imprint on this Sword Intent.
By doing so, he would be able to command it and make it obey his instructions.
This was no different from controlling a cultivator by marking their Soul, it was just that his target this time was a chaotic consciousness, which would not actively cooperate. However, it was precisely because this Sword Intent’s sentience was so limited that Yang Kai could control it completely.
Spiritual Energy pouring out, Yang Kai tried his best to burn his will into the Sentient Sword Intent.
During the process, he encountered a lot of resistance, and Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was damaged quite a bit, but one side in this contest was acting on instinct while the other was acting purposefully. In the end, the Sentient Sword Intent was defeated by Yang Kai’s methods and successfully engraved with Yang Kai’s Soul Imprint.
Marking this Sword Intent with his Soul was only the first step.
After completing this, Yang Kai released the bindings on the Sentient Sword Intent, and it no longer displayed any hostility towards him, even giving off a feeling of intimacy instead. The white light of its long sword form hovered around Yang Kai continuously, like a newborn baby that had just opened its eyes for the first time to see its parents.
No longer did it threaten Yang Kai; rather, it obeyed all of Yang Kai’s various orders without hesitation.
Yang Kai didn’t pay it any more mind and simply let it fly around next to him before closing his eyes and restoring his Spiritual Energy.
One day later, having restored himself to his peak, Yang Kai opened his eyes and found that the Sword Intent had already stopped flying around and was now resting quietly on his shoulder.
“Come, I’ll give you a new body,” Although Yang Kai knew that there was no point in trying to communicate with it, he couldn’t help talking out loud. As soon as his words fell, he stretched out his hand and grabbed the Sword Intent before immediately reaching out with his other hand and winding several Golden Blood Threads around it.
The Sword Intent seemed to want to resist, but under Yang Kai’s reassurances, it quickly calmed down.
Soon after, the snow-white Sentient Sword Intent was wrapped up in Golden Blood Threads and a massive surge of vitality flowed into it.
Half a day later, the originally snow-white Sentient Sword Intent had taken on a vibrant golden glow. At this moment, the Sword Intent was no longer just an aggregation of pure energy, but had an obvious vitality due to the infusion of Golden Blood Threads. It was not an exaggeration to say that it now possessed its own simple body.
With the Golden Blood Threads as its physical form and the Sword Intent as its soul, this Sentient Sword Intent was now a living creature, in a sense.
Yang Kai wasn’t finished yet though, and with a thought, the golden Sword Intent flickered and shot directly into the body of the Monster Insect Queen.
Lying on the ground, the Monster Insect Queen, which had no vitality at all, immediately underwent a significant transformation. The snow-white body took on a brilliant golden glow and was rapidly being repaired under the influence of the massive amount of vitality. The original damage from the Secret Technique backlash was now being restored at a rapid rate.
There were obvious power fluctuations now emanating from the Monster Insect Queen’s body.
The white eyes which had been dull and lifeless now began to faintly glow.
Yang Kai paid close attention to the changes in the Monster Insect Queen and to the degree of integration between the Sentient Sword Intent and its former host!
The method he was displaying right now was completely different from the previous Sword Intent’s control of the Monster Insect Queen. Before, the Sword Intent had simply attached itself to this body and controlled it like a puppet.
Yang Kai was using his method of condensing Blood Beasts to integrate the Sword Intent into the Monster Insect Queen’s body.
If he was successful, Yang Kai would immediately obtain an extremely powerful Blood Beast!
As for if it failed… Yang Kai felt failure was highly unlikely.
After all, the Sword Intent already had a certain degree of compatibility with the Monster Insect Queen, so, bolstered by his means, there was almost no possibility of failure.
Time passed as the colour of the Monster Insect Queen gradually changed to a mixture of gold and white while the aura fluctuations from its physical body and Soul became more and more stable, an obvious sign that the integration was nearly complete.
Just to be safe, Yang Kai even pierced his palm and forced out a few drops of his purest Golden Blood to ensure the Monster Insect Queen’s body was fully repaired.
Suddenly, the snow-white eyes of the Monster Insect Queen glowed a profound golden light and its huge body shivered, as if the Sword Intent was becoming familiar with its newly fused body.
Stumbling up from the ground with difficulty, like a toddler trying to stand for the first time, it almost fell to the ground several times.
When it finally managed to support itself and began to slowly walk around, Yang Kai could not help laughing.
[Success!]
Although his idea was a bit outlandish, it had proved effective, in the end. Using a separate Soul and physical body, he was able to condense a complete Blood Beast!
Originally, Blood Beasts were not truly living creatures and were instead formed from dead Monster Beasts. It was a Divine Ability that attached a Golden Blood Thread to a corpse, and the requirements for materials were not too strict.
Even if the Monster Insect Queen was crawling on the ground, its body was still one and half times Yang Kai’s height and had an imposing presence. The more Yang Kai observed his latest work, the more satisfied he became with it.
He could clearly feel the chaotic will of the Sword Intent inside the Monster Insect Queen’s body still intimately tied to his Soul.
When he fought against this guy before, he had not been able to determine its full strength, so now, Yang Kai naturally wanted to see how powerful it could be.
With a thought, he instructed the Monster Insect Queen.
The Monster Insect Queen immediately stood upright and condensed Sword Qi onto its right forelimb.
With the appearance of this Sword Qi, rich Ice Principles also condensed, causing the surrounding temperature to rapidly drop and innumerable tiny snowflake-like blades to form in the air before it slashed forward, sending out a deadly barrage towards the void.
Clear Sky Snowfall!
A violent power burst out suddenly, causing the surrounding space to tremble as the World Principles became slightly disordered from the impact.
Yang Kai nodded in appreciation.
Worthy of a Sentient Sword Intent, its mastery of this Sword Dao Secret Technique had reached a Grandmaster-level; however, that wasn’t a surprise as it was originally the Sword Intent of a powerful Emperor Realm master. At this moment, using the Monster Insect Queen as a medium, it was almost as if an Emperor was personally taking action.
The power it could display was obviously reduced due to various reasons, but the profundity of the Secret Technique itself was still an astonishing sight to behold.
“About as strong as a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator’s full-powered strike?” Yang Kai frowned as he muttered to himself and stared at the Monster Insect Queen.
Yang Kai was not dissatisfied at all as his experiment had achieved the expected effect.
Although he had felt an aura close to an Emperor Realm master from the Monster Insect Queen before, after transforming it into a Blood Beast, the amount of strength it could display had dropped noticeably.
This was inevitable.
The Blood Beasts Yang Kai had condensed before were all like this.
What’s more, at this moment, the Sentient Sword Intent and Monster Insect Queen had just fused together, so it certainly wasn’t able to exert its full power yet.
After some time, the power it could display would improve, but Yang Kai estimated that the Third-Order Dao Source Realm would be its peak.
Still, it was enough!
With the support of a Third-Order Dao Source Realm master by his side, one he could order around at will, Yang Kai finally had some qualification to stand in the Star Boundary and would no longer need to be as cautious and fearful as he had been until now.
However, external forces were in the end just that, external. It was personal strength that a cultivator should always prioritise.
Yang Kai deeply understood this and thus did not put all his hopes on external boosts.
His ‘punishment’ here in the Ice Cliff had yielded great rewards.
Without even mentioning the strange Ice Flower and Ice Fruits, just this Monster Insect Queen had made Yang Kai’s stay worthwhile. On top of that, he had made a breakthrough to the Third-Order Origin King Realm here and transformed half his Saint Qi into Source Qi while simultaneously comprehending his new Nihility Secret Technique.
Yang Kai was in an excellent mood as he observed the Monster Insect Queen in front of him while thinking it would be good if he could find an Ice Attribute artifact sword.
With a proper artifact to assist it, the Sword Intent would be able to exert significantly more power in combat.
If an enemy were to suddenly face this Monster Insect Queen while it wielded a long sword and used Clear Sky Snowfall, they would definitely be stunned stupid.
Although Yang Kai had many artifacts on hand, aside from a few Emperor Artifacts, there was really nothing he used personally, and there certainly was not an Ice Attribute sword that would meet the Monster Insect Queen’s requirements.
This was not a surprise though, since how could there be any Monster Beasts who were proficient in Sword Dao Secret Techniques?
After instructing the Monster Insect Queen to continue adjusting itself inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai left.
There was nothing more Yang Kai needed to do as it would simply take time and accumulation for the Sentient Sword Intent and Monster Insect Queen to fully integrate. Once this process was complete, it would become a complete Blood Beast.
Yang Kai was looking forward to it.
Over the next few days, there were no more surprises. Yang Kai dug out a new cave mansion at five thousand meters below the top of the Ice Cliff and used the special environment here to temper his will.
At the same time, he immersed himself in researching his new Secret Technique Nihility.
Finally, on a certain day, Yang Kai stood at the top of Ice Cliff and looked into the distance.
If his sense of time was not wrong, his three-month confinement should be up today, so he was standing here to wait for Kou Wu to come and pick him up.
Although his confinement was over, it might cause problems for him again if he simply flew back on his own, and Yang Kai didn’t want to draw more attention to himself now, so he patiently waited.
However, to his surprise, no matter how long he stood there, Kou Wu did not appear.
It was not until the day was almost over that a small black spot appeared in the distance.
Yang Kai smiled happily as he stared outwards.
The appearance of this visitor quickly entered Yang Kai’s eyes, but rather than Kou Wu, it was a cultivator he had never met before.
Judging from the aura this person gave off, he was only a Third-Order Origin King.
The visitor stopped at a distance, apparently not intending to get too close to this dreaded Restricted Area, and as he stared in the direction of Yang Kai, he simply yelled, “Senior Brother Kou asked me to come tell you today that your confinement is over, and you can return to the Sect.”
After saying what he needed to, this man turned around and left.
Yang Kai was stunned and quickly leapt up from where he stood to chase after this man.
As a fellow Third-Order Origin King, and with the other party not flying at full speed, Yang Kai naturally caught up very quickly.
Flying forward side by side, the person frowned slightly as he quietly spread out a bit from Yang Kai.
Although Yang Kai was aware of this, he did not pay it any mind and instead cupped his fists and asked, “Dare I ask this Senior Brother’s surname?”
The man wore an impatient look and snapped, “I was just ordered to deliver a message from Senior Brother Kou. Don’t try to get friendly with me.”
This man wore a grumpy expression on his face, like Yang Kai owed him a large sum of money.
Being rebuffed so forcefully, Yang Kai felt a bit awkward but still tried to ask, “Why didn’t Senior Brother Kou come today and instead troubled Senior Brother to come in his place?”
“Senior Brother Kou was given a task and left the Sect a month ago. If you want to wait for him to pick you up, you can go back to Ice Cliff!” The man finished explaining quickly before accelerating forward, quickly throwing off Yang Kai.
The attitude of this man was quite off-putting, which made Yang Kai upset.
However, considering that most of Blue Feather Sect’s disciples did not share a harmonious relationship and the two of them didn’t have any friendship with each other or even know each other’s names, Yang Kai didn’t let it bother him.
However, Kou Wu being task to go out a month ago surprised Yang Kai quite a bit.
He wondered what kind of task would force Kou Wu to go out in such a hurry.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai did not think too much about it and just flew forward leisurely.
Ice Cliff was only ten thousand kilometres away from Blue Feather Sect’s headquarters, a relatively short distance for Yang Kai, so it did not take him long to return to the Sect.
Before flying down to his humble residence, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and inspected the room next door.
Naturally, this was Liu Xian Yun’s residence as the two lived no more than twenty meters apart.
Inside the room, Liu Xian Yun seemed to be adjusting her breathing, but after sensing Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, she quickly opened her eyes and ran out of the room with a look of pleasant surprise on her face, “Brother Yang, you’re back?”
She had been alone for the past few months and was feeling a bit isolated and helpless here in Blue Feather Sect as it was an unfamiliar place to her.
Although she had not known Yang Kai for a long time, because the two shared similar fates and backgrounds, she still had a sense of intimacy with him that was only enhanced by Yang Kai being so kind and good to her.
When she learned that Yang Kai was being confined, she could not help worrying.
If something were to happen to Yang Kai on the Ice Cliff, she would really be alone from now on.
“I just returned,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“As long as you’re alright… Oh? Brother Yang, you actually made a breakthrough?” Liu Xian Yun quickly noticed Yang Kai’s breakthrough and lifted her hand to cover her mouth, her beautiful eyes flashing with surprise. After all, she had heard that the environment in Ice Cliff was extremely harsh and it was difficult for people to even survive. She had been worrying about Yang Kai’s safety, but he had now returned unscathed and actually broke through as well.
“It was just luck,” Yang Kai nodded faintly. “How have you been these past few months?”
“How else could I have been?” Liu Xian Yun smiled bitterly and shook her head, “Nothing’s happened.”
As she spoke though, she suddenly coughed slightly, and an abnormal blush appeared on her face. Although she concealed this extremely quickly, how could Yang Kai have missed it?
“You’re hurt?” Yang Kai frowned.
“I had a small accident while I was cultivating,” Liu Xian Yun replied hurriedly.
Yang Kai stared into her eyes, as if to look straight into her heart, causing Liu Xian Yun to smile forcefully, “It’s not a big deal, I just became a bit too anxious while I was meditating. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”
“Was it really an accident when you were cultivating?” Yang Kai’s voice gradually became cold. Liu Xian Yun was a Third-Order Origin King, and although it wasn’t unheard of for Cultivation Dissonance to occur during a retreat, that was only under the premise that someone was in secluded retreat and made a mistake while comprehending some profound Secret Technique or Art.
How could Liu Xian Yun have been so reckless to enter a secluded retreat in this unfamiliar, almost hostile environment?
“Why would I need to lie about this?” Liu Xian Yun said anxiously, “I wanted to enter retreat to comprehend the mysteries of the Dao Source Realm a few days ago, but I didn’t expect my strength wasn’t sufficient…”
“I’m not a naïve child, tell me the truth,” Yang Kai interrupted her explanation.
Liu Xian Yun opened her mouth to say something, but soon let out a sigh before lowering her head, “Brother Yang, just let this matter drop. Right now, Protector Bian and Senior Brother Kou are not in the Sect. If we stir up trouble, it won’t end well.”
“Protector Bian isn’t in the Sect?” Yang Kai frowned.
“En, Protector Bian and a large number of the senior disciples left about a month ago. Senior Brother Kou was among them. I don’t know why they left. In any case, I’m really fine, it’s just a small injury. You and I are still new here, so we should tolerate what we can tolerate.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly before curling his lips and flashing a wry grin, “It’s good that you can think so, but I’m afraid some people don’t share your opinion.”
As he spoke, he turned his head and looked to the side.
Liu Xian Yun was startled but quickly reacted, following his gaze as her own became stern.
Over there, a group of four cultivators was walking over, with the one in the lead wearing a resolute and indifferent look. With his hands behind his back, he gave off an imposing aura while behind him there were three people whom Yang Kai had met before.
One of them was Chu Fei, who had been taught a harsh lesson by him in the shopping district last time. It had been three months already, but Chu Fei’s injuries had still yet to completely heal; this wasn’t a surprise though as Yang Kai had only held back just enough to not kill him last time. Even with good healing pills and Chu Fei’s own restorative abilities, healing completely in just three months was impossible. At this moment, Chu Fei had a somewhat weak air about him, with a pale complexion and slightly unsteady steps.
The other two were the ones who had been accompanying Chu Fei at the time.
The moment Yang Kai returned from the Ice Cliff, this group of people had shown up at his door, so their intentions were blatantly obvious.
Chu Fei looked at Yang Kai with deep hatred, like he was staring at his mortal enemy. Grinding his teeth, he quietly whispered to the cultivator who was walking in the forefront.
This man’s expression was cold and did not change in the slightest, but judging from Chu Fei’s flattering demeanour, it was apparent that this man’s status in Blue Feather Sect was not low; it was at least on the same level as Kou Wu’s, with strength to match.
This group walked over arrogantly while the man in the lead directed sharp eyes towards Yang Kai, obvious disdain and contempt apparent in his gaze.
After coming to a stop some ten meters away, Chu Fei looked at Yang Kai grimly before sneering, “Junior Brother Yang, I trust you’ve been well since we last met. I didn’t expect that Protector Bian locking you up in Ice Cliff didn’t take your life, it seems your luck isn’t bad.”
Yang Kai lightly chuckled as he swept his eyes over Chu Fei and said, “How are Senior Brother Chu’s injuries? Are your muscles perhaps cramped from lying in bed for so long and you came here to find Junior Brother to loosen them for you again? If that is the case, Junior Brother is happy to help.”
Chu Fei heard this and couldn’t help shivering slightly. In the battle three months ago, he had been unable to put up any resistance and was quickly knocked to the ground and beaten to a pulp. He had not only been severely wounded, but he had also lost all face. Even thinking about it now still gave him nightmares.
Realizing he had become frightened with just a few words, Chu Fei became angry out of shame and snapped, “Don’t be so full of yourself! If you know what’s good for you and cooperate, Senior Brother might spare you some pain, but if you don’t…”
“Oh…” Yang Kai exclaimed. “After not seeing you for three months, Senior Brother Chu’s courage has certainly grown a lot, I wonder why that is? Could it be… because of this Senior Brother?”
Saying so, Yang Kai turned his eyes towards the leader of this group.
Yang Kai didn’t bother acting polite as the other party was obviously here to retaliate, so acting humble would only be showing weakness.
Chu Fei and the other two Origin Kings were not of any concern to Yang Kai. Three months ago, when he was just a Second-Order Origin King, he was able to easily deal with these three, and now his strength had grown quite significantly. The only one Yang Kai had to care about was this helper they had brought.
The man’s aura was on the same level as Kou Wu’s, and if Yang Kai’s guess was right, he should be a First-Order Dao Source Realm master. This man had not said a word since he appeared, but when Yang Kai’s eyes met with his, a terrifying light flashed across them as a pure burst of Spiritual Energy shot out and stabbed towards his Knowledge Sea.
This man had directly displayed a Soul Secret Technique in an attempt to overwhelm Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea defences in one fell swoop, giving him a vicious demonstration of authority.
Yang Kai was furious.
Divine Sense attacks were extremely dangerous, and if one was not careful, they could wind up as a mindless fool. The other party’s actions were nothing less than brutal, and he obviously had no intention of holding back. This was completely different from when Yang Kai had beat up Chu Fei. No matter how heavy-handed Yang Kai was at the time, he made sure that Chu Fei would be able to recover normally if given enough time, but this man had launched an attack that could very well cause irreversible injury.
At the very least, this kind of approach would leave dark injuries on his Soul that could never be fully healed.
Infuriated, Yang Kai coldly snorted and madly mobilized his own Knowledge Sea’s, summoning up a roaring wave of Spiritual Energy to meet his opponent head-on.
Facing a Divine Sense attack that had already locked onto him, Yang Kai could not dodge and could only brutally fight back!
At the same time, inside his Knowledge Sea, a dazzling seven coloured light blossomed from the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus as it began to rotate rapidly. The dazzling radiance expanded outwards and merged together with Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, further enhancing the power of his attack.
An invisible collision erupted between the two at a level of danger far greater than simply crossing swords.
The attacking man’s eyes shrank as a look of surprise and amazement flashed across his face. Obviously, he hadn’t expected Yang Kai’s Soul to be just as powerful as his own.
A moment of carelessness had caused him to suffer a small loss as his face turned pale and he felt a sharp pain in his head.
Yang Kai also did not feel any better though. Such a dangerous Divine Sense collision had obviously caused him some damage as well; however, with the protection and restorative power of his Soul Warming Lotus, he did not need to worry about this.
Even if his Soul was damaged, the Soul Warming Lotus would be able to repair it for him.
On the contrary, his opponent, who had believed he could crush Yang Kai at will, now discovered that the young man in front of him was actually able to fight him on even ground, making him curse himself for underestimating his opponent as he hurriedly tried to take back his Divine Sense.
But how could Yang Kai let him off so easily?
Relying on his higher cultivation, this man had launched a Divine Sense attack without saying a word, obviously intending to suppress him in one shot, yet now he wanted to retreat? Not if Yang Kai had anything to say about it!
Resisting the piercing ache in his mind, Yang Kai grit his teeth and forced his Divine Sense to chase after the withdrawing enemy.
The indifferent look on the man’s face finally changed, all of his previous disdain and mockery being replaced with shock and horror. Although he had only fought a single round with Yang Kai, he could now see that this young man was a madman.
Without even mentioning how this Junior Brother at the Third-Order Origin King Realm had Spiritual Energy equal to his own, just the will to risk critically injuring himself to strike back at his opponent was not something an ordinary man could achieve.
[Does this bastard… not fear death?] Deep in his heart, the man felt a deep sense of fright.
In a head-on confrontation, the stronger won.
When Yang Kai’s violent Divine Sense surged forward, crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood along the way, pursuing his opponent’s Divine Sense back to his Knowledge Sea and tearing open his defences, the man couldn’t help stumbling backwards and crying out in pain.
No longer possessing the aloof demeanour of a Senior Brother anymore, he was reduced to a simple man suffering unbearable torment.
Yang Kai also trembled as his face turned pale.
However, he grit his teeth and charged towards his enemy at remarkable speed without saying a word.
“Senior Brother Zhou Yi!” Chu Fei exclaimed in shock.
From his point of view, this Senior Brother named Zhou Yi had only stared at Yang Kai for an instant before both of them shook violently and turned pale. Senior Brother Zhou Yi had been forced to retreat several steps while Yang Kai took this opportunity to approach, a cruel and merciless light filling his eyes.
Chu Fei was still a Third-Order Origin King, so he had detected the fluctuations of Divine Sense just now, but what he could not believe was that, it was Senior Brother Zhou Yi who had actually suffered the bigger loss in that brief confrontation.
Seeing Yang Kai not retreat but instead attack, Chu Fei hurriedly shouted to warn Zhou Yi.
But how could he act in time?
As soon as his voice fell, Yang Kai had already rushed up to the cultivator named Zhou Yi and a five coloured glow from his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi covered his fists as he struck forward towards his enemy’s chest.
*Hong…*
The world vibrated fiercely as a violent force burst out and Zhou Yi was directly pounded into the ground, leaving behind a human-shaped pit as dust filled the air.
Seeing this scene, Chu Fei felt a sense of deja-vu as it was so similar to what had happened to him three months ago. Suddenly his face turned pale as he trembled in place, while his two Junior Brothers put on an even more embarrassing display as they called out in alarm and hurriedly retreated for fear of being implicated.
“How could this be?” Chu Fei was completely dumbfounded.
He thought that Yang Kai would definitely be taught a severe lesson if he invited Senior Brother Zhou Yi to avenge him, and now, with all the masters from Protector Bian’s faction out of the Sect, no one could stop him.
Today, he was going to get his revenge and humiliate Yang Kai, but how could he have anticipated that the Senior Brother he invited would be beaten to the ground by Yang Kai in a face-to-face encounter.
The bizarre scene before him caused Chu Fei to doubt his eyes.
It wasn’t until this time that Chu Fei noticed Yang Kai’s cultivation was no longer at the Second-Order Origin King Realm but had instead reached the Third-Order.
“How could he have made a breakthrough in that damned Ice Cliff?” Chu Fei’s heart shook as he realized that he had made a mistake this time.
In Blue Feather Sect, there had always been a convention. Any disciple that was confined in the Ice Cliff and did not die would become highly valued, and if that disciple was able to gain some insight or even break through in the Ice Cliff, they would immediately become an elite disciple of Sect, causing their status to soar up to the sky.
Over the years, many Senior Brothers had risen to fame because of this.
After all, the Ice Cliff was formed by an Emperor Realm master’s single strike and was suffused with profound Emperor Pressure and Ice Principles. Being able to break through in that kind of environment showed just how talented a cultivator was.
And now, Yang Kai was undoubtedly such a disciple.
If this news spread, it would definitely attract the attention of the Sect, and this Junior Brother, whom Chu Fei hated deeply, would instantly come to possess much higher status and importance than him. At that time, he would only be able to look up to Yang Kai. As for revenge, there was no need to even dream of it anymore as Yang Kai not coming to find trouble with him would be a blessing.
Many distracting thoughts passed through Chu Fei’s mind as he quickly understood that if he could not solve this matter properly today, it would become a catastrophe for him, causing him to panic internally.
Just as Chu Fei was secretly scolding Zhou Yi for being useless, a low growl filled with rage suddenly rang out, “Boy, you court death!”
This voice was filled with unspeakable hatred, like a wounded beast’s roar tinged with cold murderous intent.
Chu Fei’s eyes lit up and he was called out with joy, “Senior Brother Zhou!”
The low roar was from Zhou Yi, who had been punched into the ground by Yang Kai.
Although Yang Kai had not held back, Zhou Yi was a First-Order Dao Source Realm master, so how could he possibly be killed so easily? After becoming disoriented after his loss during their Divine Sense confrontation just now, he had been unable to prevent Yang Kai’s follow up attack in time.
Now that he had come back to his senses, he was naturally enraged.
As he shouted, he leapt up and turned a vicious glare towards Yang Kai, his eyes bloodshot as killing intent radiated from his body.
If he had only accepted Chu Fei’s request to meddle in this matter reluctantly before, after being punched by Yang Kai, he now personally wanted to butcher him.
After being beaten to such an extent by a Junior Brother who was in a lower realm, how could Zhou Yi wash off this shame with anything other than blood?
The surrounding space began to stiffen as the anger of a Dao Source Realm master was even able to affect the ambient World Principles to a certain extent. Wind began to gather towards Zhou Yi, whipping his hair into a frenzied dance as his aura continued to sharply rise.
Yang Kai tensed up as he instinctively felt a sense of crisis surge up in his heart, so he directly used his Demon Eye of Annihilation without any hesitation.
His left eye suddenly turned golden as a narrow pupil containing a mysterious and majestic power that had an incredible suppressive effect on one’s Soul burst forth.
As their eyes met, Zhou Yi could not help feeling startled because he could feel the strange force coming from this golden eye affecting his thoughts and will.
In his Divine Sense exchange with Yang Kai, he had suffered a small injury, so now facing the Demon Eye of Annihilation, he was naturally at a disadvantage.
Yang Kai seized the opportunity to display his most powerful Soul Secret Technique, “Blossoming Lotus!”
A lotus bud suddenly appeared in his left eye and in a flicker shot into Zhou Yi’s eyes.
Everything in front of Zhou Yi suddenly disappeared and all that was left was this lotus bud. The bud madly began extracting his Spiritual energy and slowly blossomed, revealing a kind of strange, deadly beauty.
Yang Kai currently had an advantage over Zhou Yi in terms of Soul cultivation, so how could he not take advantage of it? As soon as the Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique came out, Yang Kai took the initiative to attack again.
Before Zhou Yi could react, Yang Kai shot out dozens of Golden Blood Threads which, under his exquisite Divine Sense control, twisted and turned into a golden net that wrapped up Zhou Yi.
This was just one of the myriad transformations possible for Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread.
“Dragon Transformation!” Yang Kai did not hesitate to use another Secret Technique, morphing his right arm into a vicious dragon claw before he thrust it out towards Zhou Yi’s chest.
Now that things had developed to this point, it was either Yang Kai died or Zhou Yi died. The latter’s murderous intent was not just a deterrent, it represented a real desire to kill Yang Kai.
Against someone who wanted to seriously kill him, Yang Kai would not show mercy.
“Brother Yang, don’t!” Liu Xian Yun called out in alarm from behind.
If Yang Kai really killed Zhou Yi, it would no longer be possible to resolve this matter, but as she did not have a way to calm the situation in front of her either, she could only shout instinctively.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to her cries as his expression remained cold and indifferent as he made his resolve to quickly kill the enemy before him.
Seeing the dragon claw about to penetrate his chest, Zhou Yi managed to shake off the influence of the Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique at the critical moment and roar, “Boy, you dare!”
With a clatter, the lotus image in Zhou Yi’s eyes shattered and his murderous intent, which had stagnated somewhat, soared upwards again. At the same time, his First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation exploded vigorously.
“Anguished Wind Palm!” Zhou Yi shouted as he stuck out a palm covered in rich Wind Attribute energy, creating a storm-like vortex that tried to chew through Yang Kai’s right arm.
*Kacha…*
A harsh grating sound echoed as the dragon scales on Yang Kai’s right arm broke apart. Even the dragon claw itself wasn’t able to maintain its shape properly.
Although the First-Order Dao Source Realm was only a single Minor Realm above Yang Kai’s current cultivation, because Zhou Yi’s Saint Qi had been completely transformed into Source Qi, his true combat power had far exceeded that of an ordinary Third-Order Origin King.
What’s more, First-Order Dao Source cultivators had touched upon the threshold Principles and could slightly mobilize them to enhance their techniques.
What Zhou Yi cultivated was undoubtedly the Wind Attribute, and his Anguished Wind Palm obviously contained all his perceptions and comprehensions of the Wind Principles.
Wind Principles were swift and flexible, so this Anguished Wind Palm was both terrifyingly fast and sharp.
Feeling the approaching murderous intent made Yang Kai’s complexion change drastically, but rather than retreating, he grit his teeth and pushed his dragon claw towards Zhou Yi’s chest with even more force.
“You…” Zhou Yi’s eyes bulged as he desperately pushed his Source Qi to protect his body, but even then, he was unable to stop Yang Kai’s sharp dragon claw.
Under the terrifying penetrating power of this dragon claw, Zhou Yi’s defences were akin to paper.
In an instant, Zhou Yi’s heart was grasped by Yang Kai!
The next moment, the Anguished Wind Palm’s attack struck Yang Kai.
However, the instant Zhou Yi’s palm was about to make contact, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly flickered and disappeared, causing the violent blast of wind to hit nothing but air.
When the lingering power of this palm dissipated, Yang Kai’s figure reappeared, as if he had never even moved.
Nihility!
By using his Nihility Secret Technique, Yang Kai had merged his body with the void temporarily, thus avoiding the majority of the Anguished Wind Palm’s power.
However, a part of the attack’s force still blasted into Yang Kai’s body, ripping into his physique and wantonly damaging his physical body.
Yang Kai’s vitality roiled in his chest and he could not stop himself from coughing up blood.
“You’re not dead?” Zhou Yi exclaimed in shock.
He was certain Yang Kai would die under his palm, after all, Yang Kai’s hand had grabbed hold of his heart, so there was no way he could dodge. Zhou Yi was sure that his Anguished Wind Palm was enough to rip apart any Third-Order Origin King in a frontal collision.
What Zhou Yi couldn’t figure out was how Yang Kai seemed to have only suffered some small injuries and not taken any major damage.
What kind of Secret Technique did he just use? This boy had somehow been able to avoid his attack without even moving, it was almost as if he didn’t exist at that moment.
In front of his simple wooden house, Yang Kai’s right arm dripped with red blood as golden blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, making for a terrifying picture as he tightly clenched Zhou Yi’s still-beating heart.
Zhou Yi was still bound tightly by the net of Golden Blood Threads as he stared at Yang Kai in front of him with dilated eyes.
Madman! This Junior Brother of his was an absolute lunatic! Zhou Yi kept screaming in his heart.
The two maintained such a stalemate, motionless.
An extremely solemn atmosphere filled the air, making it almost impossible to even breathe.
Not far away, Liu Xian Yun covered her mouth with her small hands as her beautiful eyes shook violently, while Chu Fei and the other two Origin Kings stood there gulping hard.
“Heh heh, it seems this is your loss, Senior Brother!” Yang Kai grinned suddenly.
Zhou Yi’s face twitched slightly and although he was full of unwillingness, there was no doubt that his life was currently no longer his to control.
As long as Yang Kai exerted a little bit more force, he can take his life.
“If you kill me, you’ll die too!” Zhou Yi stared at Yang Kai coldly but did not even try to beg for mercy, instead making threats.
“Are you willing to bet on that? Let’s see if I can leave this damned place after I kill you! Junior Brother may not be very strong, but he is confident in his ability to escape!” Yang grinned wickedly as Zhou Yi shut his mouth, not daring to speak for fear that this crazy Junior Brother of his would really crush his heart.
If that happened, it wouldn’t matter to him if Yang Kai lived or died because he would already be dead regardless. Everyone had only one life, so Zhou Yi didn’t dare to risk his.
“If you dare to move, I’ll kill him immediately!” Yang Kai suddenly turned his head and stared coldly at Chu Fei who seemed to be trying to escape.
Only after Yang Kai spoke, did Liu Xian Yun suddenly recover from her shock and with a flicker she arrived in front of Chu Fei to stare at him vigilantly in case he took the opportunity to escape.
Chu Fei felt like crying in anguish as he really didn’t dare to move now.
“You seem like a smart person, and obviously you don’t want to fight a battle where everyone dies in the end, right? Draw back and Senior Brother will let this matter drop,” Zhou Yi’s expression narrowed as he stared at Yang Kai in front of him and spoke.
Yang Kai snickered, “Naturally, I don’t want to die, but with things having gotten to this point, there can be no good end. Senior Brother, what do you think would be best, killing you now and fleeing… or killing you and waiting to see what punishment the Sect metes out? And do not spout any nonsense about not finding trouble with me again if I let you go, only a fool would believe such drivel.”
Zhou Yi’s face went gloomy as he did not know how to answer.
“Forget it,” Yang Kai suddenly laughed cheerfully and said. “We should settle accounts here first before discussing what comes next.”
Saying so, he turned his head and looked at Chu Fei and his minions, his eyes gradually becoming cold, “In the end, you’re the reason all of this happened. Whether it was me being confined for three months or this incident, it’s all your fault. Since that’s the case, let’s start by having you kneel down and slap yourselves while calling yourselves pigs!”
As soon as this statement came out, Chu Fei and the others’ complexions changed drastically.
“You… don’t go too far!” Chu Fei screamed. Although this place was relatively remote and there were usually very few people who came and went from here, if he really obeyed Yang Kai’s command, how would he be able to show his face in the Sect in the future? This story would immediately be passed out to every disciple and he would degenerate into a complete laughing stock.
“We’d sooner die than suffer such humiliation!” The Second-Order Origin King also yelled, his face filled with anger.
“Is that so?” Yang Kai smiled slightly before ignoring Chu Fei and the others, instead turning to look at Zhou Yi while slowly tightening his grip, “Senior Brother, Senior Brother Chu doesn’t seem to want to cooperate, so what should we do now? Junior Brother currently has his hands full and cannot force them to comply, which is annoying him greatly. If by some chance Junior Brother were to lose control and apply too much strength…”
Zhou Yi immediately began oozing big beads of sweat from his forehead. He could already feel the pressure on his heart growing stronger and stronger, causing his breathing to become a bit hurried. Quickly turning his head, he yelled at Chu Fei and the others in a panic, “The guilty must pay for their own crimes, this matter was caused by you three so you cannot just stand by and feign innocence. If I die, I die, but if I, Zhou Yi, can escape this disaster, you should understand what fate you’ll endure.”
As soon as Zhou Yi spoke, Chu Fei and the others could not help turning pale as all of them turned hate-filled yet imploring looks towards Yang Kai, as if praying he would show them mercy and spare them.
Yang Kai of course turned a blind eye to them as he continued to increase the strength of his grip.
“You haven’t kneeled down yet?!” Zhou shouted.
Chu Fei and the others didn’t dare to hesitate, and all fell to their knees, their expressions uglier than if they were about to die.
Shame, such great shame!
Regardless of anything else, they were Origin King Realm cultivators. Fighting and being injured was a common matter to them, but when had they ever been forced to kneel? Each of them cursed out Yang Kai in their hearts as they all secretly vowed to find a chance in the future to repay this humiliation a hundredfold, otherwise how could they purge the hatred in their hearts.
“Why don’t I hear the sound of faces being slapped?” Yang Kai turned his ear to the side with a puzzled look on his face.
Zhou Yi’s fierce eyes immediately floated over towards Chu Fei and others.
*Pa pa pa…*
Chu Fei and his followers lifted their hands and slapped their cheeks numbly.
“What else?” Yang Kai continued to sneer.
Chu Fei felt his blood boil as his heart seized, almost causing him to pass out from rage and making him wish he could rush out and fight Yang Kai to the death, but because of Zhou Yi’s despotic power, how could he dare show any trace of resistance?
Steeling himself, with a face as ugly as if he was crying, he began to shout.
“I am a pig, wu wu…”
With Chu Fei taking the lead, the remaining two naturally did not dare to hold their silence and so a grand spectacle played out. Three Blue Feather Sect disciples knelt on the ground, slapping themselves while calling themselves pigs. This kind of humiliation was a hundred times worse than any torture the Sect would use as punishment.
“I should not have provoked Junior Brother Yang, I am a pig!”
“I’m a pig, Junior Brother Yang, please show mercy and spare us this time.”
…
“En, very good,” Yang Kai laughed with satisfaction, “Even if things were a bit forced, it’s good.”
“Is that enough?” Zhou Yi looked at Yang Kai coldly, his teeth grinding so hard they seemed they would shatter as the hatred in his eyes was so thick it was almost tangible.
“Senior Brother, you’re really fierce!” Yang Kai immediately put on a frightened look, “Junior Brother is quite timid, so please don’t stare at him like that. If Junior Brother becomes flustered, he might accidentally crush your heart…”
Zhou Yi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, they were dull and indifferent as he quickly said, “Junior Brother Yang, it was Senior Brother that had eyes but failed to see and angered you today. We should let this matter stop here. In the end, we’re both fellow Sect Brothers, so we should not raise our hands against…”
Before he could finish speaking though, Yang Kai suddenly lifted his left hand and slapped him.
*Pa…* A blood-red palm print appeared on Zhou Yi’s cheek and even a few teeth were knocked out.
“Now you say we’re fellow Brothers? We should not raise our hands against one another? Why didn’t you think so when you tried to attack me just now!”
“You……”
“You what?” Yang Kai slapped out again. Zhou Yi instinctively wanted to resist, but feeling the grip on his heart tightening, he did not and could only receive this second slap willingly. The anger which he had just forced down was instantly rekindled and his eyes became bloodshot.
“If you utter another word, I will slap you, and if you keep staring at me like this, I’ll punch you like this,” Yang Kai punched out, hitting Zhou Yi’s eyes, blackening them.
Zhou Yi finally held his tongue, knowing that Yang Kai was completely insane and could not be provoked. Showing any signs of resistance or anger now would only cause him to suffer. With no other option, Zhou Yi simply lowered his head, so he didn’t have to look at Yang Kai. At the same time, he was already thinking up just how he would torture Yang Kai in the future to wash off this insult.
“Xian Yun, is he the one who hurt you?” Yang Kai suddenly asked an inexplicable question.
Liu Xian Yun’s expression changed, opening her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but she just nodded in the end.
It wasn’t difficult for Yang Kai to guess this; after all, he understood Liu Xian Yun’s strength well and knew it was impossible for Chu Fei to have wounded her so. The only person who had such ability was this Zhou Yi.
Yang Kai nodded indifferently before grinning, “As a Senior Brother in the Sect, not only did you not take care of your Junior Brother and Sister who were newly recruited, you deliberately bullied and oppressed them. Senior Brother Zhou Yi, you’re a true role model.”
When his words fell, Yang Kai’s left fist flew and beat Zhou Yi violently.
Zhou Yi had no ability to resist and could only endure Yang Kai’s abrupt beating.
Although Yang Kai’s cultivation was a Minor Realm lower than his own, his physical strength was extremely strong so the force behind each fist could not be ignored. As such, it was not long before Zhou Yi’s face had become swollen and bruised, deformed to the point it was miserable to look at.
Suddenly, Zhou Yi laughed coldly and said in no uncertain terms, “Boy, if you don’t kill me today, you’ll pay for this in the future.”
Yang Kai frowned, looked out into the distance thoughtfully, then coldly snorted and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to kill you before I die!”
At that moment, he had sensed a master rapidly approaching their position.
This was not a surprise, of course, as it had been some time since this incident had begun and word of it had surely spread throughout Blue Feather Sect by now, so Yang Kai expected someone to come sooner or later.
What he didn’t expect was that the master who came would be so powerful. Even from so far away, the pressure Yang Kai felt was not weaker than that of Bian Yu Qing’s.
[Which Protector has come?] Yang Kai could not stop his expression from sinking.
Soon, Liu Xian Yun also sensed the approach of this master and her beautiful eyes could not help looking at Yang Kai with worry; after all, the trouble he had gotten into was indeed a bit fierce. Meanwhile, Chu Fei and his two minions were still kneeling on the ground slapping themselves while calling themselves pigs.
A moment later, a profound streak of light appeared and came to a halt up in the sky not far from where Yang Kai and the other stood. When the light faded, a number of figures were revealed.
Terrifying coercion fell from the sky, making it difficult for everyone to breathe and causing their bodies to sink, as if a great mountain was pressing down on them.
At the head of this group was an old man with snow-white hair. Behind this old man stood several men and women of varying cultivations, some Origin Kings, some Dao Source Realms. At this moment, however, all of them wore astonished looks as they stared at the strange scene below.
After seeing this old man, Zhou Yi was overjoyed and hurriedly shouted, “Protector Miao, save me!”
[Protector Miao?] Yang Kai’s brow rose when he learned the identity of this newcomer.
Miao Qi was also one of Blue Feather Sect’s Protectors and had a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, the same as Bian Yu, Qing Zhu and Jun Shan.
If a master at this level wanted to take Yang Kai’s life, he would likely not be able to put up any resistance.
Yang Kai did not know exactly what kind of attitude this Miao Qi would take to deal with today’s affairs and secretly made up his mind that if this old man wanted to favour Zhou Yi and suppress him, he would directly release his new Monster Insect Queen and raise as much chaos as possible.
Although the Monster Insect Queen could only exert the strength of a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator; with its solid foundation if it went all out it could at least delay Miao Qi for a while.
Yang Kai would take that opportunity to flee with Liu Xian Yun.
As for whether he could escape at that time, it would depend on his own means.
Considering all this, Yang Kai adjusted his mood and turned his eyes fearlessly towards Miao Qi.
Miao Qi seemed to be looking at Yang Kai too, and seeing the strange scene in front of him, he could not completely hide his surprise. With the difference in strength between Yang Kai and Zhou Yi, logically speaking, Yang Kai should have been subdued with ease, but it was obvious that at this moment, Zhou Yi was the one who was restrained and had lost his right to decide if he lived or died. Miao Qi could not figure out what had happened.
As for Chu Fei and his minions… they were so miserable and unsightly that Miao Qi didn’t want to spare them a second glance.
“Protector Miao, help!” Chu Fei and the others also yelled one after another. The appearance of Miao Qi gave them hope so regardless of Yang Kai’s previous threats, they hurriedly stood up from the ground with their swollen faces and begged for salvation.
Miao Qi remained indifferent, however, as he used his Divine Sense to repeatedly scan Yang Kai, seemingly trying to understand what mysteries he was hiding.
Behind him, a middle-aged man stepped forward and looking down below condescendingly, he asked coldly, “What happened here?”
Chu Fei and the others clearly recognized this man and hearing this, they quickly cupped their fists and said, “Reporting to Senior Brother Pang, I had some grievances with this Junior Brother Yang before, but today, I heard he had returned from the Ice Cliff and came here to apologize. I don’t know what kind of insanity possessed Junior Brother Yang as he suddenly struck out without warning or explanation. Before we could resist, we were made into this miserable state! Senior Brother Pang and Protector Miao must uphold justice for us.”
Chu Fei was articulate and quickly made up an excuse on the spot, pushing all the blame and fault onto Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was a bit stunned when he heard these words and could not help admiring Chu Fei’s ability to twist the truth.
Senior Brother Pang was noncommittal and with a frown asked, “Then what happened to Junior Brother Zhou?”
Chu Fei was immediately filled with righteous indignation as he pointed at Yang Kai and shouted, “Senior Brother Pang, please understand. Senior Brother Zhou was just passing by here, saw us being humiliated, and out of righteousness and compassion stepped forward to intercede, but Junior Brother Yang was treacherous and under the guise of apologizing suddenly attacked Senior Brother Zhou. Senior Brother Zhou has a kind heart and did not expect to suddenly be attacked and was caught off guard… it is all our fault; we are the ones who caused Senior Brother Zhou to fall into such a state!”
Chu Fei sobbed bitterly while he spoke, and while Zhou Yi did not say a word during the whole process, he also made an aggrieved face and cooperated with him in this face.
“Bullshit!” Liu Xian Yun could not listen to this anymore and her pretty face flushed red as she shouted, “Clearly it was you holding a grudge and coming to look for trouble with Yang Kai by taking advantage of Senior Brother Zhou Yi, but when things turned against…”
“Xian Yun, you don’t need to explain,” Yang Kai interrupted her as he turned to look at Chu Fei with a sneer before saying lightly, “Right or wrong, Protector Miao will make his own judgment.”
“But…” Liu Xian Yun wanted to say more, but seeing the firm look in Yang Kai’s eyes, she simply sighed and stood down.
She and Yang Kai both knew that if this Protector Miao favoured Chu Fei and Zhou Yi, even if Chu Fei’s lies were exposed, Protector Miao would not care. If on the other hand Protector Miao was a fair and just man, there was no need to explain anything.
Everything would depend on Miao Qi’s attitude!
“No need to explain? That must mean you have a guilty conscience! Senior Brother Zhou’s life is being held in your vicious hands, what is there not to explain?” Chu Fei changed his previous cowardly appearance and became impassioned as if the Heavens themselves had wronged him.
Yang Kai just sneered.
The Senior Brother Pang up in the sky frowned and said with disgust, “Shut up!”
Chu Fei hurriedly shut his mouth.
Senior Brother Pang looked at Yang Kai and said lightly, “Are you the disciple who has just joined the Sect?”
“Yes, Yang Kai greets Senior Brothers and Protector Miao. Please forgive this disciple for not giving a proper salute as his hands are currently a bit preoccupied,” Yang Kai replied in a neither humble nor arrogant demeanour while maintaining his previous posture.
Senior Brother Pang sneered, “I’ve heard about you, your courage truly isn’t small. You only just entered the Sect and have already stirred up so much trouble. It seems that Yan Xiu Ran suffered the loss of his Treasure Seizing Snake at your hands and you even committed a big enough mistake to be confined in the Ice Cliff by Protector Bian. Now you’ve just returned, and this is the mess you make?”
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly before snorting coldly, “The tree simply wishes for quiet, but the wind continues to howl!”
“Bold!” Senior Brother Pang snapped, “A little brat who only just joined the Sect dares to disregard the rules and caused trouble everywhere, it seems you have no redeeming values!”
Yang Kai’s face became cold as he solemnly said, “Isn’t Senior Brother Pang being too biased here, not understanding the whole story but already rendering judgement about me?”
“Senior Brother is teaching you for your own good, yet you dare argue back?” Senior Brother Pang looked angry as his Source Qi flared up, like he was ready to attack Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s heart sank seeing this. If the attitude of this Senior Brother Pang represented the attitude of Protector Miao, then today things would not be settled peacefully.
Just as he was preparing to summon the Monster Insect Queen and run rampant, Protector Miao waved his hand gently.
The furious Senior Brother Pang bowed his head and restrained his Source Qi fluctuations before stepping back docilely.
Miao Qi’s gaze swept across Yang Kai before landing on Zhou Yi, at which point he coldly declared, “Waste!”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi could not help turning pale.
He could naturally hear the deep dissatisfaction and disappointment in Miao Qi’s voice; after all, it was a fact that he was suppressed by Yang Kai, and nothing he said would be able to justify it.
Being defeated and held hostage by a Junior Brother at the Third-Order Origin King Realm was certainly a performance worthy of such an evaluation.
Zhou Yi realized that, no matter what, he would not be able to rise up in the Sect again from now on, causing both a sense of profound loss and infinite hatred to well up inside him.
If it were not for Yang Kai, how could Miao Qi have judged him so? Lowering his head, Zhou Yi grit his teeth and said nothing, but the extreme rage in his eyes could not be concealed.
At this time, Protector Miao turned back to Yang Kai and declared, “No matter what happened here today, everyone belongs to the same Sect, and since this old master has encountered this situation, he cannot just ignore it. Imprison all of them and throw them into the Bone Prison. Once Protector Bian returns, she can deal with it.”
After rendering his judgement, Miao Qi turned around and left.
Senior Brother Pang bowed and acknowledged Miao Qi’s orders.
After Miao Qi left, Senior Brother Pang turned around and yelled, “Did you not hear Protector Miao’s words?!”
Chu Fei and his followers stood frozen on the spot, with bitter, defeated looks on their faces, not having expected Protector Miao to handle today’s affairs in such a manner.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, looked happy because as long as Miao Qi didn’t directly attack him, there was still room for him to manoeuvre.
This was undoubtedly the best result Yang Kai could have hoped for.
Grinning, he called out, “Senior Brother Pang, it’s not that Junior Brother doesn’t want to obey Protector Miao’s command, but just look at Senior Brother Zhou’s eyes. Junior Brother is afraid if he releases him now, he will immediately attack… If that happens, heh heh, Junior Brother is quite weak and couldn’t possibly resist.”
“Still trying to act smart!?” With a cold snort, Senior Brother Pang assumed an air of authority and declared, “Rest assured, since Protector Miao has spoken, Zhou Yi would not dare disobey. Just let him go.”
“Since Senior Brother Pang has said so, Junior Brother will obey,” Yang Kai smiled and retracted his Golden Blood Threads and took his hand out from Zhou Yi’s chest, bringing with him a big splash of fresh blood.
At that last moment, Yang Kai also secretly urged his strength to explode inside Zhou Yi’s body, causing some damage.
Zhou Yi couldn’t help coughing up a mouthful of blood as he grit his teeth and glared at Yang Kai, “You…”
“Sorry, did I act too quickly? Should I insert my hand again and try once more?” Yang Kai asked innocently.
Zhou Yi nearly choked on his rage as he shouted, “You best pray you don’t fall into my hands one day, otherwise, you will definitely wish you had died here today!”
“Senior Brother Pang, he’s threatening me!” Yang Kai yelled immediately with a look of panic on his face.
Senior Brother Pang naturally ignored him and formed a series of seals with his hands before palming towards everyone present with an unhappy expression, including Liu Xian Yun.
The six people involved in today’s incident all had their cultivators sealed.
“Come with me!” Senior Brother Pang looked extremely impatient, wrapped everything in his Source Qi, and flew off in the direction of the Bone Prison with a wave of his hand.
In front of the Bone Prison, Yan Xiu Ran was still standing guard, and when he saw Senior Brother Pang arrive, he promptly greeted him with a smile.
Senior Brother Pang nodded lightly before saying, “Lock up these troublemakers and be sure to watch them carefully.”
“Yes,” Yan Xiu Ran replied before sweeping his eyes around, the next moment gawking as he pointed at Yang Kai, an expression of anger filling his face as he yelled, “It’s you… you bastard!”
“Heh heh, Senior Brother Yan, we meet again,” Yang Kai greeted him with a warm smile on his face.
Yan Xiu Ran couldn’t help his face from going cold as he snorted, “Good, good, good, I didn’t expect you to return to the Bone Prison so soon. Senior Brother will definitely entertain you well this time.”
“Then I’ll be imposing on Senior Brother’s hospitality,” Yang Kai spoke happily, as if he was not even afraid of death, causing Senior Brother Pang to shake his head in frustration once again.
It had only been four months since Yang Kai came to Blue Feather Sect, and this was his second time entering the Bone Prison.
However, the situation this time was quite different. The first time he had been caught and detained, but the second time it was a real punishment.
He and Liu Xian Yun were locked inside the same cell while Zhou Yi, Chu Fei and the others were locked up in a cell adjacent to them. They were so close that Yang Kai could still feel their hate-filled gazes, even in the darkness.
Yang Kai naturally ignored them.
Sitting down cross-legged on the damp ground, Yang Kai frowned.
Blue Feather Sect may not be a place he could remain any longer. He and Liu Xian Yun had joined this Sect temporarily because they were forced to do so. They had no sense of belonging to this place, and after so many incidents had occurred, Yang Kai did not want to remain either.
If he continued to stay here, perhaps one day he would find himself in real trouble. Yang Kai knew that his current strength was not very high, and although he was able to turn all danger into safety so far, that had more to do with luck than skill. A single mistake and his Martial Dao would come to end.
Yang Kai felt especially strong about this after he saw Yan Xiu Ran, Zhou Yi, and the others talking sneakily just now and sneering at him before they were locked up. Yang Kai knew they were plotting something and would probably even try to stealthily kill him inside this place.
Yang Kai did not plan on just sitting still and waiting for trouble to come.
Now that Protector Bian and Kou Wu were not in the Sect, as long as these people cleaned up the aftermath slightly, they would definitely not suffer any real consequences.
Besides, even if Bian Yu Qing came back, as a woman who was subject to shifting moods, it was not even certain she would stand by his side. She had thrown him into the Ice Cliff once already, not out of kindness, but more as a test of his potential!
If he had died, she would definitely not care, if he survived, she may pay a bit more attention to him, but not to the point where she would do everything in her power to protect him.
After making up his mind, Yang Kai quietly began to contact the master he had once met here.
“Senior… Senior Wu…. Senior Wu Meng Chuan…”
Yang Kai kept calling out softly.
However, to his surprise, he did not get any response.
When Yang Kai was first imprisoned in the Bone Prison, Wu Meng Chuan had taken the initiative to call out to him and said he could pass him the method to break the seal on his cultivation, but Yang Kai was completely unfamiliar with Blue Feather Sect at that time, so he didn’t dare to act rashly lest he be used as a pawn without him knowing.
If he wanted to leave Blue Feather Sect today though, he needed to take advantage of Wu Meng Chuan’s ability.
If he was really a Third-Order Dao Source Realm master, releasing him would definitely cause a giant commotion he could use as cover to escape together with Liu Xian Yun.
But now, the other party wasn’t responding, so Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering if Blue Feather Sect had moved him somewhere else or if the other party was already dead.
Yang Kai didn’t become discouraged though and kept trying.
Finally, after two full hours, a well-concealed Divine Sense fluctuation passed a message to Yang Kai’s ear.
“Brat, it’s you again! Did you get locked up again?” Wu Meng Chuan’s voice was filled with surprise.
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched, “Senior doesn’t need to laugh. But Senior, why did you not respond for so long? I thought Senior was no longer here.”
Wu Meng Chuan’s hoarse laughter rang out, “The Spiritual Energy I can use each day is limited, only enough to communicate like this for half an hour or so, so I dare not use it lightly.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded slightly, not doubting his explanation.
“Kid, why are you trying to contact this old master? Are you prepared to cooperate with this old master?” Wu Meng Chuan’s emotions became vaguely agitated; after all, he had been locked up here for several years so after finding an appropriate helper, he naturally didn’t want to let go of this chance.
If he missed this opportunity, he did not know whether he would be able to escape the Bone Prison in his lifetime.
Yang Kai knit his brow and replied, “I’m fine with cooperating, and can even agree to help Senior escape from here, but… What benefits can Senior give me? After all, Junior doesn’t want to simply act for free.
“What benefits do you want? This old master will speak the truth with you: Right now this old master only has his life, so even if he promises you anything, he might not be able to deliver it. However, if you trust this old master, once he is free, this old master will give you anything you desire!” Wu Meng Chuan quickly said.
