Hearing his words, Ling Yin Qin and her crew paled.
The two strongest Masters of the Solitary Void Sealed World were in front of them and about to come to blows, how could they not be scared? When Immortals fought, it was the mortals who would suffer the consequences! If these two started to fight here, everyone would become involved. At that time, Ice Heart Pavilion’s Pavilion Master wouldn’t have the time to worry about their safety, and a moment of carelessness would be enough to seal their fate.
Hearing Chi Ri’s threat, Bing Yun said coldly, “Chi Ri, although this Queen said that she doesn’t want you as an enemy, it isn’t because I’m afraid of you. If you keep being so forceful, this Queen will have no choice but to respond in kind.”
Chi Ri narrowed his eyes, his anger palpable.
He had known Bing Yun for many years, but it was the first time she had used this kind of tone when speaking to him. In the past, even if she was impatient, she wouldn’t make it too obvious. She was always as cold as ice and rarely revealed her emotions, but today, she was different. Her words were as sharp as a blade, and she didn’t seem to fear him at all.
This enraged Chi Ri, as he’d always had an edge over Bing Yun. Although their cultivations were almost identical, the same couldn’t be said for the resources at their disposal. For this reason, the difference between them kept increasing with time.
He felt that it was only a question of time before he subdued Bing Yun, making her his personal property, but now, that very same woman was rebelling! How could he not get angry?
“It seems you really want this King to seize you and drag you back!” Chi Ri’s face darkened as he decided that he would shatter Bing Yun’s spirit today, even if it meant getting injured. He wanted to let her know about the difference in strength between them.
“Yang Kai, take everyone and leave first,” Bing Yun didn’t talk nonsense and quietly instructed Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gently nodded, handing over the High-Rank Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills that he’d refined in the past few days as he whispered, “In that case, Junior will depart first and await Senior at the destination.”
He wasn’t worried about her safety as she’d already recovered to her peak thanks to the ten million High-Rank Source Crystals he had given her. Moreover, she had several High-Rank Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills with her. How could Chi Ri possibly defeat her?
Bing Yun couldn’t lose!
Yang Kai turned and winked at Ling Yin Qin and the others. At the same time, he made a few hand seals, urging the sea ship to move forward.
Chi Ri didn’t care about what Yang Kai and the others were planning, neither did he try to stop them, he simply stood mid-air, gazing at Bing Yun. As long as he could stop Bing Yun, he didn’t care if the others lived or died.
Emperor Pressure filled the area above the sea, looking almost tangible as it clashed, setting off terrifying storms. The surrounding World Principles began to warp under this pressure, causing the world to dim.
Pang Guang, who was behind Chi Ri, felt so much pressure that his face paled.
Although he was also in the Emperor Realm, he was much weaker than Chi Ri and Bing Yun. The two Masters hadn’t even started fighting, but the pressure that exuded from their bodies was enough to make Pang Guang feel unwell.
He was shocked to realize that the disparity between them was so big.
Since staying was useless, he raised his head and looked in the direction Yang Kai had left, his figure flickering as he prepared to give chase.
As he couldn’t intervene in the battle here, he decided to catch up to Yang Kai and settle their old score.
But before he could take action, Bing Yun pointed at him from afar.
Ice Principles were unleashed with the movement of her finger, shrouding Pang Guang’s body.
Pang Guang felt a gust of deadly air blow across his face, one so cold that it seemed capable of freezing even his Soul, instantly immobilizing him.
If he were at his peak, he might have been able to resist a bit, but now, with his wounds still yet to fully recover, there was no way he could escape from Bing Yun’s pressure.
In desperation, he loudly shouted, “Sir City Lord, save me!”
Chi Ri didn’t really care about him, but as soon as Bing Yun made her move, he instinctively swung his sleeve, sending out a wave of hot air, dispersing the bone-chilling cold.
Pang Guang instantly felt much better and hurried to circulate his strength, retreating more than a dozen kilometres as he gasped for breath, fear still lingering on his face.
“This King is in front of you, and yet you’ve the mind to take care of others? Don’t look down on me!” Chi Ri shouted.
Bing Yun’s pretty face darkened as she said in amazement, “You’ve been concealing your strength all along!”
Although he merely swung his sleeve, Bing Yun instantly became aware of this detail. Each time he fought with her over that cup of tea, he wasn’t using his full strength! Only now was he revealing his real strength.
At the same time, she rejoiced once again for meeting Yang Kai, her lucky star. He had given her ten million High-Rank Source Crystals all at once, which allowed her to recover her strength completely. If not for his help, there was no way their plan would have a chance at success.
“You also seem to have recovered your strength,” Chi Ri was likewise surprised. Today, he was planning to completely crush Bing Yun and make her submit, but now, it was unclear who would come out on top! After realizing this fact, Chi Ri’s expression became ugly.
But even if the two of them were surprised, they were still Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, with extraordinary mental fortitude, so they swiftly regained their composure.
Bing Yun looked past Chi Ri, fixing her gaze on the deathly pale Pang Guang. Her jade white hand gently grasped at the void in the next moment as a snow-white sword appeared in her hand. This sword was just like her – pure and flawless, like the most exquisite piece of art in the world, devoid of any kind of murderous aura.
With this sword in hand, Bing Yun’s momentum skyrocketed and she slashed at Pang Guang, “Clear Sky Snowfall!”
When she slashed out, the sky itself dimmed, as the Heavens and Earth inverted.
Ice Principles filled the surrounding area, quickly freezing the churning seawater.
Then, snow began falling!
Goose feather-sized snowflakes came pouring down, turning the whole world a magnificent white.
Pang Guang, who bore the brunt of the attack, wasn’t able to react as he blankly gazed at the beautiful scenery, completely immersed in it. He revealed an intoxicated expression, and even stretched out his hand to catch the snowflakes drifting in the wind.
His exposed skin and hair were quickly covered in frost, with the rest of his body rapidly turning into an ice statue.
“Grand Sun Covers The Sky!” Chi Ri bellowed and a dazzling sun appeared amidst the world of ice and snow. The unparalleled heat it brought dispersed the snow in the sky and melted the frozen sea.
Two powers of completely different nature clashed against one another on this stretch of sea a hundred kilometres in diametre, quickly cancelling each other out.
No clear winner emerged from this contest.
Pang Guang returned to his senses at that moment, and when he recalled the beautiful scenery just now, bean-sized beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and continually trickled down.
He understood that he’d been standing at the edge of the gates of hell, and if Chi Ri hadn’t helped him, he would now be dead!
The fact that a top Master like Bing Yun had sneak attacked him made Pang Guang angry; however, he understood why she’d done so. She was afraid that he would chase after Yang Kai and the others, so she made the first move to gain an advantage. Unfortunately, Chi Ri stopped her before she could succeed.
Seeing the situation, Pang Guang hurried to leave and chase after Yang Kai. This wasn’t a battle he could meddle in, and staying here was enough to put his life in danger. If he really got involved, he would die for sure.
The only thing he could do was to follow Yang Kai and the others in the hope of disrupting Bing Yun’s concentration.
Although he wasn’t Bing Yun’s match, he was more than capable of dealing with Yang Kai’s group. As long as he captured them, he could threaten Bing Yun with their lives and perhaps make her surrender.
If he made Chi Ri happy, he’d have a good life later.
“Do you think you can escape?” Seeing Pang Guang trying to flee, Bing Yun guessed what he was scheming, grit her teeth, and stabbed her sword out into the void.
A pure white ice flower shot towards Pang Guang from the tip of her sword. The ice flower bloomed midway, preparing to engulf Pang Guang.
Chi Ri’s figure flashed, appearing in front of the ice flower. Raising his fist, he violently punched, shattering the flower to pieces.
“Still trying to fight others while this King is here? You’re really looking down on me!” Chi Ri sneered.
Bing Yun furrowed her brow as she helplessly watched Pang Guang’s figure disappear. Fighting Chi Ri would require all of her attention; she didn’t have spare energy to deal with Pang Guang.
Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath, and in the next moment, her anxiety disappeared, replaced by calmness and strong determination.
She knew that she had to deal with Chi Ri if she wanted to chase after Pang Guang, and if she wanted to deal with Chi Ri, she couldn’t afford to hold back or get distracted.
Seeing Bing Yun’s change, Chi Ri was surprised; however, he didn’t show it and continued, “Bing Yun, all the people on that ship will die because of you. If you obediently surrender now, this King will treat you well in the future.”
The reason he mentioned Yang Kai and the others was to disrupt Bing Yun’s concentration.
However, Bing Yun remained unmoved, simply lifting her sword as the surrounding Ice Principles surged towards Chi Ri.
Chi Ri loudly roared. Despite his anger, he didn’t dare to take Bing Yun lightly, using all of his ability to battle her.
Two figures moved back and forth across the sea’s surface. Principles clashed, Heaven and Earth trembled, oceans flipped, and all the World Energy within ten thousand kilometres became chaotic.
Even if the Star Boundary was taken as a whole, it was rare to witness a battle to the death between two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters. What was even rarer was that their strengths were well matched, and the Principle Strengths and Divine Abilities they possessed mutually restrained one another. The battle was absolutely breathtaking.
Even Yang Kai’s group, who was far from the battlefield, could sense the terrifying energy fluctuations.
All of them wore expressions of shock while Fan Xin and the other disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion were deeply worried about their Honoured Master.
They only knew that she seemed to fear Chi Ri, oblivious to the fact that she had recovered to her peak. Now that the two had started fighting, they didn’t know who would come out on top.
“Someone’s coming,” Liu Xian Yun exclaimed while pointing in a certain direction.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, frowning, “How did she fail to stop him?”
In her current state, Bing Yun should’ve been able to kill Pang Guang right under Chi Ri’s nose; after all, he was only a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator and was heavily injured on top of that. He couldn’t possibly survive a single attack from Bing Yun.
Yet, Pang Guang was alive and kicking, heading in their direction as they spoke.
Yang Kai didn’t know what had happened on Bing Yun’s side, but the reality was that Pang Guang had managed to slip by.
It was no longer possible for their group to leave in peace. If they wanted to do so, they had to deal with Pang Guang first.
“It’s that Emperor Realm Master!” Seeing Pang Guang, Ling Yin Qin’s beautiful face turned pale. She didn’t know who Pang Guang was, but as he was following Chi Ri, he had to be an enemy.
The Emperor Realm and Dao Source Realm were worlds apart, and an Emperor Realm Master could easily destroy their ship.
After seeing Pang Guang, everyone turned to look at Yang Kai, wondering what countermeasures he had prepared.
At a glance, Ling Yin Qin and her crew were surprised as Yang Kai didn’t seem anxious at all, simply standing there calmly, a mocking smile on his face. It was as if he wasn’t facing an Emperor, but a piece of trash who was seeking his own death.
“You guys should leave first, I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” Yang Kai urged Ling Yin Qin and the others before turning around and flying off.
“Senior Brother!” Liu Xian Yun became anxious. She wanted to accompany Yang Kai, but was also afraid that she’d become a burden due to her low cultivation. She was in a dilemma.
“Senior Brother Yang, I’ll help you!” Ling Yin Qin said as she leapt forward. She was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and if she were to put her life on the line, she could exchange a few blows with a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. It was unknown what the outcome would be, but given the current situation, she was the only one here who could help Yang Kai.
“There is no need for you to intervene. I’ll deal with him by myself. A trivial First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator isn’t enough to give me trouble,” Yang Kai turned around, smiling at them.
Ling Yin Qin and the others were dumbfounded.
An Emperor Realm Master was just something ‘trivial’ in Yang Kai’s eyes?! Where did all his confidence come from?
“Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you soon.” Seeing that Ling Yin Qin and the others were no longer coming his way, Yang Kai grinned.
Then, he left the sea ship, and flew off to intercept Pang Guang.
Ling Yin Qin stood on the deck in a daze, but after a short moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and shouted, “Let’s go!”
“But Senior Brother…” Liu Xian Yun was so anxious that she was bordering on a panic attack.
Ling Yin Qin only spoke in a grave tone, however, “If we remain here, we’ll just distract him. Your Senior Brother is far stronger than an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator. Since he is this confident, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Hearing her words, Liu Xian Yun recalled something. When a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master chased after them outside of Marsh City, Yang Kai managed to run away while carrying her along.
If even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master couldn’t trouble him, what hope did a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator like Pang Guang have?
Considering all this, Liu Xian Yun relaxed. She turned and looked in Yang Kai’s direction, praying for his well-being before turning back and assisting Ling Yin Qin and the others to move the ship away from the battlefield.
Above the sea surface, Pang Guang suddenly stopped, the distance between him and Yang Kai about a couple dozen metres. He angrily stared at Yang Kai, and seeing the carefree smile on his mortal enemy’s face made him quite uncomfortable.
Becoming even angrier as time passed, Pang Guang roared, “Little brat, you actually had the gall to stay here and wait for this King!”
Yang Kai grinned, “Since City Lord Pang is trying to seek death with all his heart, I thought I’d give him a hand.
Hearing his words, Pang Guang laughed riotously, “Little brat, have you lost your mind? This King is an Emperor, killing you will be as easy as taking a breath!”
“What’s so great about the Emperor Realm?” Yang Kai curled his lips, “It’s not like Emperor Realm cultivators can’t die. If their heads are separated from their bodies, they’re as good as dead!”
Pang Guang was dumbfounded, sweeping his eyes over Yang Kai once more, re-examining him before nodding, “I have to admit that your courage is big, just like your tone.”
“Enough with this nonsense!” Yang Kai seemed impatient, “This Young Master is in a hurry.”
Flicking his wrist, he summoned the Myriads Sword and raised it up to point at Pang Guang, “You can either come here on your own or wait for this Young Master to come over and kill you. Choose whatever you prefer!”
“Waaah!” Pang Guang roared. He had never seen such an arrogant Dao Source Realm cultivator before. In the past, all the Dao Source cultivators he met were extremely respectful when dealing with him, none daring to even breathe without his permission. He was the one looking down on them. But today, the opposite happened.
Pang Guang seethed with rage, “If I don’t peel your skin off today, I am not surnamed Pang!”
After shouting, he shot toward Yang Kai, his momentum soaring as shockwaves spreading all around.
While in midair, he threw his fist toward Yang Kai. The fist’s shadow instantly filled the sky, locking onto Yang Kai’s figure.
*Zheng…*
A melodious sword cry echoed as a sword encased in light expanded out. Just like a dragon waking up from its slumber, bringing enormous power with it, causing Pang Guang’s body to tremble.
*Hong hong hong…*
The loud sound of explosions echoed as the huge fist shadow that filled the sky crumbled and a slash of light from the sword rushed towards Pang Guang.
“Zi…” Pang Guang gasped, his expression changing quickly. He moved his body sideways as the slash brushed past his flank, but the Sword Qi still caused his whole body to sting with pain.
[He… How can he be this powerful?]
Pang Guang couldn’t believe what had just happened. He, an Emperor Realm Master, had taken the initiative to attack; however, not only did he fail to gain any advantage over his opponent, he was even injured. Was this really the strength of a Dao Source Realm cultivator?
Pang Guang wished he could take his eyeballs out of his sockets and stick them to Yang Kai’s body to see if he was actually an Emperor Realm Master hiding his cultivation to toy with him.
While he was lost in thought, Yang Kai suddenly appeared in front of him, an evil smile on his face as he punched out.
Strange Principle Strength lingered on this fist, which made Pang Guang feel great pressure. He didn’t dare to be careless and threw a punch of his own, putting all of his strength behind it.
*Hong…*
When the two fists collided, Pang Guang’s whole body trembled as he felt a huge surge of power from the incoming attack, causing his blood to boil and his footing to become unstable. Reeling back from the blow, Pang Guang was forced to withdraw a thousand metres before managing to regain his footing.
Yang Kai also flew backwards like a broken piece of cloth. His realm was ultimately lower than Pang Guang’s, so it was commendable that their first clash ended in a draw.
*Chi…*
Both of them stimulated their Qi to disperse their momentum. Their expressions differed quite a bit at this time, with Yang Kai was still in high spirits but remaining calm, while Pang Guang’s cool was gone. He discovered that killing Yang Kai wouldn’t be as easy as he’d imagined. Yang Kai did truly qualify to exchange blows with him.
Things didn’t go like this when they fought in his cave mansion the last time. Although Pang Guang felt that Yang Kai was different from ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivators, he didn’t seem this outrageous. But now, just a few days later, Yang Kai’s strength seemed to have dramatically increased.
[Don’t tell me this is the effect of the Heavenly Restoration Lotus?] This thought suddenly flashed in Pang Guang’s mind.
This made him even angrier as that Heavenly Restoration Lotus should have been his! If he had gotten his hands on it, not only would he have recovered from his injuries, but he would have also advanced on his Martial Dao. Unfortunately for him, this little brat had swallowed the lotus flower whole.
“Let me tell you a secret!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly echoed beside Pang Guang’s ears.
Pang Guang was startled. Yang Kai was thousands of metres away just a moment ago, yet now he was standing right beside him. In that short instant, Pang Guang hadn’t even noticed him move!
[Just how fast is this brat!?]
As soon as he heard Yang Kai’s voice, Pang Guang summoned his Emperor Artifact, which took the shape of a copper gong. When he poured his Emperor Qi into it, the copper gong hummed and let out a strange noise that seemed capable of disrupting one’s concentration.
A pitch-black light shot from the copper gong, heading for Yang Kai’s waist. The speed of this beam of light was so great that it seemed impossible to dodge.
But even so, it did not catch Yang Kai off guard.
Pang Guang felt a fluctuation of Space Principles at that moment and witnessed Yang Kai disappearing from where he was standing. In the next instant, Yang Kai’s voice came from a different side, “Yao Chang Jun is dead!”
When he heard the name ‘Yao Chang Jun’, Pang Guang’s complexion changed and he subconsciously thought that Yao Chang Jun was nearby and didn’t even register the last part of the sentence at first.
After coming to his senses, he then blurted out, “How did he die?”
“Of course… I killed him!” Yang Kai laughed madly.
“Nonsense!” Pang Guang bellowed. He thought that Yang Kai was deceiving him. He’d rather believe that the Heavens and Earth had turned upside down than believe Yang Kai had killed Yao Chang Jun.
After all, the latter was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master! Even Pang Guang had to bow his head before such a Master. The mere thought of Yang Kai, who was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm brat, killing such a powerhouse was beyond preposterous.
“You don’t believe me? In that case, why don’t you take a look at this?” Yang Kai retreated a dozen or so metres and spun his wrist, summoning the Five-Coloured Spear into his hand.
Pang Guang opened his eyes wide as he gazed at the Five-Coloured Spear in shock. Then, he started shivering.
He had never seen this Five-Colour Spear before, but he could feel its majestic aura.
To have such an aura, it had to be an Emperor Grade High-Rank Artifact! Even his copper gong was inferior to it. Someone who possessed this kind of Emperor Artifact was definitely a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, but the most important thing was that he could feel Yao Chang Jun’s aura on this Five-Coloured Spear!
The Five-Coloured Spear was definitely Yao Chang Jun’s Emperor Artifact!
Emperor Artifacts were very rare, and even Emperor Realm Masters may not have one. Each of them was regarded as a treasure, and the owner wouldn’t easily part with it. Since his Emperor Artifact had appeared in Yang Kai’s hand, it meant that Yao Chang Jun had very likely fallen!
No wonder Pang Guang didn’t see Yao Chang Jun after coming to the Solitary Void Sealed World. He encountered Yang Kai, but not Yao Chang Jun. The reason was now clear… It wasn’t that Yao Chang Jun had been hiding too well, it was because he was no longer in this world!
However, Yang Kai was just a Dao Source Realm cultivator. How did he manage to kill Yao Chang Jun? And if he didn’t kill him, how did he get his hands on the Five-Coloured Spear?
Pang Guang looked at the Five-Coloured Spear in a daze. He was unable to determine if Yang Kai was telling the truth or not.
Just as he was lost in thought, he felt a chill from behind. This chill came out of nowhere, and by the time Pang Guang noticed it, it was too late to dodge the attack.
Light flashed, accompanied by what seemed to be a tiger’s roar. Pang Guang felt a sharp pain in his back, as well as an enormous force, which made him lose his balance. He was pushed forward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Before he could get a hold of himself, Yang Kai was already upon him, a wicked grin on his face. Yang Kai raised his hand and punched out, his fist covered in fluctuating Space Principle. Wherever this fist passed, black cracks were left behind, like space itself was being shattered.
Pang Guang gasped as he pushed his Emperor Qi madly into his copper gong to protect himself.
*Hong…*
With a loud explosion, light flickered wildly above the copper gong. From the looks of it, the Emperor Artifact’s spirituality had been damaged, which greatly pained Pang Guang.
However, it wasn’t the time to worry about his Emperor Artifact as Pang Guang’s face paled, borrowing the force behind Yang Kai’s attack to put some distance between them.
*Cila…*
A dangerous aura burst out alongside a muffled sound and the world seemed to flash as a bolt of lightning shot out from somewhere and accurately hit Pang Guang.
Pang Guang, an Emperor Realm Master, twitched nonstop after the bolt of lightning hit him. His hair stood on end, and the smell of burned flesh filled the air. He looked rather pitiful right now.
His expression seemed to crack as he forced himself to turn and look sideways, his eyes widening right after.
He saw an eight-year-old girl that looked like a piece of fine carved jade, her expression icy, holding a blue bead in her hand, riding a white tiger, staring coldly at him.
Whether it was the little girl or the white tiger, they seemed to appear out of nowhere. Pang Guang hadn’t sensed their presence at all, but it was now clear that the surprise attacks he suffered just now were this pair’s doing.
What surprised him the most was that the blue bead in the little girl’s hand was a Thunder Attribute Emperor Artifact! Perhaps because her cultivation wasn’t high enough, the little girl’s face was pale right now. It seemed she’d consumed a lot of energy to use this Emperor Artifact.
[What the hell is going on?] Pang Guang couldn’t make sense of the situation. Everything happening before his eyes was unbelievable.
At this time, someone shouted, “Pang Guang, this place is going to be your burial ground. Just hurry up and die!”
Pang Guang was startled; he no longer dared to underestimate Yang Kai. Although he came here with the intent of settling their old debts, he didn’t expect to end up half-dead before even touching his enemy.
What’s more, the tiger-like Monster Beast gave off a Twelfth-Order aura, meaning it was on par with an Emperor Realm cultivator, not something he could deal with right now. As if that wasn’t enough, there was also Yang Kai nearby, looking at him menacingly. Pang Guang’s current situation was utterly hopeless!
Had he known earlier, he would have never come here. Staying behind and cheering on Chi Ri would’ve been better!
Filled with regret, Pang Guang turned around, ready to flee.
“Solidify!” Yang Kai shouted as he saw through his intentions. Space Principles converged, solidifying the surrounding space, making it difficult for Pang Guang to move.
This slight delay was enough to decide his fate.
The White Tiger turned into a beam of light under Liu Yan’s command, appearing beside Pang Guang, opening its bloody mouth and biting his neck.
Pang Guang was scared out of his wits as he pushed his Emperor Qi to protect his neck from being snapped into two halves. At the same time, he started to struggle in an attempt to free himself from the White Tiger’s maw.
“Get in here!” Yang Kai smiled coldly as he threw the Sealed World Bead in his hand at Pang Guang.
Pang Guang, the White Tiger, and Liu Yan were all sucked inside. In the next moment, Yang Kai also entered the Small Sealed World.
Somewhere in the Small Sealed World, Pang Guang used all of his strength and even burned his Blood Essence to shake off the White Tiger, but when he turned around, he was stunned.
The sea was nowhere to be seen. All around him was lush vegetation, singing birds, the fragrance of flowers, and rich World Energy. This place seemed to be a paradise.
[Am I already dead? Is this the next life?] Sweat dripped from Pang Guang’s forehead.
Luckily, he saw Yang Kai, which calmed him down.
With everything he went through earlier, on top of his previous injuries which had yet to heal, Pang Guang was in a rather sorry state at this moment. He’d long lost the demeanor of an Emperor Realm Master.
Yang Kai sneered as he stared at Pang Guang as if he was looking at a dead man.
Pang Guang’s eyes darted around, looking shaken as he muttered, “What is this damned place?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Of course, this is your grave. Aren’t you moved by this Young Master’s kindness? I chose such a wonderful place to bury you. Others can only dream of having such an opportunity. City Lord Pang, it seems your ancestors’ good deeds have paid off.”
[Paid off, your sister!] Pang Guang cursed inwardly. He was so angry that his stomach started to hurt; however, he didn’t dare to curse out loud.
He still continued to talk tough, though, “If you want to kill me, you’ll have to show some skills first!”
He then looked at the White Tiger, his expression was one of worry.
He wasn’t really scared of Yang Kai. The one that worried him the most was this White Tiger which gave off a Twelfth-Order aura. He still wasn’t sure what this thing was as although it seemed to be a Monster Beast, he couldn’t feel any vitality from it. It looked like a lifeless object, yet it was so lifelike.
Yang Kai laughed, “Now that you’re here, your life is in this Young Master’s hands. If I want you to live, you’ll live. If I want you to die, you’ll die.”
“You’re speaking as if you’re the ruler of this world! Boy, be careful not to get ahead of yourself!” Pang Guang said disdainfully.
Yang Kai snorted, “You said it right. In this place, I’m the absolute ruler!”
He then stretched out his hand, palming at Pang Guang from afar.
Pang Guang didn’t see him use any Secret Technique, nor did he sense any energy fluctuations, yet when Yang Kai palmed down, Pang Guang felt a huge pressure come from above. All the bones in his body crackled as he was pushed downward.
Pang Guang exclaimed in shock, “You can actually mobilize the World Force here?! That’s impossible!”
Not even the Ten Great Emperors could make use of World Force so easily! There should not be anyone capable of controlling this power in this world. Yet, Yang Kai was able to do just that. After the World Force struck his body, Pang Guang could barely lift a finger.
Pang Guang’s eyes trembled as he was absolutely terrified. Under this huge pressure, he couldn’t move at all, feeling like his body was about to be smashed to pieces.
He wanted to resist, but he couldn’t muster his strength.
“Don’t kill him. Give him to me.” A booming voice echoed, causing Pang Guang’s eardrums to tingle.
Still in a daze, he raised his head and looked in the voice’s direction. In the next moment, his heart skipped a beat.
A colossal, human-shaped stone giant was sitting cross-legged not too far from him, its eyes, which were bigger than a house, staring at him with great interest.
The voice just now belonged to this stone giant.
Even the soles of Pang Guang’s feet twitched. Earlier, he mistook this stone giant for a hill, but little did he expect that it was actually alive and could even speak!
Moreover, the stone giant looked at him like a hungry wolf, its expression instilling great fear in Pang Guang.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he gazed at his Embodiment, “You want to do that? Isn’t that a bit too cruel?”
Embodiment grinned, “I have to once in a while! You killed so many Emperor Realm cultivators, yet you sent none here. Since I managed to bump into one, I can’t just let him get away!”
Yang Kai pondered, then nodded, “All right, let’s do it your way.”
He looked at Pang Guang with some pity before disappearing, leaving the Small Sealed World.
“Where are you going?! What were you talking about just now?!” Pang Guang shouted. For some reason, he felt very uncomfortable, as if what was about to happen was something worse than death, causing his face to lose all colour.
He didn’t know what this stone giant wanted to do, but judging from Yang Kai’s words and the last gaze he gave him before leaving, it was obviously nothing good.
While he was panicking, he noticed that the light above his head was blocked. Turning his eyes up with difficulty, he saw a giant palm coming down on him. Pang Guang bellowed, “Stop, get away from me!”
The Embodiment ignored him, simply grabbing him and lifting him up, dropping him in his other palm before saying in a low voice, “Close your eyes. Children shouldn’t look, or they’ll be traumatized.”
Pang Guang, “…”
The Embodiment continued in a low voice, his expression solemn, “Heaven Devouring… Battle Law!”
As the ship kept moving at a fast pace alongside the sea surface, Liu Xian Yun and the others stood on the deck, looking into the distance with worried expressions.
Suddenly, Ling Yin Qin saw something and pointed in a certain direction, “There’s someone over there!”
Hearing this, Liu Xian Yun, Fan Xin, and the others steadied themselves and also looked in that direction. Sure enough, there was a beam of light over there, and it was moving towards them.
“Prepare for the worse. Be ready to fight!” Ling Yin Qin shouted. After her order, everyone focused and started to circulate their Source Qi.
If the one coming over was Yang Kai, it would be perfect, but if it was Pang Guang, they’d have to fight with everything they had.
Soon, the beam of light was close enough for them to see clearly and Liu Xian exclaimed happily, “It’s Senior Brother! It’s Senior Brother!”
When she saw that the one amidst the light was Yang Kai, she felt as if a huge stone was lifted off her chest.
As soon as Yang Kai landed on the deck, everyone hurried to greet him, their expressions joyful. Liu Xian Yun sized him up from head to toe, afraid that he might be hurt.
At first glance, Yang Kai didn’t seem to be injured. In fact, he was glowing with health and vigour, which made everyone feel slightly at a loss.
Earlier, he’d stayed behind to fight Pang Guang, who was an Emperor Realm Master. Even if he managed to escape, his condition shouldn’t be this good, right?
“What about Pang Guang?” Ling Yin Qin asked in confusion. At the same time, she glanced in the direction Yang Kai had come from, afraid that Pang Guang would come after them again.
Yang Kai grinned, “Don’t worry. He’s dead.”
“Dead?” Ling Yin Qin opened her eyes wide as she blurted out, “How did he die?”
Then, she realized that was a silly question. Yang Kai had stayed behind to fight Pang Guang; since he was here, and Pang Guang was not, it was pretty obvious what had happened. Yang Kai had killed him!
As she came to this conclusion, she was thoroughly shocked.
Although she’d previously seen Yang Kai kill other cultivators in the Dao Source Realm very easily, she did not expect that he could also kill someone in the Emperor Realm. What kind of Heaven-defying Secret Art or Secret Technique was he cultivating? What kind of artifact did he have that allowed him to accomplish such a thing?
Yang Kai explained, “That guy was already seriously injured and far from his peak condition. He overestimated himself and died as a result.”
Hearing his explanation, Ling Yin Qin heaved a sigh of relief. It turned out that Pang Guang was already injured! This made much more sense because Yang Kai slaying an Emperor Realm Master in peak condition was simply too strange.
Still, she had no choice but to acknowledge Yang Kai’s incredible strength. An injured Emperor Realm Master was still an Emperor Realm Master. As the saying went, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. The fact that Yang Kai managed to kill Pang Guang made him the greatest Dao Source Realm cultivator she had ever seen.
“Alchemist Yang, what about my Honoured Master?” Fan Xin asked, filled with worry, “Do you know what has happened on her side?”
Yang Kai glanced at Fan Xin and tried to console her, “You don’t need to worry about Senior Bing Yun, she will be fine. Let’s continue with our journey. Senior Bing Yun will catch up with us when she’s finished with her business.”
Seeing him so confident, Fan Xin and the other disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion calmed down. They now felt that their Honoured Master would be able to deal with Chi Ri without too many problems.
Everyone returned to the cabin, and the trip continued.
The next few days passed peacefully, and nothing major happened. They did encounter some Sea Beasts with poor judgement, but with Yang Kai’s help, these beasts were easily dispatched.
At this time, they were very far from Clear Sky Island, already in the depths of the Solitary Void Sea.
Yet, even after all this time, Bing Yun was nowhere to be seen.
Fan Xin and the others became anxious once again, wondering what might have happened to their Honoured Master.
Yang Kai was also puzzled. Bing Yun had recovered to her peak, and she had several High-Rank Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills he’d refined for her, so it should be impossible for her to lose to Chi Ri.
He thought that Bing Yun would make Chi Ri retreat fairly quickly, and then converge with them, but things didn’t seem to be going according to his predictions.
Chi Ri turned out to be tougher than he’d expected!
Yang Kai already knew the location of the exit to this Sealed World thanks to Bing Yun. Therefore, even if the latter didn’t return, he could leave this place with the others; however, Bing Yun was the Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley, and they came from the same Star Field, so there was a certain amount of fate between them and Yang Kai didn’t want to leave her behind if possible. He hoped to return to the Star Boundary together with her.
These past few days, he’d been standing on the deck both to guard against the Sea Beasts’ surprise attacks and to spot Bing Yun at the quickest time.
But after five days, Yang Kai still hadn’t caught sight of her.
Later on the fifth day, he was standing on the deck and looking into the distance when Fan Xin rushed out of the cabin, “Alchemist Yang!”
“What’s the matter?” Seeing her worried expression, Yang Kai was startled. He didn’t know what might have caused her to be this flustered.
Fan Xin said in a hurry, “Honoured Master sent a distress signal. She’s in trouble!”
She then gave a communication artifact to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he grabbed the artifact and swept it with his Divine Sense. After confirming the information Fan Xin gave him, he turned around and flew out, “I’ll go meet her!”
Space Principles fluctuated and Yang Kai’s body quickly teleported away.
Fan Xin wanted to go with him, but Yang Kai was gone before she could even open her mouth to speak.
Three thousand kilometres away from the ship, a dim beam of light was flying over the sea. The light was flickering, as if it could go out at any moment. Shrouded in this light was the silhouette of a young woman. It was none other than Bing Yun.
At this time, she looked quite pitiful, her pure white clothes dyed red with blood, and her face was as pale as a sheet of paper. The Qi in her body was flowing chaotically. She was clearly a lamp that was running out of oil.
A Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like her would very rarely encounter such a dangerous situation. In fact, she’d never been injured so heavily ever since reaching the Emperor Realm. As she was in the middle of the sea, there was no place where she could stop to rest. The Sea Beasts below had even been attracted by the smell of blood and were chasing after her relentlessly.
As time passed by, more and more Sea Beasts gathered.
Bing Yun tried to hold on and pushed herself to move forward, but when she noticed that she was reaching her limit, she sent a distress signal to her disciples.
As the last wisp of energy left her body, Bing Yun gazed into the distance, her heart filled with desolation.
After leaving Heng Luo Star Field and arriving in the Star Boundary, she had cultivated diligently, eventually reaching the Third-Order Emperor Realm, but now it seemed she was going to become food for the fishes. Dying like this was truly unsightly.
But even at this critical moment, she hadn’t lost her calm and wasn’t flustered in the slightest. It was as if what she was facing wasn’t death but the journey of life.
The flickering light around her finally died out and Bing Yun no longer had the strength to move forward, her body gently swaying as it fell towards the sea head-first.
Down below, the Sea Beasts that had been chasing after her all this time noticed their prey’s condition and started to seethe with enthusiasm, opening their huge mouths and waiting for their meal to fall down.
Just as Bing Yun was about to fall into the jaws of a Sea Beast, a figure appeared beside her, catching her and flying away.
Yang Kai needed but a glance to see that Bing Yun was in terrible shape. Whatever part of her body he touched was ice-cold and soaked with blood.
He frowned, “How is this possible?”
He didn’t expect that Bing Yun would end up in such a state after her fight with Chi Ri. He wasn’t sure if Chi Ri was dead or alive, but if Bing Yun was reduced to such a state, Chi Ri couldn’t possibly have fared any better. Even if he was alive, he shouldn’t have the strength to pursue them.
While in Yang Kai’s arms, Bing Yun weakly opened her eyes and glanced at him. She seemed to have realized that Yang Kai had saved her and shot him a grateful look while saying weakly, “I want to treat my wounds. Bring me back with you.”
Her voice was extremely weak, and Yang Kai wouldn’t have heard her if they weren’t so close.
“Senior, don’t worry, just focus on recovering.” Yang Kai nodded, his expression serious. Then, he noticed that Bing Yun had closed her beautiful eyes and fallen unconscious.
He frowned and headed in the ship’s direction, reaching it a few minutes later.
Fan Xin and the others had been waiting on the deck, filled with worry. When they saw the unconscious Bing Yun in Yang Kai’s arms, they fell into a panic.
Yang hurried to speak, “Senior’s life isn’t in danger, she’s just very weak. I gave her some pills to treat her wounds already. Junior Sister Fan, bring Senior to the cabin and take care of her.”
“Yes!” Fan Xin didn’t offer any objections or ask any questions. At this time, she was ready to follow his every order. After carefully taking Bing Yun from Yang Kai’s arms, she hurried to bring her to the cabin with the other disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion.
When they left, Ling Yin Qin stepped forward and asked, “What about Chi Ri? Do you know his current situation?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I didn’t see him, but if Senior Bing Yun was reduced to this state, Chi Ri isn’t going to be in better shape. Don’t worry, he won’t be able to chase after us.”
Hearing this, Ling Yin Qin heaved a sigh of relief.
If Chi Ri were to come after them, none of the people aboard would be able to stop him. Even if Yang Kai had killed Pang Guang, he wouldn’t stand a chance against Chi Ri; after all, Chi Ri was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master!
The ship continued its journey. Due to Bing Yun being seriously wounded, everyone was in low spirits. The disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion didn’t leave the ship’s cabin for the next few days as they were busy tending to Bing Yun.
Yang Kai didn’t go to disturb them as Bing Yun’s recovery was likely at a critical moment. As she was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, she definitely had some profound methods to treat her wounds. There was no need for him to worry.
Three days later, Bing Yun regained consciousness. The first thing she did was to ask Fan Xin to call Yang Kai over.
Yang Kai knocked on the door and entered the side room. Bing Yun sat cross-legged on the bed, her face still pale. She’d spent three days adjusting her breathing and treating her wounds, so her condition was much better than before, but she still needed some time to completely recover.
Seeing Yang Kai, she smiled lightly and beckoned with her hand, “Come here.”
Yang Kai arrived beside the bed and asked with concern, “Senior, how do you feel?”
“I’m fine, but I’ll need some time to recover. This time, I must really thank you.”
If not for Yang Kai coming over at the right time, she would have become food for the fishes, which definitely wasn’t how she wanted to die. A Master like her would rather die at the hands of another Master than becoming food for Sea Beasts.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Senior was able to come back safely by relying on her own strength. I didn’t do anything.”
After a short moment, he asked nervously, “Is Chi Ri still alive?”
Bing Yun said calmly, “He’s dead.”
Despite already knowing that Chi Ri wouldn’t be in better shape than Bing Yun, Yang Kai still sighed in relief when he heard the news of the former’s death. With Chi Ri dead, no one could stop them from leaving the Solitary Void World. The only obstacle now were the dangers hidden in the sea. As long as they could get past these obstacles, they would reach the exit.
“Those Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills you refined for me are the reason I won this fight,” Bing Yun shot him a grateful look, “When Chi Ri revealed his real strength, we were equally matched. If not for your pills, which allowed me to recover my energy, I wouldn’t have been able to cut him down at the critical moment. Thank you.”
These words of gratitude came from the bottom of her heart.
Yang Kai was surprised. He didn’t expect that the Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills he refined would decide the outcome of the battle. Back then, he refined those pills just to be on the safe side. In hindsight, it was a really wise move! Without the pills, it wasn’t guaranteed that Bing Yun could come back, and even if she did manage to kill Chi Ri, she would likely have had to perish together with him.
“For the next few days, I won’t be able to use my strength as I want to avoid leaving hidden dangers in my body. You’ll have to be a little more careful for the rest of the trip. Unless there’s really no alternative, I won’t be taking action,” Bing Yun said sternly.
Yang Kai nodded, “Senior, you can treat your wounds with peace of mind. I’ll make sure to bring everyone out safely.”
A smile appeared on Bing Yun’s pale face, “You are really reliable. I’ll be waiting for good news then.”
As Bing Yun had to treat her wounds still, Yang Kai didn’t linger for long. After chatting for a while, he excused himself.
Two days later, magnificent waterspouts appeared on the sea’s surface and Yang Kai summoned the Sea King Shuttle, moving everyone into it.
If they wanted to leave the Solitary Void Sealed World, the Sea King Shuttle was the only way. Without it, they wouldn’t be able to reach the exit.
Yang Kai had already refined the Sea King Shuttle, memorizing how to use its barriers and Spirit Arrays; therefore, they had no problem navigating.
Unlike the ship they were on before, the Sea King Shuttle traveled underwater, which was also how it avoided the powerful waterspouts on the surface.
Its speed wasn’t slow, either. In fact, it was slightly faster than the sea ship Yang Kai used earlier.
Sang De’s nameless Master was very attentive when refining this Sea King Shuttle; he’d engraved countless useful Spirit Arrays on it, so even if they were below the sea, they could easily sail forward. The people in the shuttle could also see the beautiful scenery outside, but as there wasn’t much light underwater, they couldn’t see too far.
The multi-coloured schools of fish and the big and small Sea Beasts shuttling back and forth amazed the people on board for the next few days. Although Ling Yin Qin and her crew would visit the sea all year round, it was their first time seeing the scenery underwater like this, so they were also looking with great interest.
They encountered no turbulence along the way, and the Sea Beasts that came to cause trouble once in a while were repelled by the Crystal Cannon installed on the Sea King Shuttle. The cannon’s power was huge, but so was its consumption of energy. Firing one round consumed ten thousand Mid-Rank Source Crystals. Luckily, Yang Kai didn’t lack Source Crystals, which allowed Jiao Yi, the one in charge of operating the cannon, to fire as much as he wanted. All the Sea Beasts that dared to approach were repelled, and those that were too weak were directly turned into minced meat; not even their bone’s remained intact. Even the strong ones were forced to run with their tails between their legs, none of them was able to get close to the Sea King Shuttle.
Everyone was in high spirits since the trip was proceeding well.
After navigating underwater for a month, no one knew how far they’d travelled; however, they had yet to reach the exit. The people on board couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.
One day, while revising the route, Yang Kai heard a crack. Startled, he released his Divine Sense to investigate.
Ling Yin Qin’s expression also changed as she asked in a hurry, “Senior Brother Yang, did the Sea King Shuttle just break? Why did I hear that sound?”
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “There’s a crack in the hull.”
Ling Yin Qin was startled, “What do we do now? If the Sea King Shuttle collapses, we’ll have nowhere to escape!”
They were deep in the sea, and if the Sea King Shuttle broke, they could forget about reaching the surface. Even if they did manage to reach the surface, the countless powerful waterspouts would rip them apart, turning this place into their graves. Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master couldn’t get past this barrier, let alone mere Dao Source Realm cultivators like them.
“Don’t worry, the shuttle can still hold on for a while longer,” Yang Kai comforted Ling Yin Qin, but deep down, he didn’t feel so confident. He hadn’t built this Sea King Shuttle, so he wasn’t sure how long it could last.
“How far are we from the exit?” Ling Yin Qin asked.
“I’m not sure, but we should be close,” Yang Kai pointed at the projections formed by the Spirit Arrays in the cabin and said, “The number of Sea Beasts started to decrease yesterday, and in the last two hours, I didn’t see a single one. In addition, the pressure around us is getting stronger and stronger. There’s an abnormal current that is converging somewhere, so as long as we follow that current, we should reach the exit.”
Ling Yin Qin looked at him, “How confident are you?”
“Around seventy percent!” Yang Kai said solemnly.
Ling Yin Qin gently nodded, no longer asking any questions. She knew that it was pointless to continue with this discussion. The only thing they could do now was to pray that the Sea King Shuttle wouldn’t break until they’d reached the exit.
After listening to their conversation, the others also realized the gravity of the situation. The atmosphere in the shuttle changed, and everyone became anxious as they started to pray in their hearts.
Yang Kai operated the Sea King Shuttle and made it change direction to follow the current.
Half a day later, another crackle echoed somewhere in the shuttle, causing everyone to become even more uneasy.
As the Sea King Shuttle moved forward, the water current around them became more and more violent while the outside pressure increased as well, causing the ship to creak nonstop.
Yang Kai’s mind was connected to the Sea King Shuttle, so he knew that the vehicle was suffering more and more damage and it would last half a day at most before getting destroyed. He cursed Sang De’s Master in his heart. That old bastard didn’t put in enough effort when refining this ship, producing a defective product that might just doom them!
However, there was no turning back now so Yang Kai could only concentrate and make the Sea King Shuttle advance at full speed.
Almost half a day later, Yang Kai was closely watching the water flow around them when he suddenly shook. Staring at the projection created by an outside observation Spirit Array, he exclaimed, “We’ve arrived!”
Hearing his words, everyone followed his eyes and looked at the projection. There, in the depths of the sea, they saw a giant vortex spinning rapidly. The vortex seemed capable of devouring the Heavens and Earth, and just looking at it was enough to make them feel as if they were suffocating. If they really rushed into this vortex, perhaps not even their bones would be left intact.
“Senior Brother Yang… is that really the exit?” Ling Yin Qin’s pretty face paled as she gulped.
Yang Kai didn’t reply but turned to look at Bing Yun, who had come here after hearing the news.
Bing Yun nodded, “That’s the exit. As long as we can enter, we can leave the Solitary Void Sealed World.
Seeing her brimming with confidence, all the onlookers were freed from their worries. Even if they didn’t know where she’d gotten this information, she was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, and it was unlikely that she would deceive them.
“I can feel Space Principle fluctuations coming from within that vortex,” Yang Kai added.
As he was proficient in the Dao of Space, he was much more sensitive to Space Principles than other people. The insides of this huge vortex seemed to be connected to another space, which made it impossible for his Divine Sense to investigate what lay on the other side.
“We’ll soon reach the location on the other side. We might appear anywhere in the Star Boundary, even somewhere dangerous, so it’s best to be extra cautious,” Bing Yun urged.
“Understood,” Liu Xian Yun and the others nodded.
*Kacha…*
At that time, a sharp noise echoed all around them.
Hearing the noise, everyone on board paled.
Yang Kai called out in alarm, “This is bad! The Sea King Shuttle is collapsing!”
At the same time, he tried his best to control the shuttle and have it plunge into the vortex.
As soon as they got close to it though, the Sea King Shuttle started spinning wildly. This artifact that Sang De’s Master had spent his whole life refining was quickly smashed to pieces, and the mental connection between Yang Kai and the shuttle vanished.
Screams echoed as Fan Xin and the others were scared out of their wits, frightened that they would fail and die after coming so close to succeeding.
At the critical moment, powerful waves of energy spread all around them, turning into an invisible barrier that protected them from the rampaging water current.
Yang Kai turned his head to see a serious-looking Bing Yun. The Emperor Qi in her tender body was flowing out rapidly, protecting everyone as she carried them toward the centre of the vortex.
Somewhere in the Star Boundary, a huge vortex appeared on the surface of the sea.
The vortex appeared out of nowhere, stirring up the seawater in an area of a hundred kilometres. Its power was astonishing, and all the Sea Beasts that were nearby scattered in a panic.
In the next moment, something shot out of this vortex, before it scattered in all directions. It was a group made of men and women with an uneven level of cultivation. Every person seemed to have gone through some kind of calamity and their faces were all pale, filled with fear.
All of them seemed to be in a daze as they looked around in confusion.
It was none other than Yang Kai’s group, who had just left the Solitary Void Sealed World. As the Sea King Shuttle collapsed, Bing Yun had used her powerful Emperor Qi to protect everyone, saving them from imminent death.
If not for her, no more than three people would’ve survived the trip.
“Ugh…” Bing Yun spat out a mouthful of blood. Forcibly using her Emperor Qi had caused her previous injuries to worsen.
Fan Xin and the others paled and hurried to check on her.
Yang Kai also hurried over and asked anxiously, “Senior, how are you?”
Bing Yun waved her hand. She didn’t speak and directly sat cross-legged in midair, forming a series of hand seals to activate some kind of Secret Technique.
Seeing that she wanted to treat her wounds, Yang Kai urged, “Everyone, disperse and keep an eye on the surroundings. Don’t let anyone disturb Senior.”
Hearing his words, the others quickly left Bing Yun’s side.
“Senior Brother, did we really manage to escape?” Liu Xian Yun asked, looking somewhat uncertain. As there was only water around them, she couldn’t tell if this was the Star Boundary or the Solitary Void Sealed Word. If their escape had failed, they might have to spend the rest of their lives in the Solitary Void Sealed World!
Yang Kai frowned. He was also unsure if this was the Solitary Void Sealed World or not, but very soon, he started to circulate his Source Qi and tried to absorb the World Energy all around him. Unexpectedly, his actions weren’t hindered at all, which made him very happy, “This isn’t the Solitary Void Sealed World!”
Hearing his words, Liu Xian Yun’s eyes shone.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “The World Energy here is thinner than the Solitary Void Sealed World, but that strange Disruption Force doesn’t exist!”
In the Solitary Void Sealed World, no place was free from that strange Disruption Force that made ambient World Energy impossible to absorb, forcing cultivators to rely on special Spirit Purifying Arrays to cultivate. Yet, Yang Kai could easily absorb the World Energy around him now, which was the best proof that they had left the Solitary Void Sealed World.
“We really managed to escape!” Liu Xian Yun rejoiced.
After overhearing their conversation, Ling Yin Qin and the others were dumbstruck.