Yang Kai curled his lips and said with a casual look on his face, “Then Senior, do you have some powerful Secret Arts or Techniques? Just give me one of those.”
“You want a Secret Technique?” Wu Meng Chuan asked rhetorically before going silent.
Yang Kai did not worry and just waited quietly.
The reason why he made this request was just as a casual front, because even if Wu Meng Chuan said he would not give him anything, Yang Kai would still have to cooperate with him to survive. As such, Yang Kai simply wanted to give this request a try, and judging from this silence, it seemed like there was hope of success.
This made Yang Kai realize that Wu Meng Chuan really could not wait to leave this place, and his help was absolutely necessary! Otherwise, there would be no need to seriously consider his rude request.
Was Wu Meng Chuan really going to agree with his opening bid? Yang Kai suddenly had such a thought in his mind, but quickly rejected it.
The opponent’s strength was so high that if he annoyed him, Yang Kai would probably be the first to die if he did release him.
After a while, Wu Meng Chuan seemed to make a decision, laughed wickedly, and said, “Good, since you want to learn a Secret Technique, this old master will pass you his most powerful one! With the help of this Secret Technique, climbing to the Emperor Realm in the future will be completely possible! Here, take it!”
When the words fell, a wave of information flooded into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. Yang Kai simply let go of his Knowledge Sea defences and accepted this stream of Spiritual Energy.
This message contained two Secret Techniques, one of which was the one to lift the seal on his cultivation, while the other was the ‘benefit’ Wu Meng Chuan gave to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai quickly began inspecting his gains.
Wu Meng Chuan’s voice sounded again a moment later, with a hint of exhaustion clear in his tone, “Boy, this old master is counting on you. Lift the seal on your cultivation as soon as possible then help this old master escape.”
After saying so, he fell silent. It seemed that using his Spiritual Energy to send that message just now had tired him out, so when Yang Kai tried to call out to him again, Wu Meng Chuan did not respond.
Realizing this, Yang Kai focused on investigating the two Secret Techniques Wu Meng Chuan had given him. Needless to say, the Secret Technique to lift the seal on his cultivation wasn’t very profound, and after reading it a few times, Yang Kai had already mastered it. All that was required was for him to stimulate and move his strength in a certain manner to slowly break down the seal.
As for the other Secret Technique, it had an extremely strange name.
Heaven Devouring Battle Law!
Yang Kai didn’t have much time to study and comprehend this technique carefully so he simply browsed through it.
Soon though, a look of shock filled his face.
He had thought that Wu Meng Chuan would casually give himself a Secret Technique to satisfy him, and his claims about it being his most powerful and profound method were all just lies.
Who would teach a stranger their best Secret Technique for no reason?
But now it seemed… What Wu Meng Chuan said was most likely true.
This Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not exactly a Secret Technique but was actually closer to a Secret Art, and an extremely profound one at that. By cultivating this Secret Art, one could swallow and refine almost anything that contained aura, just like a Spirit Devouring Monster Insect, allowing one’s strength to grow extremely rapidly.
This Secret Art was divided into several parts, and the most profound actually detailed how to cultivate it in the Emperor Realm.
Yang Kai’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he read through this Secret Art.
Including information on the Emperor Realm meant that this Heaven Devouring Battle Law was truly a Secret Art one could use to cultivate to the Emperor Realm. The value of such a set of Secret Arts was inestimable, and it would definitely cause a reign of chaos and blood as people tried to snatch it if it were to appear in the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai was deeply shocked and had to check it several times before finally confirming he was not mistaken.
While greatly shocked, he was also equally suspicious.
How could Wu Meng Chuan impart such a miraculous Secret Art to him without any hesitation? Even if he needed help from Yang Kai, a master like Wu Meng Chuan wouldn’t act so generously. What kind of evil intent was he hiding?
This wasn’t just Yang Kai being overly suspicious and pessimistic about the situation, it was simply natural to think this way after such a treasure was simply tossed into his lap.
Yang Kai secretly guessed that this Secret Art either required some kind of special innate talent to cultivate, or if it could be cultivated by anyone, it had enormous drawbacks!
He was more inclined to believe the latter possibility.
As for what the consequences of trying to cultivate this Secret Art were, Yang Kai had no way of guessing for now.
Temporarily setting this Heaven Devouring Battle Law aside, Yang Kai began to comprehend the Secret Technique that lifted his sealed cultivation.
This seal was placed on him by a First-Order Dao Source cultivator, Senior Brother Pang, so there were some specific steps Yang Kai needed to take to lift it. If he tried to break through it forcibly, not only would he suffer backlash from the seal itself, he would likely harm himself in the process as well.
Yang Kai was not a new or inexperienced cultivator anymore, so he understood what he needed to do.
As such, he mentally prepared himself for a long and arduous struggle.
What shocked him though was that, less than an hour later, after following the steps outlined in the Secret Technique provided by Wu Meng Chuan, the seal on his body already began showing signs of loosening and his strength was starting to return.
This discovery surprised Yang Kai and he secretly guessed whether Wu Meng Chuan was a master from Blue Feather Sect in the past. Otherwise, how could he be so familiar with the method to remove the seal its disciples used to imprison others?
However, if Wu Meng Chuan was a master from Blue Feather Sect, why was he imprisoned in the deepest part of the Bone Prison?
This puzzled Yang Kai somewhat, but he didn’t spend much time agonizing over it. In his current situation, the sooner his seal was lifted, the better.
The aura fluctuations that gradually surged from his body could not be concealed from Liu Xian Yun who was so close by.
When she noticed this, Liu Xian Yun immediately covered her red lips with her hands and looked at Yang Kai in shock, unable to believe he was forcibly trying to break through a seal planted by a Dao Source Realm master and that he was having such success.
In order to avoid being caught by others, Liu Xian Yun took the initiative to sit cross-legged in front of Yang Kai to block his figure from view.
However, this could only delay matters slightly.
As Yang Kai’s aura fluctuations became more and more obvious, Zhou Yi and the others who were imprisoned nearby also began to take notice.
One by one, they climbed up from the ground and looked suspiciously towards Yang Kai’s location.
After they determined that Yang Kai was trying to lift the seal on him, Zhou Yi couldn’t help shouting, “Boy, you dare!? Are you not afraid of the rules!”
Chu Fei also called out, “Yang Kai, you’re dead, you’re so dead! You dare try to lift the seal on you by force? That’s no different from not putting Protector Miao in your eyes! No one can save you now, you will have to face Protector Miao’s fury!”
Clearly taking pleasure in Yang Kai’s coming misfortune, Chu Fei wore a big grin as if he could not wait to see Yang Kai being tortured to death for his crimes.
But soon, his smile became stiff as very soon, the aura fluctuations coming from Yang Kai’s body became more and more apparent.
On the surface of his body, a rope-like chain of glowing runes appeared and began to flicker, looking like they would collapse at any moment.
The seal was about to be broken!
“How is that possible?” Chu Fei was shocked.
Yang Kai was just a Third-Order Origin King, and with his cultivation being sealed by a restriction that Senior Brother Pang had planted himself, it should be impossible for him to break free so easily.
“Not good!” Zhou Yi’s thoughts were sharper and quickly realized that, with the blood feud between him and Yang Kai already forged, if Yang Kai really was able to regain his cultivation and escape from the Bone Prison, the first one to die would undoubtedly be him!
What’s more, he was already seriously wounded right now, and his cultivation was sealed, so he wouldn’t even be able to fight back! Death was all but certain!
Realizing this, Zhou Yi’s face suddenly became panicked as he shouted loudly, “Junior Brother Yan!”
But as soon as he spoke, a popping sound rang out as the rune chain winding around Yang Kai’s body exploded into a million points of light and disappeared, while the aura of a Third-Order Origin King flared up.
Yang Kai stood up, and before Zhou Yi could shout a second time, he slammed his fist into the bone bars.
With a clatter, bone chips flew out and Yang Kai sprang out of his cell like a beast that had just been set free. Arriving in front of Zhou Yi at lightning speed, he reached out a hand and grabbed his neck tightly.
Zhou Yi went stiff and was unable to move. His eyes were filled with horror as he shivered while staring at Yang Kai who was right in front of him. No sound was able to escape from his mouth as the grip on his throat was choking the air from him.
Chu Fei and the others were so shocked that they backed away a few steps before falling on their butts.
Yang Kai stared at Zhou Yi indifferently before slowly forming a cruel grin on his lips.
“Junior Brother Yang…” Zhou Yi desperately managed to squeeze out a few hoarse words as he stared at Yang Kai imploringly and said with difficulty, “You don’t really want to kill me. Senior Brother indeed did something wrong before, but you and I are both fellow Sect Brothers… Forgive me, I’ll apologize to you! I won’t leak a word of what happened today, it’s still not too late for you to stop.”
“Do you think that’s possible? Fool!” Yang Kai looked at him contemptuously before exerting a slight force on his hand.
With a crack, Zhou Yi’s neck was snapped and twisted crookedly. Yang Kai then snatched his Space Ring before tossing away the lifeless corpse.
Not even bothering to check the contents, Yang Kai simply stuffed it into his pocket.
Inside the cell, Chu Fei and the others were already shivering violently. Laying limp on the ground, the trio watched Zhou Yi die in front of him and immediately understood that they were next. Looking at Yang Kai in a panic, endless regrets flooded their hearts.
They had not expected that after offending Yang Kai, their final outcome would be like this.
“Junior Brother Yang, forgive me! Senior Brother was wrong, please spare us!” Chu Fei cried and begged loudly for mercy.
Yang Kai just stared at him coldly, his eyes filled with contemptuous disgust. Stretched out his hand, a Golden Blood Thread flew out and struck Chu Fei’s forehead.
A small, red dot appeared on Chu Fei’s forehead as he went stiff, paralyzed in place, the light of vitality quickly disappearing from his eyes.
The Golden Blood Thread flew out again and passed through the heads of the remaining two one after another, reaping their lives before immediately snatching their Space Rings.
After finishing this, Yang Kai turned his head and said, “Xian Yun, you stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Liu Xian Yun looked astonished; after all, from feeling the surge of power from Yang Kai’s body as he lifted the seal to him killing Zhou Yi and the other three, everything happened too fast.
Before she could even react, Yang Kai had finished everything.
Liu Xian Yun quickly realized that Yang Kai was going to flee from Blue Feather Sect today, otherwise, he would not have acted so ruthlessly. She did not have any opinion about this though as her feelings towards Blue Feather Sect were the same as Yang Kai’s.
If she had not been forced, how could she have inexplicably joined this Sect?
She did not have the slightest hesitation to abandon Blue Feather Sect, but she was worried that the two of them wouldn’t have the necessary strength to cut open a bloody path to freedom.
At this moment, when Yang Kai said he had somewhere to go, she couldn’t help asking for more details.
Yang Kai didn’t have time to explain and simply gave her a comforting look before his figure flashed and he entered the depths of the Bone Prison.
He didn’t know what the depths of the Bone Prison looked like, but the place where Wu Meng Chuan was being imprisoned was undoubtedly the most fortified location.
Yang hurriedly deeper into the prison, the cave itself becoming darker and damper as he walked. There were a number of obvious and concealed energy fluctuations around him, obviously coming from powerful Spirit Arrays that would lead to dreadful consequences once touched.
What surprised Yang Kai was that all the cultivators imprisoned in the Bone Prison looked at him indifferently, none of them even making any noise, as if they had already anticipated his arrival.
Some people were even guiding his way forward, allowing him to safely avoid the location where there were barriers and Spirit Array traps.
[These people… should be with Wu Meng Chuan!] Yang Kai figured they had been instructed by Wu Meng Chuan, so they were not surprised to see him arrive and even took the initiative to guide him.
Yang Kai observed secretly and was shocked to find that there were at least several dozen cultivators imprisoned in the depths of this Bone Prison, and although their cultivations were sealed, Yang Kai could still tell that they were not simple.
Each of these people gave Yang Kai an intimidating feel, indicating they were almost all Dao Source Realm experts.
[What exactly is Wu Meng Chuan’s origins? Who are all these people? Why had they been locked up here?]
Yang Kai had all kinds of doubts in his heart and faintly felt there was some kind of big conspiracy and secret behind this Blue Feather Sect.
After proceeding more than a thousand metres into the depths of the Bone Prison, Yang Kai arrived at its end.
Here, there was only a single cell made from some unknown material with only a single, small window one could look into, but thanks to the darkness, there was nothing to behold.
However, Yang Kai could still clearly feel that there was a life aura inside, one that seemed quite faint, however, and quite unlike what a powerful Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator should have.
“Boy, you made it here quite quickly. It seems your aptitude is even more astonishing than this old master imagined!” Wu Meng Chuan’s hoarse voice came out from the cell in front of him, tinged with surprise.
“Senior Wu?” Yang Kai asked tentatively.
“Indeed.”
“What should I do now?” Yang Kai asked hurriedly. Whether he could safely escape from Blue Feather Sect today or not would depend entirely on how powerful the man imprisoned here was, so Yang Kai naturally did not want to delay.
“I’ll teach you the method to unlock this cell now,” Wu Meng Chuan’s voice came out before a burst of Divine Sense flew towards Yang Kai’s forehead.
Yang Kai frowned but did not resist as he carefully accepted this technique.
This method was somewhat similar to the Secret Technique used to lift the seal on his own cultivation, but was more complicated.
Fortunately, Yang Kai easily comprehended it with his previous experience and got to work after half a stick of incense.
As Qi burst from Yang Kai’s body and rushed into the door in front of him, a clicking sound echoed as the invisible Spirit Arrays and barriers were slowly cracked.
A short time later, Yang Kai lifted his palm and patted the prison door.
A brilliant flash burst from the cell door as the last of the barriers was broken.
Wu Meng Chuan’s excited voice came out again, “Good, good, you are indeed the one this old master was waiting for. Now come and help this old master pull out these damn Spirit Suppressing Gold chains so this old master can regain his freedom!”
His voice was feverish with expectation, and even seemed to contain a trace of madness.
This made Yang Kai hesitate a little, not knowing if what he was doing was right or not. Perhaps, he was about to release a terrible monster that would bring about great consequences to him in the future.
But in this situation, he did not have any options, so after only a slight pause, he set his concerns aside.
Pushing open the cell door, Yang Kai was finally able to take a look inside with the help of the prison’s dim light.
After seeing Wu Meng Chuan’s appearance, Yang Kai could not help narrowing his eyes.
On the opposite wall was a human-shaped creature, but it seemed that all his limbs were pinned in place, so he could only maintain a limp posture.
It was impossible to see the original appearance of this humanoid creature as, currently, there was almost no meat on his bones, his cheeks were sunk in, and his sparse hair was a complete mess.
It was not much of an exaggeration to say he was a living corpse, without any life aura at all. Yang Kai couldn’t even tell if his blood was still flowing.
Even so, his eyes were extremely bright, almost burning with ravenous flames that would terrify any who stared into them.
“Senior Wu?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Heh heh heh…” The skinny old man who was pinned to the wall grinned, “There’s no need to doubt little boy, this old master is Wu Meng Chuan!”
“You’re…” Yang Kai could not bear to describe it. How much hatred did Wu Meng Chuan have with Blue Feather Sect for them to torture him to such an extent?
“This is the result of persecution, this old master could only endure the humiliation to survive,” Wu Meng Chuan said in a low voice that sounded akin to the wailings of a ghost.
“There are people already coming, quickly now!” Wu Meng Chuan’s expression suddenly turned cold as he called out sharply.
Yang Kai also noticed the sound of someone walking in from the entrance of the Bone Prison and did not hesitate anymore. Rushing over to Wu Meng Chuan’s side, he reached out to grab hold of the spike driven through his right hand.
This spike was probably made from Spirit Suppressing Gold since Yang Kai felt all the Qi in his body stop flowing when he grasped it, making it impossible for him to circulate his cultivation.
“Just use your raw strength!” Wu Meng Chuan reminded him.
Yang Kai nodded and the muscles on his arms bulked up before he unleashed the explosive power within them.
With a sharp scraping sound, the spike was pulled out, bringing with it a splash of black blood. This blood was thick and sticky, obviously having been dried out for quite some time, taking on a colour normal blood should not have.
Yang Kai quickly repeated the process on all the spikes driven through Wu Meng Chuan’s limbs.
Once the last spike was pulled out, the old man nailed to the wall fell and collapsed on the ground, seemingly panting, but still releasing wicked cackling laughter from his lips.
He was still wrapped in a chain forged from Spirit Suppressing Gold, one that was extremely strong. Yang Kai tried to pull it apart but quickly discovered that he could not break it so easily. In the end, Yang Kai used his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi to finally gain enough power to wrench apart the chain.
His Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi was from his Body Tempering Secret Art, so it was not affected by the Spirit Suppressing Gold.
Having regained his freedom, Wu Meng Chuan stood up unsteadily, his green eyes flashing as he smiled slowly and with no small amount of madness he shouted, “Zhu Jun Shan, Bian Yu Qing, Miao Qi, Tong Cong! Are you prepared to withstand the anger of this old master?”
Yang Kai’s heart clenched slightly when he heard the four names Wu Meng Chuan mentioned as they were none other than the four Protectors of Blue Feather Sect. Obviously, Wu Meng Chuan had some kind of unforgivable hatred with these four people. It was also likely that Wu Meng Chuan was tortured into his current pitiful state by these four people.
However…
Wu Meng Chuan was barely even alive right now, yet just after regaining his freedom he actually dared to utter such a shameless boast! From Yang Kai’s perspective, his thoughts were a little too unrealistic.
He even regretted not escaping here the first chance he got after he unsealed his cultivation and instead wasted precious time rescuing this old man.
However, it was too late to regret now, so after a quick thought, Yang Kai said, “Senior, our transaction has been completed. Junior has no reason to stay here any longer, so he wishes you luck and will take his leave!”
Saying so, he turned around and prepared to escape.
Wu Meng Chuan gave a low laugh as he gave Yang Kai a sidelong glance and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you think that this old master is not the opponent of those four?”
Yang Kai frowned and said, “It’s not that Junior doesn’t trust Senior, it’s just that in your current state…”
“Hmph!” Wu Meng Chuan snorted before waving his emaciated hand and declaring, “Follow this old master, this old master will let you understand.”
Seeing his calm and confident demeanour stunned Yang Kai for a moment and made him wonder just what this old man was going to do next. However, this old man was clearly not someone who easily gave up on life, so Yang Kai could only restrain his anxiety and follow after him.
Soon, the two arrived at the cells where the many cultivators had been detained.
After seeing Wu Meng Chuan, the cultivators who had just guided Yang Kai before became excited and gathered at the fronts of their cells while staring towards Wu Meng Chuan eagerly.
Wu Meng Chuan stood in the hallway and looked around, a burst of low laughter suddenly escaping from his lips as he slowly lifted his dry hands. The next moment, an inexplicable suction force gushed out from his thin body.
Yang Kai was shocked when this happened as, at this moment, he actually felt his Knowledge Sea become turbulent, as if something was pulling on his very Soul. Not only that, the vitality in his body began to riot and tumble, making him extremely uncomfortable.
His complexion changed drastically as he hurriedly circulated his strength to resist this disturbance, but even so, it was not easy to calm his restlessness.
The cultivators detained in the cells weren’t so lucky, however. After seeing Wu Meng Chuan take this stance, some of them called out in shock as all the expectation and enthusiasm on their faces changed into fear and panic and they hurriedly tried to back away.
However, behind them were only prison walls, so where could they retreat?
Screams rang out and streams of blood-red light began to flow out from all the cells towards Wu Meng Chuan, who opened his mouth and sucked all off it into his stomach.
At a speed visibly to the naked eye, his emaciated body began to fill in, and through his dirty, torn robes, the cracked and dried up skin soon became ruddy while the sparse white hair on his head not only quickly turned black, but also began to fill up.
Wu Meng Chuan’s body seemed to be infused with an unimaginable amount of vitality, causing his current, pitiful appearance to rapidly transform into one surging with life.
Yang Kai could not have been more shocked.
He could clearly see that the blood-red light that was flowing from the cells around him were the vitality essence of these trapped cultivators. At this moment, they were all becoming nutrients to restore Wu Meng Chuan’s strength.
Just what kind of magic was this? How could there be such a Heaven defying technique?
Yang Kai suddenly recalled the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that Wu Meng Chuan had given him before, and although he had yet to gain a comprehensive understanding of this Secret Art, Yang Kai at least vaguely understood its purpose and characteristics. At this moment, Wu Meng Chuan was obviously displaying the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!
Could there be such a profound and evil Secret Art? Was it really possible to forcibly deprive others of their vitality and life essence for one’s own use?
Was this Secret Art so powerful that it could let a half-dead man suddenly regain all his vitality within a few breaths?
[Just what kind of Secret Art is this?] Yang Kai didn’t dare to think about it anymore.
However, at this moment, he also understood that this Heaven-defying Secret Art must come with equally detrimental flaws. This Heaven Devouring Battle Law definitely had drawbacks he had yet to uncover, but at the very least, Wu Meng Chuan’s evil temperament might have been related to it.
As Yang Kai thought about this, Wu Meng Chuan’s aura fluctuations increased at an alarming rate. Going from the Saint Realm to Origin King Realm only took three breaths, after which it quickly grew to the peak of the First-Order Origin King Realm, Second-Order, Third-Order, First-Order Dao Source Realm… Continuing to climb upwards, there seemed to be no limit.
This old man saying he was a master at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm was clearly not just idle boasting.
“Sect Master, mercy! We have remained loyal to you all these years, without any complaints, despite being imprisoned here all this time! Why must you act this way? Sect Master!”
From one of the cells, a cultivator suddenly screamed.
Immediately afterwards, from all directions, cries for mercy came from these cultivators, all of whom addressed Wu Meng Chuan as Sect Master!
“Sect Master?” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed.
[Which Sect’s Sect Master was Wu Meng Chuan? Could it be the Blue Feather Sect?]
Once this thought emerged, Yang Kai was taken aback.
Instinctively, he denied it, but the more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed.
Because until now, Yang Kai had not even heard the name of Blue Feather Sect’s Sect Master. He had gathered a lot of information about Blue Feather Sect during his first month here and had learned the names of the four Protectors and a number of the more important figures in the Sect, but whenever he mentioned the Sect Master, all his Senior Brothers wore solemn expressions and held their silence.
When he asked Kou Wu once, Kou Wu also reprimanded him and told him to not dig into things he shouldn’t, lest misfortune befall him.
Yang Kai didn’t know exactly what all that was about at the time, but now… he somewhat understood.
This situation was quite interesting actually. The Sect Master of Blue Feather Sect had been imprisoned in the deepest part of the Bone Prison, bound with spikes and chains made of Spirit Suppressing Gold, and tortured in an inhumane manner until he had become an emaciated dying old man. Without help from a very specific type of cultivator, Wu Meng Chuan would likely have never escaped from such imprisonment.
This also explained why he could teach Yang Kai such an effective method for lifting the seals on his cultivation.
If Wu Meng Chuan was really the Sect Master of Blue Feather Sect, he would certainly be familiar with the Secret Techniques his own Sect used.
The begging continued from all the terror-stricken cultivators, who were feeling desperate in their hearts. They had thought that Wu Meng Chuan would release all of his loyal supporters to assist him in his grand revenge after he escaped, but Wu Meng Chuan directly displayed his Heaven Devouring Battle Law to absorb their vitality and deprive them of their strength and essence to heal himself instead.
All their trust and expectations being betrayed, they clearly saw the cruel face of Wu Meng Chuan.
“Indeed, all of you served me faithfully, this old master acknowledges as much. Unfortunately, this old master needs strength right now, and you all swore to follow this old master until death, so… this old master is simply collecting on your promise. What is wrong with that?” Wu Meng Chuan turned a deaf ear to the pleading of his subordinates as he stood there indifferently and urged his Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
After hearing this, Yang Kai felt a chill run up his spine.
If the main support beam was crooked, the entire house would not stand straight. Yang Kai finally understood why the cultivators of Blue Feather Sect had so little unity and constantly engaged in open and covert intrigue. With such a Sect Master, how could the disciples be virtuous?
It could even be said that this old man Wu Meng Chuan was to blame for Blue Feather Sect’s current ethos.
This was not someone to become entangled with! Yang Kai secretly made up his mind to leave the Bone Prison and escape from Blue Feather Sect as quickly as possible, otherwise, with how unstable Wu Meng Chuan was, he would certainly try to kill him one day.
Yang Kai did not want to entrust his safety to others.
“Wu Meng Chuan, you bastard descendant of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, you are a shame to all Emperors! I curse you, curse you!” Finally, someone couldn’t stand it anymore, and after realizing that begging for mercy was useless and death was inevitable, he began to shout and curse to vent his anger.
This curse contained explosive information that caused Yang Kai to freeze up momentarily.
Heaven Devouring Great Emperor?
Although he had never heard of this Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, he could feel a sense of pressure from these four words alone.
Only when a cultivator reached the Emperor Realm were they qualified to be called an Emperor.
However, ordinary Emperors did not have the qualifications to receive a title, only the very strongest Emperors were given titles. These titles varied, but they most often represented the strongest cultivation technique or Principle that particular Emperor cultivated in their life.
A title represented strength, legacy, and glory that was worthy of shocking history and amazing the present.
If Emperors stood at the peak of the Star Boundary, then Titled Emperors stood at the peak of Emperors.
This Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was definitely one such figure.
[Wu Meng Chuan is a descendant of a Titled Emperor?] Such a reality was really beyond Yang Kai’s expectations.
Judging from the title of this Great Emperor, it was obvious he also cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Or rather, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law must be an inheritance passed down by Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
Yang Kai was stunned!
Could a Titled Emperor’s cultivation technique be described as simply precious? This was a world-shaking treasure! If the news of its existence spread, it was likely that even Emperors would desperately try to snatch it.
Yang Kai suddenly felt quite uncomfortable. He now knew such a big secret, so would Wu Meng Chuan really just ignore his existence, or would he instead try to silence him permanently?
What’s more… why did he pass the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to him in the first place? This Secret Art was undoubtedly his most precious possession.
Yang Kai did not believe for a moment that Wu Meng Chuan was a kind and generous person. Judging from his current behaviour, this old man was as cruel and vicious as could be. Even his loyal subordinates who had followed him for years even after being imprisoned could be killed at will by him, so how could he be anything remotely resembling virtuous and magnanimous?
Considering all this, Yang Kai secretly became vigilant and decided to release his Monster Insect Queen immediately if something was wrong.
As if perceiving the change in Yang Kai’s demeanour, Wu Meng Chuan turned his head and gave Yang Kai a low laugh.
Yang Kai felt his hair stand on end.
Fortunately, Wu Meng Chuan did not seem to pay him any mind and just muttered in a low voice, “Hmph, if it wasn’t for one of you leaking this information, how could those four thieves have learnt that this old master is the descendant of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor? After mastering the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, how could this old master have wound up so miserable if not for your betrayal? This old master has no intention of trying to find the guilty party though. Once you all die, all of you will be absolved of your sins.”
Saying so, Wu Meng Chuan pushed his Heaven Devouring Battle Law even more fiercely.
Standing behind him, Yang Kai had to work extremely hard to resist the suction force that threatened to pull his Soul and essence out.
Today, he had learned so many secrets he had not yet had time to digest.
Inferring from Wu Meng Chuan’s words, he was probably sold out by one of his own subordinates, and as a result, the four Protectors came to learn of his true lineage and about the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which lead them to betray and imprison him here in hopes of extracting the Heaven Devouring Battle Law from him.
Conspiracies and traps, together with sneak attacks, were likely involved as well.
However, Wu Meng Chuan obviously had not cooperated, otherwise, he definitely would not be alive today. He would have been killed by the four Protectors long ago.
Who would not covet the Secret Art of a Titled Emperor? It was understandable that when the four Protectors learned of this that they decided to attack Wu Meng Chuan; after all, each of them was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm master as well, so if the four of them all launched a sneak attack, their chances of success were quite high.
Just as many distracting thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, the screams in the surrounding cells subsided, and the vitality of those cultivators quickly dissipated.
Yang Kai turned his head to look around and found that the appearance of these people after they died was extremely pitiful, like withered husks that had decayed over hundreds of years. There was not a single trace of vitality left in any of them.
After devouring the vitality and life essence of so many people, Wu Meng Chuan had gone from looking like a decrepit old man to a handsome middle-aged man in his thirties or forties.
And judging from the violent fluctuations emerging from his body, his cultivation had already been restored to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm!
Turning his eyes, he grinned at Yang Kai and said, “Let’s go, this old master must wash this place in blood today. En, this old master smells the aura of an old acquaintance approaching, truly nostalgic!”
Saying so, he began walking outwards.
Wherever Wu Meng Chuan walked, the cultivators locked in cells adjacent to him would scream out as streams of their vitality were sucked up and swallowed by him. Those that were slightly weaker would die directly while those who had some strength would suffer longer as Wu Meng Chuan drained them dry.
Along the way, Wu Meng Chuan’s aura grew even more powerful and frightening.
Even Yang Kai felt a deep sense of fear towards the violent fluctuations coming from him and wondered if this Wu Meng Chuan would be able to consume so much energy or whether he would explode and die from it.
At that time, several figures quickly approached from the front. With such a huge disturbance, it was obvious something had gone wrong inside the Bone Prison, so a team of guards had come in to investigate. The leader of this group was none other than Yan Xiu Ran and behind him were the two guards who had been responsible for torturing Yang Kai during his last stay here.
Just after these three entered the Bone Prison, and before they even had time to figure out the situation, they were palmed dead by Wu Meng Chuan as he strolled towards the exit.
After their physiques burst into blood-mist, that very mist was quickly swallowed up by Wu Meng Chuan.
“Brother Yang…” Liu Xian Yun’s voice called out from the darkness.
Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes flashed coldly as he was about to attack Liu Xian Yun when Yang Kai hurriedly shouted, “Senior, she’s my friend!”
“Your friend?” Wu Meng Chuan looked at Liu Xian Yun coldly for a moment, seemingly hesitating, but after a short pause he nodded and said, “Fine, she’s too weak to be of any use to this old master anyways.”
“Many thanks for not killing her, Senior!” Yang Kai exhaled heavily.
If Wu Meng Chuan really attacked Liu Xian Yun just now, he would not be able to just sit back and watch and would be forced to fight.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
“Brother Yang, this Senior is…” Liu Xian Yun didn’t even realize how close she had come to the gates of death, but she understood that Wu Meng Chuan was not someone to trifle with. In that brief moment he had stared at her, Liu Xian Yuin had felt cold sweat drip from her forehead, making her unable to even breathe.
“This is Senior Wu,” Yang Kai casually explained before turning to Wu Meng Chuan and asking, “Can Senior help lift the seal on my friend?”
Although Yang Kai could also break the seal for Liu Xian Yun now, it would definitely take him some time, so it would be best if Wu Meng Chuan could help him.
Wu Meng Chuan didn’t speak when he heard this request and simply waved his hand, unlocking the seal on Liu Xian Yun’s body directly and allowing her to access her cultivation again.
“Kid, after you leave here, take your friend and run as far as you can,” Wu Meng Chuan suddenly said lightly.
“Hm?” Yang Kai was startled.
He had been wracking his brain trying to figure out how to escape from Wu Meng Chuan all this time; after all, he now knew the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which was the very reason Wu Meng Chuan had been imprisoned back then.
He felt that Wu Meng Chuan would never allow him to leave with such a precious Secret Art in his possession.
However, this old man actually just encouraged him to run away.
There was definitely more to this situation than he realized! It was just that Yang Kai was unable to see through the fog.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to leave?” Wu Meng Chuan smiled lowly.
“That is not what I meant,” Yang Kai frowned and shook his head. “In that case, I will bid farewell to Senior.”
“Good, don’t die out there, this old master is looking forward to your growth, heh heh heh!” Wu Meng Chuan smiled strangely and strode forward.
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun looked at each other and followed close behind.
Soon, the trio left the Bone Prison.
“Leave,” Wu Meng Chuan stood there with his hands folded behind his back as he stared in a certain direction. From that direction, a strong light was rushing over, and judging from the aura, Yang Kai was certain it was Miao Qi he had just met a while ago.
Yang Kai cupped his fists to Wu Meng Chuan, “Senior, take care!”
Saying so, he pulled Liu Xian Yun and left.
After Yang Kai left, Wu Meng Chuan turned his head and looked in the direction he flew off as a strange light flashed across his eyes and muttered under his breath, “The seed has been planted, now it’s just a matter of time before it sprouts. En, something to look forward to.”
After watching for a moment, he turned his head back and stared in the direction Miao Qi was coming from with a cold face and called out callously, “Miao Qi, come suffer death!”
Surrounded by the brilliant light, Miao Qi heard this voice and was shocked, hurriedly coming to a stop as he cried out in horror, “Wu Meng Chuan? How could you possibly have escaped?”
“Heh heh heh, this old master was truly trapped, but an honourable person helped set me free! This old master said that I would kill you thieves a thousand times over one day, and today this old master will make good on that promise.”
After experiencing a moment of panic, Miao Qi gradually calmed down and looked at Wu Meng Chuan coldly, “Hmph, you just escaped, and you think you can compete with this King? Don’t forget, you and I are both Third-Order Dao Source Realm masters!”
“Without being confident of victory, how could this old master move!” Wu Meng Chuan’s voice fell before suddenly he opened his mouth and spat out a small bottle-shaped artifact. From that bottle, blood seemed to flood out, covering everything in crimson red, making it seem as though the world had been submerged in a seal of blood.
“Blood Spirit Bottle! You really possess it!” Miao Qi’s scream of horror came from within the blood sea.
Wu Meng Chuan growled, “Indeed, this thing has always been on this old master. If it had been fully restored in the past, this old master would never have suffered defeat at the hands of you four. Miao Qi, Miao Qi, you look down on this old master too much. This old master is the descendant of the mighty Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, how could he not have one or two Emperor Artifacts on hand? In this sea of blood and spirits, this old master is supreme. As for you, how much of your strength can you exert? This old master will crush all of your bones one by one, then drain all of your vitality bit by bit, before finally feasting on your Soul so you will never enter the cycle of reincarnation!”
Wu Meng Chuan’s hate-filled voice seemed like a curse to Miao Qi’s ears, making his face turn completely pale.
“Don’t worry, after killing you, I will go hunt down Zhu Jun Shan, Bian Yu Qing and Tong Cong too, so you all can die together!”
From the sea of blood, Miao Qi’s panicked roar rang out.
The Blood Spirit Bottle was an Emperor Artifact left behind by Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and although Wu Meng Chuan, as a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, could not display its full might, with the help of this Emperor Artifact, Miao Qi was naturally not his opponent so suffering defeat and death were only a matter of time.
Far away from Blue Feather Mountain, more than a hundred thousand kilometres away, two streaks of light shot across the sky like lightning before abruptly coming to a halt and flying down to a concealed spot below.
When the light faded, it revealed the figures of Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun.
“Have we escaped?” Liu Xian Yun felt both pleasant surprise and some disbelief as a thrilled look flashed across her beautiful eyes.
During their flight, she unexpectedly discovered that no one tried to stop them. However, this was not too surprising as she and Yang Kai both belonged to Blue Feather Sect at this moment and had Identity Tokens on them, so even if someone asked, all they needed to do was show their Identity Tokens and they could pass through safely.
After leaving Blue Feather Mountain, the two continued to speed along, and now, feeling as if they had gone far enough, they decided to land.
A distance of more than a hundred thousand kilometres was safe enough, and what’s more, no one would care about the two of them fleeing with Blue Feather Sect currently in chaos.
It was also fortunate that Bian Yu Qing and Kou Wu, the two who knew Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun’s real identities, weren’t in Sect.
“Brother Yang, we really escaped!” Liu Xian Yun was still immersed in her excitement and said with a smile on her face.
“Xian Yun, come here,” Yang Kai on the other hand did not look happy at all and simply beckoned to Liu Xian Yun with a solemn expression before immediately taking out a few Space Rings from his pocket and sweeping them with his Divine Sense.
These Space Rings were all owned by the enemies he killed in the Bone Prison before; four in total.
After checking their contents, Yang Kai kept one for himself while stuffing the others into Liu Xian Yun’s hand and saying, “You take this.”
“Brother Yang, what is this?” Liu Xian Yun stared at Yang Kai blankly.
“It’s nothing. From now on, you and I will be parting ways,” Yang Kai replied sternly.
Hearing this, Liu Xian Yun’s tender body trembled as she asked him with some difficulty, “Brother Yang, do you think I’m holding you back?”
Yang Kai frowned in silence but soon nodded, “Yes!”
Liu Xian Yun looked at him seriously as she grit her teeth and protested, “No! Brother Yang, be honest with me, are we in some kind of danger still? Is it related to that Senior Wu?”
“Why are you asking so many questions?” Yang Kai spat impatiently, “Are you women all so long-winded? I’m telling you to leave, so just leave.”
Liu Xian Yun clenched her fists as she glared at him, her proud peaks heaving up and down as she quickly said, “I’ve received much care from Brother Yang during this period, so if Brother Yang is now facing any danger, Xian Yun will not just sit back and watch.”
“What danger could I be in?” Yang Kai said in an exasperated tone, “In any case, you and I are now well water and river water. You walk along the open road while I cross the plank bridge. Good luck!”
When Yang Kai finished, he directly flew off.
“You think you can just leave?” Liu Xian Yun raised her brow and snorted coldly before chasing after him.
Although she did not know why Yang Kai was doing this, from the impression she had of him these days, she knew he was not a ruthless person, so Liu Xian Yun concluded that Yang Kai was definitely in trouble and was trying to separate from her so as not to get her involved.
But how could she be so ungrateful? Naturally, Liu Xian Yun couldn’t let Yang Kai face danger all alone.
Even if her own strength was limited, two people working together was still better than one person alone.
To her surprise though, Liu Xian Yun was only able to chase after Yang Kai for a brief moment before she completely lost his trail. His speed was so great that it had already exceeded what an Origin King was capable of. What’s more, there were some faint Space Force fluctuations in Yang Kai’s wake.
Liu Xian Yun knew Yang Kai comprehended the Dao of Space as, back in the Starlight Corridor, he had used Space Force during his battle with Yin Le Sheng.
Wanting to chase a person who was proficient in Space Force and was determined to throw her off was undoubtedly a fruitless endeavour.
As such, after Liu Xian Yun chased him for a while, she was forced to give up. After falling back to the ground, she sighed faintly before staring in the direction Yang Kai disappeared as she muttered to herself, “Many thanks for this period of time. Please take care!”
Lifting her hand, she finally scanned the Space Rings she had in her palm and quickly realized there were a lot of Source Crystals and artifacts stored inside them. One of the Space Rings had significantly more wealth than the others, so it had to have belonged to Zhou Yi.
“It really fits his character,” Liu Xian Yun smiled bitterly. Yang Kai had only taken a ring belonging to one of the Origin Kings and left everything else to her, obviously out of concern for her future. Now, she would not need to worry about cultivation resources for a while.
…
Up in the air, Yang Kai continued flying along.
The reason why he chose to part ways with Liu Xian Yun was really because he felt a sense of anxiety in his heart, and the source of that anxiety was none other than Wu Meng Chuan.
Although he did not know what Wu Meng Chuan was plotting, he knew that the old man wasn’t just kindly allowing him to leave, especially after he taught him the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
[This must be some kind of conspiracy!]
That old man was a Dao Source Realm master, possibly even half a step into the Emperor Realm, so Yang Kai did not have any confidence to face off against him. In order to avoid Liu Xian Yun getting involved, he could only separate from her.
In any case, Liu Xian Yun was an Origin King master and was once a dominant figure in her Star Field, so he believed that even in the Star Boundary, she would be able to take good care of herself.
If she had an accident due to bad luck, it would only go to show that her destiny ended there.
Right now, Yang Kai only wanted to be as far away from Blue Feather Sect as possible, so he had no intention of stopping and kept speeding forward.
Along the way, he was able to see the various rivers and mountains of the Star Field. The cultivation environment here was far better than any Cultivation Star in his native Star Field, and at night, when he looked up, he could see the clustered, brilliantly glowing nebulae, each representing a lower Star Field.
After flying for a month straight, Yang Kai finally felt a bit safer.
Over the course of a month, Yang Kai had put a few tens of millions of kilometres between him and the Blue Feather Sect, so even if Wu Meng Chuan was a powerful Dao Source Level Realm master, he definitely wouldn’t be able to deal with him across such a vast distance.
Coming to a stop, Yang Kai looked around, but there was only wilderness as far as he could see.
He did not know where he was now as he was still newly arrived in the Star Boundary and knew nothing about its geography. He only knew that there were four major territories and that he should still be in the Southern Territory.
With no other choice, Yang Kai kept flying at a slower pace, looking for traces of civilization while restoring his strength.
After half a day, he finally found something.
A flight type artifact that resembled a chariot appeared in the distance, and judging from its aura fluctuations, it was Origin King Grade.
Yang Kai quickly moved towards the chariot hoping to ask for directions to the nearest city from whoever the owner was.
However, the other party did not show any intention to stop and simply flew past Yang Kai without even sparing him a glance.
“How indifferent!” Yang Kai looked depressed.
But soon, he discovered that immediately after this chariot, a number of other flight type artifacts flew over from the same direction.
“What’s happening?” Yang Kai was confused and subconsciously thought that he had gotten caught up in some kind of pursuit incident, but after carefully inspecting the situation, he found this wasn’t the case as none of these people showed any murderous intent and were simply flying in the same direction as the previous chariot.
It was almost as if they were hurrying along towards a certain place.
[What is this?]
Yang Kai stood on the spot, waving his hand constantly, trying to find someone to ask what they were doing, but everyone completely ignored him as they hurried along.
Yang Kai felt somewhat embarrassed standing there being ignored.
However, he was able to glean some insights from his observations. From the variety and grade of all these flight type artifacts, the Artifact Refining standards of the Star Boundary were obviously quite extraordinary.
Some of these flight type artifacts were shaped like simple long swords, while others were shuttle-shaped, chariot-shaped, boat-shaped, sedan-shaped, and a variety of other unique designs. Each one had excellent speed and appeared quite dazzling to Yang Kai.
“Hey, why are you just standing here in a daze? If you do not hurry up, you won’t be able to gain any benefits,” Suddenly, a voice came from the side.
Yang Kai turned his head and found that a tiger-headed chariot had come to stop beside him. The carved tiger’s head was quite vivid and majestic and atop it there was a middle-aged man with an Origin King cultivation staring at Yang Kai curiously.
Overjoyed, Yang Kai quickly cupped his fists and said, “Greetings, friend.”
The middle-aged man nodded, swept his eyes over Yang Kai, and asked thoughtfully, “Are you… not from Maplewood City?”
“Maplewood City?” Yang Kai raised his brow before slowly shaking his head, “No! May I ask if Maplewood City is far from here?”
“Maplewood City is just a hundred thousand kilometres in that direction,” The middle-aged man seemed personable and friendly, so he took the time to point Yang Kai in the right direction before grinning and saying, “However, are you sure you want to go to Maplewood City now and not join in the fun?”
“If I may ask, for what reason is this friend and all the others gathering?” Yang Kai asked with a puzzled look.
The middle-aged man smiled mysteriously, “Thirty thousand kilometres from here, someone in Clear Jade Mountain found a powerful Firebird that seems to be a sentient Artifact Spirit. Everyone is going there now to try to snatch that Artifact Spirit in the hopes of refining it.”
“A Firebird Artifact Spirit?” Yang Kai was shocked when he heard these words.
“If you want to go to Maplewood City, just fly in that direction, if you want to join in the fun though, you’d best hurry,” After the middle-aged man finished explaining, he urged his chariot forward quickly.
Yang Kai stood stunned in place as a burst of excitement filled his heart.
Although the other party’s description was not very clear, if it really was like he said, then it was possible that Liu Yan had appeared in this Clear Jade Mountain!
Liu Yan’s original form was that of a Firebird, and she was definitely an Artifact Spirit with sentience.
Liu Yan’s very existence was extremely attractive to all cultivators.
The reason was simple, it was not easy for Artifact Spirits to form, the process requiring both great opportunity and luck.
Back in the Starlight Corridor, Yang Kai had used his Space Force to destabilize the passage, resulting in him being separated from Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan. Since then, Yang Kai had been quite worried about their safety, but unfortunately, he had no way to find them.
Xiao Xiao looked like a living puppet at first glance, which would be enough to draw people’s interest, and if he were to expose his strength in front of people, he would definitely be targeted.
However, Xiao Xiao’s escape methods were extremely profound. Belonging to the Stone Puppet Race, Xiao Xiao’s ability to bury through the earth made him almost impossible to catch.
Liu Yan was different. She didn’t have profound escape methods like Xiao Xiao but her existence carried the same level of attraction to all cultivators. If she could be caught and integrated into an artifact, it would be equivalent to obtaining an artifact which had formed a real Artifact Spirit, raising its power significantly!
Not only that, some cultivators who were proficient in Fire Attribute Secret Arts would even be able to directly refine Liu Yan to strengthen themselves.
Even if she had no use whatsoever to a person, they could still sell her for a high price!
As such, Liu Yan’s situation was actually much more dangerous than Xiao Xiao’s.
So, at this moment, after Yang Kai heard the information provided by the middle-aged man, he couldn’t help feeling anxious. If the Firebird that appeared in Clear Jade Mountain was really Liu Yan, then her current situation was dire.
With so many cultivators rushing over, Liu Yan would not be able to protect herself and would sooner or later be caught.
Understanding this, Yang Kai also quickly displayed his Movement Skills to chase after the crowd.
A distance of thirty thousand kilometres was nothing to a cultivator at the Origin King Real, so after just half a stick of incense, Yang Kai reached the outskirts of Clear Jade Mountain.
There were already many cultivators gathered here, roughly two hundred people in total.
But what made Yang Kai feel a little at ease was that the cultivations of these people were not high, most just Origin Returning or Origin King Realm. Dao Source masters were extremely rare.
It seemed that the overall level of cultivation in this Maplewood City was not very strong, or at least Yang Kai speculated so.
The cultivators gathered here did not even seem to be in a rush to enter the mountain to search and instead were busy trying to form alliances with one another, probably wanting to take advantage of superior numbers to ensure safety and success.
Some people looked battered and bruised. Burns were also especially common. There were even a few dead bodies on the ground, which looked terribly scorched.
“That Firebird is really ferocious, although from its aura fluctuations it doesn’t seem to be any stronger than a Third-Order Origin King, its flames are extremely difficult to resist. Brother Zhao and Brother Zhang were both veteran Origin Kings, but all it took was a single attack for them to be burned to death. Fortunately, we ran quickly, otherwise…”
The speaker was sitting next to the corpses, dealing with his own injuries while explaining to others as a look of lingering fear covered his face.
Many people had gathered around him to gather information as well as to inspect his injuries to infer just how strong the Firebird was.
It was precisely because of the experiences and explanations of various groups that the Origin Kings present who weren’t too strong gave up the idea of trying to capture the Firebird alone and instead tried to form groups.
Yang Kai naturally heard these words, and he couldn’t help feeling excited in his heart.
Third-Order Origin King Realm power and terrifying flames, the characteristics really matched Liu Yan! If Yang Kai had previously been wondering whether the Firebird in Clear Jade Mountain was really Liu Yan or not, now he was almost eighty percent certain.
Liu Yan had an aura on par with an ordinary Third-Order Origin King, but because she had swallowed and refined many exotic flames as well as a large amount of Sun’s True Fire, her flames were extremely terrifying, to the point that even Yang Kai did not dare touch them easily.
“Several friends, if that’s the case, did all of you actually see what that Firebird looked like?” Yang Kai pushed aside the crowd and stepped forward to ask.
“Naturally we saw it,” The speaker raised his head and glanced at Yang Kai with a wry smile, “Otherwise, how could we have wound up in such a miserable state?”
“Then dare I ask what exactly does that Firebird look like?”
“It’s a bit difficult to describe actually. It did have a long tail but wasn’t very big itself, maybe ten metres across.”
Yang Kai was stunned when he heard this. If Liu Yan was using her innate appearance, she should be far larger than that.
“Then was that Firebird able to change its form?” Yang Kai continued to ask.
The man suddenly laughed, “What, were you hoping it could transform into a cold-faced red-haired beauty in a high exposure dress?”
The crowd laughed suddenly as they looked at Yang Kai with various levels of amusement and disdain, wondering if his head was empty or just damaged.
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai chuckled wryly before withdrawing from the crowd.
Although he was not able to obtain much information, it was still somewhat rewarding.
Whether the Firebird in Clear Jade Mountain was Liu Yan or not, he would only be able to tell after entering. First though, he silently stimulated a certain Soul Imprint in his Knowledge Sea.
There was a Soul connection between him and Liu Yan which he had planted when he first subdued her, so as long as they weren’t separated by too great a distance, they would be able to perceive each other.
But to his disappointment, he did not feel Liu Yan’s response.
It seemed that entering and searching was his only option.
Just when he made up his mind to enter Clear Jade Mountain, suddenly a person approached him quietly from behind. Yang Kai frowned, looked back, and saw a petite girl with a rather full figure looking at him with a smile.
This girl should be a great beauty, but on her cheek, there was a rather large brown crescent-shaped birthmark. This ugly birthmark greatly harmed her countenance, causing all the men who saw her to let out a sigh of disappointment.
She was wearing a green dress that while loose, could not disguise her proud peaks while around her thin waist, there were a number of cloth pouches that all seemed to be filled with something.
With a pleasant expression on her face, and a completely innocent and harmless smile, she called out to Yang Kai timidly, “Uncle, could I have a moment of your time?”
Yang Kai’s face instantly turned black as he said in a gloomy tone, “Who is your uncle? Do I look that old?”
Although Yang Kai’s age was indeed not young from a mortal’s point of view, for a cultivator, he was still quite young, and simply judging from his outward appearance, he looked like he was in his early twenties.
Suddenly being called uncle by a young girl naturally caused Yang Kai’s mood to sink.
Seemingly a bit frightened by Yang Kai’s fierce expression, the young girl couldn’t help falling back a few steps with an aggrieved expression on her face.
Yang Kai swept his eyes over this girl, pausing ever so briefly on her rich peaks, before he muttered in surprise, “Third-Order Origin King?”
He was stunned to discover that this girl, who seemed to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, actually had a cultivation on par with his own.
However, Yang Kai was not sure how old this person really was. This ‘girl’ might actually be an old grandma who had lived thousands of years. Yang Kai was definitely not naive enough to believe that the frightened and aggrieved expression on her face was genuine.
Acting out like this was commonplace for these old witches, so no matter how realistic the performance, Yang Kai would not be fooled.
However, at that moment, Yang Kai could not help thinking of a certain individual.
Lin Yun’er!
When he was back in High Heaven Sect, this little girl would always call him uncle in a delighted tone, making Yang Kai inexplicably feel a lot older.
He didn’t know where that silly little girl was now, only that at that time Yang Yan had left behind everyone and everything, including Ye Xi Yun, but had actually taken Lin Yun’er with her. Apparently, it was all because of Lin Yun’er’s Tyrant Strength Body Special Constitution.
The expression on Yang Kai’s face gradually became softer and the girl patted her chest in relief before boldly saying, “Then this big brother, could you spare me a moment to chat?”
[A great actor indeed!] Yang Kai sneered repeatedly in his heart as he wore a calm look on his face and said, “What do you want to talk about?”
The ‘young girl’ glanced left and right cautiously before her red lips wriggled, sending a message to Yang Kai’s ear.
Yang Kai frowned and quickly asked, “Are you lying to me?”
“I have no grievances with you, why would I lie to you?” The girl looked wronged.
“Lead the way then,” Yang Kai gestured.
The girl smiled immediately and walked off.
She didn’t show the slightest caution or vigilance towards Yang Kai, making him wonder if she was just acting or was that confident in her strength.
Yang Kai was more inclined to believe the latter.
After a short walk, they left the crowd. In a relatively remote location, two other people seemed to be waiting, and when the girl came back, these two wore happy smiles.
Yang Kai observed the situation carefully and quietly released his Divine Sense to scan these two, quickly discovering that they were both Third-Order Origin Kings as well. The two were a man and a woman. The man looked stalwart and had a kind smile on his face that seemed as refreshing as a spring breeze while the woman was quite pretty and had an enchanting figure, a pair of watery eyes that seemed to contain an endless attraction as well as faintly pouting lips that looks sweet and delicate to the touch.
A man with weak will who looked at this woman would probably quickly lose himself to her charms.
Even Yang Kai showed a slightly dull expression before quickly regaining his composure.
His performance was naturally seen by this woman who couldn’t help smiling ever so slightly, as if very satisfied with her own charms.
“Little Sister Xiao Qi, did you manage to find someone?” The woman asked with a smile.
The girl nodded when she heard these words and said happily, “This big brother should be okay; he’s also very interested in our plan.”
As she spoke, she pointed at Yang Kai.
The man smiled at Yang Kai and nodded, cupping his fists and saying, “This one’s name is Xu Qing, dare I ask how this friend is called.”
“Yang Kai!” Very few people in the Star Boundary knew him anyway, so Yang Kai felt no need to make up a fake name.
“Yu Ruo Mei greets Brother Yang,” The woman elegantly bowed to the side.
Yang Kai quickly returned the greeting.
“My name is Mo Xiao Qi,” The girl who led Yang Kai also introduced herself.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “Sister Xiao Qi, just now, when you said you knew where the Firebird was. Is that true?”
Had it not been for this girl named Mo Xiao Qi telling Yang Kai that she knew the exact location of the Firebird, Yang Kai wouldn’t have followed her here.
Intrigue was certainly just as common here in the Star Boundary as it was in his native Star Field, if not even more common, so how could Yang Kai have acted so carelessly without a good reason?
Mo Xiao Qi’s information was simply too tempting for him to refuse.
Listening to Yang Kai’s question, Mo Xiao Qi nodded her head and said, “Naturally, it is true.”
“Where is it?” Yang Kai asked directly while to the side, Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei also perked up their ears, seemingly equally interested.
“It’s…” Mo Xiao Qi just uttered a word before suddenly seeming to think of something and swallowing down the latter half of her sentence before smiling and saying, “I won’t tell you right now, just follow me.”
She looked incredibly naïve and innocent, as if she had really planned to tell them the exact location and details of the Firebird just now.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “How am I supposed to trust you then? Since you know the specific location of the Firebird, why didn’t you just gather familiar people to search for it yourself instead of gathering us strangers?”
Xu Qing nodded to the side and said, “Brother Yang is correct. Sister Xiao Qi, it’s not that we don’t trust you, it’s just that none of us know each other, so this Xu hopes Sister Xiao Qi can explain herself slightly.”
Mo Xiao Qi frowned her delicate brows and said in a completely natural tone, “I went in and saw it before, so naturally I know where it is. Did you all see that group of injured people? I just followed them quietly before and met that little one inside. That group had some of its members die and they escaped, but after they left, I followed that little one back to its nest. As for why I didn’t find acquaintances… I don’t know anyone here, and I don’t think I can fight that little one alone, so I went looking for help.”