Having lived in the Solitary Void Sealed World for so long, they had lost any hope of escaping and returning to the Star Boundary, but now, their impossible dream had come true!
This made them feel as if they were reborn and they were so excited that their bodies shivered involuntarily.
“If this isn’t the Solitary Void Sealed World, where are we?” Liu Xian Yun asked.
Yang Kai pondered, then replied, “Among the Four Great Territories of the Star Boundary… except for the Western Territory, the others all have large oceans, but if I had to guess… I’d say that we’re in the Northern Territory!”
“Why do you think so?” Liu Xian Yun looked at Yang Kai with some curiosity, wondering how he reached this conclusion.
Yang Kai said with a faint smile, “Haven’t you noticed that this place is unusually cold? The Eastern and Southern Territories have very few places with this type of climate. Only the Northern Territory is covered by ice and snow all year round, thus having this kind of cold weather.”
Although it was just a guess, Yang Kai felt that it was not too far from the truth.
After leaving the Thousand Leaves Sect, he wanted to go to the Eastern Territory’s Netherworld Sect, where he would look for Yin Le Sheng and make inquiries about Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts. Yet, he ended up in the Northern Territory first. The future was truly impossible to predict!
“Senior Brother Yang… did you just say that this is the Northern Territory?” Fan Xin looked at Yang Kai, a tinge of excitement in her voice.
“It’s just a guess. I don’t know for sure.” Yang Kai smiled.
“The Master Sect is in the Northern Territory!” Fan Xin and her Junior and Senior Sisters looked at one another, their eyes filled with joy.
Bing Yun had taken them in as disciples while they were in the Solitary Void Sealed World, so although outsiders thought that she was just another disciple of Ice Heart Pavilion, Fan Xin and her Sisters knew their true statuses and identities. They knew that their Honoured Master was the Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley in the Star Boundary’s Northern Territory.
Fan Xin and the others longed for this Master Sect they had never visited, and they all hoped to spend the rest of their lives there with their Honoured Master, but as they were stuck in the Solitary Void Sealed World, this wish of theirs couldn’t be fulfilled.
Now that they had escaped, and happened to land in the Northern Territory, they were very excited.
“Someone’s coming over. I guess we can ask them if this is the Northern Territory.” Yang Kai suddenly looked in a certain direction.
Some time later, the others also saw someone rapidly approaching from that direction.
When the other party got closer, they noticed that it was a group of ten or so people led by an old man.
The old man had grey hair, and his expression was gloomy. When he looked at Yang Kai’s group, his eyes carried a tinge of hostility while the men and women behind him also looked at them with indignation, just as if Yang Kai and the others had offended them.
Yang Kai frowned, unsure as to what was happening; however, he didn’t dare to be careless. This old man hadn’t concealed his aura, so it was easy to tell he was a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
The ten or so people behind him were all Dao Source Realm cultivators as well, none below the Third-Order.
[These guys definitely have strong backing. They seem to be from some big Sect,] Yang Kai mused.
In truth, he wasn’t afraid of them, and even if they were to come to blows, Yang Kai was confident he could escape unharmed and unhindered; however, the same could not be said for Liu Xian Yun and the others. There was also Bing Yun who was treating her wounds and couldn’t bear any kind of interference.
Thinking of this, Yang Kai hurried to greet the old man. Cupping his fists and saying, “Junior Yang Kai greets Senior. May I ask for your honoured name?”
Yang Kai used a respectful tone; after all, this place might be the other party’s domain, so there was no advantage in picking a fight with them.
Unexpectedly, the old man didn’t appreciate the gesture and arrogantly said, “This King is Immaculate Island’s Vice Island Master, Jiang Zhou Zi! Who are you and what are you doing here?”
It was Yang Kai’s first time coming to this place, and he wasn’t even sure if this was the Northern Territory, so needless to say he had never heard of this Immaculate Island. Still, if someone like Jiang Zhou Zi, an Emperor Realm Master, was their Vice Island Master, it was obvious this Sect was not too weak. At the very least, their Island Master should be stronger than Jiang Zhou Zi!
“So, it is Island Master Jiang! Please forgive Junior’s lack of respect. We were just passing by and we didn’t mean to cause a disturbance. I hope Island Master Jiang will forgive us!” Yang Kai said respectfully, his face neither arrogant nor servile.
“You didn’t mean to cause a disturbance?” Before Jiang Zhou Zi could speak, a red-robed woman behind him sneered. This woman was quite attractive and had a good figure, but her facial features weren’t that exquisite, her high cheekbones giving her a mean look.
For some reason, she angrily shouted at Yang Kai, “You suddenly appeared here and scared off the Blue Infant Beast, yet you claim you didn’t want to cause a disturbance? Are you taking us for fools?!”
Encouraged by the presence of the Emperor Realm Master, the red-robed woman didn’t put Yang Kai’s group in her eyes and started to lecture them madly, which made Ling Yin Qin and the others frown.
“Blue Infant Beast?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow.
He knew of this beast. It was a Monster Beast that lived in the depths of the sea whose cry was similar to a baby’s wail. Due to its body being ice blue, it was called Blue Infant Beast. The Blue Infant Beast was a Twelfth-Order Monster Beast, which was equivalent to an Emperor Realm Master. Moreover, it was very rare and its Monster Core was priceless as it could be used to strengthen one’s Soul, even giving them a chance to have an epiphany which might lead to a breakthrough. If this core was refined into a pill and taken, it could help cultivators obtain twice the result with half the effort when cultivating Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities.
Yang Kai hadn’t expected this stretch of sea to be home to a Blue Infant Beast, and judging from what the red-robed woman had said, their sudden appearance had frightened it away.
Earlier, Yang Kai had noticed several Sea Beasts scattering away, but as he wasn’t paying close attention to them, he didn’t know if there was a Blue Infant Beast among them.
“Well said!” Jiang Zhou Zi said coldly, “We made arrangements for a whole month, and then laid in wait for another half a month before we finally caught a glimpse of the Blue Infant Beast, but before we could even take action, you scared it off! This matter can’t end like this!”
The red-robed woman added, “The Monster Core of the Blue Infant Beast was supposed to be a congratulatory gift for the Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master’s auspicious day. Now that the beast is gone, what are we supposed to do?”
Yang Kai felt somewhat guilty at first. If these people were telling the truth, it was indeed his group’s fault that the beast had escaped. The other party had been preparing for so long, and had even lain in wait for half a month, but their sudden appearance ruined everything. Anyone would be mad in this situation.
However, the constant chatter of the old man and young woman, along with their arrogance, annoyed him.
There was no matter that couldn’t be solved with talking or negotiation, so why did they need to act so aggressively? Weren’t they just trying to bully them with their ‘superior’ strength?
Considering all this, Yang Kai straightened his back and said, “In that case, what do you suggest we do?”
Ling Yin Qin, who was nearby, frowned, “How valuable was that Blue Infant Beast? Perhaps we can give you something of equal value in return.”
She wanted to make concessions to avoid trouble. A few days ago, her crew had gotten a lot of nice things, which they later sold on Clear Sky Island. As a result, they had some Source Crystals with them. Besides, Yang Kai was very rich, so compensating the other party for the damage was a good solution.
“Something of equal value?” The red-robed woman looked at Ling Yin Qin and ridiculed her, “Even if we were to sell you lot, it wouldn’t be enough to compensate for the loss we suffered! Do you think that the Blue Infant Beast is that easy to find? In the whole Ice Sea, there are no more than three! How can you give us something of equal value in return?!”
It looked like she would blow her top at any moment.
Yang Kai frowned, “Since it has come to this, what do you want to do?”
Hearing his words, Jiang Zhou Zi coldly looked at Yang Kai before snorting and saying, “Given your tone, it seems you’re not putting our Immaculate Island in your eyes. Is that right?”
Silavin: Read a comment that was confused about World Principles and World Force. They are two different things. World Principles consist of the Space Principles and etc. World Force is above that. World Force is literally the power of the world in and of itself.
So, you can think of World Principles as a subset of World Force.
If you can control World Force, technically, you are manipulating the world itself. You basically will the world. Meanwhile, for World Principles, they are a combination of all types of Principles that help form up the world.
Yang Kai silently looked at Jiang Zhou Zi, wondering, [How did he conclude that I’m not putting his Immaculate Island in my eyes? Can this guy even listen properly?!]
Hearing their Vice Island Master’s words, the group of Dao Source Realm cultivators in the rear was also filled with indignation, just as if they’d suffered some great humiliation. They quietly pushed their Source Qi and looked at Yang Kai’s group with unveiled hostility, ready to attack at any moment.
Yang Kai remained calm, however, and spoke, “That was not my intention. I’m just saying that since the beast has already escaped, we should work toward a solution. If Island Master Jiang has any suggestion, we’ll be glad to hear it.”
Jiang Zhou Zi laughed out loud and sneered, “This brat sure can talk!”
The red-robed woman stepped forward and whispered something in Jiang Zhou Zi’s ear at that moment, and while speaking, she kept glancing in Bing Yun’s direction, a wicked expression on her face.
Seeing this situation, Fan Xin and her Junior and Senior Sisters frowned. Although they couldn’t hear the red-robed woman’s words, they knew it was nothing good!
Their Honoured Master was in the middle of treating her injuries, and she could suffer no interference! So, what were these people thinking?
Fan Xin and her sisters glanced at each other before they discreetly shifted their formation to keep guard in front of Bing Yun.
Jiang Zhou Zi coldly snorted as turned back to Yang Kai and said, “You scared off the gift this Old Master had prepared for the Seeking Passion Sect, which is an unforgivable crime!”
Since he kept mentioning the name ‘Seeking Passion Sect,’ Yang Kai could tell that it must be a Sect with great influence in the Northern Territory. Otherwise, these people from Immaculate Island wouldn’t go to such lengths to prepare a gift for them.
Yang Kai didn’t reply and merely stared at Jiang Zhou Zi, waiting for him to continue.
“However, since you said you’d compensate us, it’s not like we can’t discuss the matter.”
Yang Kai said calmly, “Island Master Jiang, what do you suggest?”
Jiang Zhou Zi coldly snorted before pointing his finger and saying, “Leave that girl behind. The rest of you can scram.”
When they first came here, he was so angry that he didn’t notice Bing Yun at all, but after the red-robed woman’s reminder, he saw that there was an extraordinary beauty among this group of people.
Jiang Zhou Zi had lived for many years, but it was his first time seeing such a pure and flawless woman. Bing Yun was heavily injured and treating her wounds at this moment, but her spotless, otherworldly aura was still enough to shock Jiang Zhou Zi.
He felt that it would be impossible to find another girl like her in this world.
He didn’t want Bing Yun for himself, but rather wanted to give her to the Seeking Passion Sect. Although the Blue Infant Beast was gone, they might still gain the Seeking Passion Sect’s favour if they delivered them this girl.
Cultivators from the Seeking Passion Sect pursued the Dao of Passion, so their Secret Arts were all deeply related to it. The greater the passion, the greater their cultivation. Let alone their Young Sect Master, even ordinary disciples had countless beautiful women by their side.
If they delivered this beautiful girl to the Young Sect Master, he would certainly be overjoyed as she was the perfect person to fall in love with, and as long as the Young Sect Master was happy, their Immaculate Island would be treated well.
“Bold!” When Fan Xin and her sisters saw Jiang Zhou Zi pointing his finger at their Honoured Master and uttering such drivel, they all flew into a rage.
Jiang Zhou Zi’s face darkened as he said coldly, “What did you say? Say it again if you have the courage!”
Fan Xin gritted her teeth and just as she was about to snap back at him, Yang Kai waved his hand and stopped her.
He calmly looked at Jiang Zhou Zi and said with an odd smile, “Island Master Jiang… are you sure you want her to stay behind?”
He felt like laughing at this moment. Bing Yun was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, but due to her Secret Art, she gave off a pure and innocent feeling, and her appearance was no different from that of a young girl. This Jiang Zhou Zi was really a blind dog who didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! He unexpectedly wanted Bing Yun to stay behind!
He was someone who didn’t know how to write the word ‘death’!
“Except for that girl, the rest of you better scram now. I’ll give you ten breaths of time. If you haven’t disappeared from my sight by then, you can forget about leaving here alive!” Jiang Zhou Zi shouted as he cast a sidelong glance at Yang Kai, releasing overflowing killing intent, looking very intimidating.
“En, good, we’ll leave!” Yang Kai didn’t waste time and waved his hand, ready to bring everyone away.
“Waste!” The red-robed woman shot a disdainful look at Yang Kai. To save his life, he immediately abandoned his companion, the very definition of cowardice! Although she was the one who suggested having Bing Yun stay behind, it didn’t stop her from looking down on Yang Kai’s unsightly behaviour.
The other cultivators from Immaculate Island didn’t say anything, but the contempt in their eyes was evident.
“Alchemist Yang!” Fan Xin stamped her feet in anger as she looked at Yang Kai. She wore a disappointed look and was deeply shocked that he chose to abandon her Honoured Master so easily. Could he not tell that she was in the middle of treating her wounds?
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai winked at her, hinting that everything was under his control.
Hearing his words, Fan Xin didn’t say anything else, simply glancing at Bing Yun with worry before finally retreating with Yang Kai and the others.
Jiang Zhou Zi didn’t waste time and leapt forward, stretching out his hand toward Bing Yun. It seemed he wanted to subdue her and bring her back to Immaculate Island right away.
When his gaze fell on Bing Yun’s peaceful face, all sorts of feelings welled up in his heart. How could there be such a pure woman in this world? Even he, someone who wasn’t a womanizer, couldn’t help but be moved. He had the impulse to bring her back home and take care of her forever.
He was already imagining the beautiful scene of him and Bing Yun living a happy life together.
In hindsight, such a perfect woman was his to take. It would be a waste to give her to the Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master! He loathed the fact that they might have to part ways.
Bing Yun, who was healing herself even now, suddenly opened her beautiful eyes at that moment.
*Zi…*
Seeing her beautiful eyes, Jiang Zhou Zi felt as if someone had ruthlessly pounded his heart with a sledgehammer and he couldn’t move his gaze away.
[What a wondrous pair of eyes!] Jiang Zhou Zi could see his dazed expression reflected in her round, moon-like pupils. Her eyes were like a crystal-clear pond of water, capable of bewitching anyone who saw them, branding themselves in the depths of their soul.
Jiang Zhou Zi was now even more bent on taking this girl for himself. He had been cultivating for so long, but it was his first time being so moved after seeing a woman!
“Don’t move, this King doesn’t want to hurt you,” he tried to sound as gentle as possible, afraid that he might frighten this timid girl. At the same time, his hand moved toward her shoulder.
But right at that moment, Bing Yun slightly raised her jade white hand and gently tapped at Jiang Zhou Zi’s palm.
Her movements were extremely gentle and carried an otherworldly aura.
Jiang Zhou Zi was a little absent-minded while it was happening, but in the next instant, his expression changed drastically.
As Bing Yun moved her hand, he sensed the terrifying aura burst from her body.
[This young girl… is a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master!?]
Yang Kai’s group had a varied level of cultivation, with the strongest of them being at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. As Bing Yun was treating her wounds back then, Jiang Zhou Zi didn’t pay her too much attention and mistakenly believed that her strength would also be around that level at best.
Only now did he realize that her cultivation was something he could never hope to match!
He had no one but himself to blame. How could he do something as stupid as asking this kind of Master to stay behind? Had he known earlier that Bing Yun was so strong, he would never have dared to be this rude!
Even Immaculate Island’s Island Master was only a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, which meant that in his Sect, no one was this woman’s match.
While still in shock, he tried to retreat at his fastest speed; however, an invisible force kept him in place.
Bing Yun’s movements seemed slow and gentle, but her tapping Jiang Zhou Zi’s palm happened in a flash.
“Senior, mercy!” Jiang Zhou Zi cried out in terror, his face pale.
While screaming, he felt a slight pain in his palm, as if it had been pricked by a needle. Then, a chilling cold spread from there.
He opened his eyes wide as his heart sank.
A pure white ice flower had blossomed at the centre of his palm. The flower was magnificent and looked as if it was carved from jade. It was flawless and formed a beautiful sight that mesmerized any who gazed upon it.
However, Jiang Zhou Zi had no time to appreciate this sight as the ice flower, as soon as it appeared, began radiating frost up his forearm at a speed visible to the naked eye. Soon, his whole arm became numb as the bone-chilling cold seemed capable of freezing even his Soul.
Seeing that the frost was about to spread to his chest, Jiang Zhou Zi bit the tip of his tongue and used his finger as a blade to cut off his arm at the shoulder.
*Puchi…*
Blood spurted out.
As his arm was cut off, the force keeping him in place disappeared. Terrified, Jiang Zhou Zhi hurried to put some distance between himself and Bing Yun.
When he returned to his senses, his forehead was covered in sweat and his face was as white as a sheet of paper. Without wasting time, he took out a healing pill from his Space Ring and threw it into his mouth before turning a panic-stricken gaze towards Bing Yun.
From the strength Bing Yun showed just now, he wouldn’t be able to resist if she decided to kill him!
He could only hope that Bing Yun wasn’t someone fond of killing and that she would let him go after seeing that he had suffered enough.
In the meantime, that group of Dao Source Realm cultivators from Immaculate Island was dumbfounded.
They only saw Jiang Zhou Zi moving toward Bing Yun, who gently raised her hand in response; and then, in the next instant, Jiang Zhou Zi retreated in a panic, cutting off his own arm!
Everything happened in an instant, which left the onlookers dazed. Before the red-robed woman and the others could even understand what was going on, Jiang Zhou Zi was already heavily injured.
All the people from Immaculate Island were scared out of their wits.
“Senior?” The red-robed woman murmured absent-mindedly. Just now, she heard Jiang Zhou Zi call this girl ‘Senior’!
[Senior Jiang Zhou Zi is a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, so if he is calling this girl ‘Senior’… Does that mean that she is a peak Emperor Realm Master!?] Considering this, her tender body began to tremble, all her arrogance from before nowhere to be seen.
“You’re quite decisive,” Bing Yun quietly looked at Jiang Zhou Zi, who had just cut off his arm. It didn’t look like she wanted to pursue and kill him. It was unknown if it was because she was kind-hearted or simply because she did not want to aggravate her injuries.
In any case, Jiang Zhou Zi was indeed a decisive man. If he had not cut off his arm in time, he would have died there and then. Although he looked rather pitiful right now, he was at least alive.
“Senior… This Jiang had eyes but failed to see! I beg Senior to forgive my rudeness and spare our lives!” Jiang Zhou Zi resisted the sharp pain in his phantom limb and pleaded for mercy.
Now, the lives of this group from Immaculate Island were in the hands of this woman. If she wanted them dead, they would all die here. Compared to one’s survival, dignity was nothing; moreover, there was nothing shameful in begging a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master for mercy.
Bing Yun calmly gazed at Jiang Zhou Zi, her face expressionless, causing Jiang Zhou Zi to grow ever more anxious as he couldn’t tell what kind of fate awaited him.
After a short while, Bing Yun parted her lips and said, “Leave!”
Jiang Zhou Zi was overjoyed as he hurriedly bowed, “Many thanks, Senior, for sparing our lives!” He then shouted at his group of disciples from Immaculate Island, “Let’s go!”
None of them dared to linger, pushing their strength to the fullest as they fled from this stretch of sea, afraid that Bing Yun might change her mind.
Yang Kai didn’t try to stop them either. He knew that Bing Yun was in no condition to deal with them. The enemy was still someone in the Emperor Realm, and driving them into a corner wouldn’t benefit them in any way. Since their group hadn’t suffered any loss, it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Once the people from Immaculate Island were gone, Bing Yun turned her head and looked around, sighing with emotion, “I didn’t expect to return to the Northern Territory!”
“Senior, is this really the Northern Territory?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrow.
Bing Yun nodded, “Yes, this is the Northern Territory’s Ice Sea. Immaculate Island is one of the local forces, and their overall strength isn’t bad. Seeking Passion Sect also belongs to the Northern Territory, and it is one of the top-level Sects of this region.”
Bing Yun was the Ancestral Founder of the Northern Territory’s Ice Heart Valley. She had lived here for a long time, so it was normal for her to know the topography and forces of this place like the palm of her hand.
While speaking, she turned to look at Fan Xin and the others, “Do you want to go to the Master Sect?”
Fan Xin and her sisters nodded repeatedly. Although they were Bing Yun’s disciples, they had never been to Ice Heart Valley, so they naturally yearned for their Master Sect that their Honoured Master had founded. Since they happened to land in the Northern Territory, of course they wanted to take a look.
“Let’s go then. I, too, haven’t visited in a long time,” Bing Yun smiled faintly, “I wonder how those little girls are doing.”
These ‘little girls’ should be the first batch of disciples she accepted after founding Ice Heart Valley. Yang Kai guessed that many of them should be Emperor Realm Masters by now. Only Bing Yun had the qualifications to call them ‘little girls.’
“Senior, your injuries…” Yang Kai looked at her with some worry.
“I just need to recuperate, I’ll be fine as long as I avoid fighting,” Bing Yun replied.
Just now, although she severely injured Jiang Zhou Zi with a single move, she didn’t use much energy. The first reason was that Jiang Zhou Zi underestimated her, and the second was the difference in their cultivation. As a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, Bing Yun didn’t need to spend much effort when dealing with someone in the First-Order like Jiang Zhou Zi. Even if she was injured, a casual point of her finger had been enough.
Since Fan Xin and the others wanted to go to Ice Heart Valley, Yang Kai could only follow. If Su Yan came to the Star Boundary in the future, it would be great for her to join Ice Heart Valley; after all, her Secret Art and Special Constitution could be traced back to Ice Heart Valley itself.
In addition, he planned to leave Liu Xian Yun there as well.
The relationship between them was similar to the one between a Senior Brother and his Junior Sister, and over the period of time they spent together, they shared hardships and helped one another. However, Yang Kai had many things he needed to do, and he couldn’t bring her along with him.
In any case, Ice Heart Valley was the best place for her. She was a woman, the only kind of disciple Ice Heart Valley accepted, and her cultivation had reached the First-Order Dao Source Realm. Although she came from a lower Star Field, her aptitude was extremely good. The reason her cultivation was not that high was that she couldn’t get enough cultivation resources, but if she could rely on a Sect, her future achievements would be excellent.
Cultivators that had come from lower Star Fields usually had good prospects. Although he hadn’t had an opportunity to ask her about this yet, Yang Kai was sure that Bing Yun would not reject his request.
As for Ling Yin Qin and her crew, Yang Kai had no idea what they planned to do.
Considering all this, he turned and asked Ling Yin Qin, “Big Sister Ling, have you decided what to do next?”
Ling Yin Qin thought for a moment before replying, “I’m thinking of going to the Eastern Territory!”
“The Eastern Territory?” Yang Kai frowned, unsure as to why she wanted to go there.
Bing Yun, who was nearby, said, “You are Yang Kai’s friend, and your cultivation isn’t half bad. You can join this Queen’s Ice Heart Valley if you’re interested.”
Overall, cultivators in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm were considered to be decent in strength, and with the right opportunities, such cultivators could even reach the Emperor Realm! Such cultivators were welcomed in all Sects. Still, Bing Yun said those words mainly for Yang Kai’s sake. As Ling Yin Qin was trapped in the Solitary Void Sealed World until now, she definitely had nowhere to go for the time being.
Ling Yin Qin said with a smile, “Many thanks for your concern, Senior, but I will have to decline. Junior’s late husband comes from the Eastern Territory’s Heavenly Wolf Sect, so Junior wishes to bring his ashes there. That was his dying wish.”
While speaking of her late husband, Ling Yin Qin’s face became gloomy. She seemingly recalled their time together, and her eye sockets reddened a little.
Bing Yun praised her, “You are a woman of pure and strong feelings! The road to the Eastern Territory will be full of hardships, so you have to be careful. After you find a suitable place for your husband’s ashes, if you ever need to, you are free to come back and join my Ice Heart Valley.”
Ling Yin Qin said gratefully, “Many thanks, Senior, for your kindness!”
With Bing Yun’s assurance, Ling Yin Qin could return to the Northern Territory and join the Ice Heart Valley if she had nowhere to go in the future.
“Let’s return to land first,” Bing Yun looked at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded and summoned his ship. Then, they followed Bing Yun’s instructions and headed toward the closest shore.
Compared to the Solitary Void Sea, the Ice Sea was rather safe, so the trip proceeded smoothly and they did not encounter any danger. Bing Yun stayed in the cabin to treat her injuries while at the same time, Yang Kai told Liu Xian Yun about his plan of leaving her in Ice Heart Valley.
Liu Xian Yun didn’t hesitate and agreed with his suggestion.
She was aware that she couldn’t keep following Yang Kai as the difference in strength between them was too great, and she would just be a burden to him. It would be better if she joined Ice Heart Valley and cultivated there.
After settling things with Liu Xian Yun, Yang Kai went to look for Bing Yun to discuss this matter.
Bing Yun didn’t even hesitate to agree. In her capacity as Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, she could accept disciples whenever she wanted without consulting with anyone else.
Five days later, they finally saw land.
Yang Kai called everyone on the deck and then glanced over at Bing Yun, forcing a smile, “Senior, perhaps it would be best if you disguise your appearance?”
A few days ago, Jiang Zhou Zi and his group were fatally attracted to her, so Yang Kai feared that Bing Yun’s beauty would cause them further trouble after they reached land.
Hearing his words, Fan Xin and her sisters pursed their lips. Although they also had good looks, they paled when compared to Bing Yun. No woman was as pure and flawless as Bing Yun. Every man that saw her would feel the need to protect her and have her all for himself.
“It is because of all those sanctimonious scoundrels that covet beautiful women that our kind has so much trouble!” Bing Yun coldly snorted, looking reluctant.
Yang Kai wiped the sweat off of his forehead, “Senior, why are you looking at me while saying these words? I’m innocent!”
“Hmph!” Bing Yun snorted. However, she didn’t refute his words. She was also aware that her beauty would cause them unnecessary trouble.
Yang Kai took something out of his Space Ring and offered it to Bing Yun, “Junior has this mask. If Senior likes it, she can use it.”
“This mask’s craftsmanship is pretty good, where did you obtain it?” Bing Yun praised as she looked at that exquisite mask.
“It should’ve been made by Sang De,” Yang Kai grinned.
When Sang De brought him out to sea back then, he wore this mask. If not for the fact that Yang Kai was already aware it was him, he wouldn’t have recognized Sang De at the time. Later, after Liu Yan and Hua Qing Si joined hands to strike Sang De down, this mask became part of Yang Kai’s spoils of war.
The hand that Bing Yun had stretched out retracted immediately as she said with a disgusted look on her face, “He made this thing? Did he wear it?”
“He did.” Yang Kai nodded.
Bing Yun glared at Yang Kai, “I don’t want it then.”
[What is this little brat thinking? He wanted to give me something that an old fogey had stuck to his face? Which woman wouldn’t be disgusted by this?!]
Bing Yun made some hand seals, and her face started wriggling.
After a little while, her appearance changed, and although she still looked pretty, it wasn’t as exaggerated as before.
“Senior seems to be skilled in such matters already!” Seeing Bing Yun so familiar with this kind of technique, Yang Kai guessed that she must have altered her appearance several times in the past.
Bing Yun replied, “How do you think I was able to wander by myself in the Star Boundary undisturbed all these years?”
Yang Kai’s group flew over the wilderness with his ship.
At this time, the only people on board were Yang Kai, Liu Xian Yun, and Ice Heart Valley’s disciples. Ling Yin Qin left as soon as the ship reached land, as she wanted to return her husband’s ashes to the Eastern Territory’s Heavenly Wolf Sect and bury them at his birthplace.
Jiao Yi and the others naturally followed Ling Yin Qin.
As for Yang Kai’s group, they were headed to Ice Heart Valley. Fan Xin and her Sisters had long yearned for this Master Sect of theirs, so now that they were in the Northern Territory, they absolutely wanted to take a look at it.
Ice Heart Valley was pretty far from the Ice Sea, so even with the high travel speed of Yang Kai’s ship, it would take from ten days to half a month to reach it. Luckily, Bing Yun was very familiar with the topography of the Northern Territory, so Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about getting lost.
A few days later, while sitting in meditation in the cabin, Yang Kai heard a commotion on the deck. Startled, he hurried to check what was going on.
Fan Xin and the others were standing on the deck, all looking in a certain direction.
“What happened?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Senior Brother Yang!” After seeing Yang Kai, Fan Xin pointed toward a certain place, “Someone’s fighting over there; moreover, it seems as if a group of people is ganging up on a single woman. How shameless!”
Yang Kai hurried to release his Divine Sense and sure enough, a dozen or so kilometres away from them, he spotted a group of people besieging a young woman. The woman’s cultivation wasn’t bad, Third-Order Dao Source Realm, and her Source Qi was quite vigorous. The artifacts she was using were also very high-grade, which allowed her to hold her ground even though she was outnumbered.
Among the people besieging her were two Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, but for some reason, they seemed reluctant to use lethal force. They surrounded her and kept attacking with the hope of wearing her down. It seemed they wanted to capture her alive.
At first glance, Yang Kai knew that the young woman was an elite disciple from some major Sect. She wasn’t much weaker than people like Xia Sheng and Wu Chang, and in a life or death battle, they would likely be equally matched.
Each of the top Sects in the Southern Territory had rising stars such as Xia Sheng and Wu Chang, so the Northern Territory should not be any different; obviously, this girl was one such example.
Yang Kai guessed that the people besieging her knew her real identity, which was why they did not dare to use too much force and wanted to capture her alive.
Considering all this, he said calmly, “In the Star Boundary, things like this happen every day, there’s no point in intervening in this fight.”
Although it was disgraceful for a group of men to gang up on a lone woman, scenes like this were very common in the Star Boundary, so Yang Kai didn’t feel like meddling in other people’s affairs. Moreover, he felt that if the woman put her life on the line and used everything she had, she might be able to escape from these people. The reason she was under siege was that she wasn’t ready to make this sacrifice yet.
“But Senior Brother Yang…” Fan Xin looked at him anxiously, “That girl is using the Secret Techniques and Secret Arts of Ice Heart Valley. She might be one of our Senior Sisters!”
“A disciple of Ice Heart Valley?” Yang Kai frowned somewhat surprised as he asked, “Are you certain?”
Fan Xin urged him, “Of course! We’ve been cultivating the Secret Arts and Secret Techniques our Honoured Master taught us for so long, we wouldn’t make such a mistake. Now that one of our Senior Sisters is in trouble, we can’t just stand by and do nothing!”
Yang Kai took another look at the woman and discovered that she was using Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Secret Techniques, while the energy released from her artifact was also bone-chilling. It became clear that Fan Xin was right, this unknown young woman was indeed a disciple of Ice Heart Valley!
However, Ice Heart Valley was also one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. It was very rare for their disciples to be attacked while roaming the Northern Territory. How did this girl end up in this situation? Who were the people attacking her?
“Senior Brother…” Liu Xian Yun also looked at Yang Kai, a pleading expression on her face. She was a disciple of Ice Heart Valley now, and seeing a Senior Sister from the same Sect attacked by so many people, she was unable to keep watching. But as her cultivation was too low, she could only pin her hopes on Yang Kai.
“En, if she is a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, we can’t just stand here and watch,” Yang Kai nodded, making a hand seal and changing the direction of the ship, steering it towards the battlefield.
With its speed, his ship was capable of covering a dozen or so kilometres within a few breaths of time.
The two opposing forces reacted differently when they noticed that someone was approaching.
The woman furrowed her brows, a little worried, while on the other hand, the cultivators besieging her seemed displeased; however, both sides ceased hostilities and turned their attention towards the ship.
As he came closer, Yang Kai discovered that this Ice Heart Valley’s disciple was a rare beauty. Her long hair danced in the wind like the clouds did in the sky, and her willow eyebrows looked as soft as smoke. Her two beautiful eyes darted around, and perhaps due to the fight just now, she was slightly short of breath. Her jade cheeks had become bright red, glistening with sweat, while her skin remained white and flawless, not any different from freshly fallen snow.
Her aura was similar to Bing Yun’s as both were very pure, and the sweat dripping from her pretty brow only added to her charm.
There was no doubt about the fact that she was a disciple of Ice Heart Valley.
Yang Kai could confirm this much just from her aura. Standing on the deck, he nodded at her.
The woman frowned even deeper seeing this. Although she could feel Yang Kai’s kindness towards her, she couldn’t understand why he was helping her. This group of people besieging her were not to be taken lightly, and an average person wouldn’t dare to cross them.
“This is a Seeking Passion Sect’s matter. Loiterers should withdraw immediately!” A middle-aged man in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm shouted at Yang Kai.
[Seeking Passion Sect?] Yang Kai was surprised.
A few days ago, when they first appeared in the Northern Territory, they bumped into a group of people from Immaculate Island who were looking for the Blue Infant Beast in order to give it to Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, supposedly as a congratulatory gift for his auspicious day. Yang Kai didn’t expect to bump into people from Seeking Passion Sect right after.
According to Bing Yun, Seeking Passion Sect was also one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Back when she left, the two Sects were on par in terms of strength. That was why the Seeking Passion Sect’s disciples were so arrogant while roaming the Northern Territory, something that Yang Kai was able to confirm firsthand at this moment.
No one asked him who he was; the first thing they did was to order him around. From the looks of it, they didn’t put him in their eyes at all.
As they saw it, as long as they mentioned Seeking Passion Sect’s name, the other party should leave obediently.
At first, Yang Kai didn’t have much of an opinion regarding this Seeking Passion Sect, but after seeing how arrogant their disciples were, coupled with the fact that they were bullying this girl from Ice Heart Valley with their superior numbers, his opinion of them worsened.
“What’s so great about the Seeking Passion Sect?” Retorted Fan Xin, furious for what was happening to her Senior Sister, “You’re just a bunch of cowardly men bullying a woman. Do you have no shame?!”
“Cheap slut, you court death!” The middle-aged man flew into a rage and his murderous intent soared as he sent out a strand of pure Spiritual Energy towards Fan Xin, clearly intending to punish her severely for her insolence.
In the Northern Territory, not many dared to pick a fight with the Seeking Passion Sect. It was unknown where these people came from, but they unexpectedly wanted to meddle with their business. They were really courting death!
On the ship, only Yang Kai, who was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, could enter their eyes slightly; the others with uneven and low cultivations weren’t even worth mentioning. Given the situation, they took for granted that Yang Kai’s group didn’t have much of a backing. They should be the disciples of some average Sect.
When the Spiritual Energy burst was released, a burst of oppressive aura blew in their faces, causing Fan Xin to pale as she found herself short of breath. She felt as if a sharp sword was flying towards her and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move. She was so scared that her heart sank, and her limbs went cold.
Yang Kai gently pulled her back, placing her behind him while at the same time, he released his own Spiritual Energy to counter the incoming attack.
The collision of powers was soundless and Yang Kai didn’t move in the slightest, but the arrogant middle-aged man actually reeled back, with his face becoming slightly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
It was a sign that his Soul was damaged. Furthermore, it proved that the difference between his Spiritual Energy and Yang Kai’s was massive.
“Deacon Dong!” The Seeking Passion Sect group turned pale. Startled, they hurried to assist the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man seemed to be injured to the point where he couldn’t even speak, only able to lightly wave his hand as he hurried to take a pill from his Space Ring and stuff it into his mouth.
“Boy, you dare to sneak attack Dong Shan!? You’ll pay with your life!” The other Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator flew into a rage. While shouting, he summoned a sabre that seemed to have a ghoulish head attached to its grip. He then jumped up and flew towards Yang Kai like a great eagle and slashed down.
He believed that Dong Shan was injured because he was caught off guard, so he prepared to rely on his strength, which was slightly higher than Dong Shan’s, to kill Yang Kai and avenge this humiliation.
The strength of his blow seemed capable of shattering the sky.
Even though they were standing behind Yang Kai, Fan Xin and Liu Xian Yun paled as an aura of death blew across their faces.
Yang Kai stood on the deck and didn’t try to dodge. Only when the sabre was about to hit him did he counterattack. Violently punching out, in the blink of an eye, the vast sky was filled with the fist shadows.
The Sabre Waves, which was approaching from all directions, shattered like a mirror, collapsing at the first blow.
“What?” The face of the Seeking Passion Sect cultivator changed drastically. Seeing the terrifying strength of Yang Kai’s attack, he shifted the position of his sabre hurriedly, using it to protect his body. At the same time, he pushed his Source Qi and put his strength into his feet to quickly retreat.
However, it was too late.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
After a muffled sound, the man tumbled through the air before slamming into the ground some distance away, coughing up copious amounts of blood after the impact.
“Deacon Cao Yang!” The remaining Seeking Passion Sect disciples were shocked and hurried to Cao Yang’s side to check his injuries.
Cao Yang had to muster all of his strength to get up, looking at Yang Kai in fear and disbelief. Now, he was well aware that Dong Shan didn’t get injured because he was caught off guard. Even if it was a head-on fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance against this young man.
When did someone so extraordinary appear in the Northern Territory? Which Sect did he hail from? Although they were both Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, he couldn’t take a single attack from the other party. If this type of person cultivated to the Emperor Realm, what kind of strength would he have?
The names and faces of the rising stars from each of the top Sects flashed across Cao Yang’s mind; however, none of them resembled Yang Kai.
“Where is this friend from? If you leave your name behind, my Seeking Passion Sect will surely repay the kindness you have shown us today!” Knowing that he didn’t stand a chance against Yang Kai, Cao Yang brought up the name of his Sect, hoping that it’d deter him; after all, if Yang Kai decided to kill them there and then, there was nothing they could do but to accept their fate.
Fan Xin coldly snorted, “Weren’t you bullying a lone woman with your numbers just now? Your Seeking Passion Sect is really something!”
Her mocking words embarrassed the people from Seeking Passion Sect, but as their strength was lower than the other party’s, with their two strongest fighters already heavily injured, they didn’t dare to make a fuss. Despite their faces burning with shame, they had to bury their anger deep in their hearts.
“There is no harm in telling you. We’re…” Before Fan Xin could finish, Yang Kai waved his hand and stopped her.
He stood still on the deck, and since the beginning, he had yet to move his feet.
He looked at the people below and said calmly, “We’re just travellers who were passing by.”
“Passing by, huh?” Cao Yang clenched his bloodied teeth, aware that Yang Kai didn’t want to reveal his background. Since he was weaker than him, he couldn’t force him and could only glare at him as if to burn his image in his mind. He then cupped his fists and said calmly, “Friend, your way of doing things is exceptional. This Cao’s horizons have been broadened. Since this friend has taken a stand, we will retreat and leave this matter to you.”
After some polite words, he waved his hand and took his leave with the other Seeking Passion Sect disciples.
Fan Xin gritted her teeth, her expression indignant, but seeing that Yang Kai didn’t have any intention to kill, she spoke no more.
Once those guys were gone, Yang Kai explained calmly, “Seeking Passion Sect is one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Given your identities, it’s ill-advised to start an all-out confrontation with them.”
If they killed these people, a war might break out between Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect. If two Sects of this calibre started a war, the flames of said war would engulf the entire Northern Territory.
The only thing Yang Kai didn’t understand was why those Seeking Passion Sect’s disciples were harassing this disciple of Ice Heart Valley.
“Senior Brother, many thanks for lending your assistance. May I know your name? Zi Yu will definitely repay this favour in the future!” The girl below cupped her fists as she expressed her gratitude to Yang Kai.
Without his help, she would have had to spend a lot of effort in order to escape. By relying on her Forbidden Technique, she could indeed get away from Cao Yang and the others, but at the same time, she wouldn’t be able to muster any strength for the next three months, making it impossible for her to escape the Northern Territory.
“Senior Sister, we’re all one family, you don’t need to be so polite,” Fan Xin smiled, gazing at Zi Yu with a gentle expression.
“All one family?” Zi Yu frowned, unsure as to what Fan Xin meant.
Fan Xin put on a happy face and pointed at the other girls on the ship, “Everyone here is from Ice Heart Valley. Looking at your Secret Techniques and Secret Arts, you should also be a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, right? Therefore, we’re all one family!”
It had only been a few days since they’d arrived in the Northern Territory, and they’d already met a strong Senior Sister from the same Sect. Fan Xin was delighted and didn’t plan on concealing anything, so she directly told Zi Yu who they were.
What surprised her was that Zi Yu’s expression changed drastically in the next moment and she raised her guard while quietly retreating a few steps, biting her lip as she asked, “Are you here to capture me?”
Fan Xin was dumbfounded, “Senior Sister, what are you talking about?”
Zi Yu said, “Since we are members of the same Sect, I won’t attack you. Go back and tell Honoured Master that Zi Yu was unfilial and caused her much trouble, but one day, after I have cultivated to a sufficient level, I will return and fulfil my filial duties!”
Then, her tender body flashed, turning into a streak of light that shot towards a distant place, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai and the rest looked at one another in puzzlement.
“This Senior Sister… What did she mean just now?” Fan Xin furrowed her brow. They went out of their way to help her, but instead of thanking them, she became vigilant after discovering that they were from Ice Heart Valley then spoke some strange words, leaving them confused.
“It seems something foreboding has happened to Ice Heart Valley,” Yang Kai said gravely.
Fan Xin looked at Yang Kai in surprise, “Senior Brother Yang, how can you tell?”
Yang Kai replied, “Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect are both top Sects in the Northern Territory, so it is unlikely that they would fight openly. Yet, a group of people from Seeking Passion Sect was besieging that Zi Yu girl just now. Coupled with what she said before leaving…”
Fan Xin’s expression fluctuated as she seemed to have a better understanding of the situation now.
Zi Yu was besieged by people from the Seeking Passion Sect, and she became vigilant after hearing that they were from Ice Heart Valley… There was no doubt that something big had happened to Ice Heart Valley.
“Senior Brother Yang, we should hurry to the Master Sect!” Fan Xin urged. She didn’t know what was going on, but she wanted to hurry to Ice Heart Valley and take a look. Due to Bing Yun, Fan Xin really cared about this Master Sect she’d never visited and hoped that nothing bad would happen to it.
Yang Kai nodded, glancing towards the cabin.
He was sure that Bing Yun had overheard everything, but he couldn’t understand why she had completely ignored this matter.
Shaking his head, he steered the ship towards Ice Heart Valley and accelerated.
With Fan Xin urging him, Yang Kai could only increase the ship’s speed, and five days later, a large city appeared before them.
“That’s Ice Moon City. It’s a one hour trip from here to Ice Heart Valley. Let’s enter the city for now.” Bing Yun’s voice echoed in Yang Kai’s ears. Hearing her words, he nodded and controlled the ship, descending outside the city gate.
After a short while, Yang Kai and the group of women passed through the gate, entering Ice Moon City.
As they entered the city, Yang Kai frowned and asked in a low voice, “Senior, why are there so many Emperor Realm Masters in this city?”
He sensed the auras of seven or eight Emperors, which wasn’t normal at all.
Bing Yun, who had concealed her cultivation and was hiding among them, shook her head and said, “I’m not sure. In the past, Ice Moon City was the hub that connected Ice Heart Valley to the external world. Usually, it should be impossible for so many Emperors to be here. Perhaps something big is going on; however, we shouldn’t worry about this matter for now. I need a few more days to recover completely.”
When she made a move against Jiang Zhou Zi a few days ago, she had aggravated her injuries. If not for that, she would have completely recovered by now.
The next few days were critical for recovery, so she hoped that nothing unexpected would happen.
“In that case, let’s look for a place to stay first. After Senior recovers, we’ll head to Ice Heart Valley,” Yang Kai suggested.
Bing Yun agreed.
The group looked for an inn and settled in.
Although she was concerned about her Master Sect and wanted to go there as soon as possible, Fan Xin didn’t dare to do anything rash. As her Honoured Master was in the midst of recovering from her wounds, Fan Xin could only hole up in the inn with her sisters and wait.
Yang Kai didn’t go out, either. He was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator at the moment and needed only a slight push to enter the Emperor Realm. Thus, he cultivated even harder, hoping to glimpse the secrets of the Emperor Realm as soon as possible.
Three days later, Yang Kai, who was cultivating in his room, suddenly opened his eyes, a puzzled expression on his face as he stood up and exited the room.
After a short while, he arrived in front of another room. Before he could knock, Bing Yun’s voice echoed from inside, “Come in!”
Yang Kai opened the door and went in. After turning a corner, he saw Bing Yun sitting in meditation and asked, “Senior, have you recovered?”
Bing Yun shook her head, “I’ll need another two or three days.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “In that case, why did Senior summon me here?”
He came here because he heard Bing Yun’s call, so he thought that she had already recovered, but that did not seem to be the case.
Bing Yun frowned, not replying to his question and instead motioning to him, “Sit down. I’ll explain slowly.”
Yang Kai obediently sat down in front of her.
After hesitating for a short moment, Bing Yun began to speak, “Back when I arrived in the Star Boundary from Heng Luo Star Field, I was merely a Third-Order Origin King. As you also know, such a cultivation can allow you to move about unchallenged in the Star Field, but here in the Star Boundary, it’s nothing special.”
Yang Kai nodded, expressing his understanding.
People like Chi Yue and Ai Ou were true overlords in Heng Luo Star Field who could make the Star Field shake thrice just by stomping their feet, but after coming to the Star boundary, they were having a hard time just finding cultivation resources. Even the number one Master at the time, Wu Dao, eventually fell.
Bing Yun continued, “I encountered grave danger once and almost lost my life not long after arriving here; however, a great senior saved my life. That Senior did not hesitate to damage his foundation to rescue me back from the gates of death. Afterwards, under his care, I slowly recovered and learned many important things. I, Bing Yun, have always been an independent cultivator, never relying on anyone on my Martial Dao, but if there is someone I can consider my Master, it would be that person. It is a pity that the senior expert taught me for only half a year before leaving to wander the world.”
Yang Kai praised, “That senior expert was truly a magnanimous person. Helping others without asking anything in return!”
Bing Yun showed a faint smile, “Indeed. He didn’t save me because he had something to gain from it, and given my pitiful strength at the time, I was no different from an ant to him, yet that Senior was willing to go so far for an insect like me. Thanks to that half a year of guidance he provided, my path in the Star Boundary became much easier.”
Although he didn’t know why Bing Yun suddenly began talking about her past, Yang Kai was sure that there was a reason, so he didn’t interrupt her and kept listening.
“After I’d cultivated to a satisfactory height, I founded Ice Heart Valley in the Northern Territory and took in a batch of disciples. Ice Heart Valley slowly grew in strength, eventually becoming what it is today; however, I never forgot the life-saving kindness of that person. Three thousand years ago, I left Ice Heart Valley, pledging to find that Senior even if I had to roam the entire Star Boundary. To repay that Senior, I had to, at the very least, show my gratitude.” Bing Yun faintly smiled, “We cultivators are people who should repay every bit of favour we receive, let alone the kindness of saving one’s life!”
“Unfortunately, before I could make any significant progress, I was careless and fell into the Solitary Void Sealed World where I remained trapped for three thousand years, until I met you.”
After discovering that she was trapped in the Solitary Void Sealed World for so long, Yang Kai was shocked. Bing Yun had been unable to increase her cultivation while in that place, which meant that she was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master long before falling into the Solitary Void Sealed World. If not for her bad luck, during these three thousand years, she might have been able to comprehend the secrets of the Great Emperor Realm!
“Finding that Senior is a lifelong goal of mine. No matter where, I’ll keep looking for that Senior! I still need to express my gratitude!” Bing Yun said resolutely.
Yang Kai said, “Then, Ice Heart Valley…”
Bing Yun smiled faintly, “Even if I am the founder of Ice Heart Valley, I can’t protect the Sect forever. If the disciples are competent and can allow it to prosper, it couldn’t be any better, but if they lack the necessary skills, the Sect will inevitably grow weaker. In this world, no Sect or family can stand forever. Just like people, they rise and fall in a perpetual cycle.”
Yang Kai nodded, “What Senior says makes sense.”
Bing Yun continued, “Back when I left Ice Heart Valley, I didn’t feel completely relieved, so I left behind something, an artifact created through a Secret Technique of mine, and told my Disciples that if the Sect ever fell into mortal danger and they had no other recourse, they could use that artifact to contact me, and I would rush back as soon as possible.”
Speaking until here, Bing Yun quietly took out a jade token from her Space Ring. Holding it in the palm of her hand, she said, “Just now, I felt an energy fluctuation from that very artifact!”
Yang Kai gazed at the jade token and noticed that a pale light was flashing from it, reminiscent of a firefly.
His expression changed, “Is Ice Heart Valley in danger?”
Bing Yun shook her head, “I’m not sure; however, so many Emperor Realm Masters suddenly appearing in Ice Moon City is far from normal. It likely has something to do with the Sect’s troubles.”
“Senior, how can I help?” Yang Kai asked. Bing Yun had said all those things and even taken out this jade token, so she definitely wanted him to do something.