Yang Kai and Xu Qing looked at each other and both nodded slightly.
There was nothing wrong with Mo Xiao Qi’s explanation, but even if there was something amiss, they wouldn’t have any way to find that out from here.
Seeing the others fall silent, Mo Xiao Qi couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous and hurriedly said, “But don’t worry, while that little one is quite powerful, he is still just a baby, so he shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with as long as we prepare enough.”
To the side, the enchanting Yu Ruo Mei smiled and asked, “Sister Xiao Qi, it’s not that we are afraid, but… there is only one Firebird. If we succeed, how should we allocate it?”
Hearing this, Mo Xiao Qi suddenly squeezed out a look of apology and said, “I was just about to discuss this matter with Big Brothers and Sister. That little one is of great use to me, so if we really managed to capture him, I hope you can allow me to keep him…”
As soon as this remark came out, not only did Yang Kai show a strange look on his face, but even Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei wore gloomy expressions.
Each of them was a Third-Order Origin King, so how could they simply work in vain? Without even mentioning Yang Kai, who had his own plans, Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei would definitely not agree to such nonsense conditions.
[Isn’t this old grandma taking her innocent act a bit too far?] Yang Kai secretly despised her in his heart for not understanding that going too far was worse than not going far enough.
Mo Xiao Qi saw the looks on each of their faces and quickly said, “Of course I won’t let all of you suffer a loss. I can give you enough compensation.”
“Compensation?” Xu Qing snorted coldly, his attitude is no longer as friendly as before as he sneered, “I wonder what kind of compensation Sister Xiao Qi can give us?”
Mo Xiao Qi didn’t answer him immediately and instead sent her Divine Sense into her Space Ring. A moment later, a brilliant flash appeared in her hand as she took out three artifacts.
Of the three artifacts, one of them is a pink dress that was dotted with beautiful gemstones. These gems obviously weren’t ordinary things though as they clearly gave off a powerful energy fluctuation.
The second artifact was a pitch-black broadsword that while not too big, looked quite heavy. Even if one used their Divine Sense on it, they would feel a sense of suppression.
The last item was a thick sabre that was carved with mysterious patterns and had a bloody air about it. At a glance, it was obvious that a large number of masters had died under this blade.
Each of these three artifacts gave off a potent energy fluctuation.
“Origin King Grade artifacts?” Xu Qing’s eyes bulged as Yu Ruo Mei’s breathing became quick.
Yang Kai was equally dumbfounded.
Because the three artifacts that Mo Xiao Qi took out were actually three Origin King Grade artifacts, and they were definitely not low-grade Origin King Grade artifacts.
“This Heavy Ying Sword and Lasting Regret Saber are both Origin King Grade High-Rank artifacts, each with its own unique characteristics and strengths. This Multi-Coloured Gauze Robe is an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank artifact that was woven from three-thousand-year-old Snow Silkworms from the Northern Territory. The silk thread spat out by these silkworms is resistant to all five elements and has good protective strength. The Sand Star Stones dotting it can also be used to attack and defend… En, I’ll give you these three things to start with, okay? Once this matter succeeds, I’ll be sure to thank you again,” Mo Xiao Qi looked at the three people in front of her timidly and asked eagerly, “Is this enough?”
Xu Qing couldn’t help gulping with difficulty as Yu Ruo Mei’s beautiful eyes fixed on the Gauze Robe, unable to tear her gaze away.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, suppressed the shock in his heart forcibly before he stared at Mo Xiao Qi calmly, an extreme sense of vigilance welling up inside of him.
This woman had casually taken out three extremely high-end Origin King Grade artifacts, so clearly the word ‘wealth’ was not enough to describe her. Such a person was definitely not some unknown figure, and it was even possible she was a Dao Source Realm master who was disguising herself. Otherwise, how could she act so carelessly?
No matter who she was, she should still know the truth of not revealing one’s wealth to the world. Her daring to bring out such treasures so casually should be a sign that she had nothing to fear here.
However, if she was really hiding her true cultivation, she would need to at least be a Third-Order Dao Source Realm in order to avoid Yang Kai’s senses. If that was the case though, why bother asking them for help?
Yang Kai simply couldn’t figure it out.
“Is this not good enough?” Mo Xiao Qi saw that the three of them hadn’t responded for a long time and couldn’t help showing a look of disappointment as she went to put away the three artifacts.
“Why would Little Sister Xiao Qi say that?” Yu Ruo Mei moved first as she put on a giant smile, “Elder Sister saw that Little Sister is a good girl at first sight. Since Little Sister wants that Firebird, Elder Sister will not compete with her. Elder Sister is willing to cooperate.”
She spoke righteously, but her hands moved even faster, snatching the Gauze Robe and stuffing it directly into her Space Ring.
Forget about whether the Firebird in Clear Jade Mountain actually was as valuable as this Origin King Grade Mid-Rank defensive artifact, even if it was, after splitting the profits from it four ways, it would not be equivalent.
Moreover, they had yet to even begin and Mo Xiao Qi had already given her such a valuable artifact, so if they really did manage to succeed, there would undoubtedly be even more benefits.
As such, she didn’t hesitate anymore.
Seeing that Yu Ruo Mei had already spoken, Xu Qing couldn’t help but to lightly cough and say, “This Xu deeply understands Sister Xiao Qi’s sincerity. If that is the case, then you can count on this Xu’s assistance.”
Saying so, his gaze shifted back and forth between the broadsword and sabre hesitantly before eventually choosing the broadsword and putting it into his Space Ring.
Mo Xiao Qi turned her gaze to Yang Kai, looking at him expectantly.
Yang Kai frowned as he instinctively didn’t want to wade into this muddy water, but once he thought about Liu Yan being besieged by so many masters, he could only play along for now.
Xu Qing also persuaded, “Brother Yang, after Sister Xiao Qi has shown such sincerity, how can you hesitate?”
Yang Kai sighed and said, “It’s not that I am hesitating, it’s just… I don’t use sabres.”
Mo Xiao Qi heard this and her eyes lit up as she hurriedly said, “Then what kind of artifact does Big Brother Yang want?”
It seemed she didn’t fear Yang Kai asking for compensation, but rather him not asking for anything.
“Do you have a Sword? An Ice Attribute sword would be best,” Yang Kai suddenly remembered that the Monster Insect Queen lacked a decent weapon, so he decided to ask directly.
“En, let me take a look, I think I had one somewhere.” Saying so, Mo Xiao Qi put away the sabre and began digging through her Space Ring again.
Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei were now staring at this Space Ring with fiery eyes, as if they were staring at an endless treasure trove.
It wasn’t surprising for them to act like this though, as Mo Xiao Qi’s performance at this moment made them believe that this girl was carrying countless precious treasures. She was easily able to take out three or four Origin King Grade artifacts, so who knows how many more good things she had in her ring?
Who wouldn’t covet such a Space Ring?
Yang Kai naturally saw this and couldn’t help sneering in his heart.
He didn’t believe that Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei couldn’t see the various issues about Mo Xiao Qi, but people die for wealth just as birds die for food. This was an eternal truth, so Yang Kai didn’t even concern himself about it.
After a long while, Mo Xiao Qi raised her head and said to Yang Kai in an apologetic tone, “Big Brother Yang… I seem to have remembered wrong. I don’t have the Ice Attribute Origin King Grade High-Rank sword.”
Her expression was just like a child who had done something wrong and was seeking forgiveness.
Yang Kai said lightly, “Since you don’t have one, don’t worry about it.”
In any case, even if the Monster Insect Queen didn’t have a proper weapon, the strength it could display was still not weak.
“Would a pair of dual swords be alright?” After Mo Xiao Qi finished speaking, she suddenly took two long swords that exuded a rich chill. One of these swords was purple and about a meter in length while the other was blue and was slightly shorter. This pair of dual swords made for a perfect combination that gave off a brilliant aura and had an oppressive air about them.
The most noticeable thing about these two long swords was that each one gave off the aura fluctuations an Origin King Grade High-Rank artifact should have.
Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei’s eyes turned red all of a sudden as their breathing became ragged.
“Dual swords?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up brightly as he never expected Mo Xiao Qi to give him such a huge pleasant surprise.
In essence, dual swords were still just a single sword artifact, but wielding them was significantly more complicated than a single sword. Correspondingly, the power that they could exert was also far greater.
For this reason, the value of these dual swords was far above that of an ordinary artifact, equivalent to the value of a defensive artifact of the same level.
In other words, this pair of Origin King Grade High-Rank longswords was equal in value to an ordinary Dao Source Grade artifact.
“Are you sure you want to give me these dual swords? Their value must not be low,” Yang Kai looked at Mo Xiao Qi and asked with a frown.
“If Brother Yang feels it’s inappropriate, does he want to exchange it for the broadsword I accepted?” Xu Qing asked eagerly to the side. He was not a fool and clearly understood which of these two artifacts was more valuable.
Yang Kai simply glanced at him and smiled coldly.
Xu Qing could not help but gawk for a moment before he scratched his head awkwardly.
Mo Xiao Qi on the other hand just smiled helplessly and said, “But I don’t have an artifact Big Brother Yang needs, only these dual swords reluctantly comply with your request. If Big Brother Yang does not dislike them, please accept them.”
“En… Since you’ve said as much, then I’ll respectfully accept,” Yang Kai took the dual swords from Mo Xiao Qi’s hands and threw them into the Sealed World Bead, sending them directly to the Monster Insect Queen to allow it to refine them.
Only after these swords disappeared did Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei take back their reluctant gazes; however, thinking about how they had a super-rich teammate by their side, and about what other benefits they could obtain from her, the pair calmed down and exchanged a glance, seemingly communicating with each other secretly.
Mo Xiao Qi did not seem to notice this scene at all and instead was just delighted that all three of them had accepted her gifts. Smiling, she asked, “Then we have a deal? If we can really catch that little guy later, if everyone can keep their promises, Xiao Qi will be very thankful.”
“Of course, of course,” Xu Qing wore the same gentle smile on his face again from before.
“We shouldn’t delay then,” Yang Kai urged. At this moment, many different teams had already assembled outside Clear Jade Mountain while others had already entered to search. Yang Kai was very worried about Liu Yan’s current situation so he didn’t want to wait any longer.
“En, follow me,” Mo Xiao Qi turned around and led the way.
“Brother Yang, please!” Xu Qing smiled and stretched out his hand.
Yang Kai calmly said, “You two can go first, I’ll bring up the rear!”
Xu Qing smiled lightly and did not refuse, “In that case, we will be troubling you, Brother Yang.”
Saying so, he immediately moved forward. Yu Ruo Mei also rushed past Yang Kai and nodded lightly as she entered Clear Jade Mountain. Yang Kai looked around for a moment before chasing after the group.
Clear Jade Mountain Range extended for hundreds of thousands of kilometres in all directions, and its depths were filled with many fierce beasts. However, Yang Kai’s group of four consisted entirely of Third-Order Origin Kings, so even if a Dao Source Realm-level Monster Beast were to appear, they would still be able to fight back. As such, this group did not show much tension. What’s more, they were not penetrating far into the mountains so there wouldn’t be any truly powerful Monster Beasts.
Mo Xiao Qi really seemed to know the exact location of the Firebird and, after entering Clear Jade Mountain, she did not even hesitate to lead the group forward at a rapid pace.
Her performance also gave Yang Kai some additional confidence.
However, what surprised Yang Kai was that as Mo Xiao Qi traveled forward, she didn’t put up her guard against them at all, as if she really trusted all three of them from the bottom of her heart.
As for Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei in the middle, covert Spiritual Energy fluctuations were being exchanged between them as they obviously conversed with each other in secret.
The two of them felt they were being quite discrete, but in front of Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense, which had completely surpassed the level of Third-Order Origin King, they were unable to hide anything.
At this time, Mo Xiao Qi had a mysterious origin, Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei were acting sneakily, and Yang Kai had ulterior motives from the start. Who would be able to laugh last was uncertain.
Along the road, the sound of rushing wind could be heard occasionally, obviously signs that other teams were present and searching for the Firebird’s whereabouts.
However, as time passed, such disturbances became less and less frequent. The place the four of them were travelling towards seemed quite a bit deeper into Clear Jade Mountain.
After half a day, Mo Xiao Qi, who was leading the way, stopped suddenly, the other three coming to a halt right behind her.
“When I saw it last time, it was just over that mountain. Everyone should prepare to fight,” Mo Xiao Qi reminded everyone.
Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei nodded as they began to circulate their strength in preparation to take action.
But Yang Kai frowned because he would have sensed Liu Yan a long time ago if she was really close by, yet even now, he didn’t feel a hint of Liu Yan’s aura, which meant there were only two possibilities.
One was that Liu Yan had left this mountain to search for a new hiding place.
The second possibility was something Yang Kai very much did not want to see, that it wasn’t Liu Yan here in Clear Jade Mountain, making it obvious why he couldn’t sense her.
Mo Xiao Qi used a Secret Technique to conceal her aura while Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei did the same.
The Secret Techniques used by the three of them all varied, and it was clear at a glance which was stronger and which was weaker.
After Mo Xiao Qi executed her Secret Technique, her aura completely disappeared. If he wasn’t able to see her directly with their eyes, even Yang Kai felt he would find it difficult to sense her. It was clear she had cultivated an extremely high-grade Secret Technique.
Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei were completely different. Although their techniques were not bad from Yang Kai’s perspective, they were still completely incomparable with Mo Xiao Qi.
Yang Kai also used his Secret Technique to conceal his aura.
Nihility!
However, he did not use the full power of Nihility and instead only partially activated it. This way, he did not have to worry about revealing his mastery of Space Force while still sufficiently concealing himself.
What Yang Kai couldn’t think of was that after he displayed the weakened version of his Nihility Secret Technique, Mo Xiao Qi would turn and glance at him, a look of doubt flashing across her beautiful eyes before she quickly turned back again.
[Did she… notice something?] Yang Kai was surprised.
The four of them moved forward silently, and soon, they arrived at a certain terrace on the mountain. Looking down from there though, Mo Xiao Qi couldn’t help exclaiming.
“What happened?” Xu Qing was surprised.
“It’s not here anymore,” Mo Xiao Qi spoke aloud as she stood up and flew directly into the mountain valley below.
The remaining three looked at each other and no longer bothered concealing themselves as they followed after Mo Xiao Qi.
In the mountain valley, there seemed to be traces of a recent battle, with flames still burning in the surrounding as well as the smell of burnt flesh lingering in the air, inducing a sense of nausea.
Such a scene made everyone’s eyes shrink.
However, the current situation also confirmed that Mo Xiao Qi had not lied. The Firebird really did live here before, but probably killed a few of its enemies and fled after being disturbed by these people.
“Isn’t that… the third Elder of the Jiang Family?” Xu Qing looked down at the corpse of an old man in brown robes and whispered.
Obviously, he recognized this old man despite the severe burns on his body.
“How strong was this person?” Yang Kai asked.
Xu Qing’s face turned solemn as he said, “The Jiang Family is among the top forces in Maplewood City. Their third Elder was a well-known figure with a Third-Order Origin King cultivation, comparable to us!”
“Is that the Vice Palace Master of Red Leaf Palace? He actually died here?” Yu Ruo Mei covered her red lips with her hands as her beautiful eyes shook.
Among the various dead cultivators here, there were a total of at least eight Origin Kings, with several being Third-Order.
Eight Origin Kings had joined forces but were still killed by that Firebird. This discovery caused Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei’s expressions to sink.
The eight corpses in front of them made them suddenly feel that their approach to this situation was a bit too sloppy. It was obvious they had greatly underestimated the strength of this Firebird.
After all, the two of them plus Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi only made four Third-Order Origin Kings. In terms of number and overall strength, they were definitely not any better than the eight dead corpses in front of them.
This group had been brutally killed, so how could the four of them succeed?
At this point, Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei could not help feeling the urge to withdraw, their faces gloomy.
Yang Kai frowned as well.
He was well aware of what Liu Yan’s strength was, and even if she was not weak, she couldn’t kill this many powerful enemies at once.
The hesitation of the three was apparent to Mo Xiao Qi, so she quickly comforted, “Don’t worry too much. Although that little guy killed this group, it was also injured.”
“How do you know?” Yang Kai looked up at her.
“There are bloodstains on the ground,” Mo Xiao Qi smiled slightly, pointing to a place nearby.
Over there, a puddle of red blood covered the ground, but this blood was actually burning with red flames. Yang Kai had not paid much attention before, but with Mo Xiao Qi’s reminder, he finally noticed it.
[It’s not Liu Yan!]
The moment Yang Kai saw this pool of flaming blood, his heart filled with disappointment.
The Firebird in Clear Jade Mountain was obviously not Liu Yan! Because Liu Yan was an Artifact Spirit that had no physical body, even if she became injured, it was impossible for her to bleed. And judging from the situation around this bloodstain, this blood contained an unimaginable scorching power that could continue to burn for quite some time.
Realizing this, Yang Kai lost most of his enthusiasm.
The reason why he came to Clear Jade Mountain was that he thought Liu Yan was here. Now that he had learned the truth though, he was naturally disappointed.
“If that’s the case, we may really have a chance,” Xu Qing frowned thoughtfully.
Although the Jiang Family Third Elder’s party had died here, they had definitely caused some damage to the Firebird, so if the four of them were well prepared, they might not necessarily fail.
“If we really encounter that Firebird, what should we do? Shouldn’t we discuss this carefully before deciding whether to proceed?” Yu Ruo Mei asked. The eight dead people in front of her made her feel uneasy, and if it weren’t for her greed towards Mo Xiao Qi, she would have already left.
Although treasures were good, one first needed their life to enjoy them.
“En, we should discuss this carefully. Let’s talk about our Secret Techniques and methods briefly so we can cooperate smoothly when the time comes,” Xu Qing suggested.
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai immediately shot him a meaningful glance.
Mo Xiao Qi, however, just smiled and waved her hand confidently, “No need, once we meet him, you three only need to help me tie him down for a time. I can take care of the rest.”
Saying so, she put on a look of absolute confidence, not that any of the others knew why that was.
Mo Xiao Qi’s entire existence was a conundrum to Yang Kai.
He was fairly certain that the innocence and naivety she displayed were all a deception, but even now, he couldn’t see any flaws in her act. Moreover, judging from the generous gifts she had handed out and the extremely profound concealment Secret Technique she had just used, it was obvious her origins weren’t simple.
How could an ordinary Origin King have so many Origin King Grade artifacts in their Space Ring, and all of them of extraordinary grade and quality? What’s more, subtle but powerful fluctuations came from all over her body, making it apparent she was wearing a lot of very powerful artifacts.
This girl definitely had a very powerful background.
This made Yang Kai wary of her.
For these various reasons, her saying she had a way to deal with the Firebird was quite believable to him.
After obtaining advantages from a person, it was difficult to just abandon them as well, so although Yang Kai did not want to get involved in this Clear Jade Mountain situation anymore, he also didn’t feel he could just back out now.
“Sister Xiao Qi, you said you have a way to deal with that Firebird, can you tell me in detail? After all, that beast is very strong and we really don’t want to follow in their footsteps,” Xu Qing asked with some worry as he pointed to the nearby corpses.
Yu Ruo Mei nodded similarly, agreeing with Xu Qing’s point of view.
Mo Xiao Qi frowned and looked a little embarrassed, but after a moment, she seemed to make up her mind and said, “It’s not convenient for me to give a detailed explanation, but suffice-it-to-say, I have an artifact that restrains its strength. Please trust me everyone, I wouldn’t let you do something too dangerous.”
Hearing this, Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei looked at each other and nodded lightly, the former smiling and saying, “Since Sister Xiao Qi has said so, this Xu will not ask anymore. I just hope that Sister Xiao Qi will be successful at that time.”
“Don’t worry, leave it to me,” Mo Xiao Qi was overjoyed and patted her chest firmly, “Then let us quickly track its location, although I don’t know where it has fled, it must have left behind some traces so we can definitely find it.”
Saying so, she led the way again.
After travelling for another hour or so, Mo Xiao Qi suddenly stopped, and the atmosphere of the group became tense again.
The tracks ahead had suddenly ended.
Just when she frowned, trying to find clues again, an extraordinary force suddenly rose up from nearby. This aura was extremely hot and as soon as it appeared, the temperature in the air rose rapidly, causing the surrounding green trees to wither and dry up before quickly bursting into flames.
“Be careful!” Yang Kai hurriedly shouted.
There was no need for him to warn them though as all four people present were Third-Order Origin Kings and were extremely sensitive to such energy fluctuations. When the heat flooded towards them, the four quickly scattered in different directions.
*Hu…*
A jet black ball of flame the size of a washbasin directly bombarded the place where everyone had originally been standing, turning it into a scorching inferno that seemed like it would burn until the end of time. The terrifying heat from these black flames caused the faces of almost everyone present to become solemn.
“As I thought, it’s here!” Mo Xiao Qi on the other hand did not show a look of fear but instead one of joy. Her delicate face was filled with excitement as she turned to stare in a certain direction.
On the other end of her gaze was a strange-looking bird about ten metres tall and covered in fiery-red feathers. The look in its eyes was fierce as it stared at the intruders. Its long tail feathers were particularly beautiful in appearance, making it look like an incarnation of fire.
“Liu Yan?” Yang Kai was taken aback.
The suddenly appeared Firebird, from appearance alone, was almost identical to Liu Yan’s, but soon Yang Kai understood that the Firebird in front of him was not Liu Yan.
Because, even though it looked like it was made of pure fire, it was still obviously a flesh and blood creature, and… Yang Kai also vaguely felt a faint pressure from it, a sign that it was likely even stronger than he was.
“Damn it, who spread that rumour this thing was an Artifact Spirit?” Xu Qing cursed to the side, extremely angry.
On the outskirts of Clear Jade Mountain, many cultivators had heard rumours that a sentient Artifact Spirit was hiding here, which led to countless cultivators rushing over, but now it seemed that was not the case. Obviously, this rumour was spread by some blind bastard who was unable to properly identify this Firebird.
However, thinking about this was meaningless now.
“It’s coming again!” Yu Ruo Mei screamed as her tender body flickered, leaving behind an afterimage as she rapidly dodged.
The next moment, a black ball of flame bombarded where she stood before.
After Yu Ruo Mei’s figure re-appeared some distance away, a look of lingering fear covered her face. She could clearly feel the powerful lethality contained in those black flames and was certain that if she was contaminated by them, her fate would not be any different from the Jiang Family’s Third Elder.
So many dead Origin Kings had already proven how difficult an opponent this Firebird was, so how could Yu Ruo Mei dare act carelessly?
“Friends, please hold it down for a while, I’ll start preparing!” Mo Xiao Qi hurriedly said as she suddenly jumped away from where she stood and began forming a series of mysterious seals with her hands, her entire temperament suddenly changing dramatically.
The innocence faded from her face as Mo Xiao Qi suddenly became solemn and awe-inspiring, her red lips squirming lightly as she formed seals rapidly with her hands. It was impossible to discern what she was saying, but as she spoke, a blue sphere of water appeared in front of her. This sphere contained a surging Water Attribute strength, like a vast ocean compressed down innumerable times, and if one listened carefully, they could even hear the sound of crashing waves coming from within it.
“A Dao Source Grade artifact?” Xu Qing’s eyes nearly turned red as his breathing became ragged, staring greedily at the blue water ball in front of Mo Xiao Qi.
Although he was a Third-Order Origin King, he had never even touched a Dao Source Grade artifact before, much less owned one. Although he speculated this girl had at least one Dao Source Grade artifact on her from the previous degree of generosity Mo Xiao Qi had displayed, after really seeing her pull one out, Xu Qing still felt shocked.
What’s more, this water sphere was obviously no ordinary Dao Source Grade artifact. It was very likely a High-Rank Dao Source Grade Artifact!
Such a treasure was invaluable to Xu Qing!
“Brother Xu, is this the time to get distracted?” Yang Kai snorted coldly as he hurried over to Mo Xiao Qi.
When Mo Xiao Qi took out the water sphere artifact and began to chant, the Firebird on the opposite side immediately fixed its sight on her as its eyes trembled, seemingly sensing a threat from her. Instantly, it marked Mo Xiao Qi as its priority.
Opening its beak, it spat out a pillar of black flames like a surging dragon towards her.
Yang Kai’s face changed drastically as his first instinct was to dodge.
“Please help me resist it, I can’t move right now!”
Before Yang Kai could dodge though, Mo Xiao Qi’s nervous words rang out in his ears.
“What a Pig!” Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing. He really couldn’t figure out whether Mo Xiao Qi was acting naïve or really was just that stupid. In the face of such a powerful enemy, she had displayed a Secret Technique that required her to remain stationary? What difference was that with courting death? Right now, as long as he dodged, Mo Xiao Qi would certainly be hit by the black flames and judging from the terrifying power behind them, she would definitely die.
Was her previous naïve and innocent performance from before not a disguise but her genuine personality? Was he wrong to suspect her of putting on an act all this time? If that wasn’t the case, how could her combat instincts be so terrible?
Anyone with even the slightest experience or combat sense wouldn’t choose this approach unless they were with teammates they could believe in from the bottom of their heart!
As for him, Xu Qing, and Yu Ruo Mei, they obviously were not companions who Mo Xiao Qi could entrust her life to.
In that instant, various thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, but he swiftly shoved them all aside and shouted, “If you don’t want to die here, help me!”
As he spoke, a five-coloured glow burst from Yang Kai’s body.
Stretching out his hand, he shouted, “Earth Sword Qi, Divine Nullification Shield!”
A yellow-brown light condensed in front of him and quickly assumed the form of a giant shield.
While cultivating the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, Yang Kai had absorbed a large amount of energy from Divine Nullification Sand as his Earth Attribute Supreme Treasure, so now he could naturally use it as a form of defence.
The Earth Attribute was thick and solid, so it was best used for defence. As such, the defensive power of this Divine Nullification Shield was naturally quite good.
However, he did not stop there. Yang Kai next stripped the green Wood Attribute light from his body to create an illusory forest in front of himself, adding a second layer of protection behind the Divine Nullification Shield.
Next was the Water Attribute, Metal Attribute, Fire Attribute…
All five of his Sword Qis were used to rapidly create a five-stage barrier in front of himself.
*Hong…*
The black flame pillar struck the Divine Nullification Shield and smashed through it in an instant before rushing into the illusory forest, which it swiftly burst to ashes.
The ocean of water and shield of iron were next to fall, and only when the black flames reached the raging inferno wall did it pause momentarily.
This wasn’t too surprising though, as Yang Kai had used Sun’s True Fire to condense his Fire Sword Qi, so it was definitely not inferior to his opponent’s black flames in terms of grade. However, in terms of quantity, Yang Kai’s flames were naturally inferior, and it was only a blink of an eye before he fell into a disadvantage.
The intense heat and murderous intent which was smashing towards Yang Kai made his hair stand on end as he felt death itself rapidly approach.
Only then did Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei finally react.
Although the two of them were clearly plotting something, they were not fools and understood that they weren’t opponents of this Firebird. If they wanted to survive now, they had to first rescue Mo Xiao Qi while praying that her Secret Technique would be effective.
Seeing Yang Kai already taking action, they didn’t dare hold back.
“Heaven Weave Slash!”
“Limitless Sacred Seal!”
A pair of techniques flew out from Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei, blocking the explosive power of the black flame pillar. The full-powered blow of two Third-Order Origin Kings was not to be underestimated.
With the two of them joining in, the pressure Yang Kai felt was greatly reduced.
Secret Technique, Exile!
Yang Kai knew that if he didn’t use his best cards, he would have no chance to survive this, so he no longer had the luxury of concealing his strength and quickly displayed his Space Force.
In front of him, a black void suddenly opened, like the great maw of an ancient beast, and greedily swallowed up the weakened black flames, exiling it to the endless Void.
Fortunately, the violent and chaotic eruption of power allowed Yang Kai to partially conceal his Secret Technique, making it impossible for the others to completely see through him and instead assume that the explosive collision of their combined might have caused space to collapse momentarily.
At the very least, when Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei saw his Exile Secret Technique with their own eyes, they did not immediately associate it with Yang Kai and instead just trembled in shock from the violent explosion.
On the other hand, Mo Xiao Qi, who had been concentrating on preparing her own Secret Technique to activate her artifact, had her eyes light up as she directed a surprised look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was ignorant of all this, as he was now riding a tiger and had no attention to spare.
If he did not escape now, the Firebird would definitely attack him first, but if he dodged, Mo Xiao Qi would be in danger. This made him curse Mo Xiao Qi mercilessly in his heart while he stood fast, literally acting as a human shield for her.
The successfully combined resistance of Yang Kai, Xu Qing, and Yu Ruo Mei obviously made the Firebird aware that it had encountered a difficult opponent this time. Its red eyes flashed with anger as it spread its wings and sent out a barrage of black fireballs towards the trio obstructing it.
Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei both let out shouts as they quickly used their Movement Skills to dodge; unfortunately, the number of fireballs was so great that they were quickly forced to summon their own defensive artifacts in order to gain some sense of security.
Yang Kai’s face also went as black as the bottom of a pot. Xu Qing and Yu Ruo Mei were free to move, but he could only stand in place, so with no other choice, he summoned his Golden Blood Threads to intercept the incoming fireballs.
Although the effect was good, Yang Kai felt a deep sense of bitterness as many of his Golden Blood Threads were damaged or destroyed in the process.
His Golden Blood Threads were all condensed from his own Pure Golden Blood, so each was extremely precious. Having suffered such a huge loss this time, Yang Kai felt like shedding tears of blood.
“Ah, my Cloud Mirror!” Xu Qing’s cried rang out suddenly. Yang Kai took a moment to glance over and saw a mirror-like artifact in Xu Qing’s hand get wrapped in black flames and begin to melt. Flustered but with no other choice, Xu Qing could do nothing but toss away his artifact, lest he be contaminated with the black flames as well.
From the aura fluctuations this mirror gave off, it was obviously an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank artifact!
It seemed Yang Kai was not the only one to suffer heavy losses! While his Golden Blood Threads were damaged, he could still use his Golden Blood to repair it or condense new ones, but Xu Qing’s Origin King Grade artifact being burned down meant it was gone for good.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s mood suddenly improved a lot.
Not only did Xu Qing lose his Cloud Mirror, the Origin King Grade hairpin artifact Yu Ruo Mei was using was also quickly destroyed by the black flames. The two of them had lost a great deal of wealth at this moment and were feeling a little distraught. Glaring at the Firebird, thick anger and hatred filled their eyes, but frightened by the ferocity of the Firebird, neither of them dared to step forward to challenge it and could only dodge in embarrassment.
*Li…*
The Firebird suddenly cried out, its voice filled with a mix of rage and anger, echoing through the sky.
The moment this voice sounded; everyone’s complexion changed drastically.
Because this cry was very likely going to attract the attention of others. If all the cultivators who had entered the depths of Clear Jade Mountain were brought here, all the efforts their group of four had put in would be taken advantage of by others.
In that brief moment, when Yang Kai lost concentration, a black fireball suddenly arrived right in front of him. Yang Kai’s face sank as he was about to use Exile again, but what he did not expect was that the fireball actually exploded right in front of him, sending out a rain of tiny black fire droplets towards him.
Yang Kai’s eyes shrank suddenly and without any time to hesitate, he directly displayed another of his most powerful Secret Techniques.
Dragon Transformation!
Together with a thunderous dragon roar, a huge illusory dragon head flashed above Yang Kai’s head. At that moment, powerful Dragon Pressure filled the air, causing the Firebird on the opposite side to become dumbfounded as a trace of fear spread across its scarlet eyes.
Pieces of dragon scales emerged and wrapped up most of Yang Kai’s body. Even the True Dragon Scale appeared on Yang Kai’s chest, covering his vital organs.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A series of bangs rang out as countless black fireballs hit Yang Kai’s body, causing him to spray a mouthful of blood from his mouth. The black flames peppered his physique, burning madly as it quickly began to melt through his protective dragon scales, as if they were snowflakes under the scorching sun.
Yang Kai’s face became incredibly solemn as he desperately urged the power of his Golden Divine Dragon Source to prevent the black flames from spreading.
However, his appearance looked very miserable as his aura dropped noticeably.
“Sister Xiao Qi, I’m at my limit!” Yang Kai said in a fluster as he prepared to abandon his position. He had done his best, and if he remained any longer, his situation would become worrying. He had stood fast to defend Mo Xiao Qi even to the point where his life was in danger, he felt he had done enough.
“I’m ready!” Mo Xiao Qi answered back as she pushed her palms forward. In that instant, the sound of a tsunami burst out from the blue water ball in front of her, giving the illusion that one was standing before a vast ocean that was about to come crashing down on them.
The water sphere burst into innumerable pieces in the next instant, becoming a cloud of mist that rushed forward as if it had come alive.
The mist washed over Yang Kai’s body, extinguishing the burning black flames that had given him so much trouble.
Immediately after, the mist arrived at the Firebird and directly wrapped it up, transforming back into a blue water sphere again.
However, this time, the water sphere was many times larger than before, and no matter how the Firebird struggled inside, it was unable to escape.
Having finished all this, Mo Xiao Qi also seemed to be quite drained, her delicate face somewhat pale as her well-rounded peaks heaved slightly. Using this artifact put a huge strain on her.
Although the price was not small, the result was gratifying.
“Hee hee, I finally caught you, little thing. Let’s see how you try to run away now,” Mo Xiao Qi straightened herself up and smiled as she looked ahead.
Yang Kai’s face suddenly sank as he shouted, “Watch out!”
As he shouted, he quickly flickered away from where he stood just as another figure appeared behind him and sent out a Secret Technique that shattered Yang Kai’s afterimage.
The figure which just appeared frowned deeply, as if he hadn’t expected Yang Kai to see through his sneak attack.
Who else could it be but Xu Qing?
At the same time, the figure of Yu Ruo Mei mysteriously appeared behind Mo Xiao Qi as a violent power burst from her slender palm. A cruel and greedy smile flashed across her coquettish face as she palmed directly towards Mo Xiao Qi’s exposed back.
Mo Xiao Qi let out a horrible cry as she spat out a mouthful of blood as she was sent flying forward, her beautiful eyes flashing a look of utter shock and disbelief.
“Ahh!” Mo Xiao Qi’s screams and Yu Ruo Mei’s screams sounded simultaneously.
Although her sneak attack had hit its mark, Yu Ruo Mei felt like she had been hit equally hard somehow and was also sent flying backwards, her pretty face turning pale as she felt the ache from her palm. Upon landing, she lifted her hand up and cried out in surprise, “How can this be? What is this?”
A strange mark had appeared on her palm at some point. This mark looked like an extremely menacing face and contained a terrifying power that caused her to feel like she was hearing endless wailing screams in her ears.
The eyes of the strange face suddenly glowed a gloomy light, and in the next moment, Yu Ruo Mei felt like she saw a mighty existence staring down at her indifferently.
After falling silent, she shuddered before collapsing to the ground.
“Ruo Mei, what happened?” On the other side, Xu Qing, whose attack had failed, saw Yu Ruo Mei fall to the ground and could not help calling out.
Yu Ruo Mei’s expression was blank as she lay on the ground sluggishly. If someone used their Divine Sense to invade her Knowledge Sea at this moment, they would see a phantom there that greatly resembled the mark on her palm madly devouring her Spiritual Energy and as her Soul was being drained, the light from her eyes also began to dim.
On the other side, Mo Xiao Qi stood up while coughing lightly. Judging from her state, although she had suffered a sneak attack, it was obviously not a big problem. Turning her head and looking at Yu Ruo Mei blankly, she asked in a completely confused and disbelieving tone, “Why did you suddenly attack me?”
The look of distress from being betrayed was so authentic it really did not seem like she was acting.
It was like she really had been attacked from behind by her most trusted of companions. If it was not for the powerful protective Artifact Armour she was wearing, she would likely be dead right now.
“You really are a stupid woman,” Yang Kai looked at her like she was an idiot.
Mo Xiao Qi turned her head to look at Yang Kai, her big eyes turning watery as she asked him, “How am I stupid?”
Yang Kai could not help rubbing his forehead with his palm, really not knowing how to explain it to her.
“What did you do to her?” Xu Qing was unable to get a response from Yu Ruo Mei no matter how he called out so he could only turn to ask Mo Xiao Qi.
Mo Xiao Qi’s tender body trembled as a look of fear appeared on her face, waving her hands in a flustered manner as she said, “I didn’t do anything to her… The Artifact Armour I’m wearing automatically applies a Wicked Ghost Seal to anyone who attacks me, so she… she…”
Yang Kai was stunned once again!
Did this woman really just reveal the secrets behind her defences?
At this point, he was finally able to determine that this girl named Mo Xiao Qi was not some kind of old witch who was playing innocent in order to deceive them, but rather a real innocent naïve little girl!
Could she really be only as old as she looked on the surface?
Yang Kai was taken aback as this thought emerged in his heart.
If that was so, it was truly terrifying.
“Wicked Ghost Seal?” Xu Qing frowned. Obviously, he had never heard of this Secret Technique, but soon, he shook his head lightly and declared, “It matters not! Now there is one fewer person to split the spoils between. Good, this Xu can reap all the benefits for himself!”
No longer paying any attention to whether Yu Ruo Mei lived or died, he instead began to laugh wickedly.
Yang Kai sneered as he called out sarcastically, “Brother Xu, where is all your confidence coming from? Are you not able to see the situation clearly? There’s two of us but only one of you here.”
“Is having more people useful?” Xu Qing sneered as he looked at Yang Kai contemptuously, “How much strength can the two of you exert at this moment?”
From his point of view, Yang Kai had just stood in front of Mo Xiao Qi to resist the Firebird’s attack, which must have caused him a great deal of consumption. After that, Yang Kai had even been contaminated with those black flames, so even being alive was pure luck.
As for Mo Xiao Qi, after she used her water sphere artifact, she looked ready to collapse.
The two of them were obviously not at their peaks and should not be able to display too much strength.
On the other hand, he was in good condition, so he did not fear them.
Yang Kai just chuckled lightly and said, “If Brother Xu really thinks so, then you might as well give it a try.”
Seeing Yang Kai look so confident and composed, Xu Qing could not help frowning, wondering whether Yang Kai was just acting mysterious or was truly confident.
Nearby, Mo Xiao Qi still stood there with a despondent look on her face as she stared towards the now soulless Xu Ruo Mei and muttered, “Why did you try to attack me?”
Yang Kai turned his head to glance at her and couldn’t help snapping, “Idiot, men die for wealth like birds die for food, don’t you understand such a simple truth? Did your parents not tell you this before you ran out?”
“I didn’t,” Mo Xiao Qi shook her head vigorously, a look of panic flashing across her eyes as she waved her hands at Yang Kai. “You absolutely cannot tell my father I am here, or he’ll punch me!”
“I don’t even know your father, how am I supposed to tell him?” Yang Kai nearly coughed up blood when he heard this completely out of place response.
“That’s right!” Mo Xiao Qi suddenly showed a look of relief.
“Enough!” When Xu Qing saw the two of them continue to banter back and forth like he was not even there, he lost his calm and roared angrily and snapped, “Brother Yang, if you don’t want to die, leave now, you have no reason to fight with this Xu.”
Yang Kai chuckled as he glanced faintly towards Xu Qing and said, “We truly have no reason to be hostile with one another, but… what Brother Xu can think of, this Yang can also understand.”
Xu Qing was taken aback for a moment as he looked at Yang Kai in surprise before saying with some amazement, “Brother Yang really conceals himself deeply, but if that’s the case, why do we not work together? We can split the spoils half and half.”
“No, no,” Yang Kai shook his head before pointing to himself and saying. “If I have one shortcoming, it’s that I always like to eat alone, I don’t like sharing with others. If Brother Xu understands his limits, he should leave now before it’s too late.”
“Isn’t Brother Yang afraid he won’t be able to stomach so much by himself?”
“I have a good appetite!”
Mo Xiao Qi looked at the two of them blankly as she interjected, “What are you going to eat? I have some spirit fruits here; would you like them?”
Saying so, she really took out two tender looking spirit fruits from her Space Ring. The moment these fruits appeared, a rich fragrance filled the air, and judging from the energy fluctuations coming from them, they were obviously not ordinary fruits but instead rare treasures.
“Even if you don’t speak, no one will think you’re a mute!” Yang Kai glared at her angrily.
Mo Xiao Qi instantly felt wronged.
“Hmph, since Brother Yang has said so, is there no room for discussion?” Xu Qing gulped as his eyes became slightly red. Everything Mo Xiao Qi took out from her Space Ring stimulated his greed further and he became even more convinced that there were countless treasures hidden she was still hiding.
He was certain that if he could grab this Space Ring, he would not have to worry about cultivation resources for the rest of his lifetime, so how could Xu Qing endure?
“From the moment Brother Xu attacked me, we had nothing to discuss,” Yang Kai sneered.
“Good! Then let this Xu test whether Brother Yang is capable of backing up his words or not!” As soon as Xu Qing’s voice fell, his power suddenly surged and his physique began to rapidly inflate.
The clothes on his body began to rip and were soon torn to shreds while at the same time, countless golden hairs began to sprout from Xu Qing’s bare skin.
After just three breaths, Xu Qing’s entire image had undergone tremendous changes.
Now, he was more than five meters tall and had a slightly hunched figure with unusually long arms, rippling muscles, and bloodshot eyes. From his throat, a bestial roar rang out and together with the thick golden hair that covered his entire body, he looked exactly like a giant golden ape.
Yang Kai was quite shocked.
It was the first time that he had seen this kind of Secret Technique, at least, there were no Secret Techniques that would allow one to assume the form of a Monster Beast in his native Star Field. This only went to show how full of mysteries and wonders the Star Boundary really was.
However, what surprised Yang Kai more was that even in the dangerous situation they were in earlier, Xu Qing had actually held back such a card, yet was now not hesitating to use it to deal with him.
“Beast Soul Symbiosis? Golden Hair Giant Ape?” Mo Xiao Qi exclaimed from the side, her beautiful eyes trembling slightly before she made a move that Yang Kai found difficult to believe.
She actually lifted both her hands and covered her eyes, not daring to look at Xu Qing who was now practically naked, most of his ‘vitals’ exposed to the air.
[This silly girl!] Yang Kai had nothing to say as he completely gave up any idea of relying on her help in the coming battle.
Meanwhile, Xu Qing, who had displayed his trump card Secret Technique, roared before he transformed into a streak of golden light that rushed directly towards Yang Kai.
A fist bigger than a carriage smashed down at the same time, with a force that seemed capable of crushing mountains and splitting seas.
[Quite fast!]
Yang Kai instantly realized how difficult an opponent Xu Qing would be, and after taking a deep breath, he stabilized his stance to meet the approaching fist with one of his own.
A look of mockery appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes as he sneered, “Want to stop my punch? Don’t be so presumptuous!”
The huge fist fell even faster as Xu Qing added more strength to it.
*Hong…*
There was a loud bang and Yang Kai snorted as half his body was beaten into the ground while Xu Qing’s five-meter-tall body also staggered backwards, almost flying out directly.
His golden-haired face filled with astonishment as he never expected Yang Kai’s physical power to be so immense, but he still quickly stabilized his figure and raised his other fist up high before slamming it down with the force of a falling meteor, causing an ear-splitting roar of wind as it cut through the air.
Yang Kai was half-buried at the moment so he could not move freely and had no way to avoid this blow.
With no other choice, he could only raise his arms to guard himself.
With another loud bang, Yang Kai was smashed into the ground completely, leaving only his head half-exposed.
Xu Qing did not even spare Yang Kai a second glance, not caring whether he was alive or dead, instead just charging over towards Mo Xiao Qi with all haste.
In his opinion, it was meaningless to engage in a life or death battle with Yang Kai. As long as he snatched Mo Xiao Qi’s Space Ring, his goal would be achieved.
Mo Xiao Qi still stood there, covering her eyes, ignorant of the approaching danger, her face was beet-red all the way to the tip of her ears. For Mo Xiao Qi, who was as pure as a piece of white paper, even just the bare upper body of the beast-like Xu Qing was more than she could bear, much less what had been exposed down below.
In her heart, she was truly panicking.
[I saw it, I saw it! I won’t go blind right? Right?]
Aunty Feng’s teaching of ‘never look at the ugly body of a man or it will blind your eyes!’ still rang loudly in her ears.
Mo Xiao Qi still remembered that when Aunty Feng had told her this, she wore a completely serious expression and spoke in a serious tone, so she firmly believed her.
Xu Qing was extremely fast and arrived beside Mo Xiao Qi in an instant. Looking down at this naïve girl who was completely unguarded against him, and the glittering Space Ring on her hand, Xu Qing could not help grinning.
Reaching out swiftly, he grabbed towards Mo Xiao Qi’s Space Ring.
Having learned his lesson from Yu Ruo Mei’s pitiful example, he did not dare attack Mo Xiao Qi; after all, who knows what kind of power the Artifact Armour she was wearing still had? If he followed in Yu Ruo Mei’s footsteps after reaching this point, it would be a really bad joke.
His goal from beginning to end was Mo Xiao Qi’s ring.
However, just when his huge hand was just a meter away from Mo Xiao Qi, the two earrings she was wearing suddenly released a faint ring as they transformed into two dazzling rays of light which shot towards Xu Qing like arrows from the string.
This unexpected counterattack caused Xu Qing’s eyes to shrink and all the golden hairs on his body stood on end.
His complexion changed drastically, and he no longer dared to approach Mo Xiao Qi, instead forcing himself to retreat rapidly.
The two dazzling lights did not relent, however, and pierced towards Xu Qing from left and right.
At this moment of crisis, Xu Qing released a desperate roar as golden light radiated from his body, making him seem even larger than before.
Two puffs rang out as the golden light halo around Xu Qing’s body was instantly pierced through and he staggered backwards a few steps with a great snort.
The two rays of light then swiftly returned to Mo Xiao Qi’s delicate earlobes.
Now, there was a big hole in Xu Qing’s abdomen out of which blood poured like a fountain. In a panic, Xu Qing circulated his Qi in order to staunch this outflow.
Looking over at Mo Xiao Qi incredulously, he couldn’t believe that this seemingly defenceless girl in front of him was able to cause him such heavy losses without lifting a finger or even intending to fight back.
Yu Ruo Mei dying was not unjust!
“Who are you?” Xu Qing growled.
At this time, if he could not guess that Mo Xiao Qi’s background was enormous, he would not have been an Origin King Realm cultivator. He was now secretly regretting being blinded by Mo Xiao Qi’s wealth.
She was no doubt the descendant of some great Sir.
When dealing with such a person, if he could wash his hands cleanly after the fact, it was fine, but the slightest mistake or leak of information would only result in a relentless pursuit!
If he fell into the hands of her elders, a swift death would be the best outcome he could hope for.
However, now that he had already acted, there was no turning back. Since regrets were of no use, he could only steel himself and go all out to silence all the witnesses to the crime.
Just as he was lost in thought, a rich murderous intent suddenly erupted behind him. Xu Qing was startled and hurriedly turned his head to find Yang Kai furiously falling towards him, his body covered in a blinding five-coloured glow, his face filled with anger. The violent power which surged from Yang Kai’s fists made him seem like an enraged beast, causing Xu Qing to slightly shudder.
Yang Kai underestimated the power of the animal-like Xu Qing mainly because he did not know anything about the Golden Hair Giant Ape.
If he knew that this Golden Hair Giant Ape, even in ancient times, was a species famous for its physical strength, he would not have acted so carelessly and been smashed into the ground as a result.
In ancient times, the Golden Hair Giant Ape could easily lift mountains…
Fortunately, Yang Kai’s skin was thick and his flesh was tough, so although he was a little embarrassed, he was not injured.
However, Xu Qing’s attack completely enraged him.
Using his Third-Order Origin King Domain infused with his comprehension of the Dao of Space, Yang Kai thoroughly suppressed Xu Qing and engulfed him in an ocean of tiny Void Cracks.
Yang Kai smiled grimly as he waved his hand and shot out a series of Moon Blades towards his target.
Xu Qing’s complexion changed drastically as although he could not determine what kind of power Yang Kai’s Moon Blades were composed of, just the solidification strength of his Domain was enough to threaten his life.
Disregarding the injury to his lower abdomen, Xu Qing roared to the Heavens as his golden hair stood on end, transforming into steel needle-like existences that pierced Yang Kai’s Domain and allowed him to break free of its pressure.
The sound of the air being cut rang out as Yang Kai’s Moon Blade’s slashed forward, erasing everything in their path but failing to hit their mark.
Yang Kai swiftly turned around and locked onto Xu Qing’s position where he saw that at some point a giant axe had appeared in his opponent’s arms and was now being chopped down towards him.
Yang Kai roared in anger as the five-coloured glow from his body shone even brighter. Using his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, his right arm was covered in a layer of dragon scales as he punched out towards the approaching axe.
The two forces impacted each other like two colliding mountains, causing the surrounding world to tremble.
“What!?”
Xu Qing’s complexion changed once more as he watched his artifact axe fly out while Yang Kai remained unharmed, his body only reeling back slightly before he once again charged forward.
Xu Qing’s blow just now, even if used against a fully prepared Third-Order Origin King, should have at least caused serious damage if it did not kill them directly, but Yang Kai clearly looked unscathed.
[Just how strong is his physical defence?]
Xu Qing’s anger was also stimulated by this sight, and instead of shrinking back, he charged towards Yang Kai as well.
The two quickly became entangled in a fierce battle, but from the very beginning, it was Xu Qing who was at a clear disadvantage. Yang Kai only became more and more ferocious during the fight, using various Secret Techniques that caused Xu Qing to complain constantly in his heart.
[How can this be? I’ve used my Golden Hair Giant Ape’s Beast Soul Symbiosis that allows me to surpass any Origin King cultivator. No one can compete with me… could it be his Source Qi…]
Xu Qing was both shocked and suspicious, and as such thoughts crossed his mind, fear or worry began to creep into his heart, keeping him from maintaining his composure.
Xu Qing was being comprehensively suppressed by Yang Kai in all respects, and new wounds were being added constantly to the ones he already suffered.
After just half a cup of tea’s time, Xu Qing found his defences on the verge of collapse and realized that he would die sooner or later if he continued to fight Yang Kai.
Realizing this, he began thinking of how to withdraw.
It was at that moment that the sound of something breaking through the air rang out from the horizon while at the same time a burst of loud laughter sounded, “The Heavens have blessed me today, I actually get to pick up a bargain here, hahahaha!”
As soon as his words fell, a flying ship suddenly blocked the sun overhead. On the deck of this flying ship was a lineup of eight cultivators, each with a heavy aura about them. Leading this group was an old man that was now transfixed by the Firebird imprisoned in the blue water sphere.
Yang Kai and Xu Qing both hurriedly withdrew from their battle when this third party suddenly appeared.
The next moment, Yang Kai arrived by Mo Xiao Qi’s side and frowned, raised his head to the sky while at the same time he spread out his Divine Sense to check the surrounding region.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s face turned ugly.
His brief scan had discovered countless cultivators hurriedly approaching here, obviously drawn by the loud cry the Firebird had let out earlier.
Worse, on the flying ship that arrived first, the old man leading them was clearly a Dao Source Realm master.
As soon as the old man’s voice fell, however, another figure flew over in a flash of light. When the light faded, a middle-aged man dressed in scholarly robes appeared and sneered, “Old Jiu, you’re quite fast.”
The old man heard this voice and turned a look of disgust towards the middle-aged man while saying coldly, “Chen Shi Qi, did you come here to join the fun too?”
The middle-aged man named Chen Shi Qi smiled when he heard these words and replied, “If Old Jiu can come here, why can this Chen not?”
“En, my Raging Fire Temple is also interested in joining the fun, I hope Old Jiu won’t refuse,” Another voice sounded as a tiger-shaped chariot appeared from a different direction, a burly man riding atop it.
This man was as big as a bear and his body gave off an obvious Fire Attribute aura. Even his hair and beard were a dark crimson coloured.
“Hmph!” Seeing this person from Raging Fire Temple arrive, Old Jiu and Chen Shi Qi could not help snorting, unpleasant looks filling both their faces as they showed extreme wariness towards this brawny man.
“Three Dao Source Realms!” Yang Kai frowned. Although he couldn’t tell exactly, he could vaguely estimate the strength of these three people. The man called Old Jiu and Chen Shi Qi who arrived first were probably First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators while the brawny man was a Second-Order.
So as soon as the brawny man appeared, Old Jiu and Chen Shi Qi stopped arguing and after a quick glance, moved slightly closer together, seemingly forming an alliance.
“Temple Master Luo appearing here in person is unexpected. Doesn’t Temple Master Luo need to assume command back in Raging Fire Temple? I heard that your Temple recently hasn’t been very peaceful,” Old Jiu said coldly.
The big man surnamed Luo chuckled lightly and said, “Old Jiu need not worry, those small disputes inside the Temple were easily resolved by this Luo.”
Hearing this, Old Jiu’s face sank as he knew that this ‘easy resolution’ probably involved the death of many people.
One should not be fooled by the carefree and light-hearted attitude Temple Master Luo gave off; in truth, he was a cruel man whom many within the vicinity of Maplewood City feared.
As these three masters talked, more and more cultivators gathered around, most in groups while those like Chen Shi Qi who were all alone were extremely rare.
This situation made the three Dao Source Realm experts quite dissatisfied, and they even considered expelling all these mixed fish, but none of them took the lead to do so because they were worried about stirring up public anger.
Yang Kai frowned slightly as he felt this matter was about to become a bit difficult.
While he was hesitating though, Temple Master Luo suddenly asked, “Old Jiu, you’re well learned. Do you recognize this Monster Beast?”
He had been staring at the Firebird wrapped in a water sphere but was unable to recognize its species, so he decided to ask.
Old Jiu frowned and said, “If this old master is not mistaken, this little thing seems to belong to the Phoenix bloodline.”
“Phoenix?”
“An Ancient Divine Spirit?”
Many cultivators heard this and revealed looks of surprise while also taking a few steps back in shock.
The title of Ancient Divine Spirit was too shocking. Even a common cultivator would feel terrified when they heard it. Even the ten Great Emperors would feel somewhat hesitant when facing an Ancient Divine Spirit; after all, such Monster Beasts were rulers descended from ancient times. A True Ancient Divine Spirit was powerful enough to destroy a world!
Yang Kai’s eyes also flashed when he heard these words. If that was the case, it would also explain why he felt a faint coercion from this Firebird.
While dragons had Dragon Pressure, phoenixes had Phoenix Pressure. If this Firebird really belonged to the Phoenix lineage, it would naturally give off an innate pressure that could deter any living creature.
Chen Shi Qi nodded to the side, “This Chen also agrees with Old Jiu’s view, but this Chen cannot see which family it specifically belongs to.”
Temple Master Luo chuckled, “I heard that there was a Divine Spirit called the Luan Feng in ancient times, one that had both Phoenix and Azure Luan bloodlines. This Luo is not talented, but he had seen some ancient records before regarding this creature and this little one has some similarities, but I am not certain.”
“Luan Feng?” Old Jiu frowned before he suddenly shouted at Xu Qing who was standing to the side, “Brat, answer me, what kind of power has this thing used?”
Xu Qing had already lifted his Beast Soul Symbiosis state and restored his original appearance, but his face was a little pale. Obviously, he had experienced a great deal of consumption in the previous battle. Hearing Old Jiu’s question at this moment, he did not dare conceal anything and quickly began narrating what had transpired before.
As they listened, everyone, including the three Dao Source Realm masters grew visibly more excited.
Because according to Xu Qing’s description, this Firebird may really be a Luan Feng.
That was a genuine Ancient Divine Spirit!
In other words, this little Firebird was an infant Divine Spirit!
If they could capture it and bring it back to their respective power, once it grew up, they would have a Divine Spirit as a helper, a privilege only the top ten Emperors might be able to enjoy.
Thinking so, many people’s breathing became short as this was an opportunity to reach the Heavens in a single bound.
Old Jiu, Chen Shi Qi, and Temple Master Luo looked at this little Firebird with undisguised greed.
“We need to leave!” Yang Kai saw how the situation was developing and realized that this was not a place he could remain any longer, so he hurriedly and quietly warned Mo Xiao Qi.
“Can I take my hands off now?” Mo Xiao Qi asked timidly.
“You’re still covering your eyes!?” Yang Kai was stunned and quickly moved her hands away from her eyes.
Regaining her sight, Mo Xiao Qi looked around for a moment and called out in shock, “So many people?”
“En, if we don’t leave now, we won’t be able to!” Yang Kai ground his teeth.
“But… my little Luan Feng!” Mo Xiao Qi bit her red lips and looked at the Firebird that was imprisoned by her artifact. Even though she was naïve, she knew that in front of everyone’s eyes it would be impossible to carry off this Firebird.
“You knew it was a Luan Feng?” Yang Kai looked at Mo Xiao Qi in amazement.
“En, I knew the first time I saw it,” Mo Xiao Qi spoke as if it was obvious.
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before he began cursing viciously to himself.
If he had known that it was a juvenile Luan Feng in Clear Jade Mountain, even if Mo Xiao Qi had given him ten times the benefits, he would never have come here.
An ordinary man is innocent, but treasures make him guilty. If one really managed to obtain this infant Luan Feng, it would be nothing but trouble. If it was a baby Divine Spirit, then it must have parents. Yang Kai did not want to be chased down and killed by a mature Luan Feng.
This little Luan Feng was a beautiful flower indeed, but one covered in the sharpest of thorns. It was simply ridiculous that so many people here were blinded by the beauty of some imagined future and wanted to take it for themselves.
But facing this naïve, bordering on stupid girl, what was Yang Kai supposed to say?
Trying to reason with her would likely leave Yang Kai coughing up blood from frustration.
While the two were communicating secretly, Old Jiu asked again, “What artifact is this? It seems capable of restraining this juvenile Divine Spirit.”
He was staring at the blue water sphere with scorching eyes, a look of greed covering his face.
The same was true for Chen Shi Qi and Temple Master Luo.
Even though the Luan Feng in front of them was a baby, it had the blood of a Divine Spirit coursing through its veins so no simple artifact could restrain it. This blue water sphere did not seem too eye-catching at first, but if one were even slightly perceptive, they would understand it was a shocking treasure itself.
Even the three Dao Source Realms were unable to identify its exact grade.
“This thing… was brought by that girl.” Xu Qing’s thoughts turned quickly after he heard Old Jiu’s question and he pointed to Mo Xiao Qi with a wicked smile as he spoke.
Yang Kai’s face suddenly became gloomy as he began cursing Xu Qing’s eighteen generations of ancestors.
Xu Qing obviously wanted to murder them with a borrowed knife. He had already offended Mo Xiao Qi and was afraid of being chased down by the power behind her, but was also powerless to deal with her, so he could only take advantage of Old Jiu and the other Dao Source cultivators.
Sure enough, Old Jiu and the others heard this and could not help staring towards Mo Xiao Qi brightly.
Temple Master Luo grinned meaningfully and said, “Little Girl, you’re quite good. Do you want to join my Raging Fire Temple? This Luo can provide you with the best cultivation resources if you agree.”
He directly opened his mouth to recruit Mo Xiao Qi, thinking that as long as he could win her over, the Luan Feng that was imprisoned by Mo Xiao Qi’s artifact would also belong to him.
If it was any normal cultivator, even if they refused, they wouldn’t speak directly, but Mo Xiao Qi obviously had no such qualms and simply shook her head decisively before saying, “Aunty Feng said that forces outside are like weeds, none of them worth mentioning, so I won’t join your Raging Fire Temple.”
On Temple Master Luo’s forehead, blue veins bulged as his eyes suddenly became cold while on the other hand, Old Jiu and Chen Shi Qi laughed out loud, clearly taking pleasure in his misfortune.
Yang Kai’s face went black as he forced the corners of his mouth upwards slightly and cupped his fists, “Temple Master Luo, please don’t mind. This girl has some problems with her head!”
“What did I say wrong?” Mo Xiao Qi looked at Yang Kai blankly.
“You shut up!” Yang Kai snapped.
“Oh.”
“Hmph, you dare to insult my Raging Fire Temple? Little Girl, your courage isn’t small! If you comply with this Luo’s demands today, this Luo will spare your life, but if you refuse…” Why would Temple Master Luo bother with Yang Kai? Mo Xiao Qi’s answer had caused him to lose face, so murderous intent instantly flared from his body. If he had not wanted to use Mo Xiao Qi’s artifact to subdue the Luan Feng, he would already have taken action.
“Temple Master Luo, you must not rush to attack her. This girl is wearing a lot of powerful artifacts, some of which can act independently to protect her! One of my companions simply touched her accidentally and had her Soul destroyed as a result. Even this Junior was almost implicated by her,” Xu Qing yelled in a loud voice, as if he was afraid there would be some here who didn’t hear him.
“An artifact that can independently protect her?” Temple Master Luo heard this and could not help gasping, “Is it an artifact with an Artifact Spirit?”
Artifacts were just dead objects, so in order to act independently to protect their wearer, they needed to have formed an Artifact Spirit. Such artifacts were definitely not low-grade and were extremely valuable.
“Interesting,” Old Jiu also looked at Mo Xiao Qi with bright eyes. Using his Divine Sense, he began scanning her earrings, hairpin, necklace, and bracelets, quickly discerning that almost every piece of jewellery worn by Mo Xiao Qi was of high-grade artifact, just as Xu Qing said!
Chen Shi Qi’s expression flickered as a greedy light flashed across his eyes.
“Xu Qing, you’ll die like a dog for this!” Yang Kai yelled and grabbed Mo Xiao Qi as he shouted, “Run!”
As soon as his voice fell though, Yang Kai shoved Mo Xiao Qi away as he felt a shocking pain run up his arm the moment he touched her.
“Sorry, on my hand there’s…”
“Stop talking, just focus on surviving for now!” Yang Kai was disinclined to listen to her explanation and simply wrapped her up in his Qi before dashing off.
“My Weak Water Bead, my little Luan Feng!” Mo Xiao Qi exclaimed tenderly as she formed a seal with her hands, seemingly wanting to take back the Weak Water Bead and the imprisoned Luan Feng.
But how could the three Dao Source Realms present just watch this happen? Temple Master Luo and the others all waved their hands abruptly to suppress the Weak Water Bead and Luan Feng in place.
“Take back your Weak Water Bead now!” Yang Kai said hurriedly.
Mo Xiao Qi nodded obediently and did not bother with the Luan Feng anymore, instead just focusing on retrieving her Weak Water Bead.
Without the imprisonment of the Weak Water Bead, the infant Luan Feng immediately regained its freedom, spread out its wings, and sent out a barrage of black fireballs in all directions, causing the surrounding cultivators to hurriedly dodge. At the same time, the baby Luan Feng shot up into the sky, attempting to escape.
“Where are you going!?” The three Dao Source Realms all acted together to seal off the retreat of the Luan Feng but none of them dared to get too close; after all, the black flames gave even them an extremely dangerous feeling. Once contaminated with it, it would no doubt be extremely difficult to extinguish.
After stopping the infant Luan Feng, Temple Master Luo turned his attention to Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi, sending a palm out towards them.
“You want to just leave? Naive!” Temple Master Luo coldly snorted.
Even a casual blow from a Second-Order Dao Source Realm master could affect the World Principles around it, causing Yang Kai to feel a deep sense of crisis. Without hesitation, he displayed his Nihility Secret Technique, causing his figure to disappear.
The power of the palm flew over and passed through Yang Kai’s body, hitting empty space before impacting an oval-shaped light shield around Mo Xiao Qi’s body which completely dispersed it, leaving her with no injuries at all.
When Yang Kai’s figure reappeared, he immediately stared at Mo Xiao Qi like she was some kind of monster.
He was able to avoid the attack of Temple Master Luo because of his Space Secret Technique, but Mo Xiao Qi had not even needed to do anything as the artifacts she wore were enough to perfectly protect her.
This girl’s background and heritage were clearly even greater than he imagined.
The speed of the two was extremely fast and in the blink of an eye they had disappeared.
Behind them, Temple Master Luo and the others had fallen into a chaotic battle for the Luan Feng. The light from Secret Techniques and artifact attacks filled the sky as powerful energy fluctuations exploded everywhere. Cultivators fell from the sky one after another, with none of the living having any spare energy to deal with Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi now.
After escaping a couple dozen kilometres, Yang Kai suddenly stopped.
Mo Xiao Qi also stopped and looked at Yang Kai suspiciously, “Why did you stop?”
Yang Kai looked at her coldly and grinned meaningfully.
Mo Xiao Qi’s beautiful face suddenly went pale as she hurried back a few steps before trying to act tough and shouting, “What do you want to do? I’m warning you, I’m quite fierce!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help rolling his eyes, “What do you think I want to do? I just want to observe from here.”
Mo Xiao Qi frowned, thought for a moment, then suddenly said joyfully, “The mantis catches the cicada, while unaware the oriole is behind?”
She looked extremely excited, as if she had found something fun.
“I just want to lie in wait to see if that Xu Qing escapes. Anyone who plots against me won’t have a good end,” Yang Kai declared coldly.
“I’ll help you! He really didn’t seem like a good person,” Mo Xiao Qi volunteered.
[Shouldn’t you have noticed he was not a good person before all of this?] Yang Kai was completely speechless.
And so, the two of them went into hiding, concealing their auras as they waited.
However, Mo Xiao Qi was currently far away from Yang Kai. It was not that Mo Xiao Qi was wary of him, or afraid Yang Kai would try to take advantage of her somehow, but rather that Yang Kai was afraid of her!
This girl was covered with sharp thorns, and just touching her now had drawn blood from Yang Kai’s hand, so who knew what kind of misfortune would befall him if he were to accidentally touch her again.
As such, under Yang Kai’s strong request, Mo Xiao Qi lay in ambush a thousand metres away from him.
At this moment, she seemed to be pursing her lips and muttering something with an uncomfortable look on her face.
Although the battle was occurring nearly thirty kilometres away from where he currently was, with Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense, the situation on the other side was easy to observe.
More and more cultivators were rushing over and getting drawn into the battle, some of whom were Dao Source Realm masters.
These cultivators were either in groups ranging from three to eight members in total, causing the battle to become even more heated.
From time to time, someone would fall from the sky, but the flow of blood and cries before death did nothing to calm the situation, instead only further fueling the flames of battle. Almost everyone now had bloodshot eyes as they attacked everyone else mercilessly.
The Dao Source Realm masters were undoubtedly much calmer, and while fighting amongst themselves, they were also blocking the Luan Feng’s escape routes, making it impossible for it to flee.
Yang Kai soon found Xu Qing amongst the crowd. This guy had once again displayed his Beast Soul Symbiosis Secret Technique to assume his Golden Hair Giant Ape form and was trailing behind Old Jiu, killing the stragglers left behind by the old man.
Soon, of the hundreds of cultivators who entered Clear Jade Mountain, at least eighty percent had become involved in the battle, creating rivers of blood and mountains of corpses after just two short hours.
As time passed, even the Dao Source Realm masters began to get hurt. Now, everyone was going all out, not just to snatch the Luan Feng, but also to seek revenge for their grievances.
Almost all of the cultivators present were either from Maplewood City or the surrounding area, so there were many grudges between them and now was as good a time as any to settle them.
More and more cultivators fell as the battle raged on.
The Dao Source Realm masters finally realized that the situation was getting out of hand at some point, and with some unknown party making the proposal, the battle rapidly subsided, but by this point, only half of the cultivators which had gotten involved in this debacle were still alive.
The infant Luan Feng was still surrounded by cultivators and had lost its previous ferocity. Instead, it was collapsed on the ground weakly, its beautiful feathers somewhat bloodied as the once brilliantly burning flames which covered its body had gone dim, like they were on the verge of being extinguished.
This battle seemed to have damaged its very source.
The infant Luan Feng had no way to escape under the watchful gazes of so many cultivators, the only question now was who would be able to subdue it.
However, it was clear from everyone’s posture that none of them had any intention to back down, so a quick resolution to this situation was highly unlikely.
Sure enough, the remaining cultivators wrangled and quarrelled on the spot for more than an hour but were still unable to come up with a good solution. The situation was still deadlocked and the atmosphere was gradually becoming tenser, as if a second battle was about to break out.
During the whole process, the infant Luan Feng had been lying on the ground while crying out softly.
Yang Kai, who was still hiding in wait, frowned as he began to grow a bit anxious.
Once these people finished negotiating ownership of the Luan Feng, their next target would most likely be Mo Xiao Qi; after all, she seemed to be worth no less than this infant Luan Feng.
Just as Yang Kai was debating whether to leave, his skin suddenly cramped as a terrifying sense of crisis washed over him.
This made him frown as he did not know what had happened to cause him to feel this way.
Turning his head and looking to the other side, Mo Xiao Qi also seemed to be aware of something and was looking around frantically even now.
Suddenly, the sky darkened, as if a giant cloud had obscured the sun above, casting a massive shadow onto the ground. At the same time, the temperature of the air rose rapidly, causing the lush and green trees of Clear Jade Mountain to begin to wither and burn.
*Li…*
A high-pitched and sharp cry rang out from high above.
Yang Kai was shocked to hear this cry and instinctively looked up, the next going completely stiff.
Up in the sky, an existence almost identical in appearance to the infant Luan Feng was flapping its wings lightly as it approached.
However, this creature was countless times larger than the infant Luan Feng, like a massively enlarged version of it.
As it flew by, even the surrounding sky seemed to be burned as space warped and distorted. It exuded an unimaginable pressure that seemed capable of crushing mountains and caused Yang Kai’s bones to creak despite how far away it still was.
“Luan Feng! A real Ancient Divine Spirit!” Yang Kai exclaimed in shock.
This was a real, mature Luan Feng, a powerful existence that only appeared in legends, a peerless overlord that was on par with true Dragons!
Yang Kai could not help cursing in his heart, as although he had guessed that there must be a mature Luan Feng somewhere since an infant Luan Feng had appeared, he hadn’t thought he would see this mature Luan Feng with his own eyes so quickly!
The deterrence brought by its huge figure alone almost made Yang Kai unable to move, not to mention the burning black flames it exuded which seemed capable of burning all creation to ashes.
Yang Kai’s eyes shrank violently as he tried to run, but to his shock, he found he was unable to even move his fingers, and could only watch as the Luan Feng flew over his head.
*Li…*
Thirty kilometres away, the baby Luan Feng let out an urgent cry filled with sorrow as it did its best to lift up its weak body, like a lost child that had finally seen its parent and was calling out for help.
Temple Master Luo, Old Jiu, Chen Shi Qi, and all the others were frozen solid in place. When the giant shadow that obscured all light descended on their heads, everyone knew that catastrophe was imminent, and huge beads of sweat fell from their foreheads. Everyone was desperately circulating their strength, wanting only to flee from here quickly.
But under the coercion of an Ancient Divine Spirit, they were no better than children, completely incapable of resisting.
This was true even for the Dao Source Realm masters present. As for the Origin Kings and Origin Returning Realm cultivators, they were even more miserable.
There were even a few weaker Origin Returning Realm cultivators who coughed up blood and died on the spot from the pressure.
The Luan Feng hovering in the air looked down and seeing its child’s tragic situation, its eyes became red as a violent hostility exploded from its body and swept out toward the horizon.
As it hovered mid-air, it opened its giant beak, and its abdomen began to bulge. A moment later, a jet black, World Extinguishing Black Flames swept down like a giant tidal wave.
“No!” Temple Master Luo could only desperately cry out once before he was vaporized by the torrent of black flames.
Wherever the black flame passed, everything ceased to exist. Among the more than two hundred cultivators who were at the scene, none escaped this calamity. All of them were burned to death, body and Soul.
The black flames filled the air and spread out rapidly, to the extent that they could still be seen clearly hundreds of kilometres away. These flames seemed to burn down even Heaven and Earth.
A ten-kilometre wide region was instantly turned into a burning wasteland where nothing grew, and this dead zone was rapidly expanding as the wall of black flames continued to spread.
Thirty kilometres away, Yang Kai was absolutely horrified, and seeing the black flames crashing towards him like a tsunami, he did not dare to hesitate, pushing his Golden Divine Dragon Source power madly to resist the coercion of the Luan Feng and restore a bit of his freedom.
The next instant, he summoned his Sealed World Bead directly and hid inside of it.
The moment Yang Kai disappeared; the black flames washed over his hiding place. If he had been even an instant slower, he would have followed in the footsteps of Temple Master Luo and the others.
“Oh no!” Just after he hid inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai suddenly remembered Mo Xiao Qi.
Although Mo Xiao Qi possessed many powerful artifacts, in front of the World Extinguishing Black Flames of an Ancient Divine Spirit, those artifacts were undoubtedly useless. Yang Kai had acted purely on instinct just now and did not have any time to think about Mo Xiao Qi.
Thinking back now, even if he had tried to rescue her, Yang Kai knew he would have been too late.
Yang Kai could not help but feel a little depressed.
Although he did not have any real friendship with Mo Xiao Qi, this simple and silly girl did not deserve to be burnt to ashes by those black flames, causing Yang Kai to feel a little guilty.
[Hopefully, the Heavens show mercy and allow her to survive!]
Yang Kai thought to himself, despite knowing the possibility was remote.
Clear Jade Mountain burned as black flames covered a hundred-kilometre radius where not a single plant and animal remained.
Only after her flames ceased to spread did the Luan Feng, who was still floating in the sky, flicker and suddenly assume the form of a young woman with a noble temperament, her hair tied up in a neat bun, and luxurious robes adorning her exquisite figure.
Her beautiful eyes did not carry the slightest emotion as only icy murderous intent filled them.
Only when her gaze landed on the baby Luan Feng on the ground did her expression reveal a hint of tenderness.
Then the infant Luan Feng also transformed at this moment, turning into a young child that looked no older than four.
The young woman lifted her hand and an invisible force gently wrapped up the child and lifted her up.
The young woman glared at the child fiercely, seemingly blaming her for causing trouble, but the young child only grinned happily and snuck into the young woman’s arms, assuming a comfortable position before closing her eyes and falling asleep.
The young woman sighed helplessly as she embraced her child with one hand before flying off at an incredible speed. Before she left though, she cast her sharp eyes towards the spot where Yang Kai had previously been standing for a moment, her delicate brow furrowing as a trace of confusion flashed across her face.
…..
Ten days later, Yang Kai quietly left the Sealed World Bead.
As soon as he appeared, he felt an unbearable heat all around him, one that seemed so invasive it even burned his Soul.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly flew up.
Looking down from above, he was both terrified and awed by what he saw.
At this moment, with the battlefield of Clear Jade Mountain as its centre, black flames spread in all directions for several hundred kilometres. Although ten days had passed, there was still no sign of these flames being extinguished, especially the ten-kilometre region at the centre where it seemed nothing existed except for the raging World Extinguishing Black Flames. Likely, it would be hundreds, if not thousands of years before anything could grow here again.
There were naturally no corpses on the ground as the black flames had not even left behind any ashes from their bodies.
Glancing over at the place where Mo Xiao Qi had been hiding before, Yang Kai’s face turned gloomy.
The black flames were present there too, burning fiercely with no sign of Mo Xiao Qi at all.
[That girl… likely suffered disaster,] Yang Kai thought to himself.
At that time, if there was a chance, he definitely wouldn’t have just left her to die, but because he wasn’t anywhere close to Mo Xiao Qi, and a single moment of hesitation was the difference between life or death, he was simply unable to do anything.
[Was this fate?] If he had not been so concerned about touching Mo Xiao Qi and being attacked by her defensive artifacts, Yang Kai wouldn’t have separated from her so far. If she was by his side at that time, Yang Kai could have taken her into the Sealed World Bead with him.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai turned to leave.
However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed something and turned his gaze in a certain direction.
There seemed to be something left over there.
In front of the Luan Feng’s World Extinguishing Black Flames, anything that could survive was bound to be a rare treasure. Smiling happily, Yang Kai flew over in a hurry.
After getting close, Yang Kai was able to see the true nature of this object.
It was actually a feather, a meter long glowing red feather that was just lying quietly on the ground.
[A Luan Feng feather?] Yang Kai raised his brows and hurriedly stepped forward.
He did not dare to stretch out his hand to take it rashly, but instead used one of his Golden Blood Threads to wrap around it.
Unexpectedly, this Luan Feng feather was not hot at all. Through his Golden Blood Thread, Yang Kai could feel that this feather did not pose any threat to him on its own, as if it was just an ordinary decorative item, but if one carefully examined it, they would be able to tell that a terrifying power was contained within it.
[What an amazing treasure!]
If this Divine Spirit feather was handed over to an excellent Artifact Refiner, they would definitely be able to produce an extremely powerful artifact, even refining an Emperor Artifact was possible! After all, this was clearly a peak level Artifact Refining material.
Yang Kai examined it for a while before happily storing it away.
This trip to Clear Jade Mountain was not without gains. He had obtained the Ice Attribute dual swords from Mo Xiao Qi and picked up a Luan Feng’s feather. Compared with the amount of time and effort he had to exert, this was already an extremely rich harvest.
It was just a pity about Mo Xiao Qi…
Yang Kai sighed lightly before adjusting his mood and flying off.
His destination was Maplewood City!
When he first came to the Star Boundary, he was caught by Kou Wu and forced to join Blue Feather Sect, not having any time to appreciate the many wonderful sights and scenes of the Star Boundary, so Yang Kai was very much looking forward to arriving at the nearby Maplewood City.
He was just a Third-Order Origin King, and the power in his body had yet to be completely transformed into Source Qi, so he did not even have the qualifications to break through to the Dao Source Realm. Right now, his top priority was to find a way to finish this transformation.
Maplewood City was more prosperous than any city in Yang Kai’s native Star Field. Even Water Sky City of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce could not compare.
But in the Star Boundary, it was just one of the countless unknown cities when taking the giant Southern Territory into account.
This was an eye-opening sight for Yang Kai.
The only thing that made him cringe slightly was that he actually needed to pay ten Low-Rank Source Crystals to enter the city!
This made him feel extremely distressed.
He was no longer a filthy rich man like back in his native Star Field. Now, every piece of Source Crystal was precious to him, so he did not dare to use them up casually.
The Source Crystals he had on hand were all from the Space Rings of the Blue Feather Sect disciples he had killed, and they amounted to only a few thousand in total.
There were originally four Space Rings Yang Kai obtained, even one belonging to a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but Yang Kai had given Liu Xian Yun three of them and only kept one for himself.
In addition to the few thousand Source Crystals in this ring, there were only two artifacts that were of relatively low grade and some miscellaneous materials that were not of any use to him.
After entering Maplewood City, Yang Kai did not hurry to find a place to live but instead began walking around, listening to the various conversations of the surrounding cultivators to obtain information that was beneficial to him.
Just one day was enough to reap significant gains.
As he had expected, the average level of the cultivators in Maplewood City wasn’t very high, while the small great forces around it also didn’t possess strong masters.
City Lord Duan Yuan Shan was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator while the two Vice City Lords were both First-Order. The three of them worked together to govern all of Maplewood City. As for the small families in the city, all of them had at most one Old Ancestor at the First-Order Dao Source Realm.
Most of the surrounding great forces also had only one or two First-Order Dao Source Realm masters, with Raging Fire Temple being the exception possessing a Second-Order Dao Source Realm Sect Master, allowing them to be put on par with the City Lord’s Mansion of Maplewood City.
But Yang Kai knew that Temple Master Luo of Raging Fire Temple had been killed in Clear Jade Mountain, so that status was likely to change soon, together with the distribution and disposition of the various great forces in and around Maplewood City.
Word of the incident at Clear Jade Mountain had spread to Maplewood City and even across the Southern Territory at an extremely fast speed, but that was not a surprise as a Divine Spirit Luan Feng had appeared. Such an event would likely even attract true masters to come and investigate.
Of course, Yang Kai did not need to care about such things. All he needed to worry about was whether Maplewood City could become his temporary foothold.
And from what information he had gathered, it seemed this place would do for now.
If there were not many strong cultivators around, it meant he wouldn’t encounter many great threats, giving him plenty of time to grow his strength.
So, after gathering enough information, Yang Kai immediately decided to settle down in Maplewood City for the time being. At the very least, he had to complete the conversion of his Saint Qi into Source Qi before making other plans.
As night fell, Yang Kai arrived at the administrative building next to the City Lord’s Mansion and talked to the staff about getting an Identity Token.
After some bargaining back and forth, Yang Kai spent another three thousand Source Crystals to complete all the procedures, grinding his teeth the whole time he was there.
Although the cost was high, he would now be able to live in Maplewood City with peace of mind for a year and even had a secluded home all to himself.
A number of secluded homes were built and managed by Maplewood City’s City Lord’s Mansion, and any foreign cultivator could rent one, but depending on the quality of the secluded home, the price would vary.
Yang Kai decided not to be stingy in this regard because he knew that a good environment was necessary to cultivate quickly, so he directly rented a high quality secluded home.
Leaving that administrative building, Yang Kai quickly arrived at the location of the secluded home he had rented.
Using the Identity Token he had acquired, Yang Kai opened the secluded home’s protective barrier and entered.
While it was called a secluded home, in reality, it was just a well-built house with a number of good Spirit Arrays arranged around it to prevent others from spying on or disturbing the occupant.
Yang Kai checked around and was quite satisfied. The World Energy aura in this secluded home was much richer than that of the city, obviously due to some form of World Energy gathering Spirit Array, and there were also several rooms with different functions for Yang Kai to use.
Yang Kai did not have very high demands though, as long as he had a secure place to live, everything was fine.
Sitting cross-legged, Yang Kai meditated for the night, slowly converting his Saint Qi to Source Qi as he restored his strength.
The next morning, Yang Kai walked out of the secluded home.
Walking down the streets, looking at the different kinds of cultivators coming and going, Yang Kai’s thoughts turned rapidly.
When Yang Kai first entered the Star Field, he had felt a rich sense of curiosity and a deep desire to explore everything around him while growing stronger step by step.
Back then, he was able to succeed, and this time, he was confident he could do the same!
Thinking so, Yang Kai’s vision became firm.
The only worry he had… was about his two big helpers. Ai Ou, Gui Zu and the others were also somewhere he did not know about, but if they weren’t separated, they would be able to pool their strength to protect themselves.
Yang Kai shook his head and did not think about it anymore as he walked straight ahead.
Not long after, he stopped in front of a shop called ‘Spirit Pill Plaza’, and after a moment of pondering, he walked inside.
The shop hand immediately walked up to greet him, “May I ask what this guest is looking for? Not to brag, but this Spirit Pill Plaza has a wide variety of pills for sale and always offers fair prices. Moreover, Spirit Pill Plaza has the support of Sir City Lord, so guest can rest assured there are no counterfeit goods here.”
This shop hand spoke the last sentence in a hushed voice, as if trying to act mysterious.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, knowing that he must say this to every guest who arrives here, but if that was the case, the City Lord might really be an investor in this Spirit Pill Plaza, otherwise, this shop hand would not dare make such a claim in Maplewood City unless he was eager to lose his life that is.
“I’m not here to buy Spirit Pills,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
“Then what is this guest interested in?” The shop hand had good training and continued to ask with a smile, “Spirit Pill Plaza only sells finished pills, nothing else.”
“Do you have pill recipes for sale?” Yang Kai frowned.
The shop hand furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing this and smiled awkwardly, “This… I really cannot take responsibility for. If this guest does not mind, I can consult with the shopkeeper.”
Yang Kai nodded.
The shop hand immediately turned around and went to the back of the store.
The reason why Yang Kai had come here to buy pill recipes was related to his experiences performing Alchemy in Blue Feather Sect.
Although his little shop had gained great popularity in Blue Feather Sect thanks to his exquisite Alchemy techniques, and his services were sought after greatly by Blue Feather Sect’s disciples, in many cases, Yang Kai had actually never heard of the pills his cultivators came to request, much less refined them before.
After all, the variety of materials available in the Star Boundary was far greater than in his native Star Field, with many herbs existing here that were unheard of back in Yang Kai’s home. This of course led to there being many more types of pills in the Star Boundary. With Yang Kai’s Alchemy knowledge, he was able to stand at the peak of the Star Field’s Alchemic Dao, but it was not even enough to be mentioned in the Star Boundary.
If he wanted to cultivate, he needed to earn Source Crystals, and the easiest way Yang Kai could think of was to return to his old career of Alchemy.
Increasing his repertoire of pill recipes was just preparatory work; after all, without sharpening one’s axe first, it would be difficult to cut wood efficiently!
Moreover, Yang Kai was also in urgent need of a pill recipe for the Source Condensing Pill!
The role of the Source Condensing Pill was to help Origin King Realm cultivators transform their Saint Qi into Source Qi. Once reached the Origin King Realm, breaking through again became increasingly difficult, requiring both skill, opportunity, and accumulation. Compared to breaking through, converting one’s Saint Qi to Source Qi was actually a relatively simpler and easier method to increase one’s combat strength.
Origin King Realm cultivators would naturally need a large amount of Source Condensing Pills to assist them in shortening the time it took to convert their Saint Qi to Source Qi.
When Yang Kai broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm, the remaining starlight in his body was completely consumed, causing the speed at which he could convert his Saint Qi to Source Qi to slow down dramatically. In order to increase this speed of conversion again, he could only turn to Source Condensing Pills.
Moreover, among Origin Kings, this pill was extremely popular, not too expensive, and didn’t seem to require any particularly rare ingredients, so as long as Yang Kai could obtain the appropriate pill recipe, he was confident he could refine them himself.
Even if he only refined Source Condensing Pills, Yang Kai felt he would be able to make a lot of money.
While waiting, Yang Kai browsed around Spirit Pill Plaza’s wares and saw many Spirit Pills he had never heard of, some with strange and intriguing effects that greatly sparked his curiosity.
As an Alchemist, he naturally desired the pill recipes for these pills and secretly began planning how to acquire them here.
Soon after, the shop hand from before came back with a smile on his face and spoke. “Humble Guest, our shopkeeper has asked me to invite you inside for a discussion!”
Yang Kai raised his brow with some surprise; after all, he was only here to buy some pill recipes and had never met this shopkeeper before, so why was he being received so warmly? However, after thinking about it carefully, Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Alright, lead the way.”
“This way, please!” The shop hand eagerly beckoned and soon brought Yang Kai to one of the back rooms of the shop where he stood to the side and bowed.
Yang Kai raised his hand and knocked on the door before a somewhat aged voice called out from inside, “Please come in!”
Pushing open the door, Yang Kai entered a room that was made from fine sandalwood and had some simple decorations. An elderly man stood inside with his hands behind his back. After seeing Yang Kai, this man quickly cupped his fists with a smile and said, “This old master is Spirit Pill Plaza’s shopkeeper Kang Si Ran. May I ask this guest’s honoured name?”
“Yang Kai greets Shopkeeper Kang,” Yang Kai smiled back.
Kang Si Ran nodded, swept his eyes over Yang Kai after which they flashed slightly, “Young Master Yang is quite young.”
Yang Kai naturally knew that he was saying this because he saw through his cultivation and realized that both of them were Third-Order Origin Kings.
However, Yang Kai could feel the aura fluctuations from this Kang Si Ran were quite pure and even. Obviously, this old man had finished converting his Saint Qi into Source Qi, and if he had enough opportunity, would be able to break through to the Dao Source Realm.
Receiving praise from the other party, Yang Kai naturally acted humble.
“Please come in, Young Master Yang. Have a seat and try this old master’s Maple Rain Tea!” Kang Si Ran enthusiastically poured Yang Kai a cup of steaming tea as he spoke, causing a rich fragrance to fill the room.
Kang Si Ran pushed the teacup in front of Yang Kai enthusiastically.
Inside the back room, Yang Kai took a seat but did not rush to touch the tea in front of him.
The shopkeeper of this Spirit Pill Plaza was a bit too enthusiastic, which made Yang Kai become a bit wary and thus showed a cautious demeanour.
Kang Si Ran apparently noticed this as well, but did not pay it any mind and simply smiled lightly, “I heard that Young Master Yang wishes to purchase some pill recipes?”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded.
Kang Si Ran’s eyes lit up hearing this and asked, “Does that mean Young Master Yang is an Alchemist?”
Yang Kai frowned and asked lightly, “Does your noble establishment have a policy of inquiring about your customer’s details before selling them things?”
Yang Kai made no attempt to hide the blame in his voice, but Kang Si Ran did not become angry and instead apologized, “Please do not take offence, Young Master Yang, it was not this old master’s intention to appear rude. This old master will offer this cup as an apology!”
Saying so, he really drank down the cup of tea in one gulp.
Wiping the residual tea from his lips, Kang Si Ran continued, “If Young Master Yang is really an Alchemist and your accomplishments are high enough, this old master can deliver you any pill recipe you want.”
“Shopkeeper Kang’s meaning is?” Yang Kai was genuinely confused now.
Kang Si Ran smiled bitterly when he heard these words and did not answer right away, taking some time to consider his words before finally saying, “Very well, this old master will be succinct.”
“Please speak, Shopkeeper Kang.”
“The situation is this,” Kang Si Ran began his explanation. “My Spirit Pill Plaza is currently shorthanded of Alchemists… If Young Master Yang is an Alchemist at the Origin King Grade, this old master would like to hire him to work here and can offer very favourable treatment. This old master has two proposals which Young Master Yang may choose from, either offering a certain fixed salary for each month of work, or a percentage of the profits from the shop’s sales for each pill Young Master Yang refines. Young Master Yang is free to decide.”
Yang Kai was stunned when he heard these words, “Does your noble establishment really lack Alchemists?”
“Indeed,” Kang Si Ran said with a troubled expression on his face. He had been worrying constantly about this issue as of late, so now that he saw a glimmer of hope, he knew he had to make an attempt, “Originally my Spirit Pill Plaza had three Alchemists in its employ, but two recently left, leaving only one behind. The last remaining Alchemist is unable to refine enough pills to keep up with ordinary demand. However… Young Master Yang may rest assured. If you agree to assist this old master at this time, you may freely look through any pill recipe Spirit Pill Plaza owns.”
This answer could not help making Yang Kai a little excited; after all, he didn’t have many Source Crystals on hand right now, so if he were really forced to purchase pill recipes, the most he could probably buy was one or two. As for the pill recipe of the Source Condensing Pill… it would no doubt be extremely expensive, so given his current financial resources, Yang Kai doubted he would be able to afford it.
Yang Kai was only planning to check what kind of price these pill recipes sold for today after which he would go and raise the required amount of Source Crystals some other way.
Unexpectedly, after coming to this Spirit Pill Plaza, he had encountered this kind of pleasant surprise.
Maintaining a calm demeanour, Yang Kai asked, “Why did those two Alchemists suddenly leave? Was it because Shopkeeper Kang did not compensate them fairly?”
“How could that be possible?” Kang Si Ran smiled bitterly, “This old master has lived in Maplewood City for many years now and has always engaged in fair and upright business. The compensation for those several Alchemists was definitely not low, it’s just… as water flows to the lowest point, people always try to ascend to the highest heights. It is because of this immutable truth that they chose to leave this pill shop when faced with greater interests.
Listening to what he said, Yang Kai understood.
“Someone poached them!”
Kang Si Ran heard it put bluntly and couldn’t help showing a trace of annoyance on his face as he nodded, “Exactly. Spirit Pill Plaza is actually a subsidiary of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, while the other major pill shop in Maplewood City is owned by Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce. As such, it was only natural for them to target us.”
“Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Has Young Master Yang not heard of our two establishments?” Kang Si Ran was visibly surprised by his reaction.
Yang Kai smirked and shook his head.
Kang Si Ran was stunned for a moment. He could see that Yang Kai was a Third-Order Origin King, so for him to have never heard the names of these two chambers of commerce was quite shocking. In the Southern Territory, besides the supreme overlord Star Soul Palace, Violet Source Chamber of Commerce and Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce were among the most famous and powerful great forces.
Yang Kai’s strength was not low, so how could he not even have heard about them before?
However, Kang Si Ran was an experienced businessman, so in order to avoid embarrassing Yang Kai, he hurriedly smiled and said, “It seems that Yang Master Yang has secluded himself from worldly affairs to focus on his cultivation. En, no wonder Young Master Yang has such profound strength at such a young age, this old master is very impressed.”
Yang Kai gave a dry laugh but did not answer.
However, judging from the information disclosed by Kang Si Ran, the relationship between the two chambers of commerce seemed to be hostile. It was not difficult to understand that rivals would be enemies; since both of these great forces obviously engaged in business, it was natural for them to compete with one another.
The pill shop owned by Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce probably offered a higher price to snatch the two Alchemists from Spirit Pill Plaza, leading to its current embarrassing situation.
Without enough Alchemists, there would naturally not be enough Spirit Pills to sell, and as time passed, fewer people would patronize Spirit Pill Plaza. As the shopkeeper of Spirit Pill Plaza, Kang Si Ran would become anxious in such a conundrum.
These days, Kang Si Ran had been searching frantically for a suitable Alchemist for Spirit Pill Plaza to hire, but Maplewood City was not a big city in the Star Boundary, so even if some Alchemists were living here, most of them already belonged to certain great forces. As for lower-level Alchemists, even if Kang Si Ran were to hire them, they would not be of much use.
That was why he was so passionate about Yang Kai and immediately had the shop hand invite Yang Kai inside when he heard about the latter wanting to purchase pill recipes.
A person who wanted to buy pill recipes must be an Alchemist, as average cultivators would not care about pill recipes at all. Normal cultivators just needed to gather enough materials and compensation to ask an Alchemist to refine the pill they wanted.
“May I ask what grade of Alchemist Young Master Yang is?” After explaining his dilemma, Kang Si Ran asked Yang Kai nervously and expectantly.
If Yang Kai’s Alchemy level wasn’t high, he wouldn’t need to waste any time with him.
Yang Kai thought for a while before replying, “I can refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills.”
His answer was not complete, and actually concealed many details, but it was good enough to satisfy Kang Si Ran.
Hearing Yang Kai personally say he was an Origin King Grade Alchemist, Kang Si Ran was already overjoyed, his eyes filling with a sincere, almost pleading light.
Without waiting for him to speak, Yang Kai said, “Shopkeeper Kang should understand: I am only interested in earning some Source Crystals by performing Alchemy and using it as an auxiliary to my cultivation right now, it is not my primary interest or profession, and not a job I intend to practice continually. That being the case, I suggest Shopkeeper Kang look for another master to hire.”
The attitude of the other party was very sincere, so Yang Kai did not want to deceive him and so explained his circumstances in a straightforward manner.
After all, to Yang Kai, Alchemy was just a means of cultivation, a field he did not plan on investing too much time and energy into. If he agreed to Kang Si Ran’s request, it would be equivalent to attaching himself to Spirit Pill Plaza, which would restrict his time and freedom in the future.
That wasn’t a situation Yang Kai wanted to see.
“Not your primary interest or profession?” Kang Si Ran was stunned but quickly smiled, “That does not matter. As long as Young Master Yang can assist this old master with Alchemy for three… no, no, two months, everything will be fine. This old master promises he will not delay Young Master Yang’s cultivation for long.”
“Just two months?” Yang Kai looked at him in surprise.
“En, in fact, the situation here has already been reported to the chamber of commerce’s headquarters by this old master, and they have agreed to transfer two Alchemists to assist, but it will take some time for them to arrive; after all, the road to this small place is quite long. What’s more, headquarters will not pay too much attention to a single shop in a small place like Maplewood City. Even so, Young Master Yang will only need to help this old master for two months before help arrives.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“What does Young Master Yang think? Is it possible?” Kang Si Ran asked nervously.
He had not slept at all since this incident arose, so upon finally meeting a suitable candidate, Kang Si Ran really did not want to miss this opportunity.
“If it’s just two months… it should not be an issue, but Shopkeeper Kang, those pill recipes…”
Before Yang Kai even finished speaking, Kang Si Ran waved his hand boldly, “If Young Master Yang really joins Spirit Pill Plaza, he may freely read all of the shop’s pill recipes. Even taking copies of them is acceptable.”
“Among the pill recipes your noble establishment owns, is there one for Source Condensing Pills?”
“Almost every pill shop will have a recipe for Source Condensing Pills, but each recipe is slightly different. Why? Has Young Master Yang not refined Source Condensing Pills before?”
Suddenly, Kang Si Ran became a little nervous as he worried about whether Yang Kai was lying to him. Which Origin King Grade Alchemist did not own the pill recipe for Source Condensing Pills? This was the pill with the greatest demand amongst Origin King Realm cultivators.
Yang Kai smiled awkwardly and could only say, “I came from a very remote place where there are very few powerful cultivators, so…”
Although this explanation was full of loopholes, it could still be regarded as a proper reason.
Kang Si Ran did not press him further on the issue.
“Good, Shopkeeper Kang, please provide me with a list of pills your noble establishment sells and prepare the appropriate pill recipes. I will go back for today and consider your proposal carefully. I will have an answer for you within three days,” Yang Kai did not rashly agree to Kang Si Ran’s request; after all, he wasn’t familiar with either Spirit Pill Plaza or Kang Si Ran. Who knows if he was a real man of integrity or not?
Acting cautiously was always advisable.
“Fair enough, then this old master will await Young Master Yang’s return. However, please consider this old master’s proposal as soon as possible. The pills in my Spirit Pill Plaza’s stock are all currently running out.” Kang Si Ran knew that this matter could not be rushed, so he could only agree to Yang Kai’s request.
As such, he quickly arranged a list of pills before handing it to Yang Kai.
After bidding farewell to Kang Si Ran, Yang Kai did not immediately return to his residence and instead began wandering around the city.
Whenever he saw a shop selling Spirit Pills, he would go in and ask some questions.
Although he had just negotiated with Kang Si Ran, he still wanted to see whether he could buy pill recipes from other places; after all, if he could act on his own, it would be better than hiring himself to Spirit Pill Plaza as he could monopolize all of the benefits.
Of course, cooperating with Spirit Pill Plaza also had some advantages, such as a fixed source of customers, sufficient materials, and no need to worry about sales channels.
There were pros and cons to both options.
In the middle of the night, Yang Kai returned to his residence with a depressed expression.
His endeavour today had not gone smoothly. Although he had visited a lot of pill shops, these shops either cherished their pill recipes like treasures and refused to show them to outsiders or asked for sky-high prices in order to purchase them, rendering Yang Kai helpless. What’s more, the shops that were willing to sell pill recipes were only willing to sell some obscure recipes, which were basically useless.
Pill recipes that were really useful and would sell well were not for sale anywhere.
Of course, Yang Kai was not surprised by this.
He could also understand the practices of those shops. The pill recipes of each shop were formulated, improved, and refined by many Alchemists over a long period of time. They were trade secrets that could not be easily shown to outsiders.
Now, it seemed he had to carefully consider Kang Si Ran’s proposal.
For the next two days, Yang Kai enjoyed a rare moment of peace.
On the third day, Yang Kai came to Spirit Pill Plaza again.
Kang Si Ran seemed to have given out instructions already, so when the shop-hand saw Yang Kai, he immediately welcomed him with a smile and said, “Sir, you’re here. Please come inside, Shopkeeper Kang has been anticipating your arrival.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and motioned for him to lead the way.
In the same back room as last time, Kang Si Ran was pleased to see Yang Kai keeping a punctual schedule, boosting his trust in him. With a smiling old face, Kang Si Ran greeted Yang Kai enthusiastically and motioned for him to take a seat before pouring him a cup of tea. Immediately after, Kang Si Ran took out a booklet from his Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai, “These are the pill recipes Young Master Yang requested before, please look to your satisfaction!”
Yang Kai thanked him and took up the pill recipe book before browsing through them.
Just sweeping his eyes over these pages, Yang Kai could not help but brighten up.
Because this booklet contained about fifty pill recipes, the first of which was actually the recipe for Source Condensing Pills.
Although Yang Kai had mastered most of the pill recipes in this booklet already, pill recipes were not something set and then never altered. According to the surrounding environment and what materials were readily available, a pill recipe could vary greatly from region to region. There were also often multiple different methodologies to refine the same Spirit Pill.
As such, even if one had mastered how to refine a certain pill, by studying an alternative pill recipe, they may be able to improve their own technique and ability, so this booklet was not without value.
Of the fifty or so pill recipes, there were only a dozen Yang Kai did not already know.
But this result still made Yang Kai extremely satisfied as he put down the booklet lightly.
Kang Si Ran’s eyes were fiery as he carefully observed Yang Kai’s behaviour, wondering if he would comply or not. As soon as Yang Kai put the book of recipes down, he asked, “Young Master Yang, are you satisfied with the catalog provided by this old master?”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Shopkeeper Kang is very thoughtful. Were these pill recipes not hard-won?”
Kang Si Ran smiled and said, “Young Master Yang is very sharp. En, only a small number of these pill recipes are the property of the pill shop, the rest were acquired by this old master through his various connections. They are not trade secrets of Spirit Pill Plaza, so Young Master Yang need not worry about refining them.”
“It seems your noble establishment sells a large variety of Spirit Pills. Does this mean that if I were to become an Alchemist here, I would need to refine all of these Spirit Pills?”
“No no no,” Kang Si Ran waved his hand quickly, “My Spirit Pill Plaza mainly sells the first fifteen Spirit Pills in this catalogue while the others are seldom refined because they are not in high demand and do not yield much profit. Source Condensing Pills are by far the top priority of my pill shop. This old master does not mean to boast, but the Source Condensing Pills from Spirit Pill Plaza are at least ten percent more effective than the average Source Condensing Pill on the market so they are greatly sought after by Maplewood City cultivators.”
“Oh, and why is that?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
In fact, he had also noticed before that many people had come to Spirit Pill Plaza to buy Source Condensing Pills, and these cultivators were all without exception Origin Kings.
Hearing his question, Kang Si Ran smiled proudly and stroked his beard confidently as he explained, “Because our Source Condensing Pill recipe was personally improved by Grandmaster Huang Fu from the chamber of commerce headquarters!”
After speaking, Kang Si Ran remembered that Yang Kai was somewhat ignorant and uninformed, so he quickly added, “Grandmaster Huang Fu is an Emperor Grade Alchemist and enjoys a very high reputation throughout the Star Boundary!”
Yang Kai was really shocked when he heard these words!
So that was why Spirit Pill Plaza’s Source Condensing Pills were so popular, it turns out that the pill recipe was personally improved by an Emperor Grade Alchemist. As a result, the effect was better than ordinary Source Condensing Pills.
This was excellent news for Yang Kai.
Because what he needed most now were Source Condensing Pills. The pill recipe improved by an Emperor Grade Alchemist would be of immense use to Yang Kai and there was even a chance he could spy on some mysteries of the Alchemic Dao from this pill recipe.
“Hehe, Young Master Yang, this old master has shown his sincerity. Now, about Young Master Yang’s intentions…” Kang Si Ran looked at Yang Kai with a smile. At this moment, he was not as anxious as before because he could see from Yang Kai’s demeanour and tone that he was likely willing to temporarily join Spirit Pill Plaza.
As expected, Yang Kai nodded when he heard these words, “It would be this Yang’s honour to work as an Alchemist for your noble establishment. This Yang will be in Shopkeeper Kang’s care for the next two months.”
“Wonderful!” Kang Si Ran laughed loudly, the haze which had been clouding his face for the past few days finally lifting along with his mood.
The current situation of Spirit Pill Plaza was nothing less than precarious. Because Source Condensing Pills had such a large market appeal, Spirit Pill Plaza had always had a steady stream of customers. Before, with three Origin King Grade Alchemists refining Spirit Pills, they had just barely been able to keep up with demand, but when two of the three had been poached by Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce’s Pill Pavilion, the last remaining Alchemist was unable to cope, even if he worked almost nonstop.
Currently, the Spirit Pill Plaza was all but out of stock of Source Condensing Pills, causing many customers to complain constantly.
Consistency was an essential part of doing business, so once there was a shortage of goods, even the most loyal customers would be lost. This was a fatal blow to Spirit Pill Plaza.
With Yang Kai joining, although the situation wouldn’t be rectified immediately, Kang Si Ran could finally breathe a sigh of relief. All that was left now was to hold out for two more months while waiting for the two Alchemists to be transferred over from headquarters.
“Young Master Yang, this old master is first and foremost a businessman, so some things must be made clear up front. If this old master comes off as offensive in any way, I hope Young Master Yang can be forgiving,” After the great joy, Kang Si Ran suddenly wore a solemn expression.
“Please speak freely, Shopkeeper Kang!”
“Good, while Young Master Yang is free to observe and emulate these pill recipes, even taking copies for his own use, they cannot be disclosed to others, especially the pill recipe for Source Condensing Pills. Regarding this, this old master needs Young Master Yang Kai to sign a Soul Contract, I hope Young Master Yang can agree to this condition.”
“Not a problem,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Very good, then this old master will ask Young Master Yang to review this contract to see if any changes are necessary.”
Kang Si Ran had already prepared everything in advance, so he directly took out the prepared contract from his Space Ring.
Yang Kai could not recognize what material this contract was made from, but he could sense a subtle energy fluctuation coming from it.
Yang Kai picked up the contract and began looking over the details about what responsibilities and obligations were expected of both parties. Regarding the pill recipes, the conditions were especially strict in that Yang Kai was to under no circumstances disclose the secrets of these pill recipes to anyone else.
After a quick review, Yang Kai nodded and said, “I have no issues with this.”
Kang Si Ran nodded and said, “Then this old master asks Young Master Yang to leave his Soul Imprint on this contract.”
Saying so, Kang Si Ran first sent a burst of his Spiritual Energy into the contract. Although Yang Kai had never done something like this before, all he had to do was follow Kang Si Ran’s example.
After the Soul Imprints of the two were branded into the contract, the contract suddenly ignited and a faint trace of Spiritual Energy split into two parts and poured into Yang Kai and Kang Si Ran’s Knowledge Seas.
Faintly, Yang Kai felt that a small seal had been added to his Knowledge Sea, one that normally had no effect on him, but would clearly cause some kind of backlash if he were to violate the conditions of the contract he had just signed.
[Such a mysterious thing!] Yang Kai secretly thought to himself as he wondered which master’s hands this Soul Contract stemmed from. Undoubtedly this was an excellent tool for those who wished to conduct business.
Kang Si Ran knew that Yang Kai was somewhat lacking in common knowledge, so he took the initiative to explain, “This Soul Contract is a specialty item of Serene Soul Palace and was personally developed by Serene Soul Great Emperor. Serene Soul Great Emperor is one of the Ten Great Emperors. The Soul Contracts he researched can guarantee the integrity and compliance of both parties who use them. If, during Young Master Yang travels in the future, he needs to cooperate with strangers, signing a Soul Contract can add a layer of security. However, each Soul Contract is not cheap, 150,000 Low-Rank Source Crystals are required for even the lowest level Soul Contract, but that does not make them any less popular, so it is often impossible to buy them in the open market.”
“So expensive!” Yang Kai couldn’t help being shocked. He was only able to make a total of 30,000 Low-Rank Source Crystals in Blue Feather Sect for a month worth of Alchemy, so 150,000 would have taken him at least five months of work to obtain and even then he might not be able to obtain one.
“Hehe, this old master’s Soul Contract was also obtained inadvertently from an adventure he had in his youth,” Kang Si Ran said with clear pain on his face.
Although he was reluctant to use this Soul Contract in this way, in order to keep Spirit Pill Plaza from closing down, Kang Si Ran had no other choice.
“Alchemist Yang, I look forward to working with you for the next two months,” Kang Si Ran quickly adjusted his expression and smiled at Yang Kai while cupping his fists kindly.
“Same here!” Yang Kai replied.
“Alright, since the Soul Contract has been signed, let us talk about the issue of remuneration next,” Kang Si Ran said and sat down. The Soul Contract just now only guaranteed that Yang Kai would not reveal any of the pill recipes he learned here while the matter of compensation was not written. This would require further discussions between Kang Si Ran and Yang Kai.
At that moment, a knock suddenly came from outside.
Kang Si Ran frowned and asked coldly, “What is it?”
He had clearly told everyone in the shop that he was discussing an important matter with Yang Kai today and that no one should disturb him, but now one of the ignorant shop-hands had done just that, making Kang Si Ran very annoyed.
“Shopkeeper Kang, it’s terrible! Alchemist Fan says he wants to leave our pill shop!” The panicked voice of the shop-hand called out quickly.
“What?” Kang Si Ran stood up abruptly, his face filled with shock and anxiety, obviously not having expected such a development.
“Shopkeeper, please come quickly, Alchemist Fan is insistent on quitting.”
“How can this be!?” Kang Si Ran was so angry that he hurried out after hearing these words, but when he reached the door, he suddenly remembered that Yang Kai was still here and asked, “Does Alchemist Yang want to come as well?”
“Is that appropriate?”
“Naturally, you are no longer an outsider!”
Kang Si Ran had a very hard time this past month with Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce’s Pill Pavilion using despicable and shameless means to poach two of his Alchemists.
If Spirit Pill Plaza really folded because of this, Kang Si Ran’s career in Violet Source Chamber of Commerce would be over.
After finally finding Yang Kai and having him sign a Soul Contract to become the second Alchemist in Spirit Pill Plaza and stabilize the situation, Kang Si Ran had really not expected to receive news that Alchemist Fan was planning to leave.
If Alchemist Fan really left, then the situation he had worked so hard to restore would likely collapse again, making the future worrying.
Kang Si Ran was incredibly anxious as he hurriedly led Yang Kai towards the shop’s backyard. Even before the pair arrived though, Fan Hong’s shouts could be heard, “Who dares to stop me!? This Fan must quit! Make way! Any who block this Fan’s path cannot blame this Fan for being impolite!”
In the backyard, several shop-hands were trying to persuade Fang Hong to stop, but they were not having any success.
Kang Si Ran heard these shouts and knew that the situation was indeed dire, so he quickly increased his speed and in the blink of an eye, he arrived to see a bristling Fan Hong who seemed to be on the verge of attacking.
However, after seeing Kang Si Ran, Fan Hong frowned as a hint of guilt flashed deep within his eyes.