“I still need two or three more days to fully recuperate, so I am unable to leave this place for the time being. I want you to go to Ice Heart Valley and find out what has happened.”
Yang Kai immediately nodded, “Okay, since Senior has made this request, I will do my best to fulfil it; however, Ice Heart Valley is one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, so it is not going to be easy to break in. If Junior is slightly careless and touches one of the protective barriers, I’m afraid that with my strength…”
If Yang Kai accidentally bumped into the Sect Defending Array, he would be treated as an enemy by the entire Sect. Even without Bing Yun, Ice Heart Valley had a considerable number of Emperor Realm Masters. As he would be heavily outnumbered at that time, it wasn’t certain that Yang Kai would be able to escape.
“You don’t have to worry about that, as long as you have my token with you, none of the barriers will hinder you,” Bing Yun took out another token. This token was pure white and flawless, just as if it was carved from the most beautiful jade in the world. On its face was engraved the character ‘Yun’.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and accepted the token.
Bing Yun gave him the flashing jade token as well, “With this other token, you’ll be able to sense the location of the artifact I left behind. Back when I left, I placed the artifact in Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area, and it should still be there.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded with a serious expression before he stuffed the two tokens into his Space Ring.
“Take this as well,” Bing Yun suddenly took out a bead, her expression heavy.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “An Emperor Authority Bead!”
He was very familiar with this pill-like item. Back in the Four Seasons Realm, he obtained the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Emperor Authority Bead, which he later used in the Thousand Leaves Sect’s small Sealed World. When it was unleashed, Flowing Time Force filled the whole area, obliterating the Third-Order Emperor Realm Corpse Puppet. During that time, Yang Kai had taken advantage of the Flowing Time Force to break through to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
Emperor Authority Beads contained a single full-powered strike of an Emperor Realm Master. However, not every Emperor Realm cultivator could refine such a treasure. One needed to be at least a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master to create one, and it required a huge amount of time and energy to do so.
Such items were given to promising Juniors of the younger generation to use as life-saving tools. Each Emperor Realm Master couldn’t create too many Emperor Authority Beads, with three being the limit during one’s lifetime. If they exceeded that number, they would inevitably damage their foundation.
Yang Kai didn’t expect that Bing Yun would be so generous, going as far as to give him an Emperor Authority Bead to protect himself.
“This is the Emperor Authority Bead I refined after reaching the Third-Order Emperor Realm. Inside is sealed a Secret Technique of mine. Use it with caution!”
Yang Kai happily received the bead and stored it away carefully. He then stood up and bowed, “Junior will set out immediately.”
“Remember to be careful. If you’re spotted, immediately take out my token. If you do that, those little girls won’t dare to attack you,” Bing Yun urged.
Yang Kai grinned, “With Senior’s assurance, I have nothing to fear.”
He turned around then and left.
In accordance with Bing Yun’s rules, Ice Heart Valley had no male disciples. The situation was the same as Ice Heart Valley on Scarlet Wave Star. When Yang Kai visited that place in the past, he found no male disciples. There were only women, each beautiful in their own right. Every man that stepped in Ice Heart Valley was bound to be dazzled.
Usually, this type of task should not have fallen on his shoulders, but among the disciples Bin Yun currently had with her, the strongest one was Fan Xin, and she was only a Second-Order Dao Source cultivator. Moreover, the difference in strength between her and Yang Kai was immense. For this reason, Bing Yun could only ask Yang Kai for help.
Yang Kai was also clear about this; moreover, other than those tokens, Bing Yun had also given him an Emperor Authority Bead, so it was clear how much importance she attached to this matter. With these various shields protecting him, he shouldn’t have too many problems while investigating Ice Heart Valley’s situation.
Ice Heart Valley wasn’t far from Ice Moon City, and it was possible to reach it after flying for around one hour. Ice Moon City was the hub that the Sect used to keep in touch with the external world and exchange commodities. If it was too far away, it would lose its function.
Yang Kai didn’t disturb any of the others and quietly left Ice Moon City, heading towards Ice Heart Valley.
When the sky started to become dark, he arrived at the Sect’s border.
Ice Heart Valley was located in a huge mountain valley surrounded by tall hills, which made it easy to defend but hard to attack. The surroundings were beautiful, and the World Energy here was rich. From the looks of it, Bing Yun chose this place very carefully. There was certainly a very good Earth Vein running below this land, otherwise, the World Energy here wouldn’t be so rich.
The only entrance to Ice Heart Valley was a thousand meters tall valley mouth; however, the corridor was guarded by female disciples, and it was impossible to get past them undetected.
Yang Kai couldn’t use the main entrance to get inside as he was on a secret mission to find the disciple who had contacted Bing Yun and inquire about Ice Heart Valley’s situation.
He checked the outer area of the Sect for some time before heading in a certain direction.
After a short while, he stopped, released his Divine Sense, and scanned the place in front of him.
There was an invisible barrier that blocked his way. It was a Spirit Array protecting Ice Heart Valley. If someone touched it, the whole Sect would be alerted. At that time, even Yang Kai would have a hard time escaping.
Yang Kai didn’t act rashly, choosing to hide nearby and calmly wait for an hour. After making sure that this place was deserted and no disciples were patrolling it, he took out Bing Yun’s token and pointed it at the barrier.
A ray of light shot out from the token, quietly opening a hole in the barrier.
Yang Kai didn’t waste time and dashed forward to get inside. Thanks to his mastery of Space Principles, he was like a ghost hiding in the shadows. At the same time, he activated his Nihility Secret Technique, concealing his aura to the limit.
Yang Kai was able to infiltrate easily. It seemed that Bing Yun’s token could really render every Spirit Array in Ice Heart Valley useless, a fact that made him feel relieved.
He then took out the jade token and began using it to trace the location of the communication artifact, quietly heading in that direction.
The farther he advanced, the more auras he sensed. They were obviously disciples of Ice Heart Valley. As it was one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, it was bound to have a lot of disciples; however, no one Yang Kai encountered was too powerful, the strongest of them being in the Dao Source Realm. With his current strength and his aura-concealing Secret Technique, they couldn’t detect him.
Around an hour later, Yang Kai was moving past a certain building and was about to head into the depths of the Sect when he suddenly stopped, his expression becoming strange.
The reason was that he heard a man talking.
The voice came from the building beside him; moreover, it wasn’t only one person, but rather two men who seemed to be discussing something.
[What are these men doing in Ice Heart Valley?] Yang Kai was stunned. Ice Heart Valley was an all-female Sect, and men weren’t allowed to enter it, much less join.
[Is it possible that some of the disciples couldn’t bear the loneliness and decided to secretly sneak their lovers inside?] The thought scared Yang Kai. If that was true, Ice Heart Valley’s reputation would be ruined!
But after giving it more thought, he concluded that it should be unlikely. Ice Heart Valley was a big Sect with tens of thousands of disciples, so it was impossible to secretly bring men here without anyone noticing. Moreover, marriage wasn’t forbidden in Ice Heart Valley. If any disciple found a man they liked, they could get married; it was just that after getting married, they would no longer be considered part of the Sect.
Bing Yun’s rules weren’t too strict when it came to love as she knew that everyone had desires and emotions, and it was pretty normal that the Sect’s disciples would eventually meet a man they liked while wandering outside. The rules were pretty progressive in this sense.
But bumping into men here was surprising nonetheless. Since they could stay here, their background must be far from ordinary.
Yang Kai became curious and wanted to hear what they were talking about, but as he lightly probed the auras of these two, Yang Kai became alert and no longer dared to act rashly.
One of these men turned out to be a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master!
Yang Kai had fought Firs-Order Emperors in the past, and even killed a few of them, but he had yet to fight someone in the Second-Order, so he was unsure as to how strong they were.
Moreover, he had come here with a mission, and he couldn’t afford to get sidetracked.
Yang Kai hesitated only for a short moment before fleeing towards a distant place.
“Who goes there!?” Suddenly, someone shouted from the building and a human figure quickly dashed out.
Yang Kai was surprised. It seemed he’d underestimated the perception of this Second-Order Emperor Realm Master. He couldn’t even get past the building without getting noticed.
Not hesitating, Yang Kai teleported away, disappearing from where he was standing.
In the next moment, a male figure appeared where Yang Kai had been hiding until a moment ago. The figure’s expression was gloomy as he released his Divine Sense, checking all around. However, he didn’t sense anyone’s presence.
A young man immediately caught up to him, stopping beside the middle-aged man and asking with a frown, “Martial Uncle Yao, what happened?”
The middle-aged man replied, “There was someone here just a moment ago!”
The young man was surprised, “Who?”
The man shook his head, “I’m not sure; however, that person left very quickly… I can even sense fluctuations of Space Principles here.”
“Space Principles?” The young man was shocked and blurted out, “Martial Uncle, are you saying that there’s someone in Ice Heart Valley that is proficient in the Dao of Space?”
The middle-aged man contemplated for a while before slowly shaking his head, “As far as I know, there is no one in Ice Heart Valley who is proficient in the Dao of Space. The reason behind these remnant Space Principles could be due to some kind of Space Array that had been set up here ahead of time.”
Hearing his words, the young man relaxed and smiled, “For a moment, I was worried that there might be some genius in Ice Heart Valley who was able to cultivate the Dao of Space, but it turns out that it was just some kind of temporary Space Array. I wonder who was so bored to create and use such a thing.”
The middle-aged man shook his head and said, “Xi’er, you should know that there are many people in Ice Heart Valley who are against this marriage, right? For example, that current Valley Master. Perhaps this was her doing.”
The young man faintly smiled, “Even if it was her, what can she do? The wedding is in just two days. At that time, I’ll bring Zi Yu back to our Sect and she will no longer have any relations with Ice Heart Valley.”
The middle-aged man nodded, “Zi Yu is the best among Ice Heart Valley’s younger generation. Actually, even in the whole Northern Territory, there is hardly anyone who can compare to her. Regardless of whether we’re talking about cultivation or aptitude, she is not inferior to you. You two are a good match.”
Hearing Zi Yu’s name, an obsessed expression appeared on the young man’s face and he said gently, “That is natural. Otherwise, how could Xi’er take a fancy to her?”
The middle-aged man frowned and looked at him, “Our Seeking Passion Sect’s Seeking Passion Supreme Art pursues the Dao of Passion in our cultivation. The higher the passion, the quicker the cultivation speed; however, Xi’er, you have to remember that if the other party does not return your affections, you’ll receive a huge backlash the day your Secret Art reaches the grand accomplishment stage. Are you sure you can capture that Zi Yu’s heart and make her your own? Back in the day, your father almost died because of this. Luckily, at the critical moment, your mother was moved by him. Martial Uncle hopes that nothing of the sort will happen to you; after all, the future of our Seeking Passion Sect rests on your shoulders.”
The young man said confidently, “Martial Uncle, don’t worry, as long as Zi Yu returns to the Sect with us, I’m sure I can conquer her body and mind. Xi’er has learned well from Father how to tame a woman.”
“It’s good that you’re this confident. In any case, let’s rest now, there are still two days left until the wedding. At that time, even the Sect Master will come here. You must be prepared!”
Hearing his words, the young man was astonished, “Lord Father will come here personally? Isn’t that giving too much face to Ice Heart Valley?”
The middle-aged man smiled, “Although Ice Heart Valley is somewhat unworthy of its status nowadays, it is still known as one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. When their Ancestral Founder was still here, they were on par with our Seeking Passion Sect, so it’s fine to give them some face. Moreover, this is your wedding we’re talking about, how can the Sect Master, your father, not come personally?”
“That’s great,” the young man said happily.
……
Yang Kai was shuttling back and forth through Ice Heart Valley’s barriers and Spirit Arrays. With Bing Yun’s token in hand, he didn’t have to worry about carelessly touching something and getting trapped.
He kept moving deeper and deeper into the Sect while avoiding all sorts of dangers. After one hour, he arrived at an extremely cold place.
In fact, cold pervaded the whole of Ice Heart Valley, and since its disciples cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Secret Techniques, they could obtain twice the result with half the effort while cultivating here.
However, this area was far colder than the rest and even Yang Kai had to circulate his Source Qi to resist the chill here.
Unlike the situation outside, Yang Kai could no longer sense anyone’s aura after entering this place.
This should be Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area!
Each Sect had Restricted Areas, most of which contained the memorial tablets of the Sect’s Ancestors or special Cultivation Paradises. Usually, only a small number of people were allowed to set foot in such places.
As for Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area, it was used as a cultivation area for the most outstanding disciples, as well as a confinement area.
If a disciple committed a mistake, they could be locked up here. Even Ice Heart Valley’s disciples couldn’t bear the cold here for too long.
Ahead was a corridor covered in a layer of ice. Yang Kai held up Bing Yun’s token and broke through the barriers here, heading deeper and deeper into the Restricted Area where the Ice Principles became stronger with each step he took.
Yang Kai was amazed, aware that this place was of the utmost importance to Ice Heart Valley. If the disciples cultivated here, their cultivation speed would be astonishing. Of course, they’d first have to bear the pressure of the Ice Principles, otherwise, they would simply freeze to death.
On both sides of the ice corridor were pure-white, mirror-like walls. On these walls were engraved a lot of lifelike figures. When Yang Kai gazed at them, he felt as if they were coming to life in front of him. Each figure was exquisite and graceful, seemingly demonstrating some powerful Secret Technique.
He couldn’t help but stare at them as he became somewhat entranced.
However, what he cultivated wasn’t an Ice Attribute Secret Art, so even if there was this opportunity in front of him, there was nothing he could do.
He couldn’t infer any profound mysteries from these moving pictures, only feeling that they were rather peculiar.
Sighing faintly, Yang Kai was aware that this opportunity had no fate with him so he no longer hesitated and dashed toward the corridor’s end.
After a little while, he reached the end, and what appeared in front of him was an open space, as well as an ice lake that released a mind-numbing cold. The ground there was frozen solid, with the Ice Principles all around ready to freeze one’s very Soul.
Yang Kai shuddered as he pushed his Source Qi harder to ward off the cold.
Due to the frigid temperatures here, the whole area was filled with white mist, making it impossible to see too far ahead of oneself.
Yang Kai took a look around and saw a small island in the middle of the ice lake where a blurry figure sat cross-legged.
[Is that the Ice Heart Valley disciple who summoned Bing Yun?] This thought flashed in his mind as he quietly released his Divine Sense to investigate. The other party’s cultivation was the same as his, Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
What made Yang Kai feel strange though was that this person’s aura was familiar, as if he had met her somewhere before.
While Yang Kai was lost in thought, a buzzing sound was transmitted from the island.
His mind shook as he felt as if something on the small island was summoning him.
The discovery left Yang Kai thoroughly puzzled as he wondered what exactly could be calling him.
“Honoured Master?” A pleasing voice suddenly sounded from the small island and called out to Yang Kai, “Honoured Master, is that you? Have you come to see Yu’er?”
From the looks of it, she’d mistaken Yang Kai for someone else!
After hearing her voice, Yang Kai became clear as to why he found her aura familiar earlier; after all, he had met this young woman only a few days ago. Although they only had a brief contact, Yang Kai still remembered her aura and voice.
He coughed lightly and tried to sound as gentle as possible so as to avoid scaring the other party, “Sister Zi Yu?”
On the small island, the girl seemed frightened as she shouted, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
This was Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area! Without the permission of the Sect’s higher-ups, even someone like her couldn’t come here, so how could she not be surprised when a man suddenly appeared in this place?
After seemingly thinking of something, Zi Yu coldly snorted, “Are you from Seeking Passion Sect? Is that you, Feng Xi?”
Her words were full of hostility. It was unknown how this Feng Xi had offended her.
Yang Kai stood in place and said, “Sister Zi Yu, you misunderstand. I’m not Feng Xi, and I’m not from Seeking Passion Sect. I’m here because of Sister Zi Yu’s distress signal.”
“Distress signal?” Zi Yu was dumbfounded. She then said in a delicate voice, “How do you know about it? The one I summoned was my Sect’s Ancestral Founder!”
On the small island, Zi Yu was dumbstruck.
After getting locked up here, she followed her Honoured Master’s instructions and used the artifact left behind by the Sect’s Ancestral Founder to contact her. She wanted to summon their Ancestral Founder, who had been missing for three thousand years, to uphold justice for her.
According to what her Honoured Master told her, if there was someone in this world who could save her from the abyss of desperation, it was their Ancestral Founder.
However, their Ancestral Founder had been missing ever since she left the Sect three thousand years ago, and there had been no news of her since then. In these three thousand years, Ice Heart Valley had encountered many disasters, and during one of the disasters, her Honoured Master had used the method left behind by the Ancestral Founder to connect with the artifact and send a distress signal; however, no one replied back then.
Many of the Sect’s higher-ups thought that the Ancestral Founder had died somewhere in the Star Boundary. That was the only explanation as to why she never came back.
Even her Honoured Master was no longer sure if their Ancestral Founder still lived or not; however, this was their only hope.
When Zi Yu used the artifact to send a distress signal, she did so out of desperation and had no real expectations of success.
Never would she have expected that someone would receive the signal and come here. What surprised her even more was that the person who came here was a man!
Wasn’t it the Ancestral Founder who left this artifact here? And, wasn’t she a woman? So, why was the person here a man? Zi Yu couldn’t make sense of the situation.
While she was trying to guess Yang Kai’s identity, the latter spoke, “Sister Zi Yu, can I come closer before speaking? Otherwise, I’m afraid we might alert the people outside.”
Zi Yu tried to calm down and said indifferently, “If you can bear the cold, sure.”
Yang Kai smiled faintly and jumped over towards the lake’s centre.
In the next moment, he was standing on the small island, and a familiar face was reflected in his eyes.
[It really is her!]
Yang Kai was puzzled. He met this girl named Zi Yu a few days ago, when she was being besieged by people from Seeking Passion Sect, but after he helped her, not only was she not grateful, she even became vigilant and directly fled.
And now, for some reason, she was locked up in the Sect’s Restricted Area.
“It’s you!” Zi Yu called out in surprise after seeing Yang Kai. Noticing that her voice was too loud, she hurriedly covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes lightly quivering as she asked, “How can this be?”
She naturally remembered Yang Kai as they had met a few days ago, when he gave her a big helping hand, but what she couldn’t understand was how he reached Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area without getting noticed by anyone.
“Sister Zi Yu, you can rest assured, I don’t have any malicious intentions towards you,” seeing her vigilant expression, Yang Kai hurried to take a step back, “I’m here because someone asked me to come.”
“Someone asked you to come here? Who?” Zi Yu asked skeptically.
Yang Kai smiled, “Take a look at this.”
He then stretched out his hand and threw Bing Yun’s token to Zi Yu.
Still puzzled, Zi Yu caught the token before glancing up at Yang Kai then down to begin examining the token.
After a short moment, her tender body trembled and her eyes opened wide as she said with an expression of disbelief, “This is… Ancestral Founder’s aura!”
Although she didn’t recognize this token, she could tell that the wisp of aura on it wasn’t fake, and this wisp of aura happened to be the same as the one on the emergency contact artifact the Ancestral Founder had left behind!
She raised her head and looked at Yang Kai in astonishment, saying with both a happy and anxious tone, “Are you saying that the one who sent you here is…”
“Shh!” Yang Kai put his finger over his lips, hinting that she should not speak further.
However, Zi Yu was too happy and clutched the token tightly while almost choking on her sobs, “I knew it. I knew it. Ancestral Founder is alive and well. My Honoured Master can finally rest easy.”
She changed the subject abruptly, starting to talk about her Honoured Master.
At the same time, she took out a Communication Bead and released her Divine Sense, pouring it into the bead to relay some information.
Yang Kai frowned, “What are you doing?”
Zi Yu said, “My Honoured Master has always been worrying about the Ancestral Founder’s safety, if she learns that she’s safe, she’ll certainly be delighted.”
Yang Kai broke out in a cold sweat, “It’s better not to tell your Honoured Master about this matter for now.”
“Why?”
Yang Kai said, “Senior Bing Yun can’t come over right now. She’ll come here in a few days, and your Honoured Master will get to meet her at that time.”
Hearing his words, Zi Yu paused, pondering for a moment before nodding, “Forgive me, I was too excited. Right, I still haven’t asked Senior Brother’s name.”
Yang Kai said, “You can just call me Yang Kai.”
“So, it is Senior Brother Yang!” Zi Yu relaxed, putting on a happy face and smiling brightly. This smile of hers almost made the World lose colour and Yang Kai was slightly dazed when he saw it, but he quickly returned to his senses.
Zi Yu noticed his change in expression, praising him inwardly. Very few men could resist her charm, and most of them only had lust in their eyes while looking at her.
Her beauty did daze Yang Kai, but only for a moment. He was obviously a man with great self-control.
“Zi Yu has been rude and failed to thank Senior Brother Yang appropriately for saving her life. I hope Senior Brother Yang does not take offence,” Zi Yu said, somewhat embarrassed. After knowing that it was their Ancestral Founder who had sent Yang Kai here, she found him very likeable and didn’t have any problem calling him ‘Senior Brother’. It felt as if they were really part of the same Sect despite Ice Heart Valley not having any male disciples. Zi Yu never had a Senior or Junior Brother, but Yang Kai gave her the feeling of being trustworthy.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure Sister Zi Yu had her reasons.” Yang Kai smiled.
Zi Yu slightly nodded, then forced a smile, “As Senior Brother Yang can see, I’ve been in some trouble lately.”
“Sister Zi Yu, did something happen to Ice Heart Valley as of late? If you don’t mind, can you tell me about it?” Yang Kai asked. He had come here with two missions. One was to find the disciple who had contacted Bing Yun, and the other was to discover what was going on with Ice Heart Valley.
“Senior Brother Yang, you can directly call me Junior Sister,” Zi Yu said gently. The last time, she saw Yang Kai easily defeating Cao Yang, something that was beyond her capabilities, therefore, even if they had the same cultivation, she felt inferior to him.
“But yes, something has happened. Moreover, this matter is related to me,” Zi Yu continued, a guilty expression appearing on her face. After taking a short moment to arrange her thoughts, she raised her head and said, “Senior Brother Yang, you know of the Seeking Passion Sect, yes?”
Yang Kai nodded. Although he didn’t know much about the scepticallysion Sect, he knew some key information. It was a Sect with considerable influence in the Northern Territory, and they had many strong Masters. To make a comparison, they stood on the same level as the Southern Territory’s Azure Sun Temple.
“Seeking Passion Sect’s core Secret Art is the Seeking Passion Supreme Art,” Zi Yu continued, “This Secret Art is very strange, and it is a big reason as to why Seeking Passion Sect was able to maintain its lofty status in the Northern Territory for so many years. I’ve heard that the creator of this Secret Art was a Great Emperor. That Great Emperor was called ‘Seeking Passion’, and those that cultivate this Secret Art use ‘passion’ as their Dao. The greater the passion, the higher the cultivation speed.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “Does that mean that everyone from the Seeking Passion Sect is a Casanova?”
Zi Yu sneered, “Senior Brother Yang, you’re giving them too much credit by calling them Casanovas.”
Yang Kai frowned, “But didn’t you say that they use ‘passion’ as a path to cultivation? If they aren’t highly skilled in the art of seduction, how can they even cultivate this Seeking Passion Supreme Art?”
Zi Yu nodded, “They indeed take passion as their Dao, and they also need to experience unforgettable love while cultivating; however, once Seeking Passion Sect’s elite disciples can use their ‘Seeking Passion Supreme Art’ at will and start looking for a partner, women have a hard time resisting their charm due to this Secret Art. Even casual exposure over enough time is to make these women fall into the abyss of passion.”
“This Secret Art is so abnormal?” Yang Kai was surprised. These men were using passion as their Dao to cultivate was one thing, but the fact that they could also use their Secret Art to influence the mentality of their partner was beyond his expectations. This was the ultimate technique to pick up women as it seemed that no woman could withstand the charm of those that cultivated the Seeking Passion Supreme Art!
“The Seeking Passion Supreme Art doesn’t only require the user to feel passionate, but their partner as well. If the woman isn’t moved at all, the user will receive a significant backlash, and the greater the difference in passion, the stronger the backlash,” Zi Yu explained with a disgusted expression on her face, “If that Seeking Passion Sect disciple can win over the woman’s heart, then they can live on as lovers and perhaps even have a happy life, but the problem is that very few women can keep pace with someone that has learned this Secret Art. After a few years, the disparity in strength between the two will become so big that the woman will no longer provide benefits to a Seeking Passion Sect disciple in any way. As such, that disciple would have no look for another woman to fall in love with. It’s like a never-ending cycle where the disparity between the two keeps growing bigger and bigger.”