“Alchemist Fan, what seems to be the matter?” Although Kang Si Ran was annoyed by Fan Hong at this moment, he did not dare to use a harsh tone and could only ask politely.
Fan Hong sighed and said, “Shopkeeper Kang, this Fan Hong feels sorry for you, but this Fan had decided he must leave. Please forgive me, Shopkeeper Kang.”
“Has this Kang not offered Alchemist Fan enough for his services? Or perhaps Alchemist Fan has received a better offer somewhere else? If so, there is room for discussion!” Kang Si Ran knew that the most important matter right now was to figure out why Fan Hong wanted to leave Spirit Pill Plaza so he could try to find a remedy to the situation.
“Shopkeeper Kang saying so is an insult to this Fan! This Fan has worked for Spirit Pill Plaza since he came to Maplewood City and has refined pills for Spirit Pill Plaza for more than a decade. This Fan regards this place like his home and would not be tempted by mere greed,” Fan Hong implored in an impassioned tone as he looked truly offended by Kang Si Ran’s words.
Kang Si Ran smiled bitterly, “If the reason is not payment, why does Alchemist Fan suddenly insist on leaving?”
Fan Hong sighed and said, “Shopkeeper Kang, this past month this Fan has been performing Alchemy day and night and is now nothing but a dried-up oil lamp. If this continues, this Fan is afraid he will not be able to bear it. Shopkeeper Kang, just allow this Fan to leave.”
Hearing this, Kang Si Ran was at a loss for words.
While the two of them were talking, Yang Kai was also observing Fan Hong and found that, as this man said, he had most likely experienced excessive consumption of his strength. Not only was Fan Hong’s hair a mess and his eyes bloodshot, but even his aura was also fluctuating somewhat chaotically. It was clear he was extremely fatigued.
What’s more, this Fan Hong was not very strong to begin with, only a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator.
With this kind of cultivation, Yang Kai estimated that even if he was an Origin King Grade Alchemist, he could only be at the Origin King Grade Low-Rank.
After all, Alchemy often needed the support of enough internal Qi, otherwise, refining good Spirit Pills would be impossible. However, Alchemists normally immersed themselves in Alchemy year-round, causing them to neglect their own cultivation. But without a strong cultivation, how could they have enough strength to support high-level Alchemy?
This became a vicious circle for most Alchemists.
“This is indeed because this Kang’s failure of management. Please forgive my incompetence, Alchemist Fan!” Kang Si Ran also knew that Fan Hong had paid a great price this past month, so he did not hesitate to bow his head upon hearing this.
Fan Hong seemed surprised by this act and quickly said, “Shopkeeper Kang is too polite.”
Kang Si Ran shook his head, “It was this Kang’s failure of responsibility, but everything is alright now. This Kang has just hired another Alchemist, so Alchemist Fan need not bear this burden alone anymore. You can refine the normal number of Spirit Pills as before. That being the case, would Alchemist Fan consider remaining in the plaza? Of course, Alchemist Fan can take a few days to rest and recuperate first.”
“Hired another Alchemist?” Fan Hong was stunned when he heard these words and quickly scanned the crowd, finally stopping on Yang Kai’s unfamiliar face.
Yang Kai smiled at him slightly.
“This Kang has naturally seen Alchemist Fan’s contribution to the store with his own eyes, and no mere words of gratitude will be enough thanks. Please take some time to rest, and when you feel it appropriate, return to the store to discuss this matter again.” Kang Si Ran said sincerely, looking at Fan Hong imploringly as he really did not want to let Fan Hong go.
“This…” Fan Hong looked awkward and seemed a little hesitant.
Just as Kang Si Ran was preparing to persuade Fan Hong further, a clear and sweet voice suddenly came from outside, “Alchemist Fan, the time has arrived. This Mistress has come to meet you in person.”
As soon as this person’s voice fell, Fan Hong’s complexion changed drastically, going from red, to blue, to green, embarrassed to the extreme.
Kang Si Ran was also startled, but soon grit his teeth and cursed, “Zhuo Ning Si!”
His eyes flashed with anger, as if there was some great hatred between him and this woman named Zhuo Ning Si.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he vaguely understood something before he turned a grin towards Fan Hong.
Fan Hong was clearly uncomfortable, and his eyes were darting around erratically, his lips moving lightly, as if he was cursing.
When Kang Si Ran’s gaze shifted back to him, Fan Hong flushed even further and seemed to be looking for a hole to crawl into!
“This old master understands!” Kang Si Ran sneered coldly, “Alchemist Fan really found a better place to go. If that is the case, Alchemist Fan might as well have just said so earlier so this old master could offer his congratulations. Why bother looking for some excuse instead?”
Fan Hong gritted his teeth, becoming angry out of shame and snapped, “What is Shopkeeper Kang trying to imply? Is it not true that this Fan has made great contributions this past month? In order to refine enough Spirit Pills for the store, this Fang has coughed up blood several times already! If it were not for this Fan’s efforts, Spirit Pill Plaza would have closed already!”
The more he spoke, the more excited he became and the louder his voice resounded.
Kang Si Ran heard all this and frowned deeply, after a long time simply sighing and slumping his shoulders, as if he had suddenly aged a thousand years. Nodding faintly, he admitted, “What Alchemist Fan said is true, if not for Alchemist Fan’s support, Spirit Pill Plaza would indeed have closed a long time ago.”
“Hmph! If you understand, then there’s no need to say anything more!” Fan Hong coldly snorted, “This Fan must also consider his future. Sacrifice alone is not enough to support one’s life! Shopkeeper Kang should also understand this truth. You take care, this Fan will take his leave!”
Finished with what he had to say, Fan Hong pushed away the two shop-hands blocking his path and walked towards the front of the shop.
When he walked past Yang Kai, he paused for a moment and smiled at him faintly, seemingly taking pleasure in his misfortune, “You’ll be miserable as well soon.”
Yang Kai just shrugged in a noncommittal manner.
Kang Si Ran stood in place, pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned around and followed Fan Hong out.
Outside Spirit Pill Plaza, a beautiful woman with a rather revealing dress smiled as she stood before the gates, a few beautiful maids standing by her side. She exuded a kind of intoxicating charm that was only amplified by her exposed snow-white skin and deep cut dress which revealed a rather profound valley, drawing countless looks from the passing male cultivators.
This woman did not seem to care at all about the looks she was getting; on the contrary, she seemed to enjoy those men’s gazes very much. From time to time, she would even send out a wink or two, causing some men to nearly lose their souls.
Fan Hong hurriedly walked out of Spirit Pill Plaza, arrived in front of the beautiful woman, and muttered, “Didn’t I say I would come myself? What did you come here for?”
Zhuo Ning Si giggled as she pursed her lips and said, “Is there something wrong with this Mistress coming to greet you in person?”
“You… Haa…” Fan Hong sighed helplessly.
Zhuo Ning Si continued, “Even if Alchemist Fan wants to conceal the truth, unless he hides from the public forever, eventually, everyone will know. Besides, it is only changing one’s place of employment, is there anything wrong with that?”
Fan Hong wore a sullen face and did not answer.
He knew that Zhuo Ning Si had not come here to welcome him, but rather to strike a blow against Spirit Pill Plaza. He was just a pawn that could be used by Zhuo Ning Si.
So, he knew that arguing here was also pointless.
As the two talked, Kang Si Ran walked out and staring at this graceful and beautiful woman, his eyes nearly spat flames.
Zhuo Ning Si noticed his gaze and gave a strange cry as she placed her jade white hand atop her well-rounded peaks, “Shopkeeper Kang’s gaze is quite fierce, like he wishes he could eat this Mistress whole. But Shopkeeper Kang, you are not young anymore, are you sure you could handle such a rich meal?”
As she spoke, she covered her mouth and smiled.
“Shopkeeper Zhuo!” Kang Si Ran was not moved by her beauty at all and instead just smiled coldly, “You certainly are praiseworthy, this old master admires your methods.”
“Oh, what does Shopkeeper Kang mean? This Mistress does not understand,” Zhuo Ning Si pulled out a folding fan and began waving it lightly.
“No one here is a fool, so why bother acting? However, if Shopkeeper Zhuo thinks that this is enough to force my Spirit Pill Plaza to shut down, you could not be more wrong,” Kang Si Ran sneered.
“Haha…” Zhuo Ning Si covered her mouth with her fan as she stared at Kang Si Ran with her beautiful eyes, “This Mistress remembers that Shopkeeper Kang had three Origin King Grade Alchemists in his employment before, but they all seem to have left for this Mistress’s Pill Pavilion now. Could it be that Shopkeeper Kang is also a Grandmaster in the Alchemic Dao and plans to support his store all on his own? Shopkeeper Kang is truly not young anymore and should take better care of his body.”
“Hmph, with Maplewood City being so big, how hard do you think it is to find an Origin King Grade Alchemist?” Kang Si Ran grinned.
Zhuo Ning Si was truly stunned this time and asked in surprise, “Has Shopkeeper Kang hired another Alchemist?”
Fan Hong leaned over at this moment and whispered a few words in Zhuo Ning Si’s ear.
Zhuo Ning Si’s brow furrowed as her gaze shifted to Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes lighting up as she smiled and said, “Sir Alchemist, dare I ask your surname?”
“Yang!”
“So it is Alchemist Yang, this Mistress has been impolite,” Zhuo Ning Si smiled and said, “Alchemist Yang is young, but his cultivation is profound and he is also an Alchemist, this Mistress is deeply impressed.”
“There have always been many people who admire me,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Zhuo Ning Si slightly froze for a moment, not having expected Yang Kai to be so brazen, but she didn’t pay it much mind as she simply smiled and continued, “Then I wonder if Alchemist Yang is interested in coming to my Pill Pavilion to perform Alchemy, this Mistress can promise Alchemist Yang…”
“Zhuo Ning Si!”
Before she could finish speaking, Kang Si Ran cut in furiously.
Two Alchemists had been poached by Zhuo Ning Si previously, and she had surreptitiously stolen Fan Hong today. Not content, she was now openly trying to woo Yang Kai in front of him. Clearly, she didn’t put him in her eyes.
Kang Si Ran was furious!
“Why is Shopkeeper Kang so angry?” Zhuo Ning Si did not show the slightest fear; after all, both of them were Third-Order Origin Kings who had completely transformed their Saint Qi into Source Qi. It was only due to lack of opportunity that they could not break through to the Dao Source Realm. Pursing her lips, Zhou Ning Si continued, “I just said a few words to Alchemist Yang, it shouldn’t matter to you.”
Kang Si Ran’s face filled with murderous intent, but he knew he could not make a move here, so he was forced to choke down his burning anger while feeling his lungs burn.
Seeing his reaction, Zhuo Ning Si turned her beautiful eyes back to Yang Kai and continued, “Alchemist Yang, what do you think of this Mistress’ proposal? Regarding compensation, you need not worry, this Mistress will offer you twice as much as what Shopkeeper Kang has offered?”
Hearing this, Kang Si Ran’s face grew more and more ashen.
Before, the three Alchemists from Spirit Pill Plaza were tempted away by this woman’s wiles. He did not know much about Yang Kai or have any kind of friendship with him, so he could not be certain how he would react to such an offer.
Looking at Yang Kai with extreme anxiety, Kang Si Ran’s heart suddenly sank!
Yang Kai actually wore an eager expression on his face and said with a big smile, “Is such a good deed possible?”
Zhuo Ning Si smiled more happily and nodded, “Naturally. If Alchemist Yang does not believe this Mistress, he can simply ask Alchemist Fan. In addition to rich remuneration, this Mistress can also arrange four beautiful maidservants to serve Alchemist Yang and tend to his daily needs.”
Zhou Ning Si was a worldly woman who knew men spent all their lives chasing after power and wealth, so she was well aware of what methods to use to tempt them, as was obvious by her successfully poaching three Alchemists from Kang Si Ran in just over a month.
She believed that as long as Yang Kai was not a fool, he would make a wise choice.
“Shopkeeper Zhuo’s proposal is truly of great interest,” Yang Kai’s gaze shifted to the beautiful maidservants who were accompanying Zhuo Ning Si.
Seeing the look on Yang Kai’s face, Fan Hong could not help sneering as a light of contempt flashed across his eyes, thinking to himself that Yang Kai was a man without any integrity or character, but when he recalled his own situation, he suddenly felt awkward because he did not have the qualifications to look down on Yang Kai.
“Alchemist Yang… you…” Kang Si Ran looked at Yang Kai with a frustrated look of despair. A thousand words came to his lips, but in the end, he could not vocalize them and just hung his head helplessly.
Although he had signed a Soul Contract with Yang Kai just now, that contract only stated Yang Kai could not disclose the pill recipes Kang Si Ran provided him.
Yang Kai had yet to formally receive the pill recipes from him, so the Soul Contract was of no use!
Kang Si Ran felt deeply annoyed. If he had known this would happen, he would have added various conditions and terms to the contract, but it was late to regret now!
Zhuo Ning Si chuckled, her beautiful eyes flashing brilliantly as she seemed able to see the collapse of Spirit Pill Plaza. Once she succeeded here, she would receive much more attention from the upper management of the chamber of commerce.
As long as she could deliver a devastating blow to Spirit Pill Plaza, or better yet, force it to shut down, there was a chance she would be favoured by the higher-ups and allowed to transfer out of this small Maplewood City to a larger city where she would receive more status and benefits.
Just when she was about to seal the deal though, Yang Kai put on an awkward look as she said, “It’s a pity…”
“What a pity?” Zhuo Ning Si frowned.
“Actually, this Yang signed a Soul Contract with Shopkeeper Kang just now… So even if he had the intention, this Yang can’t accept Shopkeeper Zhuo’s proposal,” Yang Kai sighed with regret, his expression full of chagrin.
Kang Si Ran was taken aback and immediately shot Yang Kai a look of joy.
He did not believe that Yang Kai didn’t understand what restrictions the Soul Contract actually imposed. Yang Kai saying this now meant he truly had no intention of siding with Pill Pavilion, a pleasant surprise to Kang Si Ran.
At that moment, he directed a look full of gratitude towards Yang Kai.
After all, if Yang Kai really left, what else could he do besides cursing him for his impropriety? At that time, Spirit Pill Plaza would have no more Alchemists and would soon need to close.
Yang Kai’s attitude had become a life-saving straw for a drowning Kang Si Ran, causing his evaluation and impression of Yang Kai to undergo a complete change. Yang Kai’s figure even seemed a bit taller and grander now.
“A Soul Contract!” Zhuo Ning Si was shocked, “Shopkeeper Kang certainly spared no expense, even using a precious Soul Contract.”
Kang Si Ran coldly snorted, “I had no alternative.”
“Shopkeeper Zhuo, what do you think of this?” Yang Kai looked at Zhuo Ning Si with a smile, “I can perform Alchemy for Shopkeeper Kang while also for your noble establishment. I only need half of the benefits you promised before, how about it?”
“In your dreams!” Zhuo Ning Si rejected with no trace of politeness, glaring hatefully at Yang Kai.
After learning that Yang Kai and Kang Si Ran had signed a Soul Contract, she knew that it would be impossible to poach him, so she no longer had any reason to speak with him and shut him off completely.
Since she could not snatch him, what point was there in being polite?
Seeing this woman’s attitude turn so quickly, Yang Kai was a bit stunned.
Zhuo Ning Si had no intention of dealing with Yang Kai anymore, and she had already completed her objective in coming to Spirit Pill Plaza for now, so she sneered and spat, “Shopkeeper Kang, you only have one Alchemist left now, so I wonder how long your Spirit Pill Plaza will last! We’re leaving!”
Saying so, she waved her hand and led her beautiful maids down the street. Fan Hong naturally didn’t have any face to remain, so he hurriedly followed them.
Although the ruckus had subsided, Kang Si Ran’s brow remained deeply furrowed.
The predicament of Spirit Pill Plaza had not improved. Originally, with Yang Kai joining Fan Hong, there would be two Alchemists working for the shop. Kang Si Ran had felt a little relieved and was confident he could hold on for two more months until help arrived from the headquarters.
But what he did not expect was that just after inviting Yang Kai, Fan Hong would leave!
The situation had not changed at all.
The only thing he could hope for now was that Yang Kai’s Alchemy skills were substantially superior to Fan Hong’s but thinking about it carefully… Kang Si Ran felt that was unlikely. Yang Kai was already a Third-Order Origin King and had said to him at the outset that Alchemy was only a means of making money to him, a field he did not invest much energy into.
Such a cultivator would only regard Alchemy as an auxiliary profession. It would already be good if Yang Kai was able to refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills by chance, so how could Kang Si Ran expect Yang Kai to be a true Grandmaster?
However, Yang Kai’s previous actions had left Kang Si Ran with a good impression of him. At the very least, Yang Kai was a trustworthy person.
Back in the meeting room, Kang Si Ran cupped his fists solemnly and said, “Alchemist Yang, regarding today’s matter, this old master offers his sincere thanks. If not for Alchemist Yang’s integrity, the face of Spirit Pill Plaza and this old master would have been completely lost.”
Yang Kai waved his hand lightly and said, “Shopkeeper Kang is too serious, this Yang did not do anything worthy of such praise.”
Kang Si Ran smiled and said, “This old master is actually a little confused. Since Shopkeeper Zhuo offered so many favourable conditions, why did Alchemist Yang…”
“En, I went to Pill Pavilion three days ago to buy pill recipes from them but was driven out by their shop-hand without even the slightest sign of courtesy.”
“Is that all?” Kang Si Ran’s jaw dropped slightly.
“What reason did Shopkeeper Kang expect?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“This old master understands. En, let us continue our discussion about remuneration then. Spirit Pill Plaza can provide two methods of compensation. One is a monthly salary where Spirit Pill Plaza will pay Alchemist Yang a certain amount of Source Crystals every month. As for the exact number… This old master can offer you twice the normal rate.”
Perhaps because he was grateful for Yang Kai’s choice to stay and help him, or perhaps because of the reward that Zhuo Ning Si had offered before, Kang Si Ran was not stingy with this issue and readily offered twice the normal salary.
“The other option is a sales commission! Spirit Pill Plaza will be responsible for providing you with various materials while Alchemist Yang will be responsible for Alchemy refinement. Once the Spirit Pills are sold, Spirit Pill Plaza will split the profits with Alchemist Yang. What does Alchemist Yang…”
“The second option,” Yang Kai replied before Kang Si Ran could even finish.
Kang Si Ran was startled!
He originally thought that Yang Kai would choose the first method; after all, only Alchemists who had great confidence in their own ability would choose the second method, because the more pills they refined the more profits they would make.
As a cultivator who did not focus on Alchemy, Yang Kai should have chosen the first method as it would protect his interests to the greatest extent, but he had actually chosen the second method, surprising Kang Si Ran greatly.
[Is Alchemist Yang a true Alchemy master?] Kang Si Ran wondered to himself.
Just to be cautious, he still asked, “Alchemist Yang does not want to take some time to consider? Alchemist Fan who left before was paid according to the first method.”
“No need,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“If so, then… good,” Since it was someone else’s choice, Kang Si Ran did not have much to say.
Soon, the two finalized the profit-sharing arrangement.
Originally, the ratio between Spirit Pill Plaza and its hired Alchemists was thirty-seventy, with the Alchemist taking thirty. Spirit Pill Plaza needed to procure materials and sell the various pills while the Alchemists were only responsible for refining pills, so it was not a loss for the Alchemist to only receive thirty percent of the profits.
But Kang Si Ran took the initiative to arrange a forty-sixty split with Yang Kai, to which Yang Kai naturally had no reason to refuse.
With everything agreed upon, Kang Si Ran asked, “Does Alchemist Yang need to go back and rest for a few days before beginning?”
Yang Kai smiled and looked at him, “With Spirit Pill Plaza in its current state, is there any time to rest? En, let us begin now. Shopkeeper Kang, please provide me with the complete pill recipe booklet first. I will take two days to study it before beginning the refinement.”
“There’s no rush, appropriate preparations should be made first,” Kang Si Ran said as he took out a stack of pill recipes, he had prepared long ago from his Space Ring and handed them to Yang Kai, “Alchemist Yang, please come with me to the Alchemy Room!”
Spirit Pill Plaza has its own Alchemy Room, which was equipped with a large Spirit Array which could extract the underground Earth Fire for Alchemists to use. This room was located a hundred meters below ground and was originally used by three Alchemists, but now it was Yang Kai’s private site.
Entering inside, Yang Kai immediately felt a scorching heat on his face.
“Alchemist Yang, please take some time to familiarize yourself with the various pill recipes. There is no need to rush to begin Alchemy, just proceed when you are fully prepared.” Kang Si Ran was afraid that Yang Kai would become hasty and could not help emphasizing.
Yang Kai nodded before asking, “By the way, Shopkeeper Kang, what kind of Spirit Pill does the store need most right now?”
“Source Condensing Pills. There are countless Origin Kings in Maplewood City, so the demand for our Source Condensing Pills is great, often causing them to sell out the moment they are refined,” Kang Si Ran Replied proudly.
“En, I understand,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, having already figured so in his heart.
…..
There were countless herbs and medicines in this world, and the number of pills which could be refined from their various combinations were simply unknowable. However, if one asked various cultivators which Spirit Pill was in highest demand, if one excluded healing and restoring Spirit Pills, the answer in the Star Boundary would be Source Condensing Pills!
Using Source Condensing Pills was the standard practice amongst Origin Kings for countless years now, and all Origin Kings had a great demand for this Pill because it could promote the transformation of Saint Qi into Source Qi in the body.
Maplewood City was not very big, and there weren’t many Dao Source Realm masters, but there were many, many Origin Kings, so the demand for Source Condensing Pills could easily be imagined.
It was impossible to open a pill shop in Maplewood City and not sell Source Condensing Pills.
The Source Condensing Pill recipe of Spirit Pill Plaza was also improved by an Emperor Grade Alchemist, so compared to ordinary Source Condensing Pills, it had a roughly ten percent stronger efficacy which earned it much praise and many accolades.
Countless cultivators wanted to buy Source Condensing Pills from Spirit Pill Plaza, and every time a new batch of Source Condensing Pills was refined, people would go all out to snatch them.
This was even after Kang Si Ran placed limits on the number of purchases an individual could make.
If he did not limit the purchase quantity, customers would likely be even more aggressive!
Currently, the Source Condensing Pills of Spirit Pill Plaza were out of stock, which naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of many old customers.
Outside the Alchemy Room, Kang Si Ran paced back and forth, feeling extremely restless. His strength and mental fortitude were not low, and he had trained himself to maintain composure at all times as a shopkeeper, but at this moment, he was still as anxious as an ant on a hot wok.
If he listened carefully, he could even hear the impatient urges of the Origin Kings outside the shop, demanding Spirit Pill Plaza open.
*Deng deng deng…*
A series of footsteps rang out from above.
Kang Si Ran did not even need to look up to know it was one of the shop-hands who had raced over.
Stopping his pacing, before the shop-hand could even speak, Kang Si Ran spat angrily, “Didn’t I order you to comfort those customers!? Why have you come down here again!?”
“Shopkeeper Kang, the situation is growing out of control! Our Pill Shop should have brought out a new batch of Source Condensing Pills yesterday, so many old customers have been waiting in line for an entire day now but delaying for so long has made them very dissatisfied.”
“So what if they are dissatisfied? Do you want this old master to make pills appear out of thin air? Make them wait again!” Kang Si Ran replied impatiently.
“We have explained the situation many times, but they refuse to listen,” The shop-hand said with a nervous expression. “And, and…”
“And what?” Kang Si Ran’s face sank.
“And I don’t know who spread the rumour, but some are beginning to say our Spirit Pill Plaza will no longer be selling pills in the future, so some customers lost patience and left already,” The shop-hand replied quietly.
“Zhuo Ning Si! You cheap slut!” Kang Si Ran almost crushed his own teeth in frustration.
Although he did not see it with his own eyes, with his shrewdness, he knew that Zhuo Ning Si had instigated people to spread such rumours. Naturally, this vicious woman would not miss this opportunity to add insult to injury, hoping she could close down Spirit Pill Plaza even one day sooner.
Although enraged, Kang Si Ran was really helpless.
If a new batch of Source Condensing Pills was not brought out for sale in short order, the customers who did not know the truth would most likely believe those rumours and many of them would leave, dealing a huge blow to Spirit Pill Plaza.
But in this situation, what could Kang Si Ran do?
Turning his head, he stared eagerly towards the Alchemy Room that was closed shut and could only pray in his heart that Yang Kai would not disappoint him.
“Shopkeeper, is that Alchemist Yang really credible?” The shop hand didn’t seem to have much confidence in Yang Kai. He had met many Alchemists in his life, but none of them had as high a cultivation as Yang Kai. What’s more, Alchemists normally had extremely sloppy images and because they dealt with herbs all the year-round, there would be a rich medicinal fragrance lingering about them. From his previous contact with Yang Kai, Yang Kai did not fit the image of an Alchemist at all.
“How should I know?” Kang Si Ran replied feebly.
It had been ten days since Yang Kai entered the Alchemy Room. The first two days were spent studying the various pill recipes while on the third day Yang Kai had requested a large number of herbs for refining Source Condensing Pills. After that day, the Alchemy Room’s door had been closed and was not opened once since then.
Kang Si Ran really wanted to rush in and see how many Source Condensing Pills Yang Kai had refined and how many herbs he had wasted!
Every Alchemist would have some rate of attribution in Alchemy. This was unavoidable. No matter how skilled the Alchemist was, there was no guarantee that they could refine every furnace of Spirit Pills successfully.
Depending on the Alchemist’s own abilities, however, the herb attrition rate could be vastly different.
Among the three Alchemists Spirit Pill Plaza used to employ, the best one had an attrition rate of thirty percent, which meant out of every ten furnaces, seven would be successful while the remaining three would be wasted.
This was already quite a remarkable feat. Fan Hong for example had a material loss rate of about fifty percent.
Even so, Kang Si Ran had to treat him with great respect. Who made him an Origin King Grade Alchemist?
What kind of attrition rate would Yang Kai have? Sixty percent? Seventy?
Even if it was eighty percent, Kang Si Ran felt he could accept it! As long as some Source Condensing Pills could be refined to alleviate the current situation, everything else was immaterial.
What he worried about now was that Yang Kai had not produced a single Source Condensing Pill yet! Were it not for it being taboo to disturb an Alchemist while they were performing Alchemy, Kang Si Ran would have rushed inside the Alchemy Room long ago.
The noise from the crowd outside grew more intense by the moment, only fueling Kang Si Ran’s anxiety.
*Kacha…*
Suddenly, a soft sound rang out.
Kang Si Ran was taken aback for a moment but was immediately overjoyed as he stared at the door to the Alchemy Room open.
Before it even fully opened, Kang Si Ran rushed in.
Ignoring the blistering heat inside the Alchemy Room, Kang Si Ran rushed over to Yang Kai’s side before swiftly sweeping his eyes around, quickly discovering a pile of medicine slag in one of the corners not far away.
These were naturally the burnt remnants of failed Spirit Pills.
Fortunately, the amount was not too great, probably just ten percent of the total herbs he had delivered earlier.
As for what he had delivered exactly, Kang Si Ran had given Yang Kai a hundred sets of ingredients for Source Condensing Pill’s seven days ago.
Now the only question was how many of those sets of materials had Alchemist Yang consumed. If he knew that, Kang Si Ran could estimate the herb attrition rate.
“Alchemist Yang…” Kang Si Ran forced a smile onto his face, cupped his fists, and asked, “Have you refined the requested Spirit Pills?”
“En, they’re all here,” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and waved, producing more than thirty jade bottles from his Space Ring.
*Si…*
Seeing this scene, Kang Si Ran could not help drawing a sharp breath as he stared at the jade bottles on the ground stupidly, his whole body frozen in shock.
Yang Kai looked at him in amazement, and called out, “Shopkeeper Kang?”
Only then did Kang Si Ran recover, twist his stiff neck, and stare at Yang Kai, “Alchemist Yang, are these all Source Condensing Pills?”
“Of course, Shopkeeper Kang can check them if he wants.”
Hearing what he said, Kang Si Ran did not hesitate anymore, stretched out his hand, swept up a few of the jade bottles, and began uncapping them one by one, discovering that the contents were really all Source Condensing Pills with pure coloured exteriors and fragrant aromas.
Each bottle had ten pills, and there were more than thirty bottles here, which meant there were at least three hundred Source Condensing Pills!
This number appeared in Kang Si Ran’s mind and pounded down on his brain like a hammer, making him dizzy and unable to think.
[How could this be? How is this possible? Is this all a dream?]
In just seven days, one person had refined more than three hundred Source Condensing Pills. That was equivalent to the results all three Alchemists Spirit Pill Plaza had employed before could produce!
Was Yang Kai more competent than all three of those Alchemists put together? Kang Si Ran completely lost his ability to think and was unable to regain his composure for a long time. Everything in front of him subverted his understanding of common sense.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai could not help cursing in his heart.
It seemed he had still taken out too many. If he had known earlier, he would have pocketed another hundred for himself.
Refining Source Condensing Pills was actually not difficult for Yang Kai; after all, it was only an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank Spirit Pill while Yang Kai had been capable of refining Origin King Grade High-Rank pills for quite some time. It was just that he had never refined this particular Spirit Pill before as he lacked the appropriate recipe.
As such, after a few initial failures, things had progressed smoothly.
The number of pills he could produce per furnace was also gradually improving.
At first, he could only refine two or three pills from a single set of materials, but as time passed, condensing four or five per furnace became the norm. Out of the hundred sets of materials, Yang Kai had refined almost all of them into pills successfully, so he wound up with roughly four hundred finished pills.
Yang Kai secretly pocketed a hundred Spirit Pills so his performance did not look so shocking.
But now, it seems that there would have been no problem with him pocketing two hundred.
He needed Source Condensing Pills himself, and a large amount of them at that. Even if he could not use them all up, he could still sell them. There was no need to worry about finding a customer for Source Condensing Pills.
Kang Si Ran’s expression, which was a mix of joy and shock, annoyed Yang Kai greatly.
But… Fortunately, he had kept all the Source Condensing Pills which formed Pill Veins for himself, which was a small comfort.
After a long time, Kang Si Ran let out a burst of slightly awkward laughter.
Yang Kai seemed to understand Kang Si Ran’s mood a bit, so he remained silent.
After all, Kang Si Ran had not expected Yang Kai’s performance to be so outstanding. A one-time refinement had actually resulted in the same number of pills, if not more than all three of the Alchemists he had hired before. Kang Si Ran had originally only prayed that Yang Kai wouldn’t waste too many herbs, so this result was a huge surprise.
The violent ups and downs his emotions had experienced these past few days made it impossible for Kang Si Ran to restrain the joy in his heart or express it properly, so he could only let out this feeble laughter.
“How is that possible? Old Ghost Kang actually brought out more than thirty bottles of Source Condensing Pills? Are you sure?” Inside Pill Pavilion, Zhuo Ning Si’s pretty face was extremely gloomy as she stared at the First-Order Origin King in front of her and questioned.
The short and chubby cultivator nodded hurriedly, “Subordinate is certain! Those thirty bottles of Spirit Pills were indeed all Source Condensing Pills. Once they were taken out, they were snatched up by all the customers rapidly. Subordinate was only able to obtain three pills after exerting all his effort before returning as promptly as possible.”
Saying so, he respectfully took out a jade bottle containing three Spirit Pills and presented it to Zhuo Ning Si.
Because the Source Condensing Pills of Spirit Pill Plaza were so popular, Kang Si Ran had stipulated that all customers could only buy three of them at once.
Three Source Condensing Pills were enough for one Origin King Realm cultivator to use between ten days to half a month. Once a cultivator had used up their supply, they would need to return to Spirit Pill Plaza to purchase more Source Condensing Pills.
This selling method was also an important reason why Spirit Pill Plaza’s Source Condensing Pills were so popular.
Because of the tight supply of Source Condensing Pill, this kind of Spirit Pill also appeared on the black market of Maplewood City frequently, and although the price was often more than twenty percent higher there, they were still snatched up immediately.
Many Origin Kings did not care about the extra twenty percent charge as they were more concerned about converting their Saint Qi to Source Qi as soon as possible.
“They’re really Source Condensing Pills?” Zhuo Ning Si poured out the three Spirit Pills and furrowed her brow even further.
“Shopkeeper, were these Spirit Pills refined by that man named Yang Kai?” The chunky cultivator asked.
Zhuo Ning Si snorted coldly, “Do you think he is capable of refining so many Spirit Pills in just ten days? What kind of Alchemy Grandmaster do you think he is? Even an average Dao Source Grade Alchemist would not have such ability!”
“It is as the shopkeeper says, this subordinate was mistaken,” The short and fat cultivator thought about it and quickly agreed. Although he was not an Alchemist himself, he still knew about how Spirit Pills were refined and how many pills would come out per furnace, as well as how many pills one Alchemist could refine in such a limited time.
Even if there was technically enough time to refine more than three hundred Spirit Pills in ten days, doing so would be impossible because of the consumption of strength required.
“It seems Old Ghost Kang still had some hidden inventory,” Zhuo Ning Si muttered thoughtfully, “That old dog is really not easy to deal with.”
“What shall we do then? Subordinate has heard that Violet Source Chamber of Commerce has already dispatched two Alchemists to Maplewood City, and they will arrive within two months. If we cannot force Spirit Pill Plaza to close down within that time, we will lose this chance.”
Zhuo Ning Si heard these words and gently nodded, a cold murderous intent flashing across her pair of beautiful eyes.
When this murderous intent bloomed, the chubby cultivator couldn’t help shuddering slightly.
“Go keep watch over Spirit Pill Plaza, if there are any disturbances, report to me immediately,” Zhuo Ning Si waved her hand.
“Yes.”
After the fat cultivator left, Zhuo Ning Si picked up one of the Source Condensing Pills again with a puzzled expression. Sniffing and observing it carefully for a time, she could not help whispering, “Strange, this pill doesn’t look like it has been stored for a long time; rather, it looks freshly refined…”
She had noticed this almost immediately; after all, although Zhuo Ning Si was not an Alchemist, she dealt with Spirit Pills all year round.
The three Spirit Pills had a radiant lustre to them and bright, pure colours, indicating their quality was quite high. What concerned Zhuo Ning Si the most, though, was that these Spirit Pills seemed to have been refined recently.
[Could these really be from that Alchemist named Yang Kai?]
As soon as she had this thought though, Zhuo Ning Si rejected it.
No matter what, she did not dare to believe that one person could refine so many Spirit Pills in such a short period of time. She would rather believe that these were hidden away by Old Ghost Kang some time ago in preparation for an emergency and just now taken out.
After pondering for a moment, she stretched out her slender jade fingers and tossed one of the Spirit Pills into her mouth, swallowing it down before beginning to refine the medicinal efficacies.
She had reached the pinnacle of the Origin King Realm, and all of her Saint Qi had been transformed into Source Qi already, so she didn’t need the assistance of Source Condensing Pills anymore. She only did this to test the medicinal efficacies of these Spirit Pill.
Initially, Zhuo Ning Si’s expression was completely normal, but as time passed and the medicinal efficacies surged through her body, her face changed slightly. Opening her beautiful eyes, she called out in alarm, “This is…”
She discovered that the medicinal power contained in this Source Condensing Pill was actually stronger than the Source Condensing Pills previously sold by Spirit Pill Plaza.
Although this increase was quite subtle, hardly noticeable, it was nonetheless there.
“Did Old Ghost Kang ask some Grandmaster to improve the pill recipe?” Zhuo Ning Si suddenly thought of a possibility.
The Source Condensing Pill recipe that Spirit Pill Plaza used was something Zhuo Ning Si was extremely envious of and also the main reason she had not hesitated to poach the three Alchemists from her opponent.
Those three Alchemists, for various reasons, refused to leak the pill recipes they used back in Spirit Pill Plaza, but there was no problem with them using it themselves. As long as Zhou Ning Si was able to poach them for her Pill Pavilion, the Source Condensing Pills she sold would be the same as the ones sold by Spirit Pill Plaza at worst. At that point, the only advantage Spirit Pill Plaza had would evaporate and suppressing them would be even easier.
As such, today’s discovery angered Zhuo Ning Si greatly.
Old Ghost Kang was simply too cunning. He must have known about her plan long ago and decided to change the pill recipe again, increasing the efficacy of Spirit Pill Plaza’s Source Condensing Pills once more.
This way, Spirit Pill Plaza would still occupy an advantage in terms of medicinal efficacies.
Zhuo Ning Si’s breathing became hurried as she fumed internally. With things as they are, what point was there in her spending so much effort to poach those three Alchemists?
“Old Ghost Kang, just you wait! In a few days, the Star Envoy of the Star Soul Palace will arrive in Maplewood City. Let us see how you fight against this Mistress then!” Zhuo Ning Si muttered to herself.
At the same time, inside Spirit Pill Plaza’s underground Alchemy Room.
Yang Kai was sitting cross-legged as he reviewed the Alchemy he had performed over the past few days, analysing his results and mistakes.
After refining so many furnaces of Source Condensing Pills, he had naturally obtained some benefits other than the hundred Source Condensing Pills he had pocketed. His perceptions and insights into the Alchemic Dao had also increased somewhat.
A few years ago, he had triggered the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone on Water Moon Star, and since then he had a unique advantage over others when it came to the Alchemic Dao. That time, the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone had given him a significant boost in terms of his fundamental Alchemy talent.
If he was being blunt, his current Alchemy aptitude was not inferior to the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body of Xia Ning Chang, even superior in some respects.
It was for this reason that he was able to so easily use the new pill recipes he just received and even refine better Spirit Pills than normal.
Zhuo Ning Si had guessed wrong. The Source Condensing Pill recipe of Spirit Pill Plaza had not changed; what was different was that when Yang Kai refined pills, the medicinal liquid he condensed was far purer, so the end products had slightly better efficacy.
And this was only the beginning. Yang Kai believed that as he refined more Spirit Pills, the quality of pill he could produce would only continue to increase.
Kang Si Ran had delivered Yang Kai another hundred sets of Source Condensing Pill materials but had also insisted that Yang Kai take a few more days to rest before refining any more.
He was far more concerned about Yang Kai’s physical condition than Yang Kai was himself!
Now, inside Spirit Pill Plaza, Yang Kai was the only available Alchemist, but he was as good as the three previous Alchemists combined, so how could Kang Si Ran possibly show any neglect? After taking the three hundred or so Source Condensing Pills that day, Kang Si Ran’s attitude towards Yang Kai became even friendlier and more respectful, to the point where he was willing to accept any request Yang Kai made.
Having said that, Yang Kai did not really seem to have any special requests.
Right now, Yang Kai was digesting the Alchemy insights he gained over the past few days while using Source Condensing Pills to transform his own body’s power.
A few days passed in a hurry before Yang Kai once again began refining pills.
A hundred sets of materials were divided up and prepared as Yang Kai sat solemnly in front of his Purple Origin Furnace. Conflagrated Spiritual Energy burst from his Knowledge Sea to heat the furnace as he placed the various herbs into it, using his powerful Divine Sense to burn away the impurities while condensing medicinal liquid. Simultaneously, he portrayed one auxiliary Spirit Array after another to enhance the refinement process.
Yang Kai’s movements were light, fluid, and extremely skilful, without the slightest stiffness, while his mastery of heat would make even an Emperor Grade Alchemist nod in approval.
The improvement of his innate talent had made Alchemy even easier for Yang Kai.
Refining pills was now akin to eating and drinking, a near instinctual task to him. He clearly knew when to portray what kind of Spirit Array, which kind of Spirit Array would work best, and what level of heat various herbs should be subjected to in order to best refine them.
When Alchemy became natural, failure became something that required conscious effort.
Supplemented by his powerful Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, a natural advantage all Alchemists dreamed of, Yang Kai had already walked far ahead of many masters on the Alchemic Dao.
All of this was despite him not putting much time and effort into this profession.
The Dao was a long and dark road, one that was all but impossible to see far ahead on, and only a few lucky individuals could traverse smoothly.
Yang Kai was one of these lucky few.
As pill fragrance began to diffuse, Yang Kai’s expression became more focused, not taking any refinement lightly because of his own skill, instead taking things even more seriously.
Inside the Purple Origin Furnace, various medicinal liquids blended together and underwent a magical transformation under the manipulations of various Spirit Arrays and Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Spiritual Energy.
When the pill fragrance reached a certain concentration, Yang Kai’s hands suddenly moved.
Forming a series of mysterious seals with both his hands, he sent a subtle but profound stream of light into the Purple Origin Furnace, one that swiftly formed a strange pattern before disappearing.
An ancient and desolate aura suddenly permeated the air, one that did not seem to belong to the current era and was clearly evoked by Yang Kai’s movements
However, despite this, the method Yang Kai was using seemed to perfectly coincide with the Alchemic Dao and contained an infinite mystery.
While using this technique, Yang Kai’s Qi and Spiritual Energy flooded out in a great torrent and were consumed rapidly.
Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method!
This was an extremely profound Pill Condensing Technique, an Art which had no use in cultivation but was extremely important for Alchemists when they were condensing pills.
There were countless ways and methods to condense pills in this world, and each one had its own advantages. Grandmaster Zuo De, who had competed with Yang Kai in Water Sky City once, used his own Red Lotus Divine Hands Method to condense pills, a method which many Alchemists from Yang Kai’s native Star Field drooled over.
In the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, there was also an extremely advanced Pill Condensing method that Yang Kai had once studied.
However, this Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method was not from the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, but rather came directly from the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.
As the last moment of the contest between Yang Kai and Zuo De that day, he had received this Pill Condensing Technique from the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.
That Pill Condensing Technique was the prototype of the Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method and was the culmination of all Yang Kai’s knowledge and comprehension of the Alchemic Dao.
With the aid of the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, an omnipotent and omnipresent manifestation of the Heavenly Way, Yang Kai had managed to comprehend this Pill Condensing Technique.
As such, the Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method could essentially be regarded as a crystallization of the Alchemic Dao and Heavenly Way.
The Heavens worked in mysterious ways and only those who were predestined could realize something from it directly, but the benefits of doing so were unimaginable.
Yang Kai’s Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method was a product of the Heavenly Way itself, one he was only able to spy upon by coincidence.
Even if he wanted to teach this technique to others, it would be impossible as it was imparted specifically to him, and created for him, by the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone.
At that time, Yang Kai felt that this Pill Condensing Technique was extremely abstruse and mysterious, not something he could achieve mastery of in a short time.
Now looking at it, its difficulty makes sense. After all, the Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method, which Yang Kai had obtained in his native Star Field, was still considered an extremely high-end technique in the Star Boundary.
Every furnace of pills he refined, Yang Kai used the Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method to condense.
At this moment, it was once more time to condense the Spirit Pills.
As Yang Kai began using the Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method, the pill fragrance inside the Alchemy Room became more and more intense and once a certain critical limit had been reached, a popping sound rang out from the Purple Origin Furnace.
Realizing that the time had come, Yang Kai reached out and patted the Purple Origin Furnace, causing the lid to fly off and six small Spirit Pills to shoot out.
Yang Kai took out a pre-prepared jade bottle immediately and stuffed these pills inside it.
“Only six!” Yang Kai frowned slightly, seemingly a little dissatisfied.
Theoretically speaking, one set of Source Condensing Pill materials could be condensed into nine pills, which was also the absolute limit of a single batch of Spirit Pills. Although Yang Kai had excellent Alchemy aptitude and a unique Pill Condensing Technique like the Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method, he was still just an Origin King Grade High-Rank Alchemist in the end, so condensing six pills at once was his limit.
Nine was perfection, so he was three pills short!
However, this was already quite remarkable. Few Alchemists could condense the maximum number of Spirit Pills per furnace, and all who could were Grandmasters whose names echoed across the entire Star Boundary!
Even for those Grandmasters though, there were times when things went wrong, so it was impossible for them to always achieve success.
Six was a number impossible to reach for most ordinary Dao Source Grade Alchemists, so Yang Kai being able to accomplish this was mostly thanks to his Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method.
This was also why Alchemists would fight and even kill to obtain excellent Pill Condensing Techniques, because a superb Pill Condensing Technique meant that they could refine more pills per furnace, in essence saving materials, time, and energy.
When Yang Kai first began refining Source Condensing Pills, he was only able to condense two pills per furnace, but after just a dozen days or so, he could consistently condense six per batch, a terrifying accomplishment no one would believe possible.
Although it seemed that he was not far from the limit of nine, sometimes taking even a single step forward was all but impossible. In order to reach the upper limit, Yang Kai would require an enormous amount of practice and experience.
Yang Kai spent seven days consuming all one hundred sets of materials.
As usual, he deliberately failed to refine more than a dozen furnaces to avoid Kang Si Ran having doubts.
In fact, according to his current skill, even if Yang Kai closed his eyes and only half paid attention, he could still successfully refine a furnace of Source Condensing Pills.
When Kang Si Ran received the summons to pick up the finished pills, his whole being exuded an aura of excitement and happiness.
Even though he had already had such an experience once, Kang Si Ran still couldn’t believe that Yang Kai was able to refine a hundred furnaces of Spirit Pills in such a short time.
In terms of quantity, there was almost no difference from the previous time: three hundred pieces.
The difference this time was that Yang Kai had pocketed more than two hundred Source Condensing Pills!
“Alchemist Yang, it is this old master’s honour to work with you!” Kang Si Ran looked at Yang Kai with a smile on his face, “If it had not been for Alchemist Yang’s presence, my Spirit Pill Plaza would really have been forced to close. Thanks are not enough to express this old master’s gratitude. If Alchemist Yang has any need of this old master’s assistance in the future, he needs to simply ask and this old master will do his utmost to help.”
“This is just a simple business transaction; Shopkeeper Kang is far too serious.” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Yang Kai’s humility and kindness made Kang Si Ran smile even more heartily. He had never before met such a young, capable, yet humble Alchemist.
Which of the three previous Alchemists in Spirit Pill Plaza’s employ had not been a difficult character to work with?
Every time Kang Si Ran would come to collect pills from them, the three Alchemists would have gloomy expressions on their faces, like he owed them millions of Source Crystals. Even if his cultivation was higher than theirs, Kang Si Ran always had to wear a flattering smile and act cautiously around them.
Kang Si Ran also had to provide them with special rewards!
For example, every time Fan Hong finished a round of Alchemy, Kang Si Ran would have to arrange a beautiful virgin for him to ‘relax’ with, and the cultivation of this virgin could not be lower than the Origin Returning Realm!
There were indeed many cultivators at the Origin Returning Realm in Maplewood City, but the price Spirit Pill Plaza had to pay in order to so frequently find women who met Fan Hong’s requirements was not low! The demands of the other two Alchemists were even more outrageous. One of them needed to drink a bottle of Ten Thousand Safflower Wine, which was only available in the City Lord’s Mansion, while the other required a Demon Flame Fruit which grew only in the depths of the Demon Flame Marsh!
That Ten Thousand Safflower Wine cost a thousand Source Crystals for a single cup! What’s more, it was an exclusive product of the City Lord’s Mansion and wasn’t generally sold to the public. If not for Kang Si Ran having some specific connections, he would not have been able to acquire this drink.
The Demon Flame Fruit was even rarer. Only a few fruit trees that produced the Demon Flame Fruit grew near the centre of the Demon Flame Marsh. Only occasionally would some adventurers be able to return with a few of these Demon Flame Fruits. Naturally, something so rare was expensive. Five thousand Source Crystals to obtain a single fruit was considered a bargain, while seven or eight thousand was entirely possible! What was worse was that this fruit did not serve any purpose in cultivation and could only be eaten to appreciate its taste.
Whenever he thought back on those times, Kang Si Ran’s heart felt like bleeding.
What’s more, this Alchemist Yang was not only friendly, he also had no strange extra conditions, just a few pill recipes were enough to satisfy him.
Compared to Yang Kai, with his noble and righteous character, those other three Alchemists were simply trash!
Now, those three Alchemists were that cheap slut Zhuo Ning Si’s, problem to deal with. Thinking this way, Kang Si Ran’s mood was bolstered greatly.
“Alchemist Yang, would you like to rest for a few more days? With the Source Condensing Pills you have provided this time, Spirit Pill Plaza won’t need to worry about supply for at least half a month,” Kang Si Ran saw Yang Kai working so hard and felt quite moved, so he took the initiative to make such a proposal.
“Oh? If there are enough Source Condensing Pills, are there perhaps other Spirit Pills that need to be refined?” Yang Kai asked.
Kang Si Ran chuckled, “The demand for other Spirit Pills isn’t very large, so this old master has some in stock still. Please take a rest, Alchemist Yang, there’s no need for you to overwork yourself.”
“All right, I’ll take a rest for a few days,” Yang Kai thought for a while before nodding.
“That would be best. By the way, Alchemist Yang only came to Maplewood City recently, yes? Would you like to accompany this old master tomorrow?”
“Where to?” Yang Kai looked at Kang Si Ran curiously.
Kang Si Ran smiled slightly and said, “Actually, a Star Envoy has come from Star Soul Palace and is now staying in the City Lord’s Mansion. This old master was fortunate enough to be invited to accompany Sir Star Envoy tomorrow on his mission and has been allowed to bring one person with him.”
“A Star Envoy from Star Soul Palace?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Seeing his expression, Kang Si Ran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Yang Kai wasn’t so ignorant and uninformed that he didn’t even know about Star Soul Palace. After all, this was the overlord of the entire Southern Territory, the Sect where Bright Moon Great Emperor assumed command.
Bright Moon Great Emperor was one of the Ten Great Emperors.
As the representative of Star Soul Palace, any Star Envoy was obviously highly respected.
“Why would a Star Envoy from Star Soul Palace come to Maplewood City?” Yang Kai frowned; after all, Maplewood City was not prosperous enough to attract the attention of such a character.
But soon, Yang Kai seemed to understand, “Is it because of Clear Jade Mountain?”
“Indeed,” Kang Si Ran nodded and said, “A Luan Feng appeared at Clear Jade Mountain, so during this time, many foreign masters have come to visit Maplewood City in order to investigate Clear Jade Mountain. Alchemist Yang, you have been busy with Alchemy here day and night, so it’s understandable you don’t know what’s happening outside. Sir Star Envoy coming here is naturally because of that Luan Feng, otherwise, how could a tiny Maplewood City attract so many masters?”
“Who else has come?” Yang Kai suddenly became curious.
Yang Kai was not one for gossip, but the movements of the various great forces of the Southern Territory was of interest to him.
Hearing this question, Kang Si Ran explained everything he knew.
“The news of the Luan Feng’s appearance spread very quickly, so most of the top Sects from the Southern Territory have sent representatives. This old master knows that Heavenly Martial Holy Land, Orthodoxy Temple, and Azure Sun Temple have sent Elders. In addition, it seems that our Violet Source Chamber of Commerce and Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce have dispatched masters. However, this old master is only responsible for running a small business, so he was not notified of who the chamber of commerce was sending,” Kang Si Ran said without hesitation. “There are also countless small and medium-sized great forces who have sent their own envoys. The current Maplewood City… is a gathering of dragons and tigers.”
“Do they want to track that Luan Feng’s whereabouts?” Yang Kai looked stunned.
“Naturally not!” Kang Si Ran laughed in surprise, “That Luan Feng is an Ancient Divine Spirit, an existence even the Ten Great Emperors might not be able to take down on their own, so who would dare try to trace its whereabouts? It is just… After all, it was a Divine Spirit that appeared, so it has attracted much attention. Moreover, all the great forces knew that trying to trace her would yield no results, but they could not just ignore her either. Most Sects have not deployed their top-level powerhouses but instead sent out some personnel to make an appearance while also sending some of their promising youths in order for them to gain some life experience.”
“So that’s how it is!”
“Although our Spirit Pill Plaza is nothing worthy of note, it is still the property of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce and a business that Sir City Lord has taken good care of, so this time, in order to welcome and accompany Sir Star Envoy, this old master was added to the invitee list. Is Alchemist Yang interested in travelling together to see the place where the Divine Spirit appeared in Clear Jade Mountain? This old master has heard that the black flames there are still burning and that not even Dao Source Realm cultivators can enter too deep. However, even from the outskirts, it would be a chance to expand one’s horizons, and if one is able to comprehend anything from those World Extinguishing Black Flames, it would be a great profit.”
[I’ve already deeply experienced those black flames,] Yang Kai thought to himself.
When that Luan Feng first appeared, Yang Kai was in Clear Jade Mountain.
It could be said that among the cultivators who were able to observe the Luan Feng up close and personal, only Yang Kai had survived, all the others had perished.
As such, Yang Kai was naturally not interested in Kang Si Ran’s proposal.
And so, he declined Kang Si Ran’s invitation. Although Shopkeeper Kang felt it was a pity, he did not say much; after all, not everyone was interested in showing their face to Sir Star Envoy in hopes of somehow currying favour with him. Everyone had their own ambitions and preferences, so Kang Si Ran didn’t force the issue.
Kang Si Ran even somewhat admired Yang Kai’s free and easy disposition, so he simply encouraged him to take a few days to rest before taking his leave.
Yang Kai cleaned himself up and then left Spirit Pill Plaza to return to the secluded home he had rented in Maplewood City.
The next day, a magnificent, extremely large, and luxurious flying ship set out from the City Lord’s Mansion and headed towards Clear Jade Mountain. Emblazoned on the side of this ship was a shining moon symbol.
This was naturally the insignia of the Southern Territory’s Supreme Sect, Star Soul Palace.
All of Maplewood City was simply abuzz at the mere sight.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, ignored all this and went to rent a White Jade Dragon Horse carriage before ordering the coachman to head to a certain street in the west of the city.
Even if Maplewood City was a small, unknown city in the Southern Territory, it still occupied an extremely vast area, and since flying and flight type artifacts were not allowed inside the city, if cultivators wanted to save time on the road, they could only rent one of the White Jade Dragon Horse carriages. These White Jade Dragon Horses were rumoured to have the blood of ancient dragons flowing through their veins, but this bloodline was extremely thin. These Monster Beasts had a gentle temperament and were easy to domesticate while possessing great speed, so they were well suited for pulling carriages.
After just half an hour, Yang Kai arrived at his destination.
Yang Kai paid for the ride before getting off the carriage and moving to a remote alleyway where he took out a set of clothes he had prepared in advance from his Space Ring and donned them. With his face and figure covered by these black robes, Yang Kai walked straight out into the bustling street ahead.
This was the location of the black market in Maplewood City!
Although he had not been in Maplewood City for long, Yang Kai had already inquired about the existence of this black market.
The black market here was a place that could not openly exist, but its existence in this street was essentially condoned by Maplewood City’s City Lord’s Mansion. Here, spoils people obtained after killing others and robbing them, as well as certain other items which could not be sold aboveboard could be found.
There were also many items of unknown origin sold in this place.
The cultivators who streamed in and out of the black market all abided by certain unspoken rules, the most important of which were that no one asked the origin of any item, no one asked for any names, and after transactions were settled, there were no refunds.
In this kind of place, it was easy to find treasures, so it is very popular among Maplewood City’s cultivators and was always crowded.