Yang Kai gulped and said with envy, “Does that mean that every Seeking Passion Sect disciple has a dozen or so wives, and these wives love them so much that they can’t bear to leave them?”
Zi Yu looked at Yang Kai and sharply accused, “Senior Brother Yang, why does it look like you’re envious?”
Yang Kai wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and hurriedly waved his hand, “How could that possibly be!? I was just surprised at how heartless and disgusting this Secret Art is. I absolutely loathe this kind of Secret Art that mocks human decency!”
It was unknown if Zi Yu believed him or not, but she didn’t dwell on the matter further, “All of Seeking Passion Sect’s elite disciples cultivate the Seeking Passion Supreme Art, and they don’t just stop at a dozen wives. Some of them have managed to capture the hearts of hundreds of young women while cultivating. What’s worse is that all those women are dead set on them. I’m starting to wonder if they’re crazy or something!”
Zi Yu clenched her teeth, clearly disappointed by those women.
“Love is the hardest thing to forget in this world,” blurted out Yang Kai, looking as if he’d experienced something similar.
Zi Yu smiled, “Senior Brother Yang, are you recalling someone?”
Yang Kai said embarrassedly, “Junior Sister Yu, please continue.”
Zi Yu became happy when she heard him call her ‘Junior Sister Yu’. She continued, “Generally speaking, every woman that attracts the attention of a disciple from Seeking Passion Sect is doomed. After being influenced by that Seeking Passion Supreme Art, the woman will no longer have any interest in cultivating, the only thing on her mind would be that disciple, as if he was her entire world. This is also the reason the difference between the two of them keeps increasing.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Compared to the man, who seems pretty much unaffected, the woman falls in the abyss of love, unable to extricate herself.” After a short pause, he looked at Zi Yu and asked, “Junior Sister Yu, since you’re telling me this, does that mean that someone from Seeking Passion Sect took a fancy to you?”
Hearing his words, Zi Yu’s expression darkened and she sighed, “Senior Brother Yang’s guess is correct. The one eyeing me is Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, Feng Xi!”
“Feng Xi?” Yang Kai frowned. He remembered that Zi Yu had mentioned this name when he first came here. She asked him if he was Feng Xi, which he denied. Now, it turned out that this Feng Xi was Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master.
“My Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect are both top Sects in the Northern Territory, and the disciples of the two Sects occasionally have the opportunity to meet face to face. Feng Xi and I had heard of the other despite having never met in person, but a few years back, I accidentally met him while I was outside. Since that day, he hasn’t stopped pestering me. I was fed up with him and rejected him several times, but it was of no use.”
Yang Kai sneered, “That guy sure is shameless!”
Zi Yu continued, “Actually, Feng Xi and I are an appropriate match from a social point of view, and you could even say that I’m the one in the lower position. Although Ice Heart Valley is still considered one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, everyone knows that it has somewhat fallen from grace. Its strength is no longer comparable to Seeking Passion Sect’s. Feng Xi failed to get his hands on me personally, so he shamelessly asked the Seeking Passion Sect to put pressure on Ice Heart Valley, promising great benefits if they accepted. Under this pressure, some of the Sect’s leaders agreed to the marriage. Now, I am to get married to Feng Xi in two days.”
“Ice Heart Valley’s Elders agreed?” Yang Kai’s face darkened.
Zi Yu said in low spirits, “This cannot be blamed on them as we are in a weaker position compared to the enemy. In the past half a year, our Sect’s industries were targeted one after another, and my Junior and Senior Sisters were attacked whenever they got out. Some even died. To protect the Sect, they could only agree.”
Seeing her helpless expression, Yang Kai sympathized with her. After a short moment, he asked, “What about your Honoured Master? What is her position in Ice Heart Valley? Did she also agree?”
Zi Yu forced a smile, “My Honoured Master has managed Ice Heart Valley ever since our Ancestral Founder left. She’s the current Valley Master and has always treated me as if I were her own child, so she naturally did not agree to this marriage. The reason I could escape last time was also thanks to her assistance; however, her hands are tied right now, and she can’t help me.”
“Since you managed to escape, how did they capture you again?” Hearing that the current Valley Master didn’t agree to the marriage, even going as far as to help Zi Yu flee the Sect, Yang Kai felt that Ice Heart Valley’s higher-ups weren’t completely hopeless.
Zi Yu said dejectedly, “Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master, Yao Zhuo, came personally. He’s a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, and I had no way to resist him.”
“Yao Zhuo!” Yang Kai engraved this name in his mind, guessing that after separating from them a few days ago, Zi Yu must’ve bumped into Yao Zhuo, who captured her and brought her back to Ice Heart Valley, getting locked up in the Restricted Area.
“Right, both he and Feng Xi are staying as guests in Ice Heart Valley. Senior Brother Yang, they didn’t see you when you came here, right?” Zi Yu asked anxiously.
Yang Kai finally understood, “I see, so those two were Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi!”
On his way here, he bumped into two men, with one of them being in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. Back then, he was curious as to why those two were in Ice Heart Valley, but it turned out that they were Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master and Young Sect Master.
It seemed that Zi Yu’s previous escape made them vigilant; after all, the wedding was in two days, and if the bride was nowhere to be found by that time, it would be too much of an embarrassment. To prevent Zi Yu from escaping again, Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi had personally come to Ice Heart Valley, standing guard here.
After becoming clear about the situation, Yang Kai said, “On my way here, I did sense their presence; however, they didn’t see me. Junior Sister Yu, no need to worry.”
Zi Yu was, once again, surprised.
Yang Kai had the same cultivation as her, but he managed to sense Yao Zhou’s presence without getting caught by the latter. How did he achieve this? However, after recalling the scene where he defeated Cao Yang with a single move, Zi Yu realized that Yang Kai wasn’t a simple Dao Source Realm cultivator.
“Now that even my Honoured Master is powerless, only Ancestral Founder can save me!” Zi Yu looked at Yang Kai anxiously and begged, “Senior Brother Yang, you have to inform Ancestral Founder as soon as possible and ask her to save me from this crisis!”
If Yao Zhuo managed to bring her back to Seeking Passion Sect, she was doomed to become Feng Xi’s plaything. Very few women could resist the effects of the Seeking Passion Supreme Art, and Feng Xi was someone who had captured the hearts of countless women while cultivating. Zi Yu didn’t want to become one of the numerous concubines in his harem.
She had a bright future ahead of her, so how could she be willing to become a man’s cultivation tool and never advance further on her Martial Dao?
“Don’t worry. Senior Bing Yun won’t just sit back and watch. I came here because she requested me to check Ice Heart Valley’s situation. She’s in Ice Moon City at this moment.” Yang Kai smiled.
Hearing these words, Zi Yu was overjoyed as she muttered, “That’s great… That’s truly great!”
If the Ancestral Founder was in Ice Moon City, she could definitely save Zi Yu from this predicament.
At the same time, Zi Yu recalled another thing. When she met Yang Kai a few days ago, she also met some girls who claimed to be disciples of Ice Heart Valley. Back then, she thought that they were working for the Master Sect’s higher-ups, so she hurriedly fled.
But in hindsight, she’d never seen any of those girls. Moreover, their cultivations were quite uneven; they obviously didn’t belong to the batch of disciples that grew up with her.
[Is it possible that they are disciples that Ancestral Founder took in? That would explain why they said they were from Ice Heart Valley. Since they were on that ship, does that mean that Ancestral Founder was also there at that time?]
Considering all this, Zi Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was actually so close to the Ancestral Founder but missed the opportunity to meet her. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Yao Zhuo captured her and brought her here. She truly became a victim of her own cleverness!
If she had stayed with the Ancestral Founder, she wouldn’t have had to go through so much trouble!
“Senior Brother Yang, you should quickly return to Ice Moon City. If you stay here for too long, someone might see you,” urged Zi Yu after returning to her senses.
“Aren’t you coming with me?” Yang Kai asked.
Zi Yu forced a smile, “This is the Sect’s Restricted Area, and there are countless barriers and Spirit Arrays outside, how am I supposed to leave this place?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “How do you think I got here?”
Zi Yu was dumbfounded for a moment before she looked at the token in her hand, “Are you saying that…”
Yang Kai nodded, “Senior Bing Yun gave me this token, it can bypass all the barriers in the valley. Since I’m already here, it’d make no sense to go back empty-handed. We should head back to Ice Moon City together so that you can explain things to Senior Bing Yun personally.”
“Senior Brother Yang, can you really bring me back with you?” Zi Yu was delighted.
“Of course,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “However, you’ll need to wait a moment.”
“Why?” Zi Yu asked in puzzlement before Yang Kai brushed past her and headed toward the island’s centre.
There was something akin to an altar there, and on this altar was an ice-blue bead exuding cold air.
The bead was longan-sized and seemed to be the source of the cold here. The more Yang Kai approached it, the more he could feel the terrifying power inside this bead.
Zi Yu followed and explained, “That is a treasure the Ancestral Founder left behind. We don’t know its name, nor where Ancestral Founder obtained it; however, Ancestral Founder managed to draw out some of its power, creating this ice lake Restricted Area. When disciples cultivate here, they can clearly feel the power of the Ice Principles. According to my Honoured Master, this bead’s background must be extraordinary, but not even Ancestral Founder is completely clear of its true purpose.”
While explaining, she watched Yang Kai closely, unsure as to why he was so interested in this bead.
She saw him tremble all over from excitement, just as if he’d seen something incredible.
“Senior Brother Yang, you shouldn’t approach further or you won’t be able to bear it,” urged Zi Yu. However, she soon realized that she’d said something stupid. If he couldn’t bear the cold, he wouldn’t have approached in the first place.
She was amazed because even someone like her, who cultivated profound Ice Attribute Secret Arts, couldn’t get too close to the bead. Yet, Yang Kai was able to do so.
[Is Senior Brother Yang the personal disciple of Ancestral Founder? If not, how was he able to get so close to her? Even so, why would the Ancestral Founder accept a male disciple?]
While she was lost in thought, Yang Kai had already arrived at the altar. He couldn’t proceed further as if his whole body was freezing. Even pushing his Source Qi wildly was useless against this bone-chilling cold.
Frost had started to form on his head and face, yet he wasn’t scared, his eyes shining brightly as he stared forward.
With a flick of his wrist, Yang Kai suddenly summoned a red bead into his palm.
Zi Yu was dazed as she looked at the scene, because aside from the colour, the bead Yang Kai took out was identical to the one on the altar.
Moreover, when Yang Kai took out the red bead, the ice bead on the altar trembled along with the one in Yang Kai’s hand, clearly signifying a resonance between the two beads.
“The Bead of Winter!” Yang Kai called out, his excitement palpable, “This really is the Bead of Winter!”
“Bead of Winter? What’s that?” Zi Yu looked at Yang Kai in surprise. From the way he spoke, it seemed he knew what this bead was and what its purpose was. Moreover, it should have a deep relationship with the red bead in his hand, otherwise it should be impossible for them to resonate like this.
“I’ll explain to you later!” Yang Kai gulped. The huge surprise left him shaken, and he wasn’t in the mood to explain things to Zi Yu.
He had never thought he would find the Bead of Winter in Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area!
Back in the Four Seasons Realm, Yang Kai obtained three beads; the Bead of Spring, the Bead of Summer, and the Bead of Autumn. Each bead contained the power of a different Principle Strength. Yang Kai guessed that there should also be a Bead of Winter that embodied the Principle of Winter. Only after the Principles of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter were brought together would the Principle of Four Seasons, and subsequently Flowing Time, be revealed. Unfortunately, Yang Kai didn’t find the Bead of Winter back then, nor did he know where it was and could only put the matter aside for the time being.
He kept the three beads, and for the longest time, they didn’t have any use.
But today, he managed to find the missing one, the Bead of Winter! This was truly an unexpected surprise. He came here only because Bing Yun asked him to check which disciple had tried to contact her, and he didn’t expect to find the last bead here.
The happiness he felt was hard to describe.
With the Bead of Winter before his eyes, Yang Kai technically had all four beads and could begin to comprehend Flowing Time Force! He was curious to see what kind of benefits it would bring him.
[Still, why is the Bead of Winter in Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area?] Yang Kai thought about it for a while and concluded that Bing Yun might have also gone to the Four Seasons Realm when she was in the Dao Source Realm and obtained the Bead of Winter from there. Then, she brought the bead to the Northern Territory, founded Ice Heart Valley, and left it here. Afterwards, the energy inside the Bead of Winter transformed into cold energy, forming this ice lake and Restricted Area.
If that was the case, wouldn’t he destroy this entire Restricted Area if he were to take the Bead of Winter away?
Considering all this, Yang Kai began to hesitate.
He felt that if he told Bing Yun the whole situation, she would give him the Bead of Winter; after all, if the Bead of Winter stayed here, it would only allow Ice Heart Valley’s disciples to come to this Restricted Area and gain some slight benefits, but if it were in his hands, he could perhaps obtain Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Inheritance!
That was the essence of a Great Emperor’s lifelong pursuit of the Martial Dao, something much more valuable than this Restricted Area.
When Yang Kai was pondering whether or not he should take the Bead of Winter away, the bead suddenly released a pure-white beam of light that shot toward the sky.
“Oh no!” Zi Yu paled and shouted, “Senior Brother Yang Kai, quickly put your bead away!”
Yang Kai also realized that the situation wasn’t good. Bing Yun had refined this bead, which allowed it to release some of its power, making it completely different from the beads in his possession, which were basically inert. The reason it suddenly released that beam of light should be because of the sudden appearance of the Bead of Summer.
The beam’s sudden appearance was going to alert the whole of Ice Heart Valley, and as it came from the Sect’s Restricted Area, many Masters would soon gather to investigate.
Therefore, Yang Kai didn’t hesitate. Before Zi Yu’s voice could fade, he stuffed the Bead of Summer in his Space Ring then stretched out his hand toward the Bead of Winter.
Since things had come to this, it was better to take the bead first and put the other matters off until later. In the worst case, he could explain things to Bing Yun once they got back to Ice Moon City and ask her formally for the Bead of Winter.
The omnipresent cold turned his hand purple, with frost starting to appear on his skin. Yang Kai immediately lost all feeling in his hand and hurried to stimulate his Source Qi to ward off the cold.
After grabbing the Bead of Winter with much difficulty, Yang Kai quickly put it in his Space Ring. Only then did he start to feel a little better.
In the next moment, he grabbed the dumbfounded Zi Yu and shouted, “Let’s go!”
Zi Yu said, still in a daze, “Senior Brother Yang, why did you steal our Ice Heart Valley’s artifact?”
She still hadn’t returned to her senses after witnessing what had happened. If not for the fact that Yang Kai took out Bing Yun’s token earlier and explained why he had come here, she’d have likely attacked him.
He dared to steal a core artifact from Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area right in front of an elite disciple like her. That was daylight robbery!
“Senior Bing Yun asked me to retrieve this bead. She has some use for it!” Backed into a corner, Yang Kai spouted some random nonsense.
“Oh…” Zi Yu didn’t doubt him and no longer dwelled on the matter.
Yang Kai grabbed Zi Yu with one hand and held Bing Yun’s token with the other, quickly disabling the Restricted Area’s barriers to escape outside.
At this time, Ice Heart Valley was in an uproar. Countless disciples who were either resting or meditating were alarmed by what happened in the Restricted Area and left their rooms, either standing in place absentmindedly or rushing towards the Restricted Area to check the situation.
The quickly approaching wave of weak and strong auras frightened Yang Kai.
Ice Heart Valley was worthy of being considered one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory; even without Bing Yun, it had countless Masters. There were over a dozen First and Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters in this Sect, a force that wasn’t too inferior to the Southern Territory’s Azure Sun Temple. The only difference was that they did not have a master on par with Wen Zi Shan. From this, it was obvious that Ice Heart Valley’s background was really deep.
However, even a Sect of this level couldn’t bear the Seeking Passion Sect’s pressure and was forced to betroth their best disciple to Feng Xi. It was clear that the Seeking Passion Sect’s overall strength was superior to Ice Heart Valley.
The fact that the valley was in an uproar worked in Yang Kai’s favour as he carried Zi Yu away. He carefully avoided all the Emperor Realm Masters and wasn’t discovered by a single person along the way.
Zi Yu was more anxious than ever. When she escaped the last time with her Honoured Master’s help, the experience wasn’t this stimulating. Back then, she only wanted to disappear from the Northern Territory and not let anyone from the Seeking Passion Sect find her, but this time, she was running away with a man. It almost felt as if she was eloping with this Senior Brother called Yang Kai.
If someone saw them now, she wouldn’t be able to explain the situation no matter how hard she tried. Just the thought of that sent her heart racing.
“Who goes there?!” Someone suddenly shouted from nearby, and in the next instant, a light flashed and peerless Sword Intent fell from the sky, covering Yang Kai and Zi Yu.
Zi Yu’s face changed as she realized that it must’ve been the fluctuation in her mood that caused her aura to leak and expose their whereabouts, a truly great shame.
But then, she suddenly felt a gentle power push her outside the incoming Sword Wave’s range. Next, Yang Kai drew his own sword and parried the descending slash.
The sound of metal colliding echoed, followed by a light shout of surprise. The newcomer gracefully retreated, seemingly not intending to go for the kill.
Yang Kai took advantage of this opportunity to gasp for breath. His face became slightly pale, and his body shook as he forcefully purged the ice-cold Sword Intent covering his body.
He rejoiced that the one who had come first was a First-Order Emperor. Otherwise, he might’ve been unable to resist. He had fought a few First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, accumulating a lot of precious experience, allowing him to put up a decent resistance without immediately falling into a disadvantage.
“Yu’er!” The woman who had appeared frowned and shouted, “What are you doing here?”
Yang Kai relaxed after hearing this. From the way this woman spoke, she seemed to be one of Zi Yu’s Seniors. Moreover, she must be someone close to Zi Yu, otherwise she wouldn’t call Zi Yu so affectionately. Since she liked Zi Yu, she shouldn’t make things difficult for her.
Only now did Yang Kai have an opportunity to take a good look at the other party. This woman had a youthful continence and a petite figure, like a young girl’s. She wielded cherry dual swords and possessed a kind of spring-like beauty. Her tightly wrapped robes emphasized her rather luxurious figure, resulting in a scene pleasing both to the eye and mind.
But as she was someone who had cultivated to the Emperor Realm, her outward appearance couldn’t be used to deduce her age. This ‘young girl’ was obviously a few thousand years old.
“Seventh Martial Aunt!” Zi Yu shouted as she looked at the young woman, begging for her mercy with her expression.
“You actually managed to leave the Restricted Area. Is he the one who saved you?” The young woman that Zi Yu called ‘Seventh Martial Aunt’ pondered for a moment as she looked at Yang Kai, sizing him up with her pretty eyes, as if she wanted to see through all his secrets.
Her eyes were pure and flawless, clear as water, and when they met with Yang Kai’s, he felt as if all the darkness in his heart melted away. This left him shocked, realizing that this woman was cultivating some kind of profound technique that could affect one’s Soul.
“Yes, he is Senior Brother Yang!” Zi Yu hurried to nod, “Senior Brother Yang, this is my Seventh Martial Aunt, Zhang Sun Ying. She has always treated me well.”
She added that last part to prevent Yang Kai and her Seventh Martial Aunt from falling out.
“So, it is Senior Zhang Sun. Junior Yang Kai greets Senior!” Yang Kai hurried to cup his fists.
Zhang Sun Yin snorted, “No wonder you didn’t agree to the marriage, it seems your heart already belongs to someone else.”
Zhang Sun Ying’s thinking was very simple. Unless Yang Kai and Zi Yu had an incredibly intimate relationship, why would the former risk his life and sneak into Ice Heart Valley? If a man was willing to risk his life for a woman, it could only be for love. Only love would make someone act so foolhardy.
Zi Yu’s face reddened as she waved her hands frantically, “Seventh Martial Aunt, this is a misunderstanding. Senior Brother Yang is here on Ancestral Founder’s orders.”
Zhang Sun Ying’s body trembled hearing these words; however, she quickly calmed down and sighed, “Don’t deceive me. Honoured Master has been gone for more than three thousand years… Just go… I’ll act as if I didn’t see you.”
Although Zi Yu wanted to explain the situation to Zhang Sun Ying, she knew it wasn’t the right time. She could only wait until they met later, saying gratefully, “Many thanks, Seventh Martial Aunt.”
She then ran to Yang Kai’s side and grabbed his hand, urging, “Let’s hurry and leave!”
“It’s too late for that!” Yang Kai forced a smile and looked at Zhang Sun Ying helplessly.
Zhang Sun Ying also sensed something and frowned, her face darkening.
When she intercepted Yang Kai and Zi Yu earlier, she did so out of instinct. She was an Elder of Ice Heart Valley, and she couldn’t act as if nothing had happened when she noticed someone moving around sneakily.
This event, coupled with their brief skirmish, alerted a lot of people. Yang Kai and Zi Yu lost their only opportunity to escape as a result.
Zhang Sun Ying felt regretful. Had she known earlier, she wouldn’t have stopped them.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
After a series of light steps, several Emperor Realm Masters surrounded Yang Kai and Zi Yu. There were eight of them in total, and a few others were on their way, with their auras rapidly approaching.
There was no Third-Order Emperor Realm Master among these people, but there were two in the Second-Order while the remaining ones were all First-Order.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai was surrounded by several beautiful women. The sight was dazzling.
Beauties were literally raining from the sky, with all sorts of appealing appearances and attributes, making him feel as if he was in the country of women.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t the slightest bit happy, his expression turning grave.
It was his first time being surrounded by so many Emperor Realm Masters, and even if he could use Space Principles, he wasn’t sure if he could escape unscathed.
“Zi Yu, you sure are bold, secretly meeting with a man, running away from the Restricted Area, and even stealing the Sect’s artifact!” When Yang Kai was lost in thought, wondering how he should escape, one of the two Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters suddenly shouted.
This woman was gorgeously dressed up, wearing a light blue skirt. Her face was ice-cold, and she gave off a hostile feeling that made those around her uncomfortable. It was unknown what kind of Secret Technique she cultivated, but when she stood there, her whole body was shrouded in Sword Intent, making her seem incredibly sharp and dangerous.
Zi Yu panicked and waved her hands at the beautiful woman, trying to explain, “Great Elder, that’s not it, this is a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” The beautiful woman snorted, “Do you think that this Queen is blind? You were the only one in the Restricted Area, and the artifact is now gone. Are you really going to argue that it wasn’t your doing?”
Zi Yu turned to look at Yang Kai, but she couldn’t just say that it was him who stole it, so she kept silent.
“Good, so you admit that you were the one who stole it…” The beautiful woman sneered and turned to the other Second-Order Emperor Realm, “Zi Yu broke the Sect’s rules and didn’t repent while in confinement. As if that wasn’t enough, she stole the artifact in the Restricted Area. I ask Senior Sister to choose her punishment!”
Hearing her words, the other Second-Order Emperor Realm Master sighed. She looked at Zi Yu with a complicated expression, her eyes filled with guilt but also affection. After a long time, she said, “Yu’er, that ice bead is something the Ancestral Founder left behind. Why did you take it?”
She also believed that Zi Yu was the one who took the artifact away; after all, she was the only person in the Restricted Area, and the artifact was, now, nowhere to be seen.
Zi Yu said, “Honoured Master, I didn’t steal the artifact!”
She just told them that she didn’t take the artifact, without snitching on Yang Kai. She didn’t want to involve him in this matter.
“In that case, where did the artifact go?” Her Honoured Master asked gently. She seemed to have a far gentler temperament than the other Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, who was hostile and aggressive, her voice as smooth and soft as a whisper.
Yang Kai asked in a low voice, “Junior Sister Yu, who are they?”
Zi Yu hurriedly explained, “One is my Honoured Master, An Ruo Yun. The other is Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder, Sun Yun Xiu, as well as my Second Martial Aunt. My Honoured Master is first in seniority among her Sisters.”
Yang Kai immediately understood. The woman who was as gentle as water was Zi Yu’s Honoured Master; Ice Heart Valley’s current Valley Master, An Ruo Yun. The other woman, who was as sharp as a sword and very aggressive, was Sun Yun Xiu. The two of them, plus that Zhang Sun Ying he met earlier, were all Junior and Senior Sisters.
[Bing Yun really took in some amazing disciples! All of them grew up to become Emperor Realm Masters. Though, I can’t say if it was thanks to the good environment here or if it was because she was a good teacher.]
However, it wasn’t the time to dwell on this matter. Yang Kai cupped his fists and said, “Junior Yang Kai greets several Seniors.”