However, because of the customs here, it was also easy for substandard and counterfeit goods to be mixed in with genuine ones. This was a kind of test of a buyer’s vision and knowledge. If someone was deceived because of their greed or ignorance, they had no one to blame but themselves.
Yang Kai was originally worried that his black robes and covered hat would draw too much attention; after all, hiding one’s appearance was a clear indication that one was up to no good.
But when he entered the street where the black market was located, he found that his worries were unnecessary.
There were many cultivators dressed similarly to him, so Yang Kai was quickly able to relax.
As soon as he entered the street, an old man with shifty eyes quietly came up to him, glancing around, acting all mysterious as he tugged on Yang Kai’s clothes and motioned him over.
“Speak quickly,” Yang Kai said coldly.
“Little Brother, this old master wants to tell you about something good, not something that can be discussed out here in the open; after all, the walls have ears in this place.” As the old man spoke, he glanced around vigilantly, as if someone really was watching.
“Then don’t talk about it,” Yang Kai naturally knew these kinds of people would linger in a place like this, so he didn’t want to waste any time on this old man.
Saying so, he stepped forward and walked off.
“Ah, Little Brother, don’t go!” The old man hurriedly caught up and blocked Yang Kai’s path, gritting his teeth as he said, “Alright, Little Brother seems to be a busy man, so this old master won’t waste your time; here, take a look at this!”
Saying so, he took out a crumpled piece of animal skin from his chest pocket. This animal skin looked very old and was clearly made from some kind of Monster Beast leather. Some subtle energy fluctuations were coming from this animal skin and a series of complex lines crisscrossed its surface, making it look extremely profound.
The old man showed the animal skin paper to Yang Kai quickly before hiding it away in the next instant, speaking with some slight grief in his tone, “This old master will speak frankly, this is a hidden treasure map that has been passed down through this old master’s family for generations. This old master’s ancestors once served Heaven Devouring Great Emperor and this treasure map leads to Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s hidden treasury! This old master’s strength is weak, however, so he is unable to make use of this map. Today, this old master was fortunate enough to see Little Brother and instantly knew he was a man of great destiny, one who would be worthy of obtaining this treasure map! What does little brother think? Will he purchase this map?”
“Heaven Devouring Great Emperor?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“En!”
“The Great Emperor who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
“Who else but him?” The old man looked at Yang Kai with joy, “It turns out that Little Brother even knows about the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. That is a peak-level Secret Art that is not tolerated by Heaven and Earth. Speaking truthfully, this Secret Art is very likely inside the hidden treasury. If Little Brother can obtain this Secret Art, his rise to the Ten Great Emperors will be just around the corner!”
“Hehe, I already know the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, so I am not interested in your hidden treasury. You should find someone else.”
“This old master will sell this big opportunity to Little Brother for just five thousand Source Crystals! Is little brother really willing to pass up such a fortuitous encounter?” The old man shouted from behind towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t even bother with him anymore.
The old man suddenly put on an angry face and spat, “Smelly brat, if you don’t want to buy it then just say so instead of boasting so shamelessly! Saying he already knows the Heaven Devouring Battle Law; does he take this old master as a fool?”
After shouting out loud, the old man muttered to himself, “Is this trick too easy for others to see through…? Should I use a different approach?”
As this old man was worrying he wouldn’t be able to deceive anyone for a few months and would really wind up penniless, he suddenly saw another cultivator walk up the street, a young girl who looked less than twenty years old. This girl was a great beauty with an outstanding figure, but a large crescent-shaped birthmark that covered her right cheek ruined her overall beauty, causing many who saw her to sigh.
The girl was skipping around the street, like a playful spirit, an innocent look covering her face.
Upon seeing this, the old man immediately greeted her with the kindest smile he could muster on his face.
“You… what do you want?” The girl was startled and immediately stepped back from the old man warily.
“Don’t be afraid, Little Girl! This old master has no malicious intent!” The old man smiled more and more kindly.
“Then what do you want to do?” The girl looked the old man up and down, with a trace of instinctive vigilance still apparent in her clear, beautiful eyes.
The old man chuckled while pretending to be mysterious, “This old master seems to share some destiny with this little girl, so he would like to deliver you a big opportunity!”
When the girl heard this, her beautiful eyes brightened and she asked happily, “A big opportunity? What kind of big opportunity? Hurry up and talk about it!”
She was excited from the bottom of her heart as she secretly thought that the legendary stories that Aunty Feng told her when she was a child were true. Opportunities and fortuitous encounters were something real! In those childhood stories, ordinary cultivators would sometimes receive guidance or benefits from mysterious elders, allowing them to soar up into the sky and become supreme existences, worshipped and adored by countless others.
When she was young, she had loved listening to these stories but after coming out for the past half-year, she had not encountered any such situation, causing her to think that her Aunty Feng was simply making them up.
Now, though, there was a mysterious old man who wanted to give himself a big opportunity standing right in front of her! The young girl was so excited that suddenly, in her eyes, the old man who was clearly an old trickster now looked like a powerful hidden master who was stealthily searching for an appropriate inheritor to his legacy in this crowded place!
Now, this old master had seen that she was a peerless genius, one in hundreds of millions, so he had chosen her.
As for his casual… or rather his sloppy appearance, shouldn’t a powerful master who was trying to hide themselves look like this?
“Heh heh heh…” The old man flashed his big yellow teeth as he reached into his chest pocket to take out a crumpled animal skin…
…..
“Grandma, is there a shop that deals in Spirit Pills around here?” Yang Kai stood in front of a stall, looking at the silver-haired, trembling old woman, and asked.
“One for five hundred Source Crystals, they were refined by this old woman personally,” The old woman looked at Yang Kai with a smile on her face and pointed to the pile of odd objects Yang Kai could not even identify in front of her.
Yang Kai frowned and asked again, “I asked if there are any pill shops around here!”
“Oh, if you buy two, this old woman can give you a small discount, just nine hundred Source Crystals,” The old woman raised her hand and swung it lightly, as if she was offering him a great bargain.
“Don’t pretend to be deaf and dumb with me. Do you think I won’t smash your stall?” Yang Kai spat viciously at the old woman in front of him before releasing his Third-Order Origin King aura.
The old woman’s complexion changed and her senility from just now disappeared, her eyes becoming cold and stern as she spat, “Little Brat, don’t you know how to respect your elders? So impolite.”
“A First-Order Origin King pretending to be deaf, do you think I’m a fool?” Yang Kai looked at her contemptuously.
“Go there, don’t block this old woman’s business. These years, business has been getting harder and harder,” The old woman pointed her finger in a certain direction before blinking and restoring her feeble, frail look.
Following the instructions of the old woman, Yang Kai quickly arrived at the door of a shop.
The shop hand here was a normal person, unlike the old women and the old man he had met before, so after seeing Yang Kai, he greeted him enthusiastically before arranging a room for him as well as serving some tea then drawing back.
Yang Kai was not in a hurry, so he waited quietly while tasting the fragrant tea.
The reason why Yang Kai had come to the black market was that he had no other choice.
Right now, he had more than three hundred Source Condensing Pills on him.
These Source Condensing Pills were secretly pocketed by him and there was no way he could use them all up personally. Keeping them around would be a waste, so selling them off was the best option, but… he had no good channel to go about this; after all, the origins of these Source Condensing Pills was not ‘legitimate’.
Yang Kai could not openly sell these pills as that would only draw problems from Spirit Pill Plaza.
As such, he could only come to this black market.
This was the best and most suitable place to pawn off these illicit goods.
Yang Kai basically did not have any Source Crystals on hand, so after selling this batch of Spirit Pills, he would have some emergency funds.
A short while later, a fat man opened the door and walked in. This fat man literally jiggled as he walked and the floor beneath him creaked. There was so much excess flesh on his face that his eyes were nothing more than narrow slits.
As soon as he entered, the fat man cupped his fists enthusiastically and said, “Jin Fu Gui, greets this Young Lord.”
He knowingly did not ask Yang Kai’s name, because people who came here didn’t like others inquiring about themselves.
Yang Kai stood up and returned the courtesy, “Shopkeeper Jin is too polite.”
Sweeping his eyes over this fat man, Yang Kai quickly discovered that he was also a Third-Order Origin King, and the aura fluctuations coming from him were extremely powerful. It seemed this Jin Fu Gui had fully converted his Saint Qi into Source Qi. Masters like this, while not a frequent sight in Maplewood City, still existed in a substantial number. Kang Si Ran and Zhuo Ning Si, for example, could be considered masters in Maplewood City.
Jin Fu Gui quickly sat down, the chair beneath him groaning under the sudden stress.
Smiling widely, he looked at Yang Kai and said, “I’ve heard from my shop-hand that Young Lord wishes to sell a batch of Spirit Pills, yes?”
“Indeed!”
Jin Fu Gui heard this response and his slit eyes flashed, “Dare I ask what kind of Spirit Pills Young Lord wishes to sell? This Jin is a well-known figure in Maplewood City, so Young Lord can rest assured that this Jin will offer a fair price and will never reveal any information about their origin.”
“Shopkeeper Jin saying so puts me at ease,” Yang Kai nodded, reached out, and took out a bottle from his Space Ring before pushing it over to Jin Fu Gui and saying, “Shopkeeper Jin should see for himself what type of Spirit Pill I have come to sell.
Jin Fu Gui nodded to Yang Kai before picking up the jade bottle and un-capping it.
The next moment, Jin Fu Gui could not help raising his brow and muttering in some pleasant surprise, “Source Condensing Pills?”
Source Condensing Pills were always in short supply, especially on the black market. Even if there were not 10,000 customers looking for Source Condensing Pills each day, there were at least 8,000. This kind of Spirit Pill was always snatched up as soon as it appeared, whether it was above or below-board.
Therefore, Jin Fu Gui was extremely satisfied with the goods Yang Kai had brought.
“How many would Young Lord like to sell?”
Yang Kai silently gestured a number.
Jin Fu Gui couldn’t help showing a stunned look this time as he asked unconsciously, “Three hundred? Young Lord was able to obtain three hundred Source Condensing Pills?”
One Source Condensing Pill could be used for ten days by a First-Order Origin King while a Second-Order Origin King would use it up in about six or seven days. As for Third-Orders, three to four days was the norm.
As such, while three hundred Source Condensing Pills may not seem like a large number, it was definitely not small either. Any Origin King who was able to obtain so many Source Condensing Pills would not have to worry about converting their Saint Qi to Source Qi for several years at least.
What Jin Fu Gui was wondering was where Yang Kai had obtained such a large number of Source Condensing Pills!
However, such information was obviously confidential, so he didn’t press for an answer.
After pondering for a moment, Jin Fu Gui said, “Three hundred is no small number, but regarding their quality…”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Shopkeeper Jin can try one himself.”
Jin Fu Gui did not refuse and nodded. “Then please forgive this Jin for his rudeness.”
Saying so, he poured out a Source Condensing Pill from the jade bottle, stuffed it into his mouth, and silently circulated his Secret Art to refine it. After a while, his fat face shook slightly as a light of surprise flashed across his eyes.
This was a Source Condensing Pill that Yang Kai had refined using the pill recipe provided by Spirit Pill Plaza, so its quality was even better than the Source Condensing Pills previously sold by Spirit Pill Plaza.
Jin Fu Gui was also a Third-Order Origin King who had dealt with Spirit Pills for many years, so how could he not be able to judge this difference?
Secretly shocked, he quickly realized that the origins of these Source Condensing Pills in Yang Kai’s hands were likely quite extraordinary.
The room fell silent for a while as Fatty Jin tapped his hand on the tabletop, as if contemplating something.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, “The quality of this batch of Source Condensing Pills need not even be questioned. En, what does Young Lord think of this price?”
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and gestured.
Yang Kai couldn’t help sneering, “Shopkeeper Jin, is my batch of Source Condensing Pills only worth such a price in your eyes? If that is the case, I’ll be taking my leave now.”
Jin Fu Gui lightly coughed. “Young Lord, please wait a moment. This batch of Source Condensing Pills is indeed top-notch goods, but selling them in my humble establishment will require some manpower and labour. Young Lord does not intend for this Jin to make no profit at all, right?”
“What Shopkeeper Jin says makes sense,” Yang Kai nodded. “But there is never a need to worry about customers for Source Condensing Pills. I don’t even need to go to any store, all I need to do is stand in the street and shout and I will be able to sell my entire inventory in no time. Shopkeeper Jin, are you sure you want to give up this opportunity to profit?”
Jin Fu Gui’s fat cheeks twitched as he grit his teeth and gestured again, “Then how about the price!”
Yang Kai glanced at him, “Raise it another five hundred and perhaps we will have an opportunity to collaborate again in the future!”
Jin Fu Gui frowned when he heard these words, but soon made a decision and nodded, “Then we will follow Young Lord’s suggestion. I hope that Young Lord will patronize my humble establishment first if he ever has more Source Condensing Pills in the future.”
“Naturally,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully. “By the way, besides Source Condensing Pills, I have some other pills here. Please give me an estimate of their worth, Shopkeeper Jin.”
The other pills Yang Kai mentioned were naturally the ones he had on hand from performing Alchemy in Blue Feather Sect. There were a variety of different pills, but their grade and popularity naturally could not be compared with the batch of Source Condensing Pills.
Of course, Jin Fu Gui did not care about this. To him, as a black market businessman, as long as he could make money, it was enough.
After bargaining back and forth a bit, Jin Fu Gui collected most of the Spirit Pills Yang Kai had on hand while Yang Kai received nearly 170,000 Source Crystals!
This number finally allowed Yang Kai to relax somewhat.
He had performed Alchemy for nearly a month in Blue Feather Sect, but only earned 30,000 Source Crystals.
Now, in just half a month, he had earned 170,000. The biggest reason for this was because Source Condensing Pills were high demand products.
After leaving Jin Fu Gui’s shop, Yang Kai continued to wear his black robes as he was not in a hurry to return and instead began touring around the black market.
Good deals could be found in this kind of place, but the probability was very small; after all, there weren’t many cultivators who didn’t know what the quality of the goods they owned was and listed and sold some rare treasure as garbage.
Yang Kai walked around but gained nothing.
Just as he was about to go back home, he suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice from not far away, one that was filled with a trace of anger and grievance as it shouted, “Why must you be so unreasonable!”
Yang Kai was startled when he heard this voice and the image of a cute, innocent girl flashed across his mind.
[Is that possible?] Yang Kai thought to himself. He had only come to Maplewood City a few days ago and wasn’t familiar with many people here, so there was no way he would mistake this voice for someone else.
Curious, he hurriedly over.
Not far away, a crowd of people was standing around watching a small group of people.
Yang Kai made his way through the crowd and looked inward.
In an instant, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
In front of him was a young girl in a long green dress with a slight frown on her face. This girl’s stature was quite petite, but her chest was plentiful. She had a graceful figure, delicate features, and snow-white skin, but her most notable characteristics were the large crescent-shaped birthmark on her cheek, and the few bulging cloth bags hanging on her waist.
[Mo Xiao Qi!]
Yang Kai couldn’t believe his eyes.
It turned out to be Mo Xiao Qi, the innocent girl he had met in Clear Jade Mountain.
[She actually survived?]
Yang Kai could not help breathing a sigh of relief inexplicably when he saw this little girl alive and well, the lingering guilt in his heart disappearing in an instant.
Back on Clear Jade Mountain that day, when the furious Ancient Divine Spirit Luan Feng had released its World Extinguishing Black Flames and wiped out all life within a few hundred kilometres, Mo Xiao Qi had disappeared. Yang Kai was certain she had died and could not help feeling guilty. If he was close enough to Mo Xiao Qi, he could have pulled her into the Sealed World Bead to escape before she was burnt to ashes.
Just because of some discomfort he felt around her, Yang Kai allowed this innocent girl to be killed under the Luan Feng’s anger.
At that time, Yang Kai indeed felt a little guilty. Although he and Mo Xiao Qi weren’t familiar with one another, his impression of her was still quite good. There were very few girls like Mo Xiao Qi in this world.
Seeing her again now, while Yang Kai was delighted, he was also quite curious about how she managed to escape at that time. After all, the Luan Feng’s indiscriminate attack was simply too terrifying. If it were not for his Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai was certain he too would have died that day.
However, when he thought carefully about how the origins of this girl were extremely mysterious and about her dazzling array of high-end artifacts, perhaps… she had an extremely powerful artifact that had somehow allowed her to escape that crisis.
Thinking so, Yang Kai’s evaluation of Mo Xiao Qi rose even higher!
After all, an artifact that could withstand the furious attack of a Luan Feng needed to be at least Emperor Grade. Mo Xiao Qi being able to possess an Emperor Artifact proved that her background was simply unimaginable.
However, at this moment, this young girl with such a strong background was once again involved in trouble.
Opposite her, a group of cultivators stood around a young man like stars surrounding a bright moon. This young man had a jade carved face and a suave appearance, but his pair of wicked eyes kept sweeping over Mo Xiao Qi unscrupulously, lingering quite a bit on her full peaks that could draw the attention of any man.
However, when his gaze shifted to Mo Xiao Qi’s face, he could not help flashing a regretful expression, as if he hated the unfairness of the Heavens and was about to shed tears of blood!
“Why are you being so unreasonable? I saw this thing first and even paid for it, so why should I give it to you?” Mo Xiao Qi was holding something behind her back, facing off against a group of a dozen men without the slightest fear.
“Girl, there are some things beyond your control. Since my Young Lord is interested in this item, he must have it. We will pay you double the Source Crystals you bought it for so please hand it over and we can avoid any unpleasantness,” On the other side, a man coldly snorted and as he spoke, he intentionally released his aura in a threatening manner.
“What would I need your Source Crystals for?” Mo Xiao Qi pursed her lips, turning her head to the elderly stall owner and saying, “Tell me, did I buy it from you first?”
The old man could not help frowning as he glanced between Mo Xiao Qi and then dozen or so menacing men and awkwardly laughed, “I… I guess?”
“What do you mean ‘you guess?’” Mo Xiao Qi looked at him in amazement, “Didn’t I give you the Source Crystals already? I even gave you some extra as a sign of gratitude, but you didn’t even thank me.”
The old man’s mouth twitched as he fell silent.
The young man who had been surrounded by cultivators on the other side suddenly chuckled and turned to the old seller, “Old man, how many Source Crystals did this girl pay you?”
The old man’s expression became embarrassed as he hesitated for a moment before stating, “Eight thousand!”
“Eight thousand, en, not too many. This Young Lord will pay you ten thousand, so why not sell that item to me?” The young man looked at the old man with a smile.
“Ten thousand?” The old man was overjoyed when he heard this and nodded hurriedly, “Good, good…” After agreeing, he looked embarrassed again though, “But this thing has already been bought by this girl…”
“So what? This is business: The one who offers the higher price wins,” The young man smiled heartily and looked at Mo Xiao Qi. “Girl, you should understand clearly now. This Young Lord will buy this thing for ten thousand Source Crystals, please hand it over…”
“The higher price wins?” Mo Xiao Qi grit her teeth angrily and before the young man could finish, she shouted, “Good, then I’ll pay twenty thousand for it.”
Hearing this, the old seller was both surprised and delighted, never having expected that one of his items would sell for such a high price. At the same time, he was a bit annoyed with himself. Since these two parties were willing to fight so vigorously over this item, clearly it was quite valuable, but he himself was unable to recognize it and had just sold it as an ordinary trinket, allowing others to pick up a bargain.
The young man frowned, a ruthless expression appearing on his face as he shouted, “This Young Lord will pay thirty thousand then! You think you have more Source Crystals than this Young Lord?”
“Fifty thousand!” Mo Xiao Qi threw out a number lightly, but they pounded down on the young man’s head like a hammer, causing him to even shrink his neck slightly.
The young man lost all patience at that moment and roared, “Girl! Do you know who this Young Lord is? How dare you try to steal from me!”
“I don’t know who you are,” Mo Xiao Qi looked at him with clear disgust, “Besides, aren’t you the one trying to steal from me? You’re a liar!”
“Good! You little skank. It seems you will not regret unless you see your coffin! If so, this Young Lord will let you understand, I am Flying Saint Palace’s Young Palace Master, Ning Yuan Cheng. If you understand your place now, hand over that thing and then scram, if you don’t… Heh heh heh, this Young Lord will make both you and that thing stay behind!”
Ning Yuan Cheng smiled deviously as he shot a malicious look towards Mo Xiao Qi.
“Flying Saint Palace!”
“He’s Ning Yuan Cheng?”
“That girl is in big trouble.”
After Ning Yuan Cheng’s voice fell, before Mo Xiao Qi could even respond, the surrounding crowd began to whisper among themselves slightly.
After all, while Flying Saint Palace was not a first-class force in the Southern Territory and could not be mentioned in the same sentence as Heavenly Martial Holy Land, Orthodoxy Temple, or Azure Sun Temple, it still had some reputation and was far stronger than the forces around Maplewood City.
As Flying Saint Palace’s Young Palace Master, Ning Yuan Cheng’s reputation was also not small. At least in the Southern Territory, he was a somewhat known figure.
During this period of time, because of the appearance of a Luan Feng, many great forces had sent representatives to Clear Jade Mountain to investigate the situation, Flying Saint Palace was no exception, and the leader of its delegation was none other than Young Palace Master Ning Yuan Cheng.
However, after exploring Clear Jade Mountain for some time and gaining nothing, Ning Yuan Cheng had decided to stop over in Maplewood City briefly, ultimately leading to this encounter in the black market.
Ning Yuan Cheng had a smug expression on his face, thinking that after announcing his name and the great force behind him, this little woman who did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth would bow down and apologize, perhaps even offering herself to him to garner his forgiveness.
[En, although this little girl has that ugly birthmark on her face, her figure is really outstanding, especially her chest. They’ll be great fun to play with.]
Once it was night, after the clothes were removed and the lights were extinguished, what one’s face looked like made no difference.
“Flying Saint Palace? What is that? I’ve never heard of it,” Mo Xiao Qi frowned slightly, a blank look on her face.
Ning Yuan Cheng’s proud expression instantly stiffened while the other Flying Saint Palace cultivators wore gloomy faces.
“Bold! How dare you insult my Saint Palace! Capture her! This Young Lord will let her know what Flying Saint Palace is!” Ning Yuan Cheng shouted with a fierce expression on his face.
A dozen or so Origin Kings took action without hesitation.
Maplewood City was a small, out of the way town, whose City Lord was only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. As for the two Vice City Lords, they were just First-Order Dao Sources, making for three Dao Source Realm masters in total, not a force Flying Saint Palace needed to put in their eyes. What’s more, this was the black market of Maplewood City, so even if violence was used, no one would dare raise any fuss.
So what if the City Lord’s Mansion investigated later. Would they dare oppose Flying Saint Palace?
Out of the dozen or so people who rushed out, three of them moved faster than the rest and arrived around Mo Xiao Qi in an instant, two of them reaching for her delicate shoulders while one patted his palm towards her lower abdomen.
From their respective palms, power surged.
They had been ordered by their Young Lord to capture Mo Xiao Qi, not to kill her, so they held back.
The onlookers all exclaimed as they showed looks of pity.
After all, a group of men were acting together to bully a little girl. Although this little girl was also clearly a Third-Order Origin King, just the situation alone was enough to arouse the sympathy of others.
Yang Kai also could not bear to watch what he knew was about to happen and turned his eyes aside.
However, his pity was not aimed at Mo Xiao Qi, but rather at the Flying Saint Palace cultivators who had attacked her.
What happened on Clear Jade Mountain that day was still fresh in Yang Kai’s memory…
Even though he had cultivated the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art and had a physique many times more powerful than cultivators in his realm, his hand had been bloodied when he touched Mo Xiao Qi, so what fate awaited these three was quite obvious to him.
What’s more, Yang Kai had only wanted to lead Mo Xiao Qi away with him at that time and thus did not use any of his strength, but these three actually attacked her, so the consequences…
“Ah…*
Sure enough, a series of screams rang out, causing all the surrounding cultivators to stare dumbfounded at the scene before them, their jaws dropped to the ground.
The two cultivators who had grabbed towards Mo Xiao Qi’s shoulders were thrown through the air the moment they laid hands on her, their palms bloodied and torn apart to the point where their bones were visible.
As for the cultivator who palmed towards Mo Xiao Qi’s lower abdomen, he was even more miserable. After his palm landed, while Mo Xiao Qi stumbled backwards a bit from the force, the man actually let out a pitiful scream as he fell backwards, his hand feeling like it was on fire.
Looking closer, at some point, a distorted, horrifying looking face seal had appeared on this man’s hand. As for the man himself, a terrifying howling sound echoed throughout his Knowledge Sea.
The cultivator froze in place instantly as a huge phantom face appeared in his Knowledge Sea and began to drain his Spiritual Energy at an astonishing pace, all the time showing a wicked and intoxicated expression.
This man was completely unable to resist and the light in his eyes quickly dimmed.
“What?” Ning Yuan Cheng saw this scene and immediately cried out in shock.
Everything that happened in front of him here was beyond his ability to understand.
It was clear that his three subordinates were the ones attacking Mo Xiao Qi while she had just stood there, her face flustered, as if she did not even know how to defend herself, but while she was perfectly fine. His three subordinates were the ones who had suffered severely.
Two serious injuries and one death, this kind of result made Nin Yuan Cheng doubt his eyes.
Just what kind of Secret Technique had she used?
Was this girl just playing pig to eating a tiger?
Could she actually be an old witch who had lived for thousands of years and was hiding her cultivation while pretending to be innocent here?
Various thoughts flashed across Ning Yuan Cheng’s mind, causing cold sweat to drip down his back.
“Retreat!” At that moment, the rest of the cultivators who were rushing towards Mo Xiao Qi heard a loud shout in their ears.
All of them realized how precarious their situation was and reacted extremely quickly, not daring to attack Mo Xiao Qi as they scurried back in fright.
A man then walked out from behind Ning Yuan Cheng with a gloomy expression on his face. He was a middle-aged man who had an unassuming look to him and had been standing behind Ning Yuan Cheng silently until now, a calm look on his face. However, now, he actually had to stand in front of Ning Yuan Cheng to protect him.
As the Young Palace Master of Flying Saint Palace, Ning Yuan Cheng had one or two real masters protecting him while he was out travelling.
This middle-aged man was a master from Flying Saint Palace who was responsible for protecting Ning Yuan Cheng, a Second-Order Dao Source Realm master named Liu Yi Zhi.
As a Second-Order Dao Source Realm master, his vision was naturally sharp, so it only took him an instant to realize that Mo Xiao Qi had some kind of extraordinary background. Just now, he had seen that the situation was bad and ordered the other Flying Saint Palace disciples to fall back.
As he stood in front of Ning Yuan Cheng, blocking all angles from which he could be attacked, Liu Yi Zhi stared at Mo Xiao Qi solemnly, seemingly trying to peer through her secrets.
“You… you… what do you want to do?” Mo Xiao Qi didn’t come back to her senses until this moment and though obviously still frightened, tried to put on a strong act and shouted, “You… don’t come here, I’m not good to provoke, if you’re not careful… I’ll punch you!”
The surrounding crowd could help rolling their eyes when they saw and heard this.
[You not being good to provoke is obvious… Why bother saying it yourself?]
Liu Yi Zhi frowned slightly. Although he instinctively felt that Mo Xiao Qi’s expression didn’t seem to be fake, nor like an old witch concealing her cultivation and pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger, he still did not dare to take her lightly.
After thinking for a while, he asked in a deep voice, “Dare I ask this Young Lady’s honoured name?”
Mo Xiao Qi just grit her teeth and stared at him without answering.
Liu Yi Zhi frowned more severely after seeing this. The other party not saying anything put him in an embarrassing position, but under the circumstances, he could only ask again, “Then dare I ask this Young Lady where she hails from? Upon closer inspection, Young Lady seems somewhat familiar, like a certain acquaintance of this old master’s. Perhaps… our two great forces have some kind of connection. If that is really the case, please enlighten us so that we can avoid an awkward conflict between allies and family members.”
He obviously wanted to make big things small and make small things nothing; after all, Mo Xiao Qi’s strange performance made Liu Yi Zhi unable to see through her. Anyone he could not see through was someone not to be provoked easily, lest it invite disaster to the Sect.
This was especially true for the current Maplewood City, as there were dragons and snakes mixed into the crowd everywhere, with various great forces coming from far and wide. Liu Yi believed that Mo Xiao Qi was very likely a disciple from some super force.
As long as someone with a little bit of experience was faced with Liu Yi Zhi’s rhetoric, they would know how to act and cooperate of their own accord.
But Mo Xiao Qi obviously did not have such experience and had no idea what Liu Yi and Flying Saint Palace was trying to do, so she bluntly said, “How could we be friends or family? I have never even heard of your Flying Saint Palace, so how could that be possible? How could my Spirit… I have any connection with you?”
Liu Yi Zhi’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot as he secretly scolded Mo Xiao Qi for not understanding how to cooperate here, really wondering if this girl in front of him was faking it or was truly just that ignorant.
However, some clues revealed by Mo Xiao Qi just now really shocked Liu Yi Zhi.
Mo Xiao Qi just now had clearly wanted to say she came from ‘Spirit’ something, but in the Star Boundary, there were only a few great forces whose names began with ‘Spirit’. However, none of these forces were ones Flying Saint Palace could afford to provoke, so for a time, Liu Yi Zhi found himself in the same awkward situation of not being able to infer Mo Xiao Qi’s true origins.
Just as he felt like he was riding a tiger, a strange cry suddenly came from the crowd.
“Who?” Liu Yi Zhi was already irritated and turned to bark at the source of the sound with no trace of politeness.
Over there, he saw a black-robed figure walking out from the crowd. This individual had their face concealed, but from the voice, it was apparent it was a man, and from the aura fluctuations, this man seemed to be a Third-Order Origin King, the same as Mo Xiao Qi.
The black-robed man was naturally Yang Kai.
He really could not stand to watch anymore.
Others might not understand Mo Xiao Qi’s temperament, but he did, and he knew that if this was not handled well, even if Flying Saint Palace had scruples about the situation, they would still attack Mo Xiao Qi in order to maintain their Sect’s face.
Once that time came, Yang Kai was not sure if Mo Xiao Qi would be able to resist. Although there were many magical treasures on her body, the other party was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator who could inspire the surrounding World Principles to bolster his strength, so it was questionable whether Mo Xiao Qi’s artifacts would be enough to protect her.
Facing Liu Yi Zhi’s question, Yang Kai actually completely ignored him and instead hurriedly walked over to Mo Xiao Qi and said, “So this is where you were, Young Lady! You really made it difficult for this subordinate to find you.”
“Young… Young Lady?” Mo Xiao Qi instinctively stammered in panic, thinking her whereabouts had been revealed and her father had sent someone to catch her, subconsciously taking something out from her Space Ring as she prepared to flee.
However, in the next instant, she felt something was wrong.
Because this person’s voice was actually somewhat familiar.
The next moment, Yang Kai showed her a little of his appearance.
Mo Xiao Qi was taken aback, and a light of pleasant surprise flashed across her beautiful eyes as she called out, “Ah! It’s you! You didn’t die!”
Yang Kai covered his face again, grinned wryly, and said, “Young Lady, please hold back a bit next time. Although this subordinate is quite resilient, he is still not able to completely block your certain-kill strike. Subordinate had to rest and recover for many days to finally restore himself.”
As he spoke, Yang Kai shot Mo Xiao Qi a meaningful glance, fearing that this little girl who was so lacking in common sense would blow his cover. Not confident still, Yang Kai quietly sent her a Divine Sense Message telling her not to speak.
Mo Xiao Qi nodded her head like a chicken pecking rice.
The onlookers heard this conversation and could not help wearing sympathetic looks as they gazed towards Yang Kai, like he was really a subordinate responsible for protecting the safety of this Young Lady. Not only did he seem to have the thankless job of working as a nanny, he also seemed to have to withstand attacks from his Young Lady…
“Hm? Young Lady, what’s going on here?” Yang Kai pretended to finally notice the unusual situation and began sweeping his gaze around, in the next moment shouting furiously, “Who dares to attack my Young Lady!? You must be courting death!”
Yang Kai was just a Third-Order Origin King, so in front of a Second-Order Dao Source Realm master, he had no choice but to put on a fierce appearance in hopes of deceiving him. Not showing the slightest fear, Yang Kai wore a vicious expression on his face as thick murderous intent burst from his body, causing many of the people in the surrounding to pale slightly.
“Good good good, it seems there are really some who don’t know how to fear the Heavens! Heh heh heh, even if Sir Star Envoy comes now, he won’t be able to save you!” Yang Kai grit his teeth as he directed a piercing gaze, like that of a mad beast, at the surrounding crowd.
If Yang Kai’s fearless appearance alone was not enough to convince him, the sudden revelation he had just made was enough to cause Liu Yi Zhi’s will to resist to collapse.
Even Sir Star Envoy Sir would not be able to resolve this situation? Just what kind of background did these two people have? Was this girl the direct descendant of some Elder of Star Soul Palace?
With Liu Yi Zhi being so alarmed and afraid, Ning Yuan Cheng need not even be mentioned.
He thought he would be able to walk sideways in a small place like Maplewood City as Flying Saint Palace’s Young Palace Master, with no one daring to offend him.
How could he have known he would suddenly provoke a far nobler existence that even Sir Star Envoy would need to yield before?
In that instant, Ning Yuan Cheng’s face had turned pale as his legs trembled and he stared at Liu Yi Zhi imploringly.
Although the latter was a powerful cultivator at the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, when facing those peak level great forces, what did his cultivation matter? Any random Elder from Star Soul Palace could grind Flying Saint Palace into dust.
Secretly gulping, Liu Yi Zhi summoned his courage, cupped his fists, and spoke, “This friend, please calm yourself. This is just a small misunderstanding between your Young Lady and my Young Lord. Just now, a few of my Flying Saint Palace’s blind disciples offended this Young Lady, but they have already suffered punishment for their impropriety. In light of this, I ask this friend to show magnanimity.”
“Is that so?” Yang Kai squinted at Liu Yi Zhi.
“It is indeed. This friend, please see for yourself, your Young Lady is completely unharmed.”
“Hmph, if the Young Lady was hurt, do you think you would still be standing there spouting off nonsense to me?” Yang Kai sneered.
Liu Yi Zhi felt deeply angered in his heart; after all, there was a huge gap between his and Yang Kai’s cultivation. No Origin King had ever dared speak to him like this, but Liu Yi Zhi did not dare show any signs of dissatisfaction on his face, because the other party’s origins were clearly far above his own. What’s more, clearly there wasn’t just one Third-Order Origin King protecting this girl.
There were likely even more powerful masters secretly watching from nearby!
As this man covered in black robes was talking to him, Liu Yi Zhi noticed him making a few inexplicable gestures with one hand towards a certain direction, seemingly informing his companions of something.
Upon discovering this, Liu Yi Zhi felt cold sweat drip from his forehead.
Because under his Divine Sense perception, he could not perceive the existence of any master observing him. There was only one possibility in this situation to explain this: The masters hidden in the dark were far stronger than him.
“Dare I ask this friend… Where he come from?” Although Liu Yi Zhi was frightened by Yang Kai, he was still a little unwilling to let this matter just drop, so after hesitating for a moment, he cautiously tried to probe Yang Kai’s origins.
“Hmph!” Yang Kai sprayed heat from his nose as he swept his eyes over him and instead of answering asked, “You’re from Flying Saint Palace?”
“Yes,” Liu Yi nodded, wondering what Yang Kai was asking this for.
“You want to know where we are from? Fine, come here, I’ll tell you, but there will be a price to pay.” Yang Kai smiled slightly as he said in a low voice, “Within three days, there will be no Flying Saint Palace in the Southern Territory. I wonder, can you afford the price?”
Liu Yi Zhi’s whole body shivered as his face went pale.
“Do you still want to know?” Yang Kai asked coldly.
“It was this Liu who misspoke, please do not take offence!” Liu Yi Zhi was completely scared now, so how could he dare utter anything else?
“A group of pitiful weaklings, frogs at the bottom of the well. This King won’t waste his time with you. Since the Young Lady has not suffered any harm, we will spare you this once, but if there is another offence…” Yang Kai glared angrily at Liu Yi Zhi and emphasized, “You understand.”
Liu Yi Zhi was already dripping with sweat, so at this moment he could not be concerned about the Sect and even his own face and quickly cupped his fist, “Many thanks for showing mercy.”
Saying so, he quickly turned around, grabbed the still frozen Ning Yuan Cheng, and shouted hastily, “Move!”
The remaining disciples of Flying Saint Palace didn’t dare to remain, quickly gathering up the corpses of their fellow Sect mates off the ground and fleeing after Liu Yi Zhi.
“Young Lady, we should be on our way as well.” Only now did Yang Kai breathe a sigh of relief and said to Mo Xiao Qi.
At this moment, this little girl was staring at Yang Kai with sparkling eyes, a look of pure admiration on her face.
“Let’s go!” Seeing her look like this, Yang Kai could not help but urge in a low voice.
After all, Liu Yi Zhi was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm master, so while Yang Kai’s bluff might be able to fool him for a while, there was no telling how long it would last. If he were to realize something was amiss and come to investigate, the situation would rapidly deteriorate.
After acting so presumptuous in front of a Second-Order Dao Source Realm master, how could their fate be good once they were exposed?
“Wait! What about those fifty thousand Source Crystals?” The old seller called out rather desperately.
“You still dare ask for fifty thousand Source Crystals? Do you believe I’ll take your life instead!” Yang Kai glared at the old man, causing him to hurriedly back up.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai grabbed Mo Xiao Qi’s wrist and prepared to take her away from here.
The next moment, he released Mo Xiao Qi like he was shocked, as blood dripped from his palm.
“Ah, I’m sorry, Big Brother Yang…” Mo Xiao Qi finally recovered and started to apologize in a fluster.
Maplewood City, Yang Kai’s secluded home.
Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi sat across from each other at the table.
After leaving the black market, Yang Kai took Mo Xiao Qi and fled back here in a hurry, deliberately checking to make sure no one was following them while also making several detours along the way.
After confirming they were not being followed, he returned to his rented secluded home.
“Big Brother Yang, you’re amazing!” Mo Xiao Qi held her cheeks in both hands and blushed crazily as she stared at Yang Kai with bright eyes, not even trying to conceal the look of worship and admiration on her face. “With just a few words, how were you able to frighten all those bad guys away?”
Yang Kai chuckled dryly.
If it had been someone else praising him like this, Yang Kai would definitely think that the other party was just spouting flattery, but coming from Mo Xiao Qi’s mouth, Yang Kai knew it was genuine.
“They just overthought the situation themselves,” Yang Kai casually said.
Today’s matter was indeed Flying Saint Palace letting their thoughts run wild, and also a result of the current situation in Maplewood City. If it weren’t for the current Maplewood City being a mix of hidden dragons and snakes, whether Yang Kai’s rhetoric would have been useful was really questionable.
But right now, in Maplewood City, there were representatives from many great forces, and although Flying Saint Palace was not bad, it was certainly not a top Sect, so Liu Yi Zhi had some scruples.
“But enough about that. Xiao Qi, you… how are you here?” Yang Kai changed the subject quickly.
“I’ve been here the whole time.” Mo Xiao Qi looked at Yang Kai curiously, wondering why he would ask something so silly. “Right, the secluded home I rented is very close to Big Brother Yang’s! En, but why haven’t I seen you around before now then?”
“I wasn’t living here before and only returned today.”
“Oh.”
“But what I wanted to ask was, Xiao Qi, how did you escape from Clear Jade Mountain last time…?” Yang Kai looked curiously at Mo Xiao Qi.
After all, when he came out of the Sealed World Bead, he had searched for Mo Xiao Qi but was unable to find any clues at all and assumed she had died without leaving behind even ashes.
But now, a month or so later, they had actually run into each other again in Maplewood City.
“That day… I used this thing to escape,” Saying so, Mo Xiao Qi took out an object from her Space Ring and placed it in front of Yang Kai.
“This is…” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared at what appeared to be a piece of animal skin that was exuding some subtle energy fluctuations.
These energy fluctuations were quite familiar to Yang Kai though as, surprisingly, they were Space Force fluctuations.
This animal skin was only about the size of two side-by-side palms and had a number of mysterious lines and runes drawn on it, forming a type of profound Spirit Array.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand to touch and examine it carefully.
After a while, he was shocked as he muttered aloud, “Does this thing have the effect of short-distance teleportation?”
Mo Xiao Qi heard this and looked at Yang Kai with a big smile, “Big Brother Yang really has cultivated the Dao of Space! He can even detect this.”
“You knew I cultivated the Dao of Space?” Yang Kai looked at her in surprise.
“En, when you fought with those people in Clear Jade Mountain, didn’t you use Space Force? I recognized it because when you used your power it gave a similar feeling to when Uncle Li fights.”
“Uncle Li?”
“En, Uncle Li Wu Yi. He also cultivates the Dao of Space and is very, very strong. This thing was made by him as a life-saving artifact for me,” Mo Xiao Qi didn’t have the slightest vigilance around Yang Kai and spoke about herself openly. It seemed that like how a leopard does not change its spots, one’s personality was difficult to change. Since Yang Kai had never done anything bad to her, she seemed to trust him implicitly.
Continuing on, Mo Xiao Qi explained, “Uncle Li said that this thing can open a Void Corridor at a critical moment, so it is very suitable for escaping. I originally had two, but since I used one back in Clear Jade Mountain, I only have this one left…”
Mo Xiao Qi expressed some reluctance as she spoke.
[This Spirit Array can open a Void Corridor directly?]
Yang Kai was stunned.
Although his attainments in the Dao of Space were extremely high, this was a feat he was absolutely unable to replicate at the moment. In terms of teleportation, he could use his Space Force to accomplish this, but if he received too much of a disturbance, he would be unable to execute his technique.
Once the surrounding World Energy became too unstable, Yang Kai’s teleportation technique would not be able to play much of a role.
This was related to his personal strength, his comprehension of the Dao of Space, and the World Principles of Star Boundary. The Star Boundary’s World Principles were countless times stronger than his native Star Field’s, so Yang Kai’s ability to teleport was greatly suppressed in the Star Boundary.
However, this Li Wu Yi was able to refine this simple-looking animal skin into a tool that could directly open a Void Corridor. Obviously, Li Wu Yi’s attainments in the Dao of Space far outstripped Yang Kai’s.
“Big Brother Yang, I’m sorry,” Mo Xiao Qi suddenly apologized with a look of guilt.
“Why would you apologize so suddenly?” Yang Kai looked over at her curiously.
“Last time, when we were in danger, I wanted to take you with me, but that Luan Feng’s attack came too fast, and I could only… I could only… Later, I went back to see if I could find you, but I couldn’t go too deep into the mountains and thought… you died.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai laughed.
It seemed that both he and Mo Xiao Qi had similar thoughts. Both of them thought the other party must have died under the World Extinguishing Black Flames while unaware they both had means of escape.
“Then Big Brother Yang, how did you escape?” Mo Xiao Qi asked.
“I’m proficient in the Dao of Space,” Yang Kai said vaguely.
“Oh, en, Uncle Li said that people who are proficient in the Dao of Space are the best at escaping,” Mo Xiao Qi suddenly realized.
Seeing the look on her face, that showed not the slightest bit of doubt, Yang Kai inexplicably felt a deep sense of guilt…
Next, the two chatted casually for a time.
However, under Yang Kai’s subtle probing, he discovered that the Li Wu Yi Mo Xiao Qi mentioned was an Emperor Realm master! He didn’t inquire about Mo Xiao Qi’s background though, as sometimes, the less one knew, the better.
Mo Xiao Qi’s origins were obviously extraordinary, this was something Yang Kai was well aware of.
“Big Brother Yang, if you have nothing to do now, would you like to go treasure hunting with me?” Mo Xiao Qi suddenly suggested enthusiastically.
“Treasure hunting?”
“En en!” Mo Xiao Qi nodded happily as she took out a piece of animal skin from her Space Ring and said, “I bought this treasure map today, and the person who sold it to me said it leads to the hidden treasury of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor! There might even be a record of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in it!”
“Why does this thing… look so familiar?” Yang Kai wore a suspicious look as he picked up the animal skin and observed it carefully, the next moment his face turning black.
“How many Source Crystals did you buy this for?” Yang Kai looked up at Mo Xiao Qi.
“Seven thousand!” Mo Xiao Qi triumphantly, “Not expensive, right? If we can really find the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, we’ll have struck it rich!”
“That damn swindler!” Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing in a low voice.
“Big Brother Yang, what did you say?”
“It’s nothing,” Yang Kai lightly coughed, pondered for a moment before saying earnestly. “Xiao Qi, when you go out, you need to remember that people can be sinister and not everyone you meet is as honest and kind as you. You need to be careful around others.”
“I know, Aunty Feng used to tell me that.”
“In the Star Boundary, there is much intrigue, so not all people can be believed.”
“I know that too.”
“En, since you know, then… this treasure map, it’s fake,” Yang Kai sighed softly, having no way other than to state it bluntly as expecting this little girl to realize on her own was just asking to embarrass himself.
“What? How can that be? That old man vowed that this was really a map to Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s treasury and was handed down in his family by a Great Emperor himself!” Mo Xiao Qi looked at Yang Kai with an incredulous expression and asked, “Could it be that a Great Emperor would lie?”
“I don’t know if a Great Emperor would lie, but the person who sold you this thing definitely lied to you.”
Mo Xiao Qi was taken aback, but after thinking about it for a while, she vaguely began to understand and cursed, “That hateful swindler, he dares to trick me! I have to go find him!”
“Forget it, that person must be long gone, where would you even start looking for him?” Yang Kai hurriedly stopped her.
Mo Xiao Qi suddenly pursed her lips and stomped her feet as she waved her small fists, “So vexing! That old swindler better not let me see him again or I’ll make him pay.”
After putting out a few ruthless words, her mood seemed to be much calmer. After pausing for a moment though, Mo Xiao Qi began taking out a bunch of animal skin maps from her Space Ring and asked, “Then Big Brother Yang, take a look at these things, are any of them fake?”
Yang Kai swept his eyes over these ‘treasure maps’ and couldn’t stop his face from twitching.
“Then what about this one?” Mo Xiao Qi took out another thing, a pitch-black stone.
“Haha…” Yang Kai gave a dry laugh.
“What about this peerless Secret Art?” Mo Xiao Qi threw something out again.
Yang Kai swept his eyes over it and his body shook.
This booklet indeed had old, yellowed pages, and on its front, the three words ‘Peerless Secret Art’ were written in a fanciful font!
It was as if the seller was afraid others wouldn’t know this was a ‘Peerless Secret Art’.
A single innocent girl had strolled through the black market and purchased so many useless things! If everyone in the world was as naïve as Mo Xiao Qi, wouldn’t all swindlers be wealthy by now?
Yang Kai’s silence made Mo Xiao Qi extremely depressed as she buried her head in her chest, a dark shadow seemingly looming over her.
Seeing her look like she had taken a devastating blow, Yang Kai sighed slightly and was just about to comfort her while also letting her take this as a lesson to not be swindled so easily in the future when suddenly, Mo Xiao Qi lifted her head again, giggled, and said, “This thing is definitely not fake!”
Saying so, she carefully took out a pale, oval stone and placed it on the table.
Seeing the look of confidence on her face, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit interested and released his Divine Sense to inspect this stone, but try as he might, he couldn’t perceive even the slightest fluctuations from it, like it was a real stone.
However, while this thing looked like a stone, and Yang Kai couldn’t sense anything inside of it, he did notice an inexplicable force on its surface which was blocking the probing of his Divine Sense.
“What is this?” Yang Kai frowned and asked.
Mo Xiao Qi smiled mysteriously and said, “A beast egg!”
“This is a beast egg?” Yang Kai was shocked, “How do you know it’s a beast egg?”
“I just know,” Mo Xiao Qi replied with a triumphant face, “In any case, I’m certain about this, I just don’t know what kind of Monster Beast egg it is, but I can feel it is very powerful.”
“Do you have some kind of Secret Technique that allows you to perceive that?” Yang Kai looked at her thoughtfully.
“En, that’s why I was fighting with that Flying Saint Palace guy just now. Perhaps he also saw it was extraordinary and wanted it.”
“Since you’re sure it is a beast egg, then take care of it carefully,” Yang Kai did not know much about caring for Monster Beasts, but since Mo Xiao Qi had some kind of Secret Technique that she could use to perceive such things, obviously she wasn’t mistaken.
This was probably the only thing she gained from her visit to the black market.
“By the way, Xiao Qi, do you know anything about the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?” Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and asked.
“Heaven Devouring Battle Law… En, it’s the Secret Art of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, of course I know about it,” Mo Xiao Qi nodded, “Heaven Devouring Great Emperor relied on this supreme Secret Art to reach the pinnacle of the Emperor Realm. In his time, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was extremely powerful, even among the Ten Great Emperors, he could rank amongst the top three.”
“Oh? Then Heaven Devouring Great Emperor is now…”
“Heaven Devouring Great Emperor has already fallen,” Mo Xiao Qi smiled slightly, “It is rumoured that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was an affront to the laws of Heaven and Earth, so Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was ultimately rejected by the Star Boundary’s World Principles, causing a fatal dissonance in his cultivation, but I know…” At this point, she suddenly smiled mysteriously and whispered. “That story is fake.”
“Then what is the truth?”
“Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was besieged and fell in the Shattered Star Sea,” When Mo Xiao Qi said this, her expression suddenly became extremely solemn.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and said in a serious tone, “The strength of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor could be ranked amongst the top three of the Ten Great Emperors, so the only ones who would dare to attack him are…”
“Shhh…” Mo Xiao Qi raised her finger to her mouth and motioned, “This is a really big secret. I also only heard a few words about it when Uncle Li and Aunty Feng were chatting. Big Brother Yang, make sure you don’t talk about this outside, otherwise, it will very likely lead to deadly consequences. There are definitely not many people in this world who know this secret.”
“I understand this naturally, it’s just… Those Seniors, why would they suddenly besiege Heaven Devouring Great Emperor?”
“I don’t know this,” Mo Xiao Qi shook her head.
With Mo Xiao Qi’s character, if she really knew something, she would not conceal it, so since she said she didn’t know, it meant she really didn’t know. As such, Yang Kai did not ask her anymore.
However, Yang Kai instinctively felt that the reason Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was besieged might have something to do with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
It looked like he would need to spend some time studying this Heaven Devouring Battle Law! Even though Yang Kai knew that Wu Meng Chuan had taught him the Heaven Devouring Battle Law with malicious intent, it was still the Secret Art of one of the Ten Great Emperors, so it would be a shame to just toss it aside.
The two chatted for a while before Mo Xiao Qi left.
Before leaving, Mo Xiao Qi gave Yang Kai a Communication Bead and told Yang Kai that he only had to pour his Divine Sense into it if he wanted to find her.
Yang Kai nodded and accepted.
Although Mo Xiao Qi was naïve and innocent, she clearly possessed an extraordinary background and had knowledge and experience in some respects that were far beyond Yang Kai’s, so perhaps there would come a day when he needed to draw on her strengths.
Yang Kai naturally did not refuse her kindness.
What’s more, both of them were currently staying in Maplewood City, so having a way to contact one another made it convenient to cooperate in case there was an accident.
The function of Communication Bead was similar to ordinary communication artifacts, but Mo Xiao Qi’s Communication Bead was specially crafted and far superior to ordinary messaging tools. Just from the subtle energy fluctuations it gave off, Yang Kai judged that it was an Origin King Grade High-Rank artifact.
After seeing Mo Xiao Qi off, Yang Kai took out a large number of Source Crystals inside his secluded home and used them to open all the various protective barriers at his disposal, ignoring the cost.
Right now, he had a lot of Source Crystals on hand, so he was not going to be stingy.
After ensuring safety and privacy, he summoned the Sealed World Bead and entered.
Inside the Small Sealed World, there was complete tranquillity. Yang Kai quickly released his Divine Sense, allowing him to see the situation inside at a glance.
In the medicine garden, the herbs he had previously obtained from the Severed World were thriving. These herbs were all Origin King Grade, and if they were refined into Spirit Pills, they would be a great benefit to the growth of any Origin King.
Yang Kai was reluctant to use them before because each of these herbs was extremely rare and precious in his native Star Field, but now that he had come to the Star Boundary, where resources were far more abundant, these herbs were not anything special.
As such, he decided to refine these herbs into Spirit Pills so he could quickly enhance his cultivation.
It just so happened that he could also use these herbs to refine Spirit Pills to enhance his Alchemy techniques and see if he could impact the bottleneck of the Dao Source Grade. If he was successful, he could become a Dao Source Grade Alchemist.
In the Star Boundary, Origin King Grade Alchemists were not anything special, but Dao Source Grade Alchemists were quite valuable.
Yang Kai was not very strong right now, so if he had the identity of Dao Source Grade Alchemist as a shield, it might be able to save his life in a crisis.
A short time later, Yang Kai had collected all the Origin King Grade herbs in his possession and began sorting them into various categories, preparing them for pill refinement.
Inside the Small Sealed World, in addition to the herbs in the medicine garden, there was also the Monster Insect Queen that he had collected earlier, as well as the Ice Flower he obtained at the bottom of the Ice Cliff.
In the region where the Ice Flower and Ice Fruits were located, the cold was almost unbearable, but the Monster Insect Queen actually chose to sleep there, seemingly absorbing the Ice Attribute Energy which was emitted by the Ice Flower and Fruits to strengthen itself.
After this period of recuperation and fusion, the Monster Insect Queen, which had been transformed into a Blood Beast, had recovered quite a bit, with all the big and small wounds which had originally marred its body showing obvious signs of healing.
The Monster Insect Queen’s body was indeed dead, but Yang Kai’s pure Golden Blood had an incredible restorative ability.
What surprised Yang Kai the most was that the blue and purple dual swords Mo Xiao Qi gave him before have actually merged together with the Monster Insect Queen’s body.
The dual swords were each individually Origin King Grade High-Rank artifacts, so when combined, they were comparable to an ordinary Dao Source Grade artifact. What’s more, these dual swords were Ice Attribute artifacts, making them perfectly suited to the Monster Insect Queen. On that day, after obtaining these dual swords on Clear Jade Mountain, Yang Kai had simply tossed them into the Small Sealed World and forgotten about them.
Looking at them now, though, the two swords had actually merged together with the forelimbs of the Monster Insect Queen, becoming a part of its body.
This was quite a strange sight, to be honest. Yang Kai had only wanted to find a suitable weapon for the Monster Insect Queen, so he had given it these dual swords without hesitation.
Thinking about it carefully, even though the Monster Insect Queen was now one of his Blood Beasts, its true form was that of a Sentient Sword Intent, so it had an affinity for sword-shaped artifacts.
A Blood Beast, Sentient Sword Intent, and dual sword artifacts had all been completely kneaded together, making Yang Kai unsure of how to describe this Monster Insect Queen exactly.
Unfortunately, the Monster Insect Queen didn’t have a true consciousness and wasn’t a living creature, otherwise, Yang Kai would be looking forward to just how much it could grow.
After observing the Monster Insect Queen for a while and confirming that it was well, Yang Kai found a comfortable spot, sat down cross-legged, and took out a Source Condensing Pill to refine before sinking into contemplation.
He wanted to comprehend the Heaven Devouring Battle Law taught to him by Wu Meng Chuan!
Back in the Bone Prison, although he had slightly perused this Secret Art and felt that it was extremely powerful and profound, Yang Kai had not had much time to study it carefully.
Moreover, after Yang Kai learned the origins of this Secret Art, he deeply felt that Wu Meng Chuan had given it to him for some nefarious reason, so he was not willing to cultivate it.
However, not cultivating it did not mean it was useless to him. A stone from a foreign mountain could still be used to polish one’s own jade. Perhaps Yang Kai could gain some insights by studying this Secret Art.
Yang Kai quickly entered a meditative state.
Since he first began cultivating, Yang Kai had come into contact with a lot of Secret Arts and Secret Techniques, so he had a wide breadth of insight and experience.
After comprehending it for some time though, Yang Kai found that this Heaven Devouring Battle Law was far more mysterious and powerful than any Secret Art or Secret Technique he had ever encountered.
One could use this Secret Art to swallow and refine anything that had energy within it and turn it into their own strength. When one reached the peak, they could even use it to swallow the sun, moon, and stars!
Yang Kai was shocked.
The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor who created this Secret Art was definitely an unparalleled madman!
He even wanted to devour the stars themselves!
However, at the same time, Yang Kai deeply admired this Heaven Devouring Great Emperor as, no matter how crazed he might have been, he was without a doubt equally talented. Otherwise, he would not have been able to create such a Secret Art.
Rumour had it that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not tolerated by the Heavens and Earth, and this was not exactly untrue.
Such a Secret Art really could not be tolerated by the World, nor by other Great Emperors. As such, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was finally besieged by the other Great Emperors and died in the Shattered Star Sea.
However……
Yang Kai was keenly aware of the drawbacks of this Secret Art.
While it sounded tempting to be able to devour and refine all creation and use it to strengthen oneself, and doing so really could rapidly enhance one’s strength, this kind of unrestrained swallowing was bound to be accompanied by massive hidden dangers.
The different and even conflicting energies one swallowed into their body would only cause Cultivation Dissonance if one’s body wasn’t strong enough to contain and refine them.
The most obvious example of this was Wu Meng Chuan.
That old man’s disposition was nothing less than cruel and violent. Even his loyal followers were killed and refined by him without so much as a second thought. Obviously, this evil temperament had something to do with him cultivating this Secret Art.
Moreover, if this Secret Art was really so profound, Wu Meng Chuan would not still be a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator.
He would have long ago broken through to the Emperor Realm.
“Such a waste!” Yang Kai sighed.
This peak level Secret Art had just fallen into his hands, but it seemed he had no choice but to throw it away, making Yang Kai feel like it was a great pity.
Regardless of how tempting it might be, he could not take such massive risks with his future by cultivating this Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
In the end, there was not just one road to becoming an Emperor.
Just as Yang Kai was feeling deep regret over this Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he had a sudden flash of inspiration and an exciting thought came to him.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was able to swallow anything with energy in it and refine it for one’s own use.
The Stone Puppet Clan’s innate Divine Ability allowed its clansmen to devour and refine various ores, remove the waste, and use the essence to strengthen themselves.
The two were surprisingly similar…
Moreover, Stone Puppets had incredibly intrepid physiques which in terms of adaptability and endurance were all but peerless! For instance, Xiao Xiao was even able to swallow and refine the Sun’s True Essence.
What would happen if a Stone Puppet were to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?
Generally speaking, the Stone Puppet clan could not cultivate any Secret Arts because, although they were innately powerful, their sentience was too low, and they couldn’t comprehend the mysteries of a Secret Art, let alone cultivate one.
The Heavens were fair in all things, giving the Stone Puppet Clan powerful physical bodies and great destructive power, but lowering their sentience proportionally.
If the Stone Puppet Clan were also highly intelligent, surely they would be a race comparable to the Ancient Divine Spirits, an extremely terrifying thought.
But… Yang Kai had his Embodiment!
The Embodiment was originally transformed from the Golden Stone Puppet and had already integrated the entire floating continent. It was the physical host of Yang Kai’s Soul Clone, equivalent to Yang Kai’s second body!
The Stone Puppet Clan could not cultivate Secret Arts, but that did not mean Yang Kai’s Embodiment couldn’t.
Thinking about it, Yang Kai’s blood began to boil as he suddenly discovered that, with regards to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, his Embodiment had a unique advantage and ability to cultivate it.
Hurriedly pushing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai took back his Soul Clone which was currently residing in his Embodiment and poured the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and all his current insights into it.
His Soul Clone flew out once again and poured into the mountain-like Embodiment.
Immediately afterwards, the Embodiment assumed a solemn posture and began to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law with a serious look on its face.
Initially, there were no changes, but as time passed, a cracking sound rang out from the Embodiment’s massive body, causing Yang Kai to be slightly surprised. He thought something had gone wrong, but after carefully perceiving the situation of his Soul Clone, he discovered that this was not the case.
The cracking sounds continued and grew louder until a large swath of rocks fell from his Embodiment at a certain point. When these rocks hit the ground, they instantly turned to dust and scattered about.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he could not help grinning.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was truly extraordinary, and this supreme Secret Art seemed tailor-made for the Stone Puppet Clan!
What had fallen from his Embodiment just now were impurities and waste that served no purpose. The Embodiment had originally integrated the entire floating continent, and it had been using the innate Divine Ability of the Stone Puppet Clan to refine its mass over the past few years. Unfortunately, the progress was extremely slow, leaving it with a massive body that was quite inconvenient to move around.
Yang Kai had engaged in many battles since he obtained the Embodiment but rarely brought it out to help him for precisely this reason.
Its body was simply too big, and trying to bring it out of the Sealed World Bead required a massive amount of his Spiritual Energy, so how could Yang Kai be willing to do so unless it was his last resort?
According to the previous rate of progress, Yang Kai had estimated it would be at least ten or twenty years before the Embodiment gradually shrunk to only a hundred meters or so in height. Only then could it be used at will.
But by that time, Yang Kai’s strength would certainly be far greater than the Embodiment’s strength now, so how much help could his Embodiment, which was currently comparable to a Third-Order Origin King, provide?
In fact, Yang Kai had been having a headache about what to do with his Embodiment, but since he had no good solutions to the problem, he could only put off dealing with it.
But now, with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, it seemed all his problems were solved.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law, combined with the innate Divine Ability of the Stone Puppet Clan, allowed his Embodiment to refine the remaining impurities in its body at a much more rapid pace. Countless discarded impurities fell from the Embodiment, leaving behind only the pure essence. It was as if the Embodiment was shedding its skin and being reborn.
Perhaps it would not be long before his Embodiment could become another big helper to him.
But that was not the end of it!
What excited Yang Kai the most was that, now that his Embodiment had a compatible Secret Art, it could cultivate and become stronger. The Stone Puppet Clan could not cultivate and could only improve its strength by devouring rare ores.
Xiao Xiao had grown up in this manner.
Now though, Yang Kai’s Embodiment not only had the innate Divine Ability of the Stone Puppet Clan, but it also had the assistance of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. With these two factors combined, as long as Yang Kai could supply it with enough materials, his Embodiment would be able to rapidly improve its strength in a very short time.
*Xixilili…*
Where the Embodiment sat, it was like a meteor shower, with countless bits of impurities falling off it, quickly creating a thick layer of dust around it.
With his Soul Clone presiding over his Embodiment’s cultivation, Yang Kai did not need to pay it any attention at all.
And so, Yang Kai quickly set about cultivating, focusing on transforming his Saint Qi into Source Qi.
He had used up all the starlight in his body, so if he wanted to promote the conversion speed of his Saint Qi, Yang Kai could only use Source Condensing Pills.
Although the effect was slower than using the starlight, the Source Condensing Pills refined by Yang Kai were of excellent quality, so the results were still quite good. What’s more, he consumed Source Condensing Pills far faster than normal Origin Kings for some reason.
An ordinary Third-Order Origin King would need about three days to refine the medicinal efficacies in a Source Condensing Pill.
But Yang Kai was able to do this in just one day.
After some thought, Yang Kai figured that it was because he was a Star Master. Star Masters were able to absorb starlight from the Starlight Corridor, and convert their Saint Qi into Source Qi far faster than ordinary Origin Kings, so Yang Kai assumed the same was true for Source Condensing Pills.
However, this was not a bad thing. Right now, he did not need to worry about Source Condensing Pills and could simply refine more if he ran out. His priority was to fully transform his Saint Qi as soon as possible, improving his combat effectiveness and bringing him one step closer to breaking through to the Dao Source Realm.
Time flew by and soon, seven days had passed.
Yang Kai left the Sealed World Bead.
After scanning around with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai immediately noticed that someone had entered the detection array around his secluded home. When he went to check who it was, Yang Kai could not help raising his brow. Taking out his Identity Token, he deactivated all the Isolation Arrays and barriers.
Outside his secluded home, a man dressed as a shop-hand was standing there with an anxious look on his face, holding a communication artifact in his hand, seemingly sending constant messages with someone else. Suddenly, Yang Kai’s voice rang out, “Come in.”
The shop hand was stunned for a moment but immediately flashed an overjoyed smile as he hurriedly opened the door and entered.
“Greetings, Alchemist Yang!” The shop-hand hurriedly saluted.
“En, Shopkeeper Kang asked you to come see me? Is something wrong?” Yang Kai asked lightly.
This shop-hand was an employee at Spirit Pill Plaza, so Yang Kai naturally recognized him.
“Yes, Shopkeeper said that he would like to request Alchemist Yang’s presence at the pill shop in order to discuss a certain matter.”
“Shopkeeper Kang is already back?”
Kang Si Ran had been invited by the City Lord’s Mansion on its investigation of Clear Jade Mountain where the Luan Feng had appeared. Yang Kai knew about this, but with the World Extinguishing Black Flames still covering that region, there really wasn’t anything to be discovered other than ashes.
Calculating the time, it actually made sense that the investigation team had returned.
“Shopkeeper returned yesterday and immediately tried to contact Alchemist Yang but was unable to reach your esteemed self. Please accompany this humble one back to the pill shop to speak with Shopkeeper. Shopkeeper has urged this humble one several times already, so the matter is certainly important.” The shop hand smiled and said in an accommodating manner.
“Sure,” Yang Kai nodded.
Although he did not know why Kang Si Ran was so eager to find him, he knew something big must have happened. Otherwise, Kang Si Ran would not have had a shop-hand camp out outside his secluded home.
With no need to pack or arrange anything, Yang Kai immediately left the secluded home and rushed over to Spirit Pill Plaza with the shop-hand.
Not long after entering the pill shop, Kang Si Ran immediately pulled Yang Kai into a back room.
Seeing him put such an emphasis on secrecy, Yang Kai could not help asking, “Has something happened, Shopkeeper Kang?”
Kang Si Ran chuckled and replied, “Alchemist Yang, something good has happened.”
“And what is this good thing?”
“Sir Star Envoy has delivered us an opportunity!”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned as Kang Si Ran was still being vague in his explanation.
“The situation is this,” Kang Si Ran poured a cup of tea for Yang Kai as he explained, “In three days, Sir Star Envoy will open the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda here in Maplewood City!”
“Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda?” Yang Kai was now even more confused, “What is that?”
Kang Si Ran’s jaw dropped slightly, seemingly quite surprised that Yang Kai hadn’t even heard of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, but when he remembered Yang Kai’s completely ignorant performance from before, he quickly adapted and explained, “It is this Kang’s fault for not being clear, please don’t take offence, Alchemist Yang.”
Yang Kai’s expression was a bit embarrassed as he knew Kang Si Ran was just trying to give him face, but he quickly composed himself and listened attentively.
“The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is an Emperor Artifact!”
“An Emperor Artifact?” Yang Kai’s interest was piqued.
“Indeed, and a very high-level existence among Emperor Artifacts at that!” Kang Si Ran smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with Yang Kai’s look, “What’s more… The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is a very special type of Emperor Artifact. It does not have any offensive or defensive ability at all.”
“No offensive or defensive ability? Then what is it for? Is it used for cultivation?” Although Yang Kai was ignorant and uninformed about the goings-on of the Star Boundary, he still had common sense. The most common functions of artifacts were to attack or defend, but since this Emperor Artifact was not used for either of those, its only use could be for cultivation.
“In a certain sense,” Kang Si Ran chuckled and said. “The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is used to provide life experience, a training ground exclusively for Star Soul Palace’s disciples.”
“So what Shopkeeper Kang means is… This Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is a Small Sealed World?” Yang Kai immediately thought of a possibility.
Kang Si Ran looked at Yang Kai in surprise and said with obvious admiration, “Alchemist Yang is truly sharp. En, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is indeed a self-contained world, a very profound and mysterious one at that.”
After listening to Kang Si Ran’s explanation, Yang Kai understood the gist of the matter.
The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was a supreme treasure of Star Soul Palace and was famous across the Star Boundary.
This was not only because it was a powerful Emperor Artifact, but also because it was extremely special. The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda’s internal Self-Contained World was similar to his Sealed World Bead, but it was far more complete than the Sealed World Bead.
It was rumoured that the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda belonged to Bright Moon Great Emperor, the master of Star Soul Palace, but this Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda already existed in some form before Bright Moon Great Emperor became famous.
Only after it was acquired by Bright Moon Great Emperor and further refined and improved did it become what it was today.
The space inside the pagoda was said to be an ancient battlefield, one which had many scattered ancient treasures and extinct spirit grasses as well as various sealed regions to explore. Now, the pagoda was situated inside Star Soul Palace and was one of the most coveted experience zones for Star Soul Palace disciples.
As long as they met certain requirements, disciples of Star Soul Palace could enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda for life experience.
Inside, they could hone their cultivation, improve their fighting skills, and study the mysteries of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
Although the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda had existed for countless years, and after so many years, countless cultivators had entered it for life experience and to search for opportunities, the number of treasures inside had only increased with time.
The reason was simple: Entering came with risk. Many of Star Soul Palace’s disciples had fallen inside, leaving behind their Space Rings as well as their artifacts, enriching the bounty of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda and becoming treasures for others to seek.
The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was divided into five layers, with the first and second being for Origin Kings to explore, the third and fourth layers for Dao Source cultivators, and the highest fifth layer being for Emperors to gain experience and pursue the Dao.
Inside the pagoda, there were not only ancient hidden artifacts and spirit grasses that had matured for countless years, but there were even fragments of World Principles and Star Sources.
This was because it was a shattered ancient battlefield. In ancient times countless powerful cultivators had fought and died inside, leaving behind shattered World Principles and Star Sources.
Though neither of these were complete, they still contained much power and many insights which if obtained and comprehended by cultivators would be of huge benefit.
After cultivating to the peak of the Origin King Realm, the next step was the Dao Source Realm where one would begin to comprehend Principle Strength. However, Dao Source Realm cultivators could only stimulate and borrow Principle Strength from the world around them. In order to truly use Principle Strength, the laws of the world, one needed to reach the Emperor Realm, and even then, some simple manipulation of Principle Strength was the most that could be achieved.
In the Star Boundary, countless Origin Kings had finished the conversion of their Saint Qi into Source Qi, but only a few could break through to the Dao Source Realm because the biggest hurdle was their inability to perceive and comprehend World Principles.
This was the reason why cultivators who were Star Masters were so highly coveted in the Star Boundary.
For example, Yang Kai had already experienced Shadowed Star’s World Principles back when he was just an Origin Returning Realm master, and although those were just the World Principles of a Cultivation Star rule, incomparable to the Principles of the Star Boundary, just the experience was enough to give him a significant edge in comprehension. Because he had this experience, Yang Kai would not face much of a bottleneck when breaking through to the Dao Source Realm in the future and would even have an advantage when trying to reach the Emperor Realm.
However, this kind of advantage was not just admired and appreciated, it also inspired great envy, and sometimes even murder and robbery! Netherworld Sect’s Yin Le Sheng was the best example.
As such, Yang Kai did not reveal the secret of him being a Star Master.
“Having said all that, Alchemist Yang should understand that the opening of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is a great opportunity, yes?” Kang Si Ran asked with a beaming face.
“En, I understand. If this is the case, then the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is indeed a good place to explore,” Yang Kai nodded.
“There’s more as well,” Kang Si Ran smiled slightly, “Alchemist Yang should know that the current Maplewood City is currently a big mix of dragons and snakes, with countless representatives of big and small forces present. So, with Sir Star Envoy opening the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, how could those top great forces not show due respect?”
“Shopkeeper Kang means…” Yang Kai was shocked as he suddenly thought of a possibility.
“Heh heh heh… Alchemist Yang, Heavenly Martial Holy Land, Orthodoxy Temple, Azure Sun Temple, and many other great forces have all brought out some precious treasures to add to the pagoda. Not only were there some rare pills, there were also powerful Secret Arts, Secret Techniques, and even some Dao Source Grade artifacts!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit hearing this.
If this was really the case, then all of Maplewood City would certainly be stirred up.
Normally, cultivators who were not born into power trying to obtain any advantage from the various great forces would be more difficult than ascending to the Heavens, but this time, such a good opportunity had appeared, with countless rare treasures hidden inside the pagoda just waiting for someone to find them! How could the various cultivators not rush out to seize this chance?
“Heavenly Martial Holy Land even took out three Dao Source Fruits as a part of their contribution!” Kang Si Ran’s expression suddenly became excited as his voice trembled, “Alchemist Yang, you are an Alchemist, so you must know the role of Dao Source Fruits better than anyone.”
“The Dao Source Fruit used to refine Dao Source Pills?” Yang Kai called out in alarm.
“Indeed!” Kang Si Ran couldn’t restrain the shaking of his hands as his tea cup even sprinkled out some water, “Only a few great forces in the Star Boundary can grow Dao Source Fruits, and in the Southern Territory, only Heavenly Martial Holy Land is capable of this, even Star Soul Palace does not have Dao Source Fruit trees. What’s more, only six Dao Source Fruits mature every ten years, yet Heavenly Martial Holy Land actually brought out three for this event, a massive sacrifice on their part.”
“Does Shopkeeper Kang want one of those Dao Source Fruits?” Yang Kai saw that his fanatical expression was and had a guess.
“Of course this old master wants one!” Kang Si Ran smiled bitterly, “Alchemist Yang, this old master has been stuck at the peak of the Third-Order Origin King Realm for more than two hundred years already. This old master knows his aptitude is poor, and unless he has some kind of great fortuitous encounter, reaching the Dao Source Realm in this lifetime will be impossible; however, if this old master can obtain a Dao Source Fruit… this old master can also make an attempt! Whether this old master ultimately succeeds or not, at least he will have a chance!”
Although Kang Si Ran was the shopkeeper of Spirit Pill Plaza, and technically a member of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, because his strength and status were low, there was no way he could obtain a precious resource like a Dao Source Pill internally.
Each Dao Source Pill represented a great opportunity to create a Dao Source Realm cultivator, so Violet Source Chamber of Commerce would obviously not arbitrarily grant them to its subordinates. One would need to make a corresponding contribution or pay an appropriate price first.
Kang Si Ran had managed Spirit Pill Plaza in Maplewood City for two hundred years, and while he had some small achievements during this period, they were nowhere near enough to trade for a Dao Source Pill.
Yang Kai could thus understand Kang Si Ran’s excitement.
Because one Dao Source Fruit could refine a single furnace of Dao Source Pills, and there is a limit of each furnace to produce nine pills, as long as Kang Si Ran could obtain a single Dao Source Fruit, as long as he found a Grandmaster to refine it, he could at least obtain one or two Dao Source Pills.
Once he broke through to the Dao Source Realm, his status in Violet Source Chamber of Commerce would be completely different and there would be no need for him to remain in a small place like Maplewood City.
Without even mentioning Kang Si Ran’s desires, Yang Kai also wanted those Dao Source Pills.
Once he finished the transformation of his Saint Qi into Source Qi and was able to touch upon the secrets of Principle Strength, he would be eligible to break through to the Dao Source Realm, so a Dao Source Pill would greatly increase his chance of successfully breaking through.
“Alchemist Yang, do you want to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda?” Kang Si Ran calmed down and asked Yang Kai.
“Such a grand event, I certainly don’t want to miss it,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Very good, very good!” Kang Si Ran laughed, “If we miss this opportunity, it will be impossible to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda in this lifetime.”
“But Shopkeeper Kang… If what you said is true, then this experience will likely be extremely dangerous. You and I are both Third-Order Origin Kings, so there is no worry facing other Origin Kings, but if we were to encounter a Dao Source Realm master…”
“Haha, Alchemist Yang need not worry about that,” Kang Si Ran smiled and waved. “The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is not so easy to open. Sir Star Envoy has extended a great kindness to our Maplewood City cultivators, but how could he possibly completely open the pagoda? This time, only the first two layers will be opened, so only Origin Kings and below will be able to enter. There won’t be any Dao Source Realm cultivators inside.”
“Is that so?” Yang Kai was surprised.
But when he thought about it for a bit, he understood.
The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was a powerful Emperor Artifact, so even opening it once would definitely require a significant price. Even if it was a Star Envoy of Star Soul Palace, no matter who he was, it would be impossible to completely open the pagoda.
If he did, the loss to Star Soul Palace would be too great.
However, this was just the situation Yang Kai wanted to see.
As long as there were no Dao Source cultivators, he didn’t need to fear anything. When the time came, he would only need to worry about the native dangers inside the pagoda.
“En, this is why this old master was so anxious in summoning Alchemist Yang over, I wanted to inform you about this before the official announcement. Right now, only those who followed Sir Star Envoy to Clear Jade Mountain know about this. Now that Alchemist Yang has received this news though, he can make appropriate preparations.”
“Many thanks for your consideration, Shopkeeper Kang,” Yang Kai said gratefully.
“Alchemist Yang need not be so polite. Without you, Spirit Pill Plaza might not even exist, this is simply this old master returning the favour.”
“In that case, this Yang will take his leave first. I really do need to go back and prepare,” Yang Kai spoke and stood up.
“Then this old master will await your arrival three days from now,” Kang Si Ran cupped his fists slightly.
Yang Kai nodded and left Spirit Pill Plaza.
Upon returning to his secluded home, Yang Kai took out the herbs he had collected from the Small Sealed World medicine garden before he immediately began to refine some Spirit Pills.
Although it was only cultivators at the Origin King Realm and below who would be entering, and Yang Kai was not worried he would encounter powerful enemies, having some Spirit Pills ready was only prudent. If something dangerous happened, it could mean the difference between victory and defeat, life and death.
With the pile of herbs beside him, Yang Kai began refining one furnace after another, soon immersing himself in his work.
The next day, word of Star Soul Palace opening the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda spread across Maplewood City.
Countless cultivators cheered and praised Star Soul Palace for its generosity while the few Dao Source Realm masters present felt indignant; after all, the opening of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda this time had nothing to do with them.
For a time, Maplewood City’s pill and artifact shops were flooded with customers.
Two days later, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was going to be opened, so naturally all the cultivators eligible to enter wanted to prepare themselves and did not hesitate to spend a large sum of money to buy restorative and life-saving Spirit Pills. Many also choked down their reluctance to purchase the artifacts they had been eyeing before but never dared to buy.
If one wanted to chop wood efficiently, they first needed to sharpen their axe. Every cultivator understood this simple truth.
If they wanted to gain something in the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda and still emerge with their life, they needed to do the utmost to prepare themselves.
Mo Xiao Qi apparently got the news and was extremely interested in it, so she specifically sent a notification to Yang Kai through the Communication Bead she had given him, asking him to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda with her in two days.
Yang Kai readily agreed while feeling a little guilty in his heart.
Mo Xiao Qi had notified him as soon as he got the news, but he actually knew in advance and forgot to notify her.
If she wanted to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, Yang Kai certainly wouldn’t stop her.
Although she was innocent and naïve to an extreme degree, ignorant of the dangers of the world and the treacherous nature of people, with all the precious artifacts on her, no one in the Origin King Realm would even be able to touch her.
Yang Kai continued to focus on his Alchemy.
At the same time, in the City Lord’s Mansion.
In a certain secluded room, a man and a woman sat some ten metres apart, opposite each other.
The man appeared middle-aged and had a deep and profound aura. He had a majestic aura about him, and his black robes were embroidered with a number of small silver stars over his heart. These stars were extremely lifelike and even shimmered mysteriously.
A Silver Star Envoy!
Only Silver Star Envoys of Star Soul Palace would dare wear such robes as these silver star emblems were the identifying mark of Silver Star Envoys.
In Star Soul Palace, Star Envoys were divided into three classes. From top to bottom, Gold Star Envoys, Silver Star Envoys and Bronze Star Envoys. Even the lowest-level Bronze Star Envoy required one to be a First-Order Emperor.
This middle-aged man, who looked like he was in his early forties, was a Silver Star Envoy, which showed he was a Second-Order Emperor.
As for the legendary Gold Star Envoys, they were all Third-Order Emperor Realm masters!
Over the years, Star Soul Palace had sent out Gold Star Envoys only a few times, and even ordinary Emperors from other Sects would not have an opportunity to meet a Gold Star Envoy. In Star Soul Palace, there were only three Gold Star Envoys, and no one knew where they were or what they were doing at any particular time.
Opposite this Silver Star Envoy was a young woman who appeared to be about twenty years of age. This young woman had picturesque features and long silky black hair, her beautiful eyes were like a pool of clear water, without the slightest impurity. The woman wore a long blue dress with luxurious gemstones dotting it. These gems obviously were not mere decorations though as each one exuded a subtle yet profound energy fluctuation.
Sitting there cross-legged, her brow was slightly furrowed as the aura around her body fluctuated, seemingly resonating with the surrounding World Principles.
She was clearly on the verge of a breakthrough!
The cultivation of this young woman was at the peak of the Third-Order Origin King Realm, so if she were to break through again, she would naturally reach the Source Realm.
“Princess, are you alright?” Although the forty-year-old man was a Second-Order Emperor, he still used an extremely respectful tone when speaking to this woman who was merely at the peak of the Origin King Realm, clearly indicating that her status was anything but low.
The young woman heard this question and nodded gently, “There is nothing wrong for the time being.”
“Haa… Princess, you were too willful this time,” The Silver Star Envoy said with some annoyed resignation. “You deceived me with a False Face Bead in order to sneak out of Star Soul Palace with me. After going back this time, the Great Emperor will certainly punish me.”
The young woman heard this, spat out her tongue cutely, and said, “Uncle Xiao, don’t worry. Xun’er will plead for you when the time comes. You are my Father’s youngest Junior Brother, he will certainly not punish you harshly.”
“You?” Xiao Yu Yang squinted at Lan Xun, taking pleasure in her misfortune as he said, “You can’t even protect yourself now, so how are you planning to ask for mercy for me? The Great Emperor said that when you return, he will punish you with ten years of seclusion in the palace!”
“Ten years?” Lan Xun exclaimed in alarm as she sobbed, “Just kill me and get it over with. It’s so boring just staying at the palace all day long. It’s the whole reason I snuck out to play…”
“You chose the wrong time to do that then,” Xiao Yu Yang said with a sigh and smiled bitterly. “You knew you were on the verge of a breakthrough, so why did you take the risk of going out instead of staying in the palace to prepare properly?”
When Lan Xun heard this, she could not help lowering her head and muttering, “I heard that a Divine Spirit appeared. I’ve never seen a Divine Spirit before, so I wanted to come out and see it.”
“You are the daughter of a Great Emperor! You have a bright and limitless path ahead of you, so how could you not meet some Divine Spirits in the future? At worst, you could simply ask the Great Emperor to take you to Dragon Island to stay as a guest. There are Divine Spirits everywhere there.”
“What’s so good about a few big snakes?” Lan Xun pouted with dissatisfaction.
“A few big snakes…” Xiao Yu Yang’s mouth twitched. Even as a dignified Second-Order Emperor, he was struck was speechless for a while, eventually just sighing and saying, “In any case, you cannot suppress your breakthrough much longer, and there is not enough time to return to Star Soul Palace now, so the Great Emperor agreed to allow me to open the entrance to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda here. Great Emperor will activate the real pagoda at the same time, allowing you to enter to break through. In order to conceal this fact, we even announced that this was an opportunity given by my Star Soul Palace to the cultivators of this city. We also managed to deceive those few from Heavenly Martial Holy Land, Orthodoxy Temple, and Azure Sun Temple into helping, otherwise, I alone would not have been able to accomplish this. However, you must be careful when the time comes. I will use a Secret Technique to send you directly to the third layer where you need to find a good place to feel the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao and absorb as many of the shattered Principles as possible. Those broken World Principles and Star Sources will be of great benefit to your future growth.”
“I know.”
“Do you understand how to draw in those Shattered World Principles and Star Source Fragments?”
“En, my father taught me before and I’ve properly studied the set of Secret Techniques.”
“Very good, it’s just a pity that… Princess is not a Star Master. If you had managed to successfully refine a complete Star Source prior to now, you would be able to reap even more benefits this time.”
Lan Xun smiled, “Uncle Xiao is not a Star Master but he has still reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm. Although Star Masters have many conveniences on the path of cultivation, Xun’er is confident that she will reach the same height as her father one day, even without such advantages.”
Xiao Yu Yang heard this, looked shocked, but soon laughed, “Good, it’s good Princess has such ambitions, it’s just a pity you’re not a man…”
Lan Xun suddenly snorted, “So what if I’m not a man? Am I any worse than those men?”
“Uh… Uncle Xiao meant that if you were a man, Uncle Xiao would definitely be happy to share a drink with you!” Xiao Yu Yang was an experienced man and knew how to quickly change the topic without a sense of abruptness.
“I’d rather not, I don’t know how anyone could drink something so bitter and smelly.”
“Haha,” Xiao Yu Yang didn’t say much on this matter and instead solemnly exhorted. “The most important thing for Princess this time is her breakthrough. Of course, you can also go explore the third layer if there is enough time, as there are many good things inside. Even if we old folks enter, we may not be able to obtain anything good. Inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, the most important thing is opportunity and luck, but strength comes a close second.”
“Xun’er will remember.”
……
Two days passed by in a flash.
On this day, Maplewood City was extremely lively as everyone invariably gathered towards the huge square in front of the City Lord’s Mansion. Origin Returning Realm masters and Origin Kings all beamed brightly, while all other cultivators wore gloomy, disgruntled expressions.
This could not be helped, as Dao Source Realm masters would not be able to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda this time while cultivators below the Origin Returning Realm did not possess the necessary strength. Even most Origin Returning Realm cultivators didn’t dare to enter this time.
Those who had the guts would be putting their lives on the line in order to seek opportunities.
Before the City Lord’s Mansion, a high platform had been set up at some point.
On the high platform, several cultivators of varying ages sat.
Everyone down below looked up at these cultivators with respect and admiration.
After all, those people were all Emperor Realm masters. If they weren’t Emperors, they would not have been qualified to be seated at all. Even City Lord Duan Yuan Shan of Maplewood City could only stand to the side with a smile on his face.
Duan Yuan Shan was a master at the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, so he was normally a peak-level existence in Maplewood City, but in front of these Emperors, he didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.
Time passed quietly.
More and more cultivators gathered.
Everyone was looking around, looking for the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, Star Soul Palace’s legendary treasure, hoping to catch a glimpse of its true appearance.
Unfortunately, no matter how they searched, no one was able to see the slightest clue.
Some insiders knew that the real Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was not here, nor was it carried by Sir Star Envoy. Although this was the Southern Territory, where no one dared show disrespect to Star Soul Palace, this was a foundational treasure in the end, so how could it be carried around casually?
This time, an entrance to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was being opened remotely by Sir Star Envoy and the other Emperors present, while the masters in Star Soul Palace’s headquarters coordinated with them.
So even if the pagoda was not physically here, it was still accessible.
Yang Kai stood in the crowd, listening to the conversations of the surrounding cultivator, and soon understood the situation.
This eliminated many of the doubts he had. Originally, he thought that the Star Envoy of Star Soul Palace was carrying the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda with him, but he could not understand why this was. Now he understood.
While he was waiting, someone patted him on the shoulder and Mo Xiao Qi’s voice rang out, “Big Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai turned his head and saw Mo Xiao Qi standing beside him with a smile while countless cultivators around her had backed off with grimaces on their faces as they stared at this little girl fearfully.
It was not an exaggeration to describe Mo Xiao Qi as a hedgehog with the sharpest of spikes, and everywhere she went, the cultivators who accidentally bumped into her experienced great pain and hurriedly made way.
As such, the place where she and Yang Kai stood actually became quite spacious as no one dared to approach to within a few paces of them.
“Big Brother Yang, I found you! There are so many people here,” Mo Xiao Qi said as she turned her eyes around like a country bumpkin who had just entered the city and was awed by the sights, she was seeing for the first time.
Yang Kai looked at her with an awkward smile on his face and called out to her wryly, “Xiao Qi…”
“Hm, what’s the matter?” Mo Xiao Qi turned her head back curiously, but in the next moment her beautiful face turned pale, she covered her mouth with her delicate hand, and pointed to Yang Kai’s shoulder, “Ah, your shoulder is all bloody, Big Brother Yang! Who attacked you? How could they!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine…” Yang Kai spoke calmly and in a somewhat resigned tone, as if he had already gotten used to this. A short time later, he managed to staunch the blood flow and said, “Just do not touch me so casually next time please, otherwise… I might lose too much blood and die.”
Mo Xiao Qi was stunned for a moment before she blushed, lowered her head, and squirmed in place a bit as she pinched her dress guiltily.
“Haha, you’re here, Alchemist Yang!”
At that moment, Kang Si Ran’s hearty laughter rang out from nearby and when Yang Kai turned his head to look, he saw Shopkeeper Kang striding over.
“Shopkeeper Kang!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
“Seeing Alchemist Yang’s confident appearance, this Kang is relieved. It seems Alchemist Yang has prepared appropriately.”
“This Yang can only do his best to return safely.”
“Alchemist Yang is too humble. Inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, there are countless opportunities to be had. I am certain Alchemist Yang will be able to smoothly return after obtaining great benefits. Oh, this girl is…”
“Oh, this is Xiao Qi. She’s my friend,” Yang Kai introduced Mo Xiao Qi to Kang Si Ran. Although Mo Xiao Qi was quite innocent, she wasn’t quite familiar with interacting with others, so she just nodded lightly and stood quietly at Yang Kai’s side.
“Alchemist Yang, this old master previously asked the Senior who came from the chamber of commerce headquarters for some information and learned that everyone will be separated upon entering the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, so it is unlikely we will be able to travel together,” Kang Si Ran said in an apologetic tone.
Yang Kai raised his brow and asked, “Could it be that upon entering, everyone will be sent to a random location?”
Yang Kai had already entered various Sealed and Self-Contained Worlds before, so he was not unfamiliar with such things. When Kang Si Ran mentioned this, he immediately thought of a possibility.
“Yes,” Kang Si Ran nodded solemnly. “The space inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is an ancient battlefield, so its World Principles are not complete and are even broken in certain places. As such, even if cultivators enter at the same time, they will appear in different positions. Before, this old master was thinking he could travel together with Alchemist Yang, but it seems that will not be possible now.”
Yang Kai smiled slightly and said, “If we can’t join hands, it means others can’t either, which means that everything will come down to our own individual abilities.”
“What Alchemist Yang says is right. This old master also thought of this, so he came to specifically inform you to remain cautious inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. In the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, there are numerous barriers and traps that, can kill Origin Kings like us if we fell into them. Countless Star Soul Palace disciples fall inside every year for this reason, so one cannot be careless.”
“Many thanks for the warning, Shopkeeper Kang, I will be careful,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
The two stood in place and chatted casually.
“By the way, who are those people sitting up there, Shopkeeper Kang?” Yang Kai gestured to the high platform in front of City Lord’s Mansion with his eyes and asked.
Kang Si Ran chuckled and said, “In fact, this old master only recognizes three of them. The second one from the left is one of my Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Vice Presidents, Sir Lou Chi. Next to him is Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce’s Vice President, Sir Ceng Yuan. As for the one in the middle, he is Silver Star Envoy, Sir Xiao Yu Yang of Star Soul Palace. The others… this old master only knows their origins and is not clear about their names.”
Yang Kai nodded and was just about to respond when Mo Xiao Qi’s voice came from the side, “The first one on the left is Chen Wen Hao from Heavenly Martial Holy Land, the first one on the right is Feng Ming from Orthodoxy Temple, and the one to Feng Ming’s right is Gao Xue Ting from Azure Sun Temple.”
Yang Kai and Kang Si Ran looked at Mo Xiao Qi in amazement.
“You recognize all of them?” Yang Kai asked.
Mo Xiao Qi giggled, “I’ve learned the names and appearances of many Emperor Realm masters, so I know a little about them. Everyone except for Silver Star Envoy Xiao Yu Yang, who is a Second-Order Emperor, are First-Order Emperors.”
“Young Lady is very knowledgeable; this old master is impressed!” Kang Si Ran cupped his fists with admiration.
Mo Xiao Qi waved her hand quickly, “It’s nothing.”
Yang Kai’s expression moved slightly as well, because when Kang Si Ran introduced the Emperor Realm powerhouses up above, he still addressed them as ‘Sir’ to show respect, even if he knew these masters could not hear him. However, Mo Xiao Qi directly called those Emperors by their names, seemingly not concerned with their status or strength at all.
But that side… At this moment, there were actually six Emperor Realm masters in this tiny Maplewood City. It seemed that all of the Southern Territory’s top great forces were represented here, a rare sight indeed.
No wonder even City Lord Duan Yuan Shan had to stand to the side with a flattering smile on his face.
As time passed, none of the cultivators down below dared to show any impatience, and despite the crowd being massive, no one dared to speak too loudly; after all, six Emperors were sitting before them, so who would dare act presumptuously?
But of course, there was at least one person who did not know how to fear the Heavens and was actively hawking his wares here.
“Top-grade Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pills! Buy them now before they are gone! With just one Spirit Pill, as long as you have just one breath left, you can escape from the gates of death! Only three pills left! These are my family’s long inherited treasures! Act now before it’s too late!”
A shout suddenly sounded among the crowd.
All the cultivators were stunned and hurriedly turned towards the place where the voice came from.
If one had to ask which kind of pills sold the fastest in Maplewood City these past two days, the answer would undoubtedly be healing Spirit Pills.
After all, many cultivators wanted to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, who could guarantee that they would not be wounded inside? As such, cultivators had instantly emptied all the major pill shops of healing pills, causing the price of such pills to rise three-fold in a day. Even so, healing pills were still in short supply.
No matter how expensive the price was, could it be more expensive than one’s life? Perhaps a good healing pill would be able to save one’s life at a critical moment, so no cultivator was going to be stingy in this regard.
As early as last night, the supply of healing pills in Maplewood City was exhausted. Without even mentioning high-grade healing pills, even the most common ones were completely sold out.
But now, at this moment, in this square, someone shouted they were selling Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pills, a pill which could bring someone back from the brink of death. How could this not attract everyone’s attention?
“This voice…” Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi looked at each other and couldn’t help wondering, “Why does it sound familiar?”
“Buy now! Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pills refined from the legendary Immortal Source Liquid for sale! Immortal Source Liquid is the essence condensed from the divine Immortal Tree; a single drop is more precious than a thousand drops of Ten Thousand Year Stone Milk! Supplemented by many rare herbs, refined by an Emperor Grade Alchemy Grandmaster, if you miss this opportunity…”
The sales pitch continued.
Yang Kai suddenly remembered who the owner of this voice was.
Mo Xiao Qi apparently also remembered at that moment and shouted indignantly, “It’s that old swindler.”
As she spoke, she rushed out.
Relying on her advantage of being completely untouchable, Mo Xiao Qi smashed her way through the crowd and rushed directly towards the hawker as she shouted, “Old swindler! Still trying to deceive people with your lies! Today I’ll teach you a lesson you never forget!”
When the hawker looked over, he instantly recognized Mo Xiao Qi and his heart clenched. Before Mo Xiao Qi could reach him though, he suddenly pointed behind her with widened eyes and shouted in a voice filled with awe and excitement, “It’s the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda!”
Everyone heard this shout and was instantly overjoyed, turning their heads in the direction the old swindler was pointing.
However, where was there any sign of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda? Clearly, there was nothing there but empty air.
“Ah… I was tricked again!” Mo Xiao Qi reacted quickly and turned back.
But there was now no trace of the old swindler either. He seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
“Hateful!” Mo Xiao Qi stomped angrily.
Several thousand meters away, amidst a thick crowd of people, a sloppily dressed old man with a shaggy beard sighed in relief, “That was dangerous, I was almost caught… Why must life treat me so horribly? That little girl is simply too much, it was just a few thousand Source Crystals yet she wanted to chase down and kill this old man. Pei, such unfairness!”
After feeling sorry for himself for a while, he suddenly turned and tugged at the clothes of a man next to him and whispered, “Little Brother, you also want to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, yes? Do you perhaps need some good healing pills?”
“Oh? Old Sir has healing pills for sale?” The man suddenly became interested.
“Heh heh heh…” The old man grinned, flashing his big yellow teeth, trying to act mysterious as he took out a jade bottle from his vest pocket and quietly whispered, “These Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pills, which can even bring someone back from the brink of death, were obtained by my family’s ancestors and passed down through the generations. Little Brother, please take a look!”
Seeing Mo Xiao Qi walking back angrily, Yang Kai knew that she must have failed in her mission.
However, Yang Kai felt something about this situation was strange because he had some contact with the old man in the black market at that time and failed to find anything out of the ordinary about him. The only noticeable trait was his wicked appearance which clearly marked him as nothing good.
However, when Mo Xiao Qi charged off just now, Yang Kai had simultaneously used his Divine Sense to lock onto that old swindler.
But all of a sudden, that old man had managed to get rid of his tracing and disappear.
[That old swindler is not simple!]
This surprised Yang Kai greatly; after all, he was approaching the Dao Source Realm in cultivation and his Divine Sense was far more powerful than even that, so the other party being able to throw him off so simply was proof that the old swindler was no ordinary person.
But having said that, ordinary people would not go around cheating people out of their Source Crystals using such blatant and easily seen through scams either.
Time passed and soon, it was noon.
Atop the high platform, Duan Yuan Shan, who had been standing to the side with a big smile on his face, quickly walked over to Xiao Yu Yang and asked something in a low voice. After getting an affirmative nod, Duan Yuan Shan turned around, inhaled deeply, and shouted, “Citizens of Maplewood City, may I have your attention please…”
When the crowd heard this call, everyone immediately understood that the show was about to begin so they quickly fell silent and turned their attention towards the high stage.
Duan Yuan Shan smiled slightly and cupped his fists, “First, allow this Duan to offer his sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to Silver Star Envoy Senior Xiao from Star Soul Palace for opening the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda in my Maplewood City. Many thanks to Heavenly Martial Holy Land, Orthodoxy Temple, Azure Sun Temple, Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, and Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce as well for their assistance in this great favour and for their generous contributions of precious treasures, Secret Arts, Secret Books, Martial Skills, and artifacts. For this grace today, on behalf of all of Maplewood City and its surrounding forces and families, as City Lord, this Duan offers his praise and thanks once again, wishing several Senior’s continued good health and success on the Martial Dao, in addition…”
Words seemed to overflow from Duan Yuan Shan’s mouth once he opened it, his speech filled with lavish praise and flowered words he had clearly been preparing for some time now.
However, before he could finish speaking, Xiao Yu Yang frowned impatiently and snapped, “Enough nonsense, get to the point!”
Even though he was reprimanded so bluntly in front of so many cultivators in the city, Duan Yuan Shan did not dare show any dissatisfaction. Instead, he simply nodded and after rearranging his thoughts slightly, continued, “The time has come! Please take action, several Seniors. To the gathered cultivators, your life or death, fortune or misfortune, will be decided by your own hands upon entering the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda!”
As soon as these words fell, the six Emperors stood up one after another.
Below the high stage, countless peoples’ eyes turned towards these six.
Xiao Yu Yang gave a loud, long roar as he formed a series of seals with his hands. The surrounding World Energy hummed as stifling coercion burst forth, causing many of the Origin Kings gathered below to reel back in fright.
It was not just the Origin Kings present who felt pressured though, as even the other five Emperors on the stage were staring fixedly at Xiao Yu Yang and observing his movements, seemingly wanting to glean some clues from his actions.
Xiao Yu Yang’s movements were extremely fast, his hands flying so quickly that only a series of afterimages were visible.
With one last shout, Xiao Yu Yang suddenly pointed his palms forward.
At that moment, a complex and profound series of lines and runes appeared before him.
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Yu Yang used his fingers like brushes, the surrounding World Principles as ink, and the void as his canvas to draw even more patterns and runes, each of them seemingly resonating and interacting with the world itself, like living creatures.
Crackling sounds rang out constantly.
An indescribable force began to emerge from this giant array and spread outwards slowly.
Soon, a runic circular Spirit Array approximately a hundred metres in diameter had formed before everyone’s eyes.
Xiao Yu Yang at this point shouted, “Begin!”
When his voice fell, the other five Emperors leapt up and, in a flash, appeared at five different positions around the Spirit Array where each of them used their own methods to pour their strength into it.
The entire Spirit Array began to rotate with the influx of this energy.
As the power of the six Emperors poured into it, the Spirit Array rotated faster and faster, causing those who were staring at it to feel slightly dizzy.
The faces of the six Emperor Realm masters were extremely solemn as the consumption of their strength was far greater than they had anticipated. Before long, besides Xiao Yu Yang, the other five Emperors had gone slightly pale from the exertion.
Fortunately, this process did not last long, and when the huge Spirit Array began emitting a steady light and transforming into a kind of shining doorway, Xiao Yu Yang shouted again, “Great Emperor, please take action!”
After these words fell, from the light gate, an illusory palm appeared, one that seemed to emerge from beyond the Heavens, and shattered some kind of final barrier. Instantly, the light gate stabilized and the figure of a pagoda suddenly appeared, one that was emitting a brilliant five-coloured glow that somehow blurred and obscured its true appearance.
“Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda!”
Under the high stage, the cultivators who saw this scene exclaimed, their eyes widening as they stared towards the glowing pagoda.
This was obviously the core treasure of Star Soul Palace, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda Emperor Artifact which was famous across the entire Star Boundary. Almost all had only heard rumours about this tower, while none of them had seen it with their own eyes. But now, not just seeing, these people would soon even be able to enter this paradise.
Thinking so, many felt their breathing become rapid and ragged.
“Many thanks for your hard work,” Xiao Yu Yang signalled lightly to the other five Emperors.
These five seemed to be extremely exhausted at the moment though, so after acknowledging these words of thanks, they all returned to their original seats, closed their eyes, and began adjusting their breathing.
In the next moment, a Space Ring appeared in Xiao Yu Yang’s hand, and he threw it towards the light gate with a smile before gently palming towards it.
The Space Ring instantly shattered and from inside it, hundreds of different bursts of light shot out and flew into the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda like arrows from a string.
“That’s…”
“They’re the treasures brought out by the other great forces! Look at that artifact!”
“Are the famous Dao Source Fruits among those things then? If I can obtain that fruit, I can break through to the Dao Source Realm!”
“There are only three Dao Source Fruits, but tens of thousands of competitors. How are you going to obtain one?”
“If I can, I can!”
…..
After realizing the streams of light were the treasures the other great forces had contributed to this time’s opening of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, everyone became excited, especially regarding the three Dao Source Fruits which greatly stimulated the desires of these Origin Kings.
Although everyone was extremely excited, no one dared to act arbitrarily; after all, Xiao Yu Yang was still watching them.
After taking a moment to sweep his eyes around, Xiao Yu Yang smiled slightly and shouted, “Everyone, you may enter.”
As soon as his voice fell, how could the cultivators who had been waiting here anxiously hold back? Everyone began using their movement skills and Secret Techniques to rush towards the light gate, seemingly afraid to be left behind.
For a time, the square in front of the City Lord’s Mansion became noisy and chaotic.
Even before entering, fights were beginning to break out about who had priority to go in.
Xiao Yu Yang did not pay this commotion any mind, however, as his eyes simply moved towards a certain young woman who was standing amongst the crowd. Seeing this young woman looking towards him, he gently nodded, before flicking his wrist secretly and sending a gentle but well-concealed force towards her.
Yang Kai’s group of three also mixed into the crowd, squeezed to and fro by the chaotic rush, winding up quite miserable.
However, the cultivators who accidentally touched Mo Xiao Qi all felt like they were being pierced by sharp swords and reeled back in pain.
Yang Kai noticed this quickly and immediately gave Mo Xiao Qi a wink. Mo Xiao Qi understood and boldly and without hesitation or looking back charged forward.
After some twists and turns, the trio finally reached the light gate and rushed inside.
A familiar feeling of long-distance teleportation overcame Yang Kai, but he quickly stabilized himself and soon, a completely different environment appeared before him.
Immediately, Yang Kai noticed that the World Energy here was not very rich, quite thin in fact.
However, all around him, there was a mysterious force that all cultivators at his level craved for, Principle Strength!
Although the Principle Strength here was somewhat strange, and not nearly as strong or complete as in the outside world, because it was shattered and fragmented, it was actually much easier to grasp and understand.
It was no wonder that Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was a highly visited experience ground for Star Soul Palace’s disciples. In this special environment, Star Soul Palace’s cultivators would far more easily be able to grasp Principle Strength. Even if the Principles in this place were incomplete, just being able to touch and study them was a great boon.
After the Origin King Realm came the Dao Source Realm, but if one wanted to break through to the Dao Source Realm, they needed to first grasp Principle Strength.
Star Soul Palace having a treasure like Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda allowed its disciples to twice as easily reach the Dao Source Realm than average cultivators.
This was an extremely terrifying advantage.
Yang Kai had not even gathered his wits when he heard a terrible scream come from nearby.
Startled, he quickly turned his head to look around.
Nearby, Yang Kai noticed a cultivator get bitten in the neck by a crocodile-like Monster Beast. Blood splashed out like a fountain from the cultivator’s throat as he tried to stop the flow with his hands but failed miserably.
Another crocodile-like Monster Beast clamped onto this man’s thigh and began dragging him into a nearby marsh.
*Gululu…*
In the blink of an eye, the cultivator disappeared, leaving behind only some bubbles on the muddy water’s surface.
The cultivator who suffered misfortune obviously arrived here before Yang Kai, but after such a long-distance teleportation, one would often feel dizzy and disoriented for a short time, so he had failed to respond in time to the approaching danger.
Regarding this, even if Yang Kai wanted to make a move, it would have been too late by the time he noticed.
The fierce beasts hiding in this swamp were simply too fast.
*Huala…*
With a soft gurgling sound, from the corner of Yang Kai’s eyes, another crocodile beast, exactly like the ones that had just killed the previous cultivator, sprang up from the swamp, its eyes filled with bloodlust as it opened its mouth and snapped towards him.
With the lessons learned from the previous cultivator, how could Yang Kai be caught off guard though? With a flicker, he threw out a punch covered in five-coloured light toward this crocodile’s head.
*Guangdang…*
As if metal struck metal, sparks flew, and the crocodile was smashed back into the swamp it emerged from.
However, the crocodile did not die and instead flicked its tail to escape under the water.
Yang Kai only then released his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings.
The next moment, his face could not help but sink.
Under his perception, there were countless fierce auras all around him, stealthily approaching under the muddy water.
These auras obviously belonged to more crocodile beasts like the ones he had just encountered. Individually these creatures were not that strong, most of them just peak Ninth-Order Monster Beasts, which was equivalent Third-Order Origin Returning Realm humans.
Such Monster Beasts really were not anything in Yang Kai’s eyes.
However… there were far too many of them, and Yang Kai didn’t want to get bogged down dealing with them.
If a different cultivator had been teleported to this place, they would very likely encounter misfortune; after all, not every Origin King could ignore the discomfort of long-distance teleportation like Yang Kai.
Ordinary cultivators would feel some sense of disorientation and dizziness.
At this point, Yang Kai immediately leapt up and decided to withdraw.
But something he did not expect happened.
As soon as he reached a height of ten metres, a huge pressure suddenly crashed down on him, like a mountain was suddenly weighing on his back, pressing him down towards the ground.
Everything happened so quickly he was unable to even resist.
“A Flight Inhibiting Array?” Yang Kai’s face turned black as he quickly reacted.
When Kang Si Ran introduced the internal situation of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda to him before, he had said that there were many Natural Arrays, restrictions, and traps scattered about. These Spirit Arrays had various functions but Flight Inhibiting Arrays were amongst the most common.
Inside such Flight Inhibiting Arrays, cultivators would not be able to fly very high, and once they exceeded a certain height, they would experience a heavy pressure that forced them back down.
What Yang Kai had just encountered was the effect of a powerful Flight Inhibiting Array.
The only thing he didn’t know was whether this Flight Inhibiting Array was artificially arranged or generated naturally.
But Yang Kai didn’t have time to think about it right now since the countless lurking crocodile beasts leapt at him from all directions the moment he fell, their mouths wide open as their sharp teeth flashed.
Yang Kai’s strength erupted in response as he threw out his fists, leading to a loud series of bangs.
In the blink of an eye, he knocked back several dozen crocodiles, but the vitality of these Monster Beasts was extremely tenacious. So, even after taking a punch from Yang Kai, not only did they not die, they were almost completely unharmed and swiftly dove down into the marsh.
More crocodiles pounced out, taking the places of their comrades.
Soon, Yang Kai was covered with crocodiles, his hands, arms, legs, all being bitten into.
These crocodiles all had amazing jaw strength, far more so than ordinary Monster Beasts, and with the peak Ninth-Order strength, how could they not be dangerous?
Ordinary Origin Kings, even if they pushed their strength to the maximum extent, would find it difficult to resist these crocodile Monster Beasts.
Fortunately for Yang Kai, his physique was far more powerful than normal thanks to his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art. As the fierce Five Elements Sword Qi burst from his body, many of the crocodiles who tried to bite him wound up with bleeding mouths instead, forcing them to release Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai was still dragged into the mud by this swarm of crocodiles.
The marsh was cold and dark, but the biggest hindrance was that it was so muddy and murky that Yang Kai was unable to see much even with his eyes opened. Even after throwing his fists out indiscriminately, Yang Kai soon realized his situation was not getting any better and instead he was simply sinking faster into the depths as more and more crocodiles besieged him.
“Secret Technique, Moon Blade!”
Sending out ten pitch-black Moon Blades in all directions, accompanied by the sound of flesh being sliced through, Yang Kai felt the pressure he was under diminish greatly.
Inside the muddy waters, red blood and dead crocodile carcasses abounded.
“Demon Eye!” when Yang Kai opened his eyes again, his left eye had gone completely golden and his vision was finally restored.
Scanning the area with his Divine Sense next, not only did Yang Kai realize that his recent slaughter had failed to repel these crocodiles, the fresh blood drawing more of them over instead.
“Courting death!” Yang Kai was furious. With his current strength, he could even face an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator without losing, but because of a moment of carelessness, this pack of weak Monster Beasts had actually put him in such an awkward situation.