“Who do you think you are? You actually dared to break into my Ice Heart Valley at night and kidnap one of our disciples!” Sun Yun Xiu reprimanded, a cold expression on her face.
Yang Kai frowned, “Elder Sun, this is a misunderstanding. I’m not here to kidnap Junior Sister Yu. I was entrusted to take her away from this place.” Sun Yun Xiu was way too aggressive, which worsened his opinion of her, and judging from her attitude, she didn’t seem to like Zi Yu too much. She was likely one of the people that had folded under Seeking Passion Sect’s pressure.
“This little brat even dares to talk back!?” Sun Yun Xiu snapped angrily.
At this time, two other figures fell from the sky, one of them focusing on Zi Yu and exclaiming, “Little Sister Yu, what are you doing?!”
He looked greatly disappointed when he looked over at Zi Yu, but when he turned to Yang Kai, his face was full of hatred and murderous intent.
Both newcomers were men, with one of them being a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master and possessing a calm and dignified expression. The other was an outstanding young man in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, who looked brave and heroic.
Their identities were already clear as only two men were staying as guests in Ice Heart Valley. They were the Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master and Young Sect Master.
They came here because they were alerted by the sudden movements around them, but when they arrived, Feng Xi saw that Zi Yu was holding Yang Kai’s hand, and she was doing so on her own initiative!
The discovery caused his face to darken, and he felt as if someone had just placed a green hat on his head. He was deeply humiliated, which enraged him so much that he could explode at any time. None of the women he had taken a fancy to dared to treat him like this. All of them belonged to him, body and soul, and followed his every order like faithful servants.
Although Zi Yu always used harsh words when speaking to him, Feng Xi didn’t pay it any mind, but now, this cheap slut was being so intimate with this unknown man! Was she purposely trying to anger him? If word of this were to get out, would he still have any standing left in the Northern Territory? At that time, he was afraid that every person would subconsciously stare at him in pity when meeting him.
When she saw Feng Xi looking at her hand, Zi Yu realized the inappropriateness of the situation.
As she was trying to flee with Yang Kai from this place earlier, she didn’t hesitate to grab his hand, but before they could move, all her Martial Aunts surrounded them, preventing them from leaving. Under the pressure, Zi Yu forgot to let go of Yang Kai’s hand.
After finally returning to her senses, she felt how big and warm Yang Kai’s hand was and she blushed subconsciously, wanting to let go.
But then, she suddenly thought of something and her jade white hand, which was about to let go of Yang Kai’s hand, tightly grasped it once more. This time, she used even more strength, until their fingers were clasped.
Yang Kai looked at her in surprise, a strange feeling welling up in his heart.
Zi Yu blushed slightly, and her tender body slightly leaned against Yang Kai’s arm. She then looked at Feng Xi provocatively, “Young Master Xi, please mind your words, I have never allowed you to call me Little Sister Yu. Moreover, I’m free to do whatever I want. None of what I do is your business!”
Hearing her words, Feng Xi’s face turned ugly. He was livid and he angrily looked at Yang Kai, clenching his teeth as he shouted, “You! You court death! How dare you try to steal my woman?!”
Yang Kai sneered when he saw this, obviously understanding why Zi Yu was acting so intimate with him. She wanted to let Feng Xi see how close they were. Yang Kai found her method amusing so he played along. Zi Yu was unable to control her future, and this was the only method she could use to save herself, hoping that Feng Xi would give up on her. However, Feng Xi was so enraged that he was now planning to commit murder.
“Who is your woman?! Shameless!” Zi Yu didn’t want to leave Feng Xi any face, and seeing him threatening Yang Kai, she openly scolded him.
Feng Xi was so angry that his face turned pale. It was inappropriate to shout curses at Zi Yu, so he could only vent his anger on Yang Kai, glaring at him as he accused, “Boy, are you so weak that you need a woman to act on your behalf?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Young Master Xi, arrangements do not work unless all concerned parties agree; do you really need to go this far? Junior Sister Yu and I are deeply in love and have already pledged our lives to one another, so who is stealing whose woman? This Young Master doesn’t want to lower himself to your level, so why do you keep crying ‘thief!’ when you’re the thief?”
Everyone was stunned.
All the Emperor Realm Masters from Ice Heart Valley looked at Yang Kai and Zi Yu with their jaws dropped, finding this revelation inconceivable.
Zi Yu was also stunned. She hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would say something like this in front of everyone. What ‘deeply in love and pledging their lives to one another’? He was simply tarnishing her reputation beyond repair! Her face became deep red, just as if it was on fire while at this time, she really looked like someone who had done unspeakable things with Yang Kai.
Seeing Zi Yu’s red face, the numerous Emperor Realm cultivators from Ice Heart Valley looked at her strangely.
Her Seventh Martial Aunt, Zhang Sun Ying, gazed at Yang Kai and praised him in her heart. It was her first time meeting Yang Kai, so she didn’t have much of an opinion of him, but after hearing his bold words, she felt that Zi Yu had chosen the right man.
If it wasn’t true love, how could he act so courageously in front of so many Emperor Realm Masters?
On the other hand, Feng Xi’s face was so cold that frost could appear on it at any time. He felt extremely uncomfortable. Never would he have expected that the woman he’d taken a fancy to, and used all of his Sect’s resources to pressure into submission, had already become someone else’s plaything!
He felt as if he’d just eaten a dead fly. He was deeply disgusted, and he looked at Zi Yu with eyes filled with hostility.
“Don’t be fooled, Zi Yu’s Primordial Yin is still there. She’s still pure!” Yao Zhuo gently whispered in Feng Xi’s ear.
Hearing his words, a strange light flashed in Feng Xi’s eyes as he swept Zi Yu from head to toe, confirming that Yao Zhuo was telling the truth. Her Primordial Yin was still there, so she had to be a virgin; however, he was unable to get over these negative emotions as Zi Yu was still holding Yang Kai’s hand!
The scene unfolding before his eyes was enough to humiliate any man, let alone Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master!
The woman that he had taken a fancy to was being so intimate with another man. This was no longer Feng Xi’s personal problem. If word of this were to get out, his Sect’s reputation would take a huge hit.
“Boy, who are you? You unexpectedly dare to mess with my Seeking Passion Sect! Aren’t you afraid of dying?” Yao Zhuo coldly glared at Yang Kai, his murderous intent seeping out. He knew that today’s matter had to be processed well, otherwise not only would it damage the Sect’s face, it would leave Feng Xi with a heart demon. The best method to solve this situation was to let Feng Xi kill Yang Kai personally. Still, they were in Ice Heart Valley, and it was inappropriate to take action before getting a better understanding of the situation.
The group of Emperor Realm Masters from Ice Heart Valley looked at Yang Kai with curiosity, wondering about his identity. This man had suddenly appeared in Ice Heart Valley and was now so intimate with Zi Yu. Even Zi Yu’s Honoured Master, An Ruo Yun, wasn’t clear about the situation.
She’d never heard Zi Yu mention this man.
“I came here to take Junior Sister Yu away. What does this have to do with being enemies with your Seeking Passion Sect? Senior, aren’t your words too biased? You’re supposed to be impartial!” Yang Kai snorted and continued, “Moreover, this is Ice Heart Valley. How is this matter related to your Seeking Passion Sect?”
“How dare you call her Junior Sister Yu!” Feng Xi was furious.
Yang Kai’s eyes stopped for a moment before he said coldly, “It’s none of your business what I call her. Why are you barking so loudly?”
The flames of anger in Feng Xi’s belly were about to burn his whole body. He looked at Yao Zhuo and boldly declared, “Martial Uncle, I want him dead!”
In his whole life, he’d never felt so humiliated. The woman he liked was grasping another man’s hand on her own initiative, and that man was so arrogant. If he didn’t kill him, how could he get rid of the hatred in his heart?
Yang Kai sneered, “You want to kill me? There were many like you in the past, but they’re all dead now!”
“This brat is certainly arrogant enough!” Yao Zhuo’s face darkened, fire almost spewing out from his eyes as he sent out his Emperor Pressure to suppress Yang Kai.
The Emperor Realm Masters from Ice Heart Valley were also surprised. Yang Kai was just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but he dared to be so bold in front of them. It was unknown if he cultivated until becoming crazy, or if he was someone who didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
Yang Kai stood in place and groaned lightly, seemingly short of breath due to Yao Zhuo’s aura. He inhaled through his nose and began speaking politely, “Forgive me. I’m young and ignorant, and not too skilled in the art of conversation.”
Hearing his words, all the women frowned. It seemed that Yang Kai wasn’t that fearless in the end. When they saw him being so arrogant before, they thought that he was someone with an unyielding spirit, but after Yao Zhuo threatened him, he immediately piped down. He didn’t sound like someone you could trust. If he hadn’t changed his stance, they might have looked at him with respect, but seeing him compromise so quickly, they all assumed he was the type that bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Some among them sighed faintly, feeling sorry for Zi Yu.
Perhaps she was blinded by love and failed to see his true colours, because compared to Feng Xi, this young man was nothing. At the very least, Feng Xi was Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, and his status was something ordinary people couldn’t hope to match. Even if Zi Yu could no longer advance on the path of cultivation after marrying him, she wouldn’t suffer any hardships. Who knew, perhaps she’d even find happiness in the future.
But if she got together with someone like Yang Kai, her future looked bleak…
Yang Kai calmly looked at Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi before smiling strangely and continuing, “My words aren’t always pleasant to the ear. If I have offended you just now… You dogs are free to come here and bite me!”
The whole audience was stunned.
Everyone from Ice Heart Valley opened their eyes wide, staring at Yang Kai in disbelief. They couldn’t believe their ears. In the meantime, Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi’s faces went black as they were absolutely furious.
Yao Zhuo turned to Sun Yun Xiu, “Great Elder, is it a problem if Xi’er kills him?”
He didn’t ask Valley Master An Ruo Yun, but asked Sun Yun Xiu directly, as he knew of An Ruo Yun’s weak personality, and knew it was useless to seek her approval.
The reason he wanted Feng Xi to take action personally was for the latter’s sake. Seeing Yang Kai and Zi Yu like this, a heart demon had already started to form in Feng Xi. Only by killing Yang Kai with his hands could he get rid of this heart demon and prevent it from affecting his cultivation in the future. As the name suggested, Seeking Passion Sect’s Seeking Passion Supreme Art revolved around passion. While cultivating, one had to bring out their real feelings to move their partner’s heart.
Hearing Yao Zhuo’s words, Sun Yun Xiu’s face darkened and she coldly snorted, “We are in Ice Heart Valley right now, and we will decide who lives and who dies. There is no need for the Vice Sect Master and Young Sect Master of Seeking Passion Sect to take action!”
Her cold words surprised Yang Kai.
He thought that Sun Yun Xiu was someone who leaned toward Seeking Passion Sect, and had agreed to marry Zi Yu off for benefits. Generally speaking, this type of person would try to please the Seeking Passion Sect at every turn; however, Sun Yun Xiu didn’t give Yao Zhuo any face and rejected him immediately. So, what was going on?
But even if Sun Yun Xiu didn’t give Yao Zhuo any face, she didn’t have a favourable impression of Yang Kai as this whole mess was his fault. When she turned to look at him, her face was filled with murderous intent.
She was about to say something when An Ruo Yun interjected, “Young man… Just now, you said that someone asked you to take Zi Yu away. On whose request are you acting?”
There was no deep meaning behind her words. She asked this question because she knew her Second Junior Sister’s personality. If she didn’t say something to carry the conversation forward, Sun Yun Xiu would definitely attack Yang Kai.
Given her strength as a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, Yang Kai would have no ability to defend himself if Sun Yun Xiu decided to attack him.
Whether Yang Kai was here on someone’s order or because he loved Zi Yu and wanted to elope with her, An Ruo Yun hoped to see him succeed. Zi Yu was her precious disciple, and she had taken care of her since she was a child. If not because she was forced to, how could she agree to this marriage? She even went as far as to secretly help Zi Yu escape. Unfortunately, fate was not on her side, and Zi Yu was caught and brought back here.
Yang Kai respected An Ruo Yun as she was Zi Yu’s Master and Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master, but due to her extremely gentle disposition, she wasn’t suitable to lead the Sect.
A real leader had to be impartial, iron-willed, and decisive, yet An Ruo Yun possessed none of these attributes. Perhaps this was one of the reasons Ice Heart Valley was bullied by the Seeking Passion Sect and was unable to fight back.
Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Senior An, Junior is here on Senior Bing Yun’s orders. I was entrusted by her to take Junior Sister Yu away from this place.”
“What?”
“Boy, what did you just say?!”
All the Emperor Realm Masters from Ice Heart Valley went into an uproar, calling out in alarm one after another. Several pairs of beautiful eyes locked onto Yang Kai’s body, trembling slightly. Sun Yun Xiu’s body darted forward, appearing in front of Yang Kai in an instant as she grabbed his shoulders, shouting through gritted teeth, “Boy… repeat what you just said!”
“You’re hurting me!” Yang Kai glanced at his shoulder and said coldly, his face indifferent, not seeming to be in any kind of pain.
Sun Yun Xiu was enraged and was about to blow her top, but she then thought of something and suppressed her anger. Taking a deep breath and letting go of Yang Kai, she took a step back on her own initiative and simply stared at him with both expectation and anxiety.
The other Emperor Realm Masters were the same.
Yang Kai looked around and said loudly, “I came here on Senior Bing Yun’s orders. She asked me to take Junior Sister Yu away.”
“Master…” An Ruo Yun was finally able to confirm that she wasn’t hearing things. Just now, Yang Kai did really say the name ‘Bing Yun’. This name had lingered in her mind for the past three thousand years, along with the memories of her Master leading her on the path of cultivation step by step. Back then, she was free from worries and could find shade under the big tree that was her Master’s back. She only had to cultivate and worry about nothing else.
As time passed, the scenery remained unchanged, but the same was not true for the people. Ice Heart Valley was still Ice Heart Valley, but her Master was no longer there.
People in the outside world had started to suspect that her Master had died. Even many disciples in the Sect had tacitly accepted this fact.
But now, she finally heard some news about her Master from Yang Kai. An Ruo Yun felt as if the blood in her chest was rushing to her head as she asked weakly, “Master… how is she?”
Her beautiful eyes looked at Yang Kai with expectation, eagerly waiting for his answer.
Yang Kai sneered, “Senior Bing Yun discovered that you were pushing your best disciple into a pit of fire, so her mood is anything but good at the moment!”
Hearing this, all the women were dejected, guilt filling their faces. They didn’t dare to look Yang Kai in the eyes anymore.
“Impossible! Impossible!” Sun Yun Xiu started shouting as if she’d gone mad. Her eyes turned red as she glared at Yang Kai, stepping forward again and roaring, “If Master was really here, why didn’t she come here personally? Why did she send a man to Ice Heart Valley? If you’re lying, this Queen will kill you!”
“Second Martial Aunt, he’s telling the truth. Senior Brother Yang was really sent here by Ancestral Founder.” Seeing the murderous intent on Sun Yun Xiu’s face, Zi Yu hurried to stand in front of Yang Kai.
This scene left Feng Xi even more heartbroken.
“Stand aside! You have no say in this matter!” Sun Yun Xiu waved her hand, pushing Zi Yu aside. Fortunately, she restrained herself even though she was angry, and the push did not harm Zi Yu.
In the next moment, Sun Yun Xiu arrived in front of Yang Kai once again, grabbing his collar and easily lifting him up, raising her head to meet his eyes as she sternly warned, “Are you trying to use our Honoured Master’s name to deceive us? If that’s the case, you will die!”
Despite her fierce shout, there wasn’t any murderous intent in her eyes, and her momentum was far weaker than before. She looked like someone who was outwardly strong but inwardly faint of heart.
She obviously had no intention of killing Yang Kai, and her objective was simply to use the difference in strength between them to coerce him into telling her the truth.
Yang Kai immediately saw through her thoughts, and did not resist, simply allowing her to do as she pleased, sneering as he taunted, “Go ahead and kill me then! What’s stopping you?”
Sun Yun Xiu clenched her teeth, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of killing him, instead just glaring madly.
Seeing this, Yang Kai raised his hand and suddenly slapped her across the face, “Open your dog eyes and see what this is!”
Due to her unstable mood, Sun Yun Xiu was caught off-guard and directly received this slap from Yang Kai, staggering backwards a few steps.
All the women at the scene turned pale, sweat appearing on their foreheads.
Among their various Junior and Senior Sisters, Sun Yun Xiu was the one with the fiercest temperament. With her cultivation at the Second-Order Emperor Realm, she was more than qualified to be Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder, but just now, she was slapped in the face by a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, a young man on top of that.
How would things end? All of them could already imagine Yang Kai getting beaten to death.
An Ruo Yun’s expression changed drastically as she tried her best to think of a way to calm her Second Junior Sister and save Yang Kai. Regardless of why he was bold enough to slap an Emperor Realm Master, An Ruo Yun hoped he could live as he had come here to save Zi Yu, her Disciple.
Completely contrary to everyone’s expectations, however, Sun Yun Xiu didn’t fly into a rage after getting hit. Instead, she stood there stunned, haltingly reaching her hand up to caress her cheek, finding something in her palm.
It was a token, one that many present found familiar. It was a token they hadn’t seen in three thousand years!
“Martial Ancestor’s Token!” Sun Yun Xiu looked at the token in her hand, still in a daze, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she stared at the ‘Yun’ character engraved on the token.
“What!?” An Ruo Yun’s face changed even more drastically this time as she flew over with all haste.
“Eldest Senior Sister, it’s Master’s Token… It’s Martial Ancestor’s Token!” Although Sun Yun Xiu was now crying, a big smile had appeared on her face. She held the token and moved it in front of An Ruo Yun as if to present it to her.
As for Yang Kai slapping her, she had completely forgotten about it.
At this time, she no longer had the bearing of an aloof Emperor Realm Master and seemed to have become a little girl who was joyfully celebrating finding a long-lost treasure.
An Ruo Yun’s tender body trembled as she picked up the token on Sun Yun Xiu’s palm and felt the familiar aura about it. She was also overwhelmed and her eyes too began to redden.
The other Emperor Realm Masters of Ice Heart Valley also crowded around, staring at the token in a daze. Each of them was short of breath, as if they’d seen something inconceivable.
On the other hand, after hearing the words ‘Martial Ancestor’s Token’, Yao Zhuo realized that the situation was turning for the worst. The reason Seeking Passion Sect could suppress Ice Heart Valley was because the latter’s Ancestral Founder had been missing for the past three thousand years. A Master like Bing Yun would create waves wherever she went, and rumours would inevitably spread of her presence; however, there had been no news of her for the past three thousand years.
A lot of people started to believe that she had encountered some kind of disaster, and died a long time ago.
Without Bing Yun, Ice Heart Valley was a toothless tiger, one that the Seeking Passion Sect could bully as it wished.
But now, that the Ancestral Founder’s Token had suddenly appeared here, didn’t that mean Bing Yun hadn’t died but was living in seclusion somewhere? If that was the case, Ice Heart Valley’s strength would be a match for Seeking Passion Sect’s, and whether or not Feng Xi and Zi Yu’s marriage could proceed as scheduled was highly uncertain.
The wedding of the Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master would take place in two days, and news of it had already spread throughout the entire Northern Territory, with the invitations having been sent out. Many Masters had gathered in Ice Moon City and would come to Ice Heart Valley in two days to congratulate them. If the wedding didn’t proceed as planned, Seeking Passion Sect’s face would be completely lost.
And the cause of all this trouble was this young man who had appeared out of nowhere!
If this brat hadn’t casually taken out this token, none of this would have happened.
Considering all this, Yao Zhuo concluded that it wasn’t the time to let Feng Xi personally kill Yang Kai to purge his heart demon. The best course of action was to kill Yang Kai immediately, and then let Feng Xi and Zi Yu consummate their marriage tonight. At that time, even if Bing Yun really came back, there would be nothing she could do.
Thinking so, Yao Zhuo shouted, “Enough of this nonsense! I suspect he simply picked up that thing and is now trying to pass it off as your Ancestral Founder’s Token! None of you should be deceived by him! If your noble Sect’s Ancestral Founder was still alive, she would have come here in person. Why would she send some little brat in the Dao Source Realm instead of appearing herself?”
Hearing his words, all the women from Ice Heart Valley calmed down. Seeing the long-lost Ancestral Founder’s Token, they were so excited that they became muddle-headed, but now, they felt that Yao Zhuo’s words made sense.
If Bing Yun was alive, why didn’t she come here personally? She was Ice Heart Valley’s founder, and among the dozen or so Emperor Realm Masters here, around half were her Disciples. What stopped her from coming here? As long as she came here in person, there wouldn’t be any need for the Ancestral Founder’s Token.
Yang Kai, a Dao Source Realm cultivator, suddenly showed up with the token, claiming that he was here on Bing Yun’s order to take Zi Yu away.
However, the token alone wasn’t enough to prove that he was telling the truth. Perhaps he simply found it somewhere.
An Ruo Yun paled as she looked at Yang Kai and asked, “Little Brother, tell me truthfully, who gave you this token? Where did you obtain it?”
When asking these questions, she was very anxious, afraid that Yang Kai would tell her something she didn’t want to hear.
There had been no news of her Master for the past three thousand years, but there was no concrete proof of her death either. If Yang Kai had found this token somewhere, it meant that her Master had died, and this was something she wasn’t willing to accept. She had acted as Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master for three thousand years, and while she didn’t achieve much, she didn’t make too many mistakes, either. The only true disappointment she had was not being able to protect her Disciple. What allowed her to persevere for so long though was the belief that her Master would one day return.
At that time, she hoped to hand over a still intact Ice Heart Valley to Bing Yun. She didn’t want to be praised, but to have some peace of mind as she’d done her best to protect what her Master had left behind.
If Yang Kai told her that her Master had died, she would definitely collapse.
“If you dare to lie, I’ll make you wish you were dead!” Sun Yun Xiu wasn’t as gentle as An Ruo Yun. When she opened her mouth, only threats came out. Her beautiful eyes stared at Yang Kai, trying to catch all the changes in his expression.
Yang Kai said with a cold expression, “If I said that it was Senior Bing Yun who gave it to me, would you believe me?”
An Ruo Yun immediately relaxed and hurriedly nodded, “Yes, I believe you!”
Sun Yun Xiu slumped as if she’d lost all of her strength. A huge weight was lifted off her chest, and her eyes, which were staring at Yang Kai, were no longer fierce. The others were also covered in sweat, just as if they’d fought a great battle.
Although they weren’t sure if Yang Kai was telling the truth, they had some hope at least.
“You women are all too naïve! He’s obviously lying! This King will make him spit out the truth!” Yao Zhuo said sternly and released his Emperor Pressure while raising his hand and palming towards Yang Kai.
His murderous intent was soaring. It was clear that he had no intention of making Yang Kai ‘spit out the truth’, he simply wanted to kill him.
“Old dog, you only know how to bully the weak! Shameless!” Yang Kai’s bones were creaking as his pupils slightly shrunk.
In that instant, he tried to teleport away to dodge the incoming attack.
However, the Emperor Pressure of a Second-Order Master turned out to be too strong and it solidified the space around him, causing his movements to become stiff. Yang Kai felt as if he’d fallen into a quagmire, and despite using all his strength, he was only able to slightly move, nowhere near enough to dodge the attack.
His eyes froze as he felt the aura of death blow across his face.
At this moment, the Emperor Realm Masters of Ice Heart Valley were still in a daze and had yet to recover; none of them had expected that a Master like Yao Zhuo would suddenly try to kill Yang Kai.
When An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu realized what was happening, it was already too late to save Yang Kai. They could only watch as Yao Zhuo’s palm shot toward him.
“Stop!” An Ruo Yun shouted, flicking her sleeve, summoning an artifact that looked like a ribbon made of white silk as she shot it towards Yao Zhuo.
“If you dare to injure him, I’ll make you die without a burial!” Sun Yun Xiu was even more direct, summoning her sword and slashing it at Yao Zhuo.
In the next moment, the other Emperor Realm Masters all took action, displaying their Secret Techniques or summoning their artifacts to attack Yao Zhuo.
In the blink of an eye, the scene became extremely chaotic as Ice Principles filled the air, sealing the entire world in ice.
Facing all these attacks, Yao Zhuo didn’t relent, however, instead, he became even more determined to kill Yang Kai.
Yang Kai realized that the Masters from Ice Heart Valley had no way to save him. Yao Zhuo would reach him before they could, and even if he didn’t die, he would be severely injured.