This made him become a bit angry out of shame.
With a wave of his hand, Yang Kai directly released the Monster Insect Queen, which had still been repairing itself inside the Sealed World Bead, and issued an order with his Divine Sense.
The Monster Insect Queen was now Yang Kai’s Blood Beast, and despite having its own faint sentience, it would strictly obey any of his orders.
Wielding the dual swords accompanied by the flash of white light, a massive sword wave swept out.
*Kacha…*
An icy domain filled the surrounding area, not only causing Yang Kai to shiver but also greatly slowing down the crocodile Monster Beasts.
With a brilliant flash, Sword Qi surged and all the surrounding crocodile Monster Beasts were cut in half, dying instantly. Even the crocodiles in the distance were not spared.
With the purple and blue dual swords at its disposal, the Monster Insect Queen’s strength seemed to have greatly increased, and even if it did not use its Clear Sky Snowfall Secret Technique, simply swinging its swords could have such an effect.
Yang Kai coldly snorted and was just about to escape from these muddy waters when suddenly a flicker of light caught his eye.
In the depths down below, a clear and misty light was flickering.
Using his Divine Sense to probe it, Yang Kai noticed a subtle but potent energy fluctuation.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he pushed his energy to protect his body and dove down. The Monster Insect Queen, like a loyal guard, followed beside Yang Kai and dealt with any threats that tried to disturb him.
Soon after, Yang Kai arrived at the bottom of the swamp where the misty light was being emitted.
With the help of his Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai was finally able to see exactly what this thing was.
It turned out to be a palm-sized Spirit Mushroom of some sort.
“What is this…” Yang Kai pondered.
Although he knew most of the herbs which grew in his native Star Field, he had not had a chance to expand his knowledge about the Star Boundary’s various spirit herbs and medicines.
He had never seen nor heard of this mushroom before.
As he observed it, the mushroom’s hue went from a misty white to a faint green.
After a while, it turned red…
Even after checking through his memories again, Yang Kai was unable to recognize what this mushroom was, but judging from the aura it gave off, he could tell it was some kind of Dao Source Grade herb.
Deciding to worry about identifying it later, Yang Kai decided to first pick this mushroom and transplant it into his Sealed World Bead’s medicine garden.
And so, Yang Kai immediately went to work.
Soon, the Spirit Mushroom had been planted inside the medicine garden of his Sealed World Bead.
After finishing this though, Yang Kai did not rush to leave and instead continued to search around.
Sure enough, he found a few identical herbs in the vicinity.
It was half a day before Yang Kai rushed up from the swamp, the Monster Insect Queen following closely behind while, down below, countless crocodile Monster Beast corpses floated on the surface of the water. For hundreds of kilometres around, the marsh had been dyed red with blood.
Either because they were deterred by the strength of the Monster Insect Queen, or possibly because they had almost all been killed, no more crocodile Monster Beasts came to attack Yang Kai and he was able to leave the area freely.
Not acting rashly this time, Yang Kai only hovered a metre above the surface of the water as he flew out of the swamp.
There were many types of Flight Inhibiting Arrays, some of which completely prohibited flying while others simply restricted how high one could fly. From his previous experience, Yang Kai knew that this Flight Inhibiting Array was undoubtedly the latter type, so as long as he didn’t exceed a certain height, his ability to fly would not be suppressed.
The area of the swamp seemed quite wide, and Yang Kai needed to fly for half a day before finally reaching its edge.
The Monster Insect Queen was also taken back by him long ago.
The Monster Insect Queen was still restoring itself, so it wasn’t a good idea for it to fight too much at the moment. Yang Kai also didn’t want others to see he had such a helper with him. The Monster Insect Queen could be regarded as his biggest trump card at the moment, so concealing it until absolutely necessary was naturally for the best.
The space inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda seemed to be extraordinarily vast, as even after tens of thousands of cultivators from Maplewood City had entered this place, Yang Kai had yet to encounter even a single person.
As Yang Kai looked around, he was unable to find the landmark he was looking for, so he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
This should be the first layer of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, and Kang Si Ran had told him that after entering the pagoda, he should try to make his way to the second layer as quickly as possible. Although the first and second layers were both meant as experience grounds for Origin Kings, as a peak Third-Order Origin King, it was naturally better for Yang Kai to go to the second layer.
The way to enter the second layer was through a Five Coloured Light Pillar.
Yang Kai had been looking for this so-called Five Coloured Light Pillar, but he hadn’t seen any signs of it so far. He also had no clues about how to go about searching for this passageway to the second layer.
Just as he was looking around though, the ground beneath his feet trembled violently and a thunderous rumbling rang out.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed and he hurriedly circulated his Qi while scanning his surroundings vigilantly, lest some kind of danger appeared.
Nothing appeared in his immediate area though, but when he looked up, in the distance Yang Kai saw a true Dragon phantom suddenly appear.
This Dragon phantom was massive and radiated a fiery red glow. As its tail swept through the air, it soared up into the clouds and circled around before it once again came crashing down the ground, landing somewhere out of sight and disappearing.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
He never expected that in this first layer of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, an authentic Dragon phantom would appear.
This was definitely not caused by some Secret Technique or Secret Art but was a genuine Dragon phantom, possibly even related to a Dragon artifact. Yang Kai was certain of this because when this phantom appeared, he could clearly feel a surge of heat from his chest.
This heat came from the Dragon Scale he had fused with.
This Dragon Scale seemed to be resonating with something in the distance.
Yang Kai immediately realized that this might be a great opportunity.
No wonder the rumours said that there were many opportunities inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, and those who entered it and who had good luck would obtain many benefits while at the same time, if one’s strength was high, but luck was bad, they could not hope for anything.
No longer hesitating, Yang Kai immediately rushed towards the place where the vision appeared from at top speed.
The position where the True Dragon phantom had manifested was quite far from his current position, so even using his full strength, it took Yang Kai three hours to arrive.
Looking around, Yang Kai couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.
There were already many cultivators gathered here, a rough count putting the number at several hundred, and more were arriving all the time, obviously attracted by the previous vision.
This place was a mountain valley, and at its centre was some kind of small altar. This altar seemed to have just emerged from the ground, as it still had soil and dirt on it, and was radiating an ancient and desolate aura, clearly indicating it was very, very old.
On the ancient desolate altar, there were a dozen or so unknown objects, all of them covered by some kind of faint black light curtains that resembled upside-down bowls. Although these light curtains blocked people from seeing what these objects were, they were just translucent enough for some faint outlines to be seen.
The things shrouded by these light curtains were quite diverse in shape and size.
There were hammers, swords, and dagger-like artifacts as well as yellow-coloured Secret Arts and Secret Books. There were also some jade bottles and boxes. Each of these objects was quite attractive, especially the artifacts which seemed to exude extremely powerful energy fluctuations, even the lowest of which was Dao Source Grade.
This caused Yang Kai’s eyes to flash.
Not only him, but all the other cultivators who rushed had greedy eyes as they stared covetously towards the altar.
“Were these things put here by the various great forces? Perhaps the Dao Source Fruit is here!” Suddenly, a cultivator called out.
“No!” Someone replied, “I came here earlier and heard that this altar had suddenly emerged from the ground. It seems someone activated some hidden array, causing it to appear. What’s more, all the items on the altar, as well as the altar itself exude an ancient aura, not like something that was placed here recently.”
“So, what you mean to say is that this altar is something that exited here from the beginning, and the treasures atop it are from ancient times?”
“Quite possibly!”
“Then what are we waiting for, we need to grab them quickly!”
Treasures leftover from ancient times that were so well preserved had inestimable value, countless times more than the treasures which were tossed inside by the various Southern Territory great forces. As soon as the news spread, many more cultivators could immediately come here to try to snatch them.
Many cultivators who wanted to observe for a while first couldn’t hold themselves back anymore and mustered their courage to rush forward. Their action immediately affected those around them, and more and more people leapt into the fray.
Even Yang Kai started to move, but instead of rushing up to the front of the pack, he maintained a position somewhere in the middle, leaving himself some leeway to observe the situation of the cultivators in front of him to ensure he did not accidentally fall into some kind of trap.
“Everyone, wait!” At that moment, a shout suddenly rang out and immediately, a handsome young man dressed in white robes flew up into the sky above the crowd.
This young man’s lips were red, and his teeth were white, giving him a suave look and judging from his extraordinary temperament, at first glance one could tell he came from a good background.
“Everyone, please stay calm and listen to me,” The young man shouted again.
Many cultivators frowned and looked up impatiently; after all, there were treasures in front of them, yet at this moment someone suddenly prevented them from moving forward. It was extremely unpleasant, tantamount to killing their parents or robbing them of their wealth. Such hatred was absolutely irreconcilable…
However, when everyone saw this person’s face clearly, many people stopped in place obediently while others showed looks of awe and fear.
“So, it is Young Lord Jiang Chu He!” From the crowd, a cultivator who recognized this youth cupped his fists and said, “I wonder what Young Master Jiang’s intentions are? Could it be that Young Master Jiang wishes to use his Jiang Family’s authority to monopolize the treasures on the altar? If so, I would advise Young Master Jiang to reconsider.”
“That’s right, these treasures are all without owners currently, and although the Jiang Family is a powerful force in Maplewood City, this is the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. If Young Master Jiang wants to take charge here, he should consider his own weight first,” someone immediately agreed.
Hearing what they said, Yang Kai immediately understood the identity of this young man.
He was the Young Master of Maplewood City’s Jiang Family!
In Maplewood City, under the City Lord’s Mansion, there were some powerful families and great forces. Among them, the Jiang Family was considered quite powerful as it had an Old Ancestor at the First Order Dao Source Realm. Although Yang Kai had not had any dealings with the Jiang Family, he had seen several Jiang Family cultivators killed by the Luan Feng in Clear Jade Mountain.
This time, all those who entered the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda were basically from Maplewood City, so naturally many people recognized Jiang Chu He. Even if one didn’t know him, they would have at least heard his name.
However… just as the previous people had said, if this was Maplewood City, everyone might still be concerned about the strength of the Jiang Family’s Old Ancestor and have to give Jiang Chu He face, but inside this Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, the Jiang Family was not much of a deterrent.
What’s more, the treasures were right in front of them now.
Men die for wealth just as birds die for food, this was a well-known fact, so let alone a mere Jiang Chu He, even if the Old Ancestor from the Jiang Family was here, these hundreds of Origin Kings would not back down.
Jiang Chu He didn’t show any annoyance on his face though and said with a smile, “These friends are too serious. There are hundreds of fellow cultivators here, so even if this Jiang would not dare provoke public anger by trying to monopolize these treasures. This Jiang never had such intentions.”
“Then what does Young Master Jiang want to say?”
Jiang Chu He continued with a smile, “This Jiang simply wanted to warn everyone that where there are benefits, there must be risks. What’s more, this is the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda! Do any of you really think obtaining the things on this altar will be that easy? If that were the case, these items would have long ago been snatched up.”
“We naturally understand this, but… even if there are risks, we must not hesitate to push forward. Otherwise, what point would there have been in cultivating until now? I’m already prepared to face whatever consequences may come!” The man who spoke first coldly snorted and declared.
“This friend’s courage is admirable!” Jiang Chu He smiled and said, “But… doesn’t this friend think he should first inquire about what this altar is? Know thyself and know thine enemy and thou shalt be triumphant even in a hundred battles, no?”
“This is the first time any of us has entered the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, so how should we know what this altar is?” The man shook his head for, but quickly looked at Jiang Chu He in surprise and asked, “Could it be that Young Master Jiang knows something? If that is so, please enlighten us, Young Master Jiang.”
Jiang Chu He shook his head, “This Jiang is not clear, but I believe… there is someone here who should know about it.”
Saying so, he turned his head and looked towards a certain spot in the crowd with a smile on his face and asked, “Young Lady Qin, what do you think?”
Everyone followed his gaze and saw a woman standing in the middle of a group of cultivators like the bright moon among the stars. This woman looked quite young, about twenty-five or sixty-six years of age and seemed to be suffering from some kind of disease, her complexion somewhat pale and her build slightly thin.
If not for her current condition, she would definitely be a great beauty, but even so, seeing her in her frail condition, like a flower swaying in the wind and rain, still aroused great pity from others.
Seeing Jiang Chu He shifting everyone’s attention onto herself, this Young Lady Qin frowned and revealed a look of annoyance. The cultivators around her also glared at Jiang Chu He in dissatisfaction.
“Young Lady Qin? Young Lady Qin Yu from the Qin Family?” Exclamations rang out from the crowd, as if this Qin Yu was very famous.
“I heard that Young Lady Qin Yu is extremely well learnt, especially about the secrets of the ancient past. Could Young Lady Qin know something about this altar? If that is the case, and Young Lady Qin could enlighten all of us, this Jiang would be incredibly grateful,” Jiang Chu He smiled gently and asked, only causing the glares from Qin Yu and her guards to increase further.
Yang Kai’s brow also rose slightly as he suddenly understood what Jiang Chu He’s intentions were this time.
This guy obviously wanted to inquire about the situation of this altar.
However, if he were to simply ask Qin Yu on his own, she might not be willing to say anything, but by involving everyone here in this matter, he forced Qin Yu into a situation where even if she was reluctant, she had to comply.
No one wanted to become the target of public anger.
This Jiang Chu He looked like an upright and righteous man, but his methods… were quite despicable.
There were many other cultivators present who like Yang Kai understood the crux of this matter, but because it was related to their own interests, they didn’t speak up and instead turned to Qin Yu with interest.
“Yes, Young Lady Qin, if you know something about this altar, please enlighten us. If you can warn us about any potential dangers here, all of us friends will be exceptionally grateful!”
Under the attention of countless pairs of eyes, Qin Yu seemed a little uncomfortable, or perhaps the pressure here was simply too much, forcing her to cover her mouth with her handkerchief as she coughed.
“My Young Lady has been ill since childhood and is not accustomed to speaking too much; please do not make things difficult for her here!” Beside Qin Yu, a forty or fifty-year-old guard at the Third-Order Origin King Realm spoke coldly as he reluctantly cupped his fists.
Qin Yu, however, lifted her hand to him and said softly, “It’s fine. Since Young Master Jiang and all these friends wish for it so earnestly… This Mistress will share what she knows.”
It was impossible to tell what kind of disease she was afflicted with, but whatever it was, not only did it seem to limit the strength she could exert, it also seemed to be sapping her strength, a truly worrying condition.
However, when they heard that she was willing to address the situation about the altar, everyone couldn’t help gazing towards her expectantly.
“Young Lady Qin really has heard of this altar; this Jiang is sincerely impressed!” Jiang Chu He also beamed. He had previously just been trying his luck, but didn’t expect to actually be rewarded for his efforts.
On the one hand, he hoped Qin Yu would reveal everything she knew about this altar so that he could better take advantage of the situation, but on the other hand, he was worried that this information would also help his many competitors, causing Jiang Chu He to feel somewhat complicated.
“If this Mistress is not mistaken, this is the Soaring Dragon Altar…” Qin Yu slowly said as the surrounding cultivators all went silent. It was as if in the entire first layer of the Five-Coloured Treasure Pagoda, only Qin Yu’s existed, “With this altar, it is supposedly possible for a fish to leap over the Dragon Gate and soar into the skies to become a true Dragon!”
“This Soaring Dragon Altar… does not appear at any fixed interval or position. It may appear in the first, second, or possibly even fifth layer. Rumour has it that it has existed since ancient times, but even if those from Star Soul Palace enter here frequently, it is not easy for them to encounter the Soaring Dragon Altar.”
“In the records of the ancient books of Star Soul Palace, the Soaring Dragon Altar has appeared a total of eight times… With each appearance, some rare treasures will appear along with it. If one is able to obtain one of these treasures… perhaps, they really can leap over the Dragon Gate and cultivate to the Emperor Realm.”
“Leap over the Dragon Gate!”
“The Emperor Realm!”
Numerous cultivators whispered amongst each other, their eyes glowing hotly.
Most of the cultivators from Maplewood City could only be described as average. Although their strength wasn’t bad in the grand scheme of things, because they lacked powerful backgrounds and backing, rising above the Origin King Realm in their lifetime was as difficult as ascending to the Heavens.
However, Qin Yu’s words gave them hope, as if there was a road laid out before them, leading directly to the Emperor Realm!
After Qin Yu spoke, countless cultivators became even more anxious to begin.
Although they thought that the treasures on the altar were good from the start, none of them were certain and with so many others around, none dared to act too rashly for fear of bringing death to themselves.
But after listening to what Qin Yu said, everyone renewed their determination.
A chance to reach the Emperor Realm was enough for them to risk their lives.
However, some people remained calm and asked loudly, “Dare I ask Young Lady Qin if any dangers are associated with this Soaring Dragon Altar?”
“Dangers… most definitely, possibly life-threatening ones at that, but as for what specific dangers there are… This Mistress does not know; after all, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is Star Soul Palace’s supreme treasure, so not much is recorded in available ancient books. This Mistress is also entering this place for the first time, so…”
Hearing this, everyone showed disappointment.
Although many suspected Qin Yu knew more than she was telling, she had already revealed so much which could be considered a great benevolence, so if they were to try to force the matter, it would be tantamount to slapping the Qin Family’s face.
Almost everyone present lived in Maplewood City, so who would be willing to offend one of its most powerful families? If they did that, even if they could leave the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda safely, they would have to live their life in fear of the Qin Family coming to settle accounts with them.
“However… it is said that this Soaring Dragon Altar is an artifact refined from real dragon bones, so if one wants to get close to the Soaring Dragon Altar, they must at least be able to resist the Dragon Pressure of an Ancient Dragon,” Qin Yu continued for some unknown reason.
“Refined from Dragon Bone?”
“The Dragon Pressure of an Ancient Dragon?”
Many called out in alarm.
At that moment, a whooshing sound rang out from nearby, like something was cutting through the air at an extreme speed, shocking everyone and forcing them to circulate their strength as they vigilantly observed their surroundings.
The next moment though, someone exclaimed, “Shameless! Acting so sneakily!”
It seemed that when everyone’s attention was attracted by Qin Yu’s explanation about the Soaring Dragon Altar, the cultivators from some force had concealed themselves and quietly approached the Soaring Dragon Altar.
The Secret Technique these people used to conceal themselves was quite exquisite and no one noticed their actions.
If it were not for the sudden change in the Soaring Dragon Altar, these people might have actually been able to sneak away with all the treasures without anyone being the wiser.
But at this moment… these people were all exposed. There were not many of them, just five in total, all of them approaching from different directions towards the Soaring Dragon Altar.
Now though it seemed one of these people had triggered some kind of Spirit Array around the Soaring Dragon Altar and caused it to send out bolts of light towards them.
The group of five were caught off guard and two of them were killed on the spot, blood splashing out as their bodies were cut apart. The survivors knew that they had been exposed and had lost their chance, so they immediately stopped trying to conceal themselves and instead focused on defending against the incoming attack.
Fortunately, the Soaring Dragon Altar’s attack did not seem to be too strong, so after the remaining three were able to defend themselves without too much difficulty. Glancing around and seeing the looks on everyone else’s faces, these three exchanged a knowing look, grit their teeth, and rushed forward.
“Damn it, it’s the Ghost Step Sect!”
“This group of pitiful weaklings dares to covet my treasures; they must court death!”
“Those treasures are mine!”
Seeing a group already racing towards the Soaring Dragon Altar, the remaining cultivators no longer held back, and each used their own Movement Skills to rush up as well, everyone hoping to reach the Soaring Dragon Altar as soon as possible to seize the treasures there for themselves.
Jiang Chu He was amongst the fastest and with a flicker, he flew out several hundred metres in the blink of an eye as his gaze fixed on a certain Secret Art atop the Soaring Dragon Altar and waved his hand towards it.
At that moment, a rope-like artifact shot forward towards the Secret Art which was still a few hundred metres away.
“Young Master Jiang, you…” When someone saw this, they called out in shock.
“Hahahaha!” Jiang Chu He laughed, as if the Secret Art was already in his hands and he had cultivated it to perfection, reaching the peak of the world, his arrogance greatly inflated as he shouted, “Treasures belong to those who can seize them. This Secret Art… belongs to this Jiang.”
As soon as his voice fell, however, his smile stiffened as he stared at his rope artifact in a daze and muttered, “How could this be?”
His rope artifact had only extended about ten metres forward before it fell to the ground limply, as if it had lost all spirituality, and no matter how Jiang Chu He urged it, he could not make it respond.
Not only him, but other people who wanted to use their artifacts to obtain the treasures on the Soaring Dragon Altar all lost their connection with their artifacts at that moment.
While Jiang Chu He was in a state of shock, a huge pressure suddenly fell from the sky and forced him to the ground, planting his face in the dirt while sending up a big cloud of dust.
“Hahahaha, Young Master Jiang, your ability to bow your head all the way to the ground is quite exquisite. This one deeply admires your skill!” The previous cultivator laughed as he shot back Jiang Chu He, not forgetting to ridicule him before leaving.
“Damn it, I’ll remember you!” Jiang Chu He stood up from his humiliation and cursed.
Looking around, all the cultivators around who had wanted to fly over to the Soaring Dragon Altar found themselves in similar situations to his own, plummeting from the sky and landing in miserable poses.
This discovery made the bitterness in Jiang Chu He’s heart disperse greatly.
In an instant, everyone understood that if they wanted to obtain the treasures on this Soaring Dragon Altar, they would need to personally rush up and seize them.
However… this was definitely not an easy task.
The distance between the surrounding crowd and the altar was not much, so no one put it in their eyes at first, but as one got closer to the Soaring Dragon Altar, fierce and inexplicable coercion swept towards them. In the eyes of all cultivators present, the entire Soaring Dragon Altar seemed to transform into a giant Ancient Dragon that had opened its giant maw and was just waiting for its prey to leap inside.
Some of the cultivators who had weaker wills became dazed and froze on the spot, their eyes filling with fear as their bodies trembled violently.
Others, even if they were able to withstand the terrifying Dragon Pressure, were struggling simply to lift their feet, a far cry from the speed they had just shown.
“Young Lady, we…” On the other side, the Qin Family group was still huddled around Qin Yu. Under Qin Yu’s instructions, they had approached the Soaring Dragon Altar unhurriedly.
Qin Yu coughed lightly from time to time, with a completely composed expression on her face. On the contrary, the other Qin Family cultivators all looked extremely anxious, seemingly worried the others present would snatch all the benefits before they had a chance.
“Don’t panic!” Qin Yu finally took a breath and whispered, “The Soaring Dragon Altar… is not so easy to approach. Instead of rushing, we should take this opportunity… to feel the Dragon Pressure of an Ancient Dragon. This pressure has… a great effect when it comes to tempering oneself. If… in the future, you encounter a powerful foe, having this experience will allow you to maintain your composure.”
Although Qin Yu was only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, she seemed to have enormous prestige among this group of Qin Family guards, so when she spoke, all of them immediately calmed down, stilled their hearts, and focused their minds to use the surrounding Dragon Pressure to temper their wills while guarding their Young Lady.
Suddenly, Qin Yu’s brow furrowed as she turned towards a certain direction.
When she did, she met eyes with Yang Kai who flashed her a smile as he casually strolled forward.
“He is…” Qin Yu looked deeply at Yang Kai’s back and found to her surprise that, despite her innate ability to see through others, she could not do so with him.
He did not seem to have the slightest eagerness for the treasures on the Soaring Dragon Altar, and while everyone else was struggling with all their might, he acted as if he was taking a leisurely walk through his garden.
Qin Yu shook her head slightly, closed her eyes, and lowered her head. The next moment, when she raised her head up again, a profound light, like the brilliant stars in the night sky, flashed across her eyes.
At that exact moment, Yang Kai’s body went stiff, as if a gaze that was able to see through all of his secrets had been fixed onto him.
Turning his head back abruptly, he met eyes with Qin Yu once more.
The next instant, Qin Yu’s tender body trembled, and she began coughing violently.
“Young Lady!” The guards were shocked.
Qin Yu waved her hand lightly as she doubled over and covered her mouth with her silk handkerchief, coughing hard for a moment before gradually recovering.
“I’m fine,” Qin Yu gasped, but when she looked up again to where Yang Kai was before, she found that he had completely disappeared and let out a sigh.
“This woman is quite strange,” at the same time, Yang Kai, who had submerged himself into the crowd, frowned and muttered.
He had felt that this girl named Qin Yu was somehow extraordinary, but with the other party’s cultivation being just a trivial Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, he was unable to reconcile his instincts with reality.
But when Qin Yu looked at him just now, like she was peering into his very depths, Yang Kai could not help feeling chills up his spine.
“If it is not necessary, it would be best to have less contact with her in the future,” Yang Kai muttered as he made up his mind, fearing that his secret might inexplicably be leaked to her.
“Ahh!”
At that moment, a scream suddenly sounded.
A cultivator, who had been petrified in place by the Dragon Pressure for some time now let out a pitifully cry and shivered violently, like he was seeing something horrifying, and in a panic, his Qi began to riot, and he released several Secret Techniques into the air around him.
A moment later, with a resounding bang, this cultivator’s head exploded, releasing a great splash of red and white before his headless corpse fell miserably to the ground.
This shocked and terrified the nearby cultivators.
But things had not ended yet. Like a spark that lit a fuse, the death of this person set off a myriad of screams from different locations. The encounters of these cultivators were just like the first, seemingly falling into a nightmare, their strength fluctuating chaotically, launching random attacks, then having their heads explode.
“Dragon Pressure Suppression!” Someone in the crowd yelled in horror.
Everyone understood how these people were killed. Obviously, they were overwhelmed by the supreme Dragon Pressure here, causing a fault in their Souls which led to their death.
For a moment, some of the more timid and lower strength cultivators did not dare to advance and instead tried to turn around and retreat.
However, the moment these people stepped back, bursts of light rapidly shot out from the Soaring Dragon Altar towards them.
Everyone was shocked by this scene.
These lights were not shot out at random though and were actually targeted at the cultivators who were trying to flee.
In the blink of an eye, more than thirty more corpses littered the ground.
This sudden change caused everyone to freeze on the spot.
After a short silence though, someone suddenly shouted, “We can’t retreat! There’s a restriction here that will kill you if you try to withdraw! Everyone be careful!”
“Damn it, it’s a trap!”
“Damn Star Soul Palace…”
“I… what should I do?”
Many people here had low strength but had still coveted the treasures before them, but now that they found themselves in this predicament they began to blame and accuse Star Soul Palace for their misfortune.
In the current situation, if they moved forward, the Dragon Pressure they needed to resist would become fiercer, and the slightest carelessness could lead to their head exploding, an incredibly gruesome death. The few cultivators who had died just now were a perfect example of this. However, there was also no retreat from there as the thirty or so fresh corpses that had holes through their chests proved.
After realizing that they could neither advance nor retreat, many chose to simply stand in place.
However, not everyone was like this as there were still some who had real capabilities and confidence in their strength who continued to resist the Dragon Pressure as they walked towards the Soaring Dragon Altar step by step. These masters were focused on the dozen or so treasures before them, and despite the gruelling difficulty of each step forward, they only felt more and more joyful as they approached their goal.
Snatching wealth from the jaws of danger was a truth everyone understood well. Who among the cultivators here had not experienced many life or death crisis? As such, most had extremely strong determination.
What’s more, without even mentioning whether they could snatch those dozens or so unknown treasures, many cultivators still felt ecstatic just because of the benefits they gained from approaching the Soaring Dragon Altar.
Every step they took tempered their will, and under the supreme Dragon Pressure, many of the Origin Kings present even noticed that their Saint Qi was rapidly being transformed into Source Qi.
The conversion speed was far more than what taking Source Condensing Pills could achieve.
Yang Kai discovered this as well.
In truth, he was capable of completely ignoring the Dragon Pressure from Soaring Dragon Altar; after all, he possessed the Source of a Golden Divine Dragon in his body. Although the Soaring Dragon Altar was made from True Dragon Bones and could radiate intense Dragon Pressure, in front of Yang Kai’s Golden Divine Dragon Source, this paltry Dragon Pressure could play no role.
In ancient times, countless different clans belonged to the Dragon clan, but among these clans, bloodline suppression was obvious. The Golden Divine Dragon was of the highest status in the Dragon clan while, from the previous vision the Soaring Dragon Altar created, it was most likely refined from a Red Dragon’s bones.
Red Dragons primarily controlled Fire Attribute power.
The Golden Divine Dragon Source’s mere presence was sufficient to suppress the Dragon Pressure from the Soaring Dragon Altar, leaving a ten-metre radius around Yang Kai free from any kind of suppression.
When Yang Kai discovered this, his first thought was to immediately rush up to the altar and snatch everything for himself.
But after thinking about it carefully, he decided not to act rashly.
After all, there were still hundreds of Origin King Realm cultivators here. Even if Yang Kai could somehow escape from the encirclement of these Origin Kings, which was a questionable prospect at best, he would find himself in grave danger once he left the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda.
Once the people outside learned that he had obtained so many benefits from the Soaring Dragon Altar, he would become a public target.
An ordinary man is innocent, but treasures make him guilty. Yang Kai didn’t believe that those Dao Source Realm masters outside would not covet the treasures from the Soaring Dragon Altar. If he became the target of multiple Dao Source Realm masters, his future would become bleak.
And so, Yang Kai didn’t dare to reveal too exaggerated of a performance.
At this moment, he hid amongst the crowd while approaching the Soaring Dragon Altar step by step, relying on the Supreme Dragon Pressure to transform his Saint Qi into Source Qi while also leisurely observing the situations of the cultivators around him.
Not long after, many powerful Origin Kings were silently noted by Yang Kai.
These people were undoubtedly Masters who had fully transformed their Saint Qi into Source Qi, and when they were resisting the Dragon Pressure, they clearly had a much easier time than the others. This group was moving far faster than the rest and had created a noticeable gap between them and the others.
Yang Kai quickened his pace a bit while thinking in his mind how he should pack away all the treasures without getting caught.
Just as he was lost in thought though, a grating voice came from the side, “How dare you surpass this Young Lord, die!”
As soon as the word ‘die’ was left out, a palm print struck towards Yang Kai. This palm caused a howling and violent wind to burst form and seemed to contain great destructive power.
Yang Kai’s complexion instantly sank as he raised his own hand and palmed in response.
*Pa…*
With a light thump, the two violent palms collided with one another and released a powerful shockwave.
Yang Kai’s body shook slightly but he remained standing in place while on the contrary, his attacker gave out a shout as he was unable to resist Yang Kai’s blow and was on the verge of being blown away.
The man’s face changed drastically in the next instant, draining of all colour and blood.
After all, the cultivators that had tried to retreat earlier had all been shot through by the light beams the Soaring Dragon Altar shot out. He was not sure whether he would receive the same treatment if he was forced backwards.
If that really happened, he did not have confidence he could withstand the attack from the Soaring Dragon Altar.
Realizing this, he grit his teeth and actually forced himself into the ground like a wooden stake.
He would rather let the force from Yang Kai’s blow wreak havoc inside his body rather than be forced backwards.
*Pa pa pa…*
There was a series of popping sounds as this man’s face turned pale and blood began overflowing from his mouth and nose, turning his appearance hideous.
“Young Lord!” Someone shouted and hurried forward and pressed his hand against this half-buried man’s back, circulating his strength to resolve the last remnants of Yang Kai’s strike, allowing the half-buried man to finally stand firm.
Yang Kai finally looked back and saw a familiar face, grinning as he snickered, “So it is Young Master Jiang…”
The person who attacked him was surprisingly Jiang Chu He, who had riled up the crowd before.
When Yang Kai saw him for the first time, he felt this Jiang Chu He gave off a scholarly and upright aura, befitting his status as the Young Lord of a big family, but after watching him manipulate the crowd into pressuring Qin Yu, Yang Kai understood that this person was a sinister trickster who was both petty and manipulative.
In short, the type Yang Kai most despised!
Even just now, it seemed Jiang Chu He had only attacked him because Yang Kai had managed to overtake his progress.
“Who is Your Excellency?”
Jiang Chu He had suffered a big loss just now and nearly encountered a fatal disaster, so while he bore extreme hatred towards Yang Kai in his heart, he was equally fearful of him. He had never expected that he would be unable to even withstand a single move from another Origin King.
And in the situation just now, it was clear that the other party had only used a casual blow rather than his real strength. Didn’t that mean that if this was a life or death battle, he wouldn’t be able to resist at all?
[Is he some kind of monster?] Jiang Chu He felt a deep sense of fright.
Since when did Maplewood City have such a genius?
“Who am I?” Yang Kai grinned, “Young Master Jiang only needs to know there are some he cannot afford to offend.”
Seeing Yang Kai’s shameless boasting, Jiang Chu He flashed an unconvinced expression on his face, but after thinking about it, he realized that this young man might be from some outside great force. After all, Maplewood City currently had many masters gathered from around the Southern Territory.
Considering all this, Jiang Chu He’s expression turned solemn as he cupped his fists and said, “This Jiang previously committed an offence and asks Your Excellency not to take it to heart.”
“Seems you still have some sense. It’s fine, since it is your first offence, I will let it pass,” Yang Kai smiled coldly before turning around and ignoring Jiang Chu He as he walked off.
Jiang Chu He stared at his back, his face turning blue, then red while trying to suppress his own injuries and simultaneously resist the supreme Dragon Pressure in the air, making his situation quite difficult.
At the very back of the crowd, Qin Yu walked forward slowly, accompanied by her many guards. This couldn’t be helped as her strength was truly quite low here, so she was unable to advance as quickly as the others.
But it was precisely because of this that she was able to witness this scene just now.
“This person… What is his background?” Qin Yu frowned.
As a cultivator of Maplewood City, Qin Yu, naturally, knew what kind of strength Jiang Chu He possessed. Although Jiang Chu He’s aptitude wasn’t the best, he had the resources of the Jiang Family backing him, and after many years of cultivation, he had already reached the peak of the Third-Order Origin King Realm and fully transformed his Saint Qi into Source Qi.
In short, even if Jiang Chu He was not invincible in the Origin King Realm, he was not someone who could be injured with a single move from a cultivator in the same realm.
But someone had accomplished just that.
While this surprised Qin Yu, it also piqued her interest in Yang Kai.
“Young Lady, is there something about that man that is of interest?” When a guard saw Qin Yu staring at Yang Kai, he couldn’t help asking.
“Have any of you met this man before or know of his origins?” Qin Yu asked softly.
All the guards shook their heads, indicating they had never met Yang Kai before.
The guard who spoke earlier followed up, “If Young Lady wants to know, subordinates will make some inquiries after the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda closes.”
Qin Yu nodded, “Remember to just inquire, do not offend him.”
“Yes.”
…
Near the Soaring Dragon Altar, the gap between everyone’s strength gradually became clear as time passed. Although everyone here was basically an Origin King, and many had reached the Third-Order, those who were strong and those who were weak were quickly separated under the pressure of the Soaring Dragon Altar.
Those who had superior will, perseverance, and strength were able to approach closer faster.
The rest lagged behind.
For a time, hundreds of cultivators became divided into several rings with Soaring Dragon Altar as the core, all of whom were desperately trying to get closer to the centre.
In the first ring, there were roughly forty Third-Order Origin Kings who had only a small gap between each of them. It was foreseeable that if nothing happened, these forty masters would reach the Soaring Dragon Altar first. As for the second, third, and even further out rings, these people had no hope of obtaining anything.
However, these people did not dare to retreat, as that would be courting death, so they could only grit their teeth and march forward.
During this period, more and more cultivators died violently because they were unable to bear the intense Dragon Pressure. Within a radius of several hundred metres of the Soaring Dragon Altar, there were now a few hundred headless corpses littering the ground, making for a horrifying scene.
The thousand-metre region surrounding the Soaring Dragon Altar had become a burial ground for countless Origin Kings.
Half an hour later, the several dozen cultivators in the first group were now less than ten metres from the Soaring Dragon Altar!
At such a close distance, the dozen or so treasures on the altar could now be seen clearly, and regardless of what these people’s origins were, they couldn’t stop their breathing from becoming quicker.
However… with only a dozen or so treasures and forty or so cultivators in the lead group, it was impossible to split them evenly, and most people were destined to return empty-handed.
Everyone obviously knew this, so once they were ten metres from the Soaring Dragon Altar, everyone secretly began circulating their strength as their eyes darted about, hostility rapidly swelling up within all of them.
Suddenly, there was a sound of something breaking through the air as the surrounding World Energy turned chaotic. A golden arrow had been shot by someone and was now flying towards a certain burly figure.
“Damn it, I knew you were going to attack Father here since the beginning! Could you no longer hold back?” The burly man seemed to have been prepared long ago, so when he saw the enemy next to him attack, he immediately stretched out his hand and summoned a turquoise shield to protect his body.
*Peng…*
With a loud bang, although the golden arrow was quite powerful, it was still blocked successfully by the burly man.
Seeing this situation, the person who made the sneak attack could not help staring in a daze.
The burly man grinned fiercely as he withdrew his shield and then clenched his fists, Source Qi surging from his body as he punched out, “Tyrant King’s Holy Fist!”
This was obviously a powerful Secret Technique, and the moment it flew out, some faint traces of Principle Strength swirled around it. It was obvious from this scene that this burly man had already touched the threshold of the Dao Source Realm and perhaps was just one step away from breaking through.
From this fist wind, an aura that seemed to dominate and control the world lingered, causing the face of the cultivator who had previously attacked to pale. In a hurry, this man twisted his body whilst reaching out to summon a metre long sword into his hand at the same time.
With a flick of his wrist, Source Qi poured into this long sword and the man’s expression became solemn.
“Water Moon Mirror Flower!” Shouting, the man swung his sword in a half-circle, leaving behind a reflective afterglow.
The Tyrant King’s Holy Fist arrived in the next instant but was completely blocked by this sword light mirror.
The Origin King Realm Domains of these two, which had both reached the grand accomplishment stage, flared at the same time trying to suppress one another.
*Kacha…*
It seemed that even the surrounding space was unable to bear such a violent confrontation and small cracks began to appear in the next instant.
“Good, good, good! Finally someone decent!” Seeing this, the burly man not only was not surprised, he instead laughed and wore an even more rampant expression.
On the other hand, his opponent secretly grumbled bitterly, not having expected that the person he had just attacked at random in order to thin out the competition would actually be such a madman.
With no other choice, he could only grit his teeth and meet his enemy head-on.
Just as the battle between these two began, the forty or so cultivators in the lead group all took action, as if they had all negotiated to begin at this very moment.
However, these people did not rush towards the Soaring Dragon Altar but instead turned to attack the nearest cultivator.
All of a sudden, chaos broke out around the Soaring Dragon Altar.
Sneak attacks and counterattacks were launched one after another.
Often, a cultivator would start launching a sneak attack towards his or her target but was instead sneak attacked by another, forcing them to grit their teeth and turn to defend themselves.
Some fought alone, some fought in tangled melees, and some tried to evade fighting altogether…
These elite Origin Kings almost all belonged to Maplewood City, but they seemed to have become bitter enemies at this moment, and it was not long before the air was filled with the light of Martial Skills and artifacts.
The cultivators further back saw this scene and were stunned for a time…
But soon, many flashed looks of pleasant surprise, because this chaos meant that they still had a chance to obtain the treasures on the Soaring Dragon Altar! At the moment, they went all out to stimulate their strength and advance closer.
However, their thoughts were obviously naïve. The cultivators in the first group were indeed fighting amongst themselves, but if someone from the outer groups tried to approach, those from the lead group would give up their battle and jointly attack the newcomer.
It seemed that those in the first group only regarded themselves as real competitors, while all the latecomers were just a group of pitiful weaklings. How could such wastes be qualified to seize these precious treasures?
After twenty or so from the outer groups died, the cultivators from the second group finally understood the situation and did not dare to approach at will.
Yang Kai was actually just behind the cultivators in the second group and, when he saw this, he could not help frowning.
If he wanted to get close to the Soaring Dragon Altar now, he would need to no doubt become the target of the cultivators in the first group. But if he did not close the gap, he wouldn’t be able to obtain anything from the Soaring Dragon Altar.
As soon as he thought of this, he could not help shouting loudly, “Treasures belong to those who are destined for them! These cowards are far too overbearing trying to block our path! Friends, if you wish to leap over the Dragon Gate follow me!”
After riling up the crowd, Yang Kai set an example and rushed up first.
The cultivators in the second group were not willing to be blocked here in the first place, so when Yang Kai shouted out about the Dragon Gate, and they recalled what Qin Yu said before, all of them were filled with righteous indignation and responded to Yang Kai’s cry. Gathering in groups of three or five, they began charging forward with fierce determination.
“Brat, you’ve got a sharp tongue, you can die first!” Soon, the two masters in front of Yang Kai turned their attention to him.
These two masters had been fiercely fighting one another, but when they heard Yang Kai agitating the crowd, they both regarded him as a target.
Since the two of them could join the lead group, obviously they were elites in the Origin King Realm, and under their joint efforts, even if they could not defeat a Dao Source master, they were definitely able to overwhelm ordinary Origin Kings.
One person summoned a big axe and chopped towards Yang Kai, a brilliant glow radiating from the blade’s edge making it look like a giant meteor crashing to the ground.
The other person stretched out his hand and summoned a small bell into it. Swinging the bell, an invisible shockwave was sent out and rippled towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai wore a solemn expression as he didn’t dare act careless, pushing his strength madly as he stepped forward and summoned a big sabre into his hands.
Sending his Spiritual Energy into this sabre, he energized it and sent out an attack.
With a brilliant flash, the sabre silently sliced through his target’s Knowledge Sea Defences and crashed into his Knowledge Sea.
Within this person’s Knowledge Sea, a great storm surged and it seemed as if the ocean inside was being split in two. Massive waves surged up but instead of crashing down again, the waves strangely evaporated midair!
The Knowledge Sea was the source of a cultivator’s Soul, and if the seawater in one’s Knowledge Sea evaporated, their Soul would take corresponding damage.
This person reacted like he was struck by lightning, going stiff in place, his eyes filling with horror as he stared at Yang Kai in a daze, unable to open his mouth or even make any sound.
The next moment, this person’s head slumped, and he fell directly to the ground and died!
“What!?” The other man was shocked to see his previous opponent die just like that.
He knew how difficult his opponent was as the two of them had just fought. Neither side had been able to gain any advantage over the other, but now a random Origin King had killed him in one blow.
Origin Kings absolutely could not possess such strength, so the reason for this must be the sabre.
But… just what kind of artifact could have such prestige?
During this man’s momentary shock, Yang Kai’s figure flickered, dodged the attacks which had been sent out against him, and appeared right in front of his opponent while grinning widely and raising up the sabre in his hand again.
Only now did this man discover just how strange this sabre was. The blade was actually pitch black and seemed to be almost immaterial in quality. What’s more, it gave off an inexplicable force that seemed to pierce into his Soul.
It almost felt that if he stared at this blade long enough, his Soul would be sliced open. Feeling a stinging pain in his head, the man was awoken from his shock and hurriedly looked away.
Soul Splitting Sabre!
An Emperor Artifact which originally belonged to the Insect Emperor!
After Yang Kai killed the Insect Emperor that year, he found two Emperor Artifacts, one was the Insect Enslavement Bracelet, and the other was the Soul Splitting Sabre.
However, the powers of these two Emperor Artifacts were too great and Yang Kai was not strong enough to refine them at that time, so he could only set them aside temporarily. In several subsequent adventures, the Insect Enslavement Bracelet had been able to play some role. For example, Yang Kai had repelled a swarm of Illusory Void Butterflies in the Severed World, and below Blue Feather Sect’s Ice Cliff, he had stunned the Monster Insect Queen with it, allowing him to defeat it.
With these experiences, Yang Kai realized the importance of Emperor Artifacts and had started to refine the Soul Splitting Sabre in his spare time.
Although he had spent much energy and time on this project, Yang Kai was still unable to fully refine the Soul Splitting Sabre. Even if could use it now, the power he could extract was minimal compared to its potential. This was similar to the Annihilation Thunder Bead, which Yang Kai still could not fully utilize.
However… Emperor Artifacts were still Emperor Artifact in the end.
Even a trace of its true power was not something an Origin King Realm could resist.
This was especially true of the Soul Splitting Sabre as it was able to cut through Spiritual Energy, wounding the Soul while disregarding the physical body, making it extremely difficult to guard against.
The Soul Splitting Sabre seemed to be a Soul-type artifact, a treasure even rarer than defensive artifacts!
What’s more, Yang Kai’s Soul was extremely powerful, so after using the Soul Splitting Sabre against an Origin King, how could his opponent possibly defend against it?
After a single face-to-face encounter, the enemy’s Soul had shattered, and he had died on the spot.
Yang Kai had done this deliberately. Right now, the lead group’s cultivators seemed to have reached an unspoken consensus to prevent cultivators from the second group from approaching the Soaring Dragon Altar. If he wanted to deter his enemies, he could only use overwhelming force to kill a few of them.
By easily killing one, the others would be warned and no one would dare to stop him again.
Sure enough, after this first person died, his original opponent, who saw Yang Kai standing in front of him, raising the Soul Splitting Sabre again and releasing black light from its blade, instinctually backed away in horror.
This step backwards though… immediately triggered the Spirit Array arranged on the Soaring Dragon Altar.
A bolt of light suddenly lasered towards the man who had just stepped back from the Soaring Dragon Altar.
This man’s complexion changed drastically, and without even hesitating, he flew out at the fastest speed he could muster, a radiant glow bursting from his body as he tried to defend himself.
But no matter how fast he fled, he was not able to escape the Soaring Dragon Altar’s attack, and after just a single breath, the bolt of light pierced straight through his protective Source Qi like paper and opened a hole in his chest.
“Ah…” A partial scream rang out before the man fell to the ground with a thud, just like the cultivators who had been killed by these light beams before, his entire physique mangle to a miserable state.
Everyone around paled in horror.
After all, from the moment Yang Kai took action to when these two died, less than three breaths had passed.
In just three breaths of time, two peak Origin Kings from the lead group had been killed off. Regardless of what artifacts Yang Kai had used just now, this alone was enough to demonstrate his strength and methods.
In an instant, the look in the eyes of the cultivators near Yang Kai shrank as their expression filled with fear and horror. Intentionally or unconsciously, all of them began to distance themselves, clearly indicating they had no intention to be his enemy.
This effect was exactly what Yang Kai had expected, so he simply flicked his wrist, stored away the Soul Splitting Sabre and walked forward lightly, treating all the surrounding cultivators like air, an extremely arrogant display.
*Hou…*
Suddenly, a thunderous roar rang out from amongst the crowd, one that seemed like a cross between a dragon and a beast.
Everyone was surprised hearing this and turned their eyes towards the source of this sound, their expression stiffening the moment they did.
Because at that position, a man wearing what looked like a training outfit and seemed to be about thirty years old had used some kind of powerful Secret Technique that caused his entire body to glow crimson red, like a cooked prawn. What’s more, above this man’s head, there was now a phantom image of a fiery-red Flood Dragon.
This Flood Dragon phantom was almost corporeal in its existence and with its giant teeth and claws were incredibly intimidating. After making an appearance though, this Flood Dragon’s body flickered and dove into the body of the young man below.
The next moment, this man’s aura rose noticeably, and a faint trace of Dragon Pressure even began to radiate from his body.
“Duan Tian Ci! It’s Duan Tian Ci!”
Someone suddenly exclaimed.
“He’s the son of Sir City Lord?”
“I’ve heard that when he was young, he went out on an adventure and through a fortuitous encounter obtained the complete Soul of a Flood Dragon. Now, it seems the rumours were true. With the help of this Flood Dragon Soul, the pressure he’ll have to face will definitely be lowered.”
Many cultivators cried out in unwillingness while others just stared in envy.
Yang Kai also instantly understood the identity of this person.
It turned out to be Duan Tian Ci, the son of City Lord Duan Yuan Shan. The Flood Dragon phantom that had just appeared was obviously a Flood Dragon Soul he had acquired in his early years. Duan Tian Ci had used some kind of method to stimulate it to help him resist the powerful Dragon Pressure here.
Although Flood Dragons were not part of the Dragon Clan, they still had a trace of the authentic Dragons’ bloodline, so the soul of a Flood Dragon was naturally useful in resisting Dragon Pressure.
Duan Tian Ci was clearly a man who understood patience. He had hidden this advantage all along until he got close enough to the Soaring Dragon Altar. Obviously, he had been planning this since the beginning.
However… he was not the only one who had held back their trump card.
Just as Duan Tian Ci inspired his Flood Dragon Soul, another young man nearby let out a shout as a light cover that resembled a bell appeared around him.
The surrounding cultivator’s attacks landed on this bell, but this young man completely ignored them as he strode towards the Soaring Dragon Altar step by step.
None of those attacks were able to penetrate his defenses.
“It’s the Immovable Heavenly King Bell from Raging Fire Temple! He must be Zong Zi Jin from Raging Fire Temple!”
One of the cultivators present recognized the name of this cultivator and the artifact he used.
“The Dao Source Grade Mid-Rank defensive artifact, Immovable Heavenly King Bell?”
“That’s cheating! How are we supposed to fight that?”
Many Origin Kings protested.
Although Zong Zi Jin’s cultivation was not high enough to bring out the full power of the Immovable Heavenly King Bell, it was still a Dao Source Grade Mid-Rank defensive artifact, so no attack from an ordinary Origin King could scratch it. Only if a dozen people joined forces and used their full strength would they pose a threat to Zong Zi Jin.
As he walked forward, Zong Zi Jin turned his head to look at those who attacked him and sneered, “This Zong will remember each of you! When things are settled here, this Zong will definitely return your kindness!”
Hearing these words, many Origin Kings turned pale.
“Young Master Zong, this is a misunderstanding! This one had eyes but failed to recognize Young Master Zong, thus leading him to offend him. Please show mercy, Young Master Zong, if you had reported your name earlier, how could I have possibly attacked you?” An Origin King Realm hurriedly backed down, for fear that Zong Zi Jin would come to settle accounts with him afterwards.
“That’s right, Young Master Zong, as the saying goes, it’s better to make friends than enemies. Why must Young Master Zong be insistant?”
Zong Zi Jin sneered when he heard this groveling and without stopping, said faintly, “Fine, since it is all a misunderstanding, then I shall let this matter go, but… if anyone dares to harass this Young Master again, he will not be so forgiving.”
“We would not dare.”
“Young Master Zong is merciful!”
The cultivators were overjoyed.
Zong Zi Jin obviously knew this was not the time to get tangled up with these people. If he was stubborn and drew them into a fight, it would only benefit others in the end, so he backed down without much hesitation.
The only other person present who could compete with Duan Tian Ci and Zong Zi Jin now was Yang Kai.
Having already reached this point, he naturally circulated his Golden Divine Dragon Source slightly to resist the invisible Dragon Pressure, so in truth, he was the most at ease.
As the three of them moved forward, they exchanged glances and sparks could be seen flying.
Yang Kai secretly felt bitter at this moment, because unlike Duan Tian Ci and Zong Zi Jin, he had no backing and no background, so if he really used his full strength to sweep away the treasures on the Soaring Dragon Altar, he would definitely suffer public outrage.
As such, he was considering whether to let Duan Tian Ci and Zong Zi Jin start first and use them to share the pressure.
But soon, he rejected this idea because, no matter how many or how few treasures he took away, he would still be targeted. If that was the case, he should just go all out…
Just as Yang Kai made up his mind though, Duan Tian Ci suddenly formed a seal with his hands and caused his aura to soar.
He had not hesitated to use some kind of powerful Secret Technique to boost his strength at this last moment.
Immediately, he let out a loud laugh and crossed the last dozen metres or so, arriving at the Soaring Dragon Altar in one fell swoop!
Seeing this situation, Yang Kai’s heart clenched while Zong Zi Jin’s expression also changed, both of them gritting their teeth as they increased their speed.
“It’s all mine!” Duan Tian Ci laughed loudly as he stretched out his hand to grip a sword-like artifact.
This sword was undoubtedly among the best of the dozen or so treasures on the Soaring Dragon Altar, its whole body radiating a powerful glow that marked it as unordinary at a glance.
Duan Tian Ci was still a cautious man, though, so when he seized the sword artifact, he also raised his vigilance while circulating his strength, preparing for anything unexpected.
What surprised him though was that he was able to pick up the sword with great ease.
This result made him freeze for a moment, but it did not diminish his joy.
Just when he was about to stuff his first harvest into his Space Ring though, something unexpected happened.
As soon as the sword left the Soaring Dragon Altar, it actually flickered and transformed into a dead tree branch. Not only did it lose its original appearance, it also lost all its aura…
With a gust of wind, the dead branch broke into two pieces and fell to the ground.
Duan Tian Ci’s smile stiffened.
The expressions of the many cultivators who had been paying attention to him weren’t any better, filled with doubt, surprise, mockery, and incomprehension…
“It’s… it’s a fake?” After a moment, Duan Tian Ci roared unwillingly as he threw away the half of the dead branch in his hand and grabbed a hammer artifact.
The second artifact was taken out by him, and similarly to the first, it turned into an ordinary stone the moment it left the Soaring Dragon Altar.
“An illusion! It’s all an illusion! We’ve been deceived!”
Suddenly, a cry of unwillingness rang out from the crowd.
There was no need for this person’s reminder, though, as almost everyone present had figured out what was happening by now.
After all, Duan Tian Ci had picked up two artifacts in front of everyone’s eyes so there was no chance for him to falsify anything or swap the artifacts for fakes without someone noticing. As such, the only explanation was that the treasures on Soaring Dragon Altar were not real. Everything was an illusion that was powerful enough to deceive everyone present.
For a moment, the cultivators who had been struggling to move forward came to halt, unsure whether they should be laughing or crying.
No one thought that the final outcome would be like this.
The Soaring Dragon Altar, which all of them believed was their chance to leap over the Dragon Gate and soar into the Heavens, turned out to be a giant fraud.
Yang Kai was also stunned stupid.
The moment Duan Tian Ci used his Secret Technique to rush forward, Yang Kai had become quite anxious, but seeing the dramatic scene before him… he was caught quite unprepared.
Swiftly, his expression changed as he closed his eyes briefly before opening them once more.
With everyone’s focus elsewhere, no one noticed that Yang Kai ‘s left eye had turned golden.
The next moment, he rushed forward.
On the other side, Zong Zi Jin also ran up to the Soaring Dragon Altar, and after exchanging a glance with Duan Tian Ci, he began snatching up one ‘treasures’ after another from the Soaring Dragon Altar before tossing each one away.
The seemingly precious treasures and Secret Arts all turned out to be extremely ordinary things, of no use or value whatsoever. Many of these things, after being thrown to the ground, even fell apart and turned to dust the wind then blew away.
Soon, Yang Kai joined them.
Picking up a jade bottle, Yang Kai opened it and looked inside before angrily cursing and tossing it away.
Not long after, under the joint efforts of the trio, it turned out that nothing on the Soaring Dragon Altar was real.
“How could this be?” Duan Tian Ci still seemed unable to accept this ending as he kept muttering disappointedly.
“It seems… we’ve all been played for fools!” Zong Zi Jin laughed wryly at himself.