At this critical moment, he gritted his teeth and summoned a small bead into his hand. With great effort and a pale face, he poured his Source Qi into this bead to activate it and ruthlessly threw it towards Yao Zhuo, shouting, “Old dog, I’ll fight you!”
“Trying to disgrace yourself with these paltry tricks?” Yao Zhuo sneered, reaching out to catch the bead with his hand and trying to crush it, all while ridiculing Yang Kai’s futile efforts.
But in the next moment, his expression changed drastically as a terrifying force burst from his palm. This force was so great that even a Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivator like him was shocked.
“An Emperor Authority Bead!?” Yao Zhuo was an experienced man and immediately realized that the bead Yang Kai threw at him wasn’t an ordinary one. It was an Emperor Authority Bead!
As the bone-piercing cold covered his body, Yao Zhuo trembled and both his arms and legs felt frozen stiff.
Amidst violent bursts of energy, a beautiful illusory phantom appeared in front of Yao Zhuo.
Seeing this illusory phantom, all the Masters from Ice Heart Valley were dumbfounded and their beautiful eyes were fixated on it as their tender bodies trembled.
“Master…” An Ruo Yun’s offensive had already lost its strength as she stared in a daze at that face she hadn’t seen in three thousand years. She found it impossible to suppress her excitement.
Sun Yun Xiu, Zhang Sun Yin, and the others were in the same state. All of their momentum was gone and they fell to the ground one after another as they looked at the illusory phantom, continuously calling out their Master’s name.
“Bing Yun!” On the other hand, Yao Zhuo seemed to have seen a ghost in broad daylight and stared at the phantom with palpable fear. Thousands of years ago, he had also met Bing Yun, so he immediately recognized her. It seemed that the one who had created this Emperor Authority Bead was none other than Bing Yun.
A low voice echoed at that moment, and although the sound was light, it spread across all of Ice Heart Valley, shaking every person who heard it to the core.
“Pear Flower Ice Snow Sword!”
Along with the sound, a longsword made of pure energy materialized in the hands of the illusory phantom. The pure-white sword shook and locked onto Yao Zhuo’s vitals, shooting out like a dragon.
Yao Zhuo’s face paled and he roared as he summoned a halberd, mobilizing all of his energy to protect himself.
A series of clanking sounds echoed, Emperor Pressure collided and spread everywhere, and World Principles shattered.
In less than ten breaths, Yao Zhuo was forced to his knees after retreating several hundred meters, gasping for his breath. Bing Yun’s illusory phantom put away its sword, and just as if it had spirituality, it turned its head and looked at An Ruo Yun and the others before it started to dissipate, turning into dots of light and disappearing without a trace.
Yang Kai opened his eyes wide in surprise.
He’d used an Emperor Authority Bead in the past. Back when he used the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Emperor Authority Bead, the Four Seasons Principles had spread everywhere, allowing him to comprehend the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao under the effects of the Flowing Time Force. This was what allowed him to break through to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
Yet, the difference in power between this time and the previous one was huge.
Although Bing Yun’s usage of the sword was extraordinary, her Sword Intent unparalleled, and her Divine Ability excellent, it was still vastly inferior when compared to Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Emperor Authority Bead.
Moreover, it lasted only ten breaths of time before disappearing.
Was this the difference between an ordinary Emperor Realm Master and a Great Emperor? However, both of them should have been Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters when they created their Emperor Authority Beads! Theoretically speaking, they should have about the same level of power.
Yang Kai began to check the scene. Although Yao Zhuo was embarrassed due to the attack, there was no trace of injury on him, so Yang Kai could not help but wonder what happened.
Just as Yang Kai was pondering this though, Yao Zhuo’s face suddenly turned pale and he let out a snort. Immediately after, every inch of his body was covered in frost as pear flower shaped ice blossoms suddenly began to sprout all over him.
These ice flowers were as white as snow, decorating Yao Zhuo’s shoulders, waist, abdomen, arms, and legs. It was as if Yao Zhuo had picked up numerous ice flowers and inserted them into his body.
When these ice flowers started appearing, Yao Zhuo felt his whole body was frozen in place and he could not help but tremble violently as his lips turned blue from the cold.
“Martial Uncle!” Feng Xi was shocked and shouted in a panic.
Yao Zhuo could not even utter a word due to the cold, his whole body encased by the Ice Principles, and it took him a long time before he could manage to let out a scream. With the circulation of his Emperor Qi, he shattered the ice flowers covering his body and slowly restored his freedom.
However, his whole body seemed to be on the edge of falling apart, with a mouthful of blood periodically spewing out. It was clear he had suffered an extremely serious injury.
Feng Xi quickly stepped forward to help.
“Valley Master An, Elder Sun, is this what your Ice Heart Valley calls hospitality?” Yao Zhuo gathered his strength and gritted his teeth while calling out to An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu.
An Ruo Yun wrinkled her brows as she coldly stated, “If you were a guest, Ice Heart Valley would definitely treat you with care!”
She was implying that Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi were not guests of Ice Heart Valley.
When Yao Zhuo heard this, he became livid and almost spat out blood again. Grinding his teeth, he declared, “In two days, Xi’er and your noble Sect’s Zi Yu will be married. You and I will also then be considered family. Valley Master An, must you be this rude?”
“Zi Yu is the disciple of this Queen. Without this Queen’s consent, she will marry no one!” An Ruo Yun coldly snorted.
During Yao Zhuo’s stay, he had never seen An Ruo Yun take on such a strong stance. He thought of this woman as docile and weak; however, today, she seemed like a completely different person.
Yao Zhuo naturally knew the reason for this change; it was obviously because there was news of Bing Yun still being alive. He sneered in his heart, [What a shameless woman. She only dares to display such a strong attitude because she finally got some backing.]
Yao Zhuo continued, “The marriage has already been agreed upon by your noble Sect’s Great Elder. If I were to mention how you are acting to the other great Sects in the Northern Territory, that Valley Master An has objected to something already agreed upon, I’m afraid it would make your Ice Heart Valley a laughing stock.”
Sun Yun Xiu took a step forward and cold refuted, “I did agree before, but I am now reneging on that agreement. The marriage between Zi Yu and your Young Sect Master is cancelled! This Queen will bear all the responsibility!”
After hearing these words, Yao Zhuo felt a blood vessel popping and he pointed at Sun Yun Xiu with a trembling hand. He couldn’t speak for a long time, obviously due to being overwhelmed by rage. He would have never thought that such a ceremonious event would simply be tossed aside by Sun Yun Xiu.
Ice Heart Valley couldn’t care less about their loss of reputation, but it was different for Seeking Passion Sect! If the couple did not get married in two days, the entire Northern Territory would see both Sects as jokes.
Feng Xi heard this and could not contain himself any longer, roaring indignantly, “Elder Sun! A man must show proper respect and keep his word! How can you break our trust in you like this!?”
Sun Yun Xiu looked at him with a bewildered expression and stated indifferently, “Does this Queen look like a man to you? This Queen is a woman!”
Feng Xi was speechless. He had shouted off haphazardly due to his anger, but as soon as his words came out, he knew what he said was wrong; still, he couldn’t take it back, so he grit his teeth and declared, “Good! I know your attitude well now. In two days, my father will come here in person and I hope that you will all be able to give him a satisfactory reason!”
Having said his piece, he glanced at Yang Kai filled with hatred. Feng Xi helped hold Yao Zhuo up and moved towards the valley’s exit. After all that had happened, both he and Yao Zhuo had no face to stay in Ice Heart Valley as guests, so they decided to leave.
When the women in Ice Heart Valley heard that Seeking Passion Sect’s Sect Master would come in person two days later, their expressions changed. They clearly feared this man.
Yang Kai stared at Feng Xi and Yao Zhuo with a cold expression and a strong desire for murder. If he hadn’t summoned the Emperor Authority Bead given to him by Bing Yun at that critical moment, even he would have been critically injured by Yao Zhuo’s attack.
Due to Yao Zhuo’s attack, an Emperor Authority Bead had been wasted, so how could he possibly allow these two to leave just like that? They had to pay the price! So, before the two of them turned around, Yang Kai shouted, “You want to leave, now? Naïve!”
Everyone who heard this had their expressions changed.
The Elders of Ice Heart Valley could not believe that Yang Kai truly did not fear the Heavens and was willing to act recklessly at this moment. Today’s incident had already ended, or at least, it should have already ended. It was undoubtedly best to keep quiet for now; however, when they saw Yang Kai’s posture, they all knew that he would not allow things to be settled like this.
He was just a mere Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior, yet he dared to challenge a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master. The people who saw this couldn’t help wondering if he had more than one Emperor Authority Bead in hand. But even if he had another Emperor Authority Bead, he should not be able to use it in his current state.
Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi could not even begin to process what Yang Kai was doing, but they still stopped instinctually when they heard him shout. Feng Xi’s glare seemed to be shooting out fire, wanting very much to kill this noisy peasant.
Yao Zhuo coldly snorted and asked, “It could be considered to be my loss today. What else do you want?”
Yang Kai smiled coldly, “Vice Sect Master, there’s no need to be this angry! You sound as though you want to kill and devour me whole! I just wanted to remind Vice Sect Master of the fact that just now, you shamelessly bullied this Young Master. Your attack has left this Young Master scared to death. Even my soul has not yet returned! I don’t know if it will ever return. I’m afraid that even if I was born with nine souls, none of them would have come back. The bright future this Young Master had has now been ruined. Vice Sect Master, you have caused such an indelible trauma to this Young Master!”
*Haaa!*
The Ice Heart Valley Elders all started to feel faint as they stared at Yang Kai with weird expressions.
What scared to death? What soul has not yet returned? What indelible trauma? All of this was obviously nonsense! Yang Kai did not even need to directly take on Yao Zhuo’s attack! He simply summoned an Emperor Authority Bead and resolved the crisis, so how could there possibly be any trauma? He was speaking such nonsense without a single hint of shame!
All the women had also learnt something today, they all had never known a person’s face could be this thick!
Feng Xi furiously roared, “I can see that you are clearly full of life, how could you possibly be traumatized?”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Young Sect Master, stop opening your eyes and mouth just to speak nonsense. This Young Master is clearly dizzy and about to faint, can’t you see it? Or are Young Sect Master’s eyes nothing but a drawing on your face?”
“Y-You!” Feng Xi had never met such a shameless person before and for a long while, he did not know how to respond.
All the women from Ice Heart Valley also blushed, secretly feeling that Yang Kai was too crude, without a single bit of self-respect.
To the side, Yao Zhuo thought for a while, and then seemed to have woken up from a dream, “Boy! You dare blackmail me!?”
Yang Kai explained, “Vice Sect Master, there is no need to describe it as something so unsightly. Pay for murder with one’s life is the most righteous method of settling one’s debts and is entirely justified! You have hurt the foundation of this Young Master and caused my path towards the Grand Martial Dao to end! Naturally, you would need to pay your debts to make amends for what you have done, yes?”
“And, to do that, you want to extort me?” Yao Zhuo was furious.
Yang Kai frowned, touched his chin and thought for a moment and before nodding firmly, “Good, let’s just say that I’m extorting you. So, what does Vice Sect Master want to do? Come and bite me!?”
“You really are courting death!” Yao Zhuo was livid as blood started to rush to his head. He was definitely seriously injured, but he was still a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master. For someone of his status to be blackmailed and extorted by a mere Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior so blatantly, how could he possibly bear it? He was so furious that he wanted to slap Yang Kai to death this very instant.
He did not believe that Yang Kai had another Emperor Authority Bead as it was rare for any ordinary person to have even one, not to mention a second.
“How dare you threaten this Young Master? Do you think you won’t die here and now?!” Yang Kai warned.
“With just you?” Yao Zhuo coldly sneered with mockery on his face.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at Sun Yun Xiu and reached out, “Give me back the token!”
Sun Yun Xiu did not know what he planned to do, but the token was brought by Yang Kai in the first place, and since he had summoned Bing Yun’s Emperor Authority Bead earlier, it was clear that Yang Kai had a deep relationship with her Master. Therefore, Sun Yun Xiu did not hesitate and hurriedly held the token in both hands and gave it back to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai raised the token high in the next moment while sweeping his gaze around and shouted, “In accordance with Ice Heart Valley tradition, the one who possesses the Ancestral Founder’s Token will represent the Ancestral Founder herself!”
An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu were all stunned at his words and they soon remembered that there was indeed such a rule. Therefore, they hurriedly fell to their knees and greeted in unison, “Disciple greets Ancestral Founder! “
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s cold eyes landed on Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi and he sternly shouted, “In the name of Senior Bing Yun, I order you to kill these two!”
Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi’s faces changed drastically as fear overwhelmed them. Both of them withdrew several steps in unison as they became highly alert.
The trivial Yang Kai was indeed not enough to be placed in their eyes; however, Ice Heart Valley’s Elders were not the same. There were as many as a dozen Emperor Realm Masters present, with two at the Second-Order Emperor Realm! With Yao Zhuo now seriously injured, it was impossible for them to be their opponent.
Once these women executed this order, today would certainly mark the end of their lives.
Ice Heart Valley’s Elders were all dumbfounded, but soon, Sun Yun Xiu flew out and landed behind Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi, blocking their path of escape.
The other women saw this and although they felt that this was a bit inappropriate, they still scattered and surrounded the two from Seeking Passion Sect, each of them taking out their artifact as they prepared to make a move.
Yao Zhuo immediately turned pale while Feng Xi was trembling and gulping nervously. As Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, he had been brought up in a privileged environment and never encountered a life-threatening situation before. This was the moment he discovered what true fear felt like.
Yang Kai was laughing at the side while playing with the token, wearing a villainous expression on his face.
“Youn… Young Master…” An Ruo Yun looked at Yang Kai and in a soft voice asked, “Do you really want to kill them?”
She did not want to kill Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi here; after all, the status of these two was extraordinary. If they really died at the hands of Ice Heart Valley, Seeking Passion Sect would definitely come for retribution. If the two Sects went to war, the entire Northern Territory would be devastated. Even if her Master returned, she was afraid that the Sects would suffer heavy casualties.
As the current Valley Master, An Ruo Yun had to consider this. She was afraid that Yang Kai really planned to order her and others to kill them in a moment of anger.
If that was the case, she would rather disobey such an order from the Ancestral Founder’s Token holder, and she believed that even if her Master came to learn of this, she would not blame her.
Yang Kai smiled and lightly said, “That all depends on whether these two are sensible or not.”
When An Ruo Yun heard this, she calmed down and began to see that this youth in front of her was not that simple. He gave this order in order to gain some benefits from Yao Zhuo. Otherwise, he would not have continued to explain and would have urged Ice Heart Valley to execute his order.
[As long as no one dies, everything should be fine.] An Ruo Yun thought in her heart and no longer inquired any further. However, she was still curious as to the extent Yang Kai would go.
“Valley Master An, Elder Sun, as Emperor Realm Masters, are you both willing to be ordered around by a mere brat of unknown origin? You two have esteemed status and strength! Aren’t you afraid that word would spread and others would start to laugh at you?” Yao Zhuo did not think he could reason with Yang Kai, so he instead turned to An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu, hoping they would be more mindful about their status and not to act so nonsensically.
Sun Yun Xiu lightly spat out, “The Ancestral Founder’s Token is here, and he bears it, so we cannot disobey. Vice Sect Master, if you have a problem with this, you need to go see my Honoured Master and discuss it!”
Yao Zhuo was dumbfounded. Bing Yun’s Emperor Authority Bead had nearly taken his life, so if he really saw her in person, how would he dare discuss terms with her?
Yao Zhuo’s mood was extremely complicated, he had never been so humiliated before. Worse though, this humiliation came at the hands of a youth whose cultivation was far inferior to his.
However, people under the eaves had to bow down.
After a long silence, he could only take a deep breath and ask, “What do you want?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Vice Sect Master, there is no need for you to be so nervous. Everything in this world is negotiable. I just need to seek some small compensation and this Young Master can pretend that what just happened, never occurred.”
“Just spit it out. What do you want?” Yao Zhuo asked.
Yang Kai put up a finger and said with indifference, “This Young Master only wants one thing!
“Fine, what is it?” When Yao Zhuo heard him say that he ‘only wanted one thing’, he couldn’t help but calm down. If that was the case, then there was indeed an opportunity to negotiate.
“Hand over your Space Ring then get the hell out of here!” Yang Kai fixed his eyes on the ring on Yao Zhuo’s hand and stated his terms.
“What?” Yao Zhuo’s eyes immediately erupted with flames and roared, “Impossible!”
Earlier, Yang Kai said he ‘only wanted one thing’, so Yao Zhuo assumed Yang Kai simply wanted to save face and to request for something as compensation; however, it was only now that he realized that the words that Yang Kai muttered were not to save face. Instead, he was clearly attempting to make use of this situation to rob everything from him.
He, a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, naturally had numerous treasures in his Space Ring. Before he left to visit Ice Heart Valley, he had prepared everything for Feng Xi and Zi Yu’s wedding in two days. All the gifts from his Sect were in his Space Ring. The Seeking Passion Sect was one of the Top Sects in the Northern Territory, and since it was their Young Sect Master’s wedding, naturally they had not been stingy. The bride’s price was comparable to what a second-class Sect could earn in ten years; without considering the other gifts that could be regarded as precious treasures.
Yang Kai’s face sank and he coldly ordered, “Kill him, but kill the young one first. Don’t let him die from a single strike, make sure to slowly chop off his limbs first, and then cripple his cultivation! I want him to taste every possible method of torture before he dies!”
Once his order was given, Sun Yun Xiu’s sword swung as she chopped towards Feng Xi.
Feng Xi’s face turned white with fear, as he retreated while screaming, “No!”
Sun Yun Xiu was undeterred though. She was extremely hot-tempered, and just like when she first met Yang Kai, as soon as she was given the order, she immediately acted upon it.
“Wait!” Yang Kai raised his hand.
Sun Yun Xiu’s sword immediately stopped as it rested on Feng Xi’s arm. A sharp chilling sensation enveloped Feng Xi’s whole body as he lost strength and immediately fell to the ground, and when he turned his head to look, he saw a deep line of red on his shoulder. If Yang Kai had shouted even a moment slower, his arm would have been cut off.
Yang Kai looked at Feng Xi with a smile, “Young Sect Master seems to have something to say.”
“Yes, yes!” Feng Xi heard him and quickly nodded his head.
“Then speak, no one is holding your tongue hostage.”
Feng Xi opened his mouth but did not know what to say. He thought for a while before turning his head to Yao Zhuo, “Martial Uncle, give him your Space Ring, we do not need to lower ourselves to his level.”
“Nonsense!” Yao Zhuo shouted angrily, “I, the Vice Sect Master of Seeking Passion Sect, would rather live on my feet than die on my knees! Having a desire for this King’s ring is no different to slapping this King’s face! Xi’er, don’t be afraid! This little brat is just trying to scare you, he wouldn’t dare take your life! If he dares to, when the Sect Master comes in two days, he will utterly flatten Ice Heart Valley!
“Take my life…” Feng Xi murmured, his face turning pale as deep in his heart a strong sense of fear rushed out and consumed him. He had always been the one who killed others, so when did he ever experience the threat of being killed himself? “No! If I were to die, what use is there for Father to flatten Ice Heart Valley? If I die, what will happen to my sixty-nine wives? Martial Uncle, just give him your ring. I am the Young Sect Master of the Seeking Passion Sect. I will be the one who leads the Seeking Passion Sect in the future and become the ruler of the Northern Territory, how could I possibly die here!?”
“You…” Yao Zhuo did not expect Feng Xi to be so spineless. He had never known that this Young Sect Master was such a coward to be frightened to this extent by mere threats.
Those from Ice Heart Valley also seemed to be seeing the real Feng Xi for the first time and all of them revealed contempt in their eyes. Although it was a matter of life and death, the way Feng Xi acted was nothing short of shameful.
Which cultivator’s path was not filled with struggle and danger? It was common for them to face life-threatening situations along their way. It was now clear that Feng Xi had been too sheltered and when it came to confronting danger, he lost himself. As Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, he was a disgrace.
Feng Xi was ashamed of himself when he noticed all the contemptuous gazes gathered upon him, but what was face compared to his own life? He kept begging Yao Zhuo to take off his Space Ring.
“Sixty-nine wives… Young Sect Master, you are really fortunate. Many must envy you,” Yang Kai coldly said. However, there was not a trace of envy in his eyes, only mockery, “Young Sect Master, you may rest assured, if you were to die here, I will take good care of your sixty-nine wives for you. This Young Master’s physical prowess is quite exceptional, so I will definitely not let their bedsides be cold!”
An Ruo Yun blushed and spat out, “Young Master, please show some propriety!”
Zi Yu also glared at him with a strange expression before rolling her eyes.
When he heard Yang Kai would ‘take care’ of his wives, Feng Xi’s eyes turned red and he reached out to Yao Zhuo and ripped off his Space Ring.
It was uncertain if Yao Zhuo was so disappointed in Feng Xi’s that he simply gave up resisting, but in that moment he allowed him to easily take off his Space Ring without any resistance.
Feng Xi threw the ring to Yang Kai and anxiously asked, eagerly looking at Yang Kai, “I gave you the ring, now can you let us go?”
Yang Kai caught the ring as a devious smile appeared on his lips and a mocking look on his face as he stared at Feng Xi.
Feng Xi’s heart pounded. [Is this guy mute?] He followed Yang Kai’s gaze, and looked at the ring on his hand, promptly making a difficult decision. Gritting his teeth, he took his own Space Ring and threw it at Yang Kai before stating, “This is also yours. Let us go!”
“Young Sect Master is so generous. You didn’t have to do that,” Yang Kai hastily took the Space Ring and put it straight into his pocket. He then immediately switched the conversation, speaking with a cold snort, “This Young Master has already said, as long as you give up on your noble Sect’s Vice Sect Master’s Space Ring, I will let you go, but Young Sect Master has now forcefully stuffed another ring into my hands for no reason. You wouldn’t happen to be thinking of framing this Young Master for injustice?”
“Ah…” Feng Xi opened his mouth wide. He had never expected Yang Kai to speak so shamelessly.
Ice Heart Valley Elders also had extremely weird looks on their faces, staring at Yang Kai with complicated gazes. Yang Kai’s performance today had truly redefined their understanding of what a moral bottom line was. Before they met Yang Kai, they had never imagined that there would be someone so shameless in this world.
Who knew that Feng Xi would suddenly be enlightened, though, and seeing the evil look on Yang Kai’s face, he hastily continued, “Brother Yang, you misunderstand. This Space Ring is just a gift from this Feng. It has no relation with your previous condition. Brother Yang is impressive and handles things extraordinarily. You will definitely become an outstanding character in the future. This Feng only… only wants to be friends with you!”
Yang Kai broke into laughter, “Young Sect Master is so generous. We can certainly be friends!”
The corner of Feng Xi’s mouth twitched as he asked embarrassingly, “Then… Can we go now?”
Yang Kai squinted his eyes and asked, “Young Sect Master, why don’t you stay for breakfast?”
“Forget it,” Feng Xi hurriedly stood up when he heard this as if had received amnesty, dragging Yao Zhuo while they staggered towards Ice Heart Valley’s exit.
After having his Space Ring forcefully taken by Feng Xi, Yao Zhou seemed to have lost his soul. His eyes were lifeless as he seemed to have lost all his hopes after seeing Feng Xi’s performance. At this moment, he was being dragged away without mounting the least bit of resistance.
After a moment, Yao Zhou and Feng Xi had disappeared.
Only now did the Ice Heart Valley Elders finally breathe a sigh of relief. Previously, when Yang Kai had ordered them to kill these two members of the Seeking Passion Sect, holding their Martial Ancestor’s Token, they secretly broke out into cold sweat. They were afraid that this matter would force them into an unsolvable conflict. Fortunately, even though Yang Kai had robbed these two of their Space Rings, things hadn’t spiralled down to the point that it couldn’t be resolved. At least Feng Xi and Yao Zhou didn’t have to worry about their lives.
“Young Master, where is my Master now?” An Ruo Yun finally had the time to ask about this.
Yang Kai turned his head and replied, looking at her, “Senior An, don’t worry, Senior Bing Yun is safe, but it is inconvenient for her to meet you right now.”
“Inconvenient!?” Sun Yun Xiu furrowed her brow after hearing this, asking anxiously, “Why is it inconvenient?”
Yang Kai coldly glared at her and replied, “Inconvenience is inconvenience, there is no why.”
Sun Yun Xiu almost choked in anger, but she kept it choked down because she knew her Master was the one who sent Yang Kai. Moreover, he also had her Martial Ancestor’s Token, so she really had no choice at the moment.
Zhang Sun Ying asked, “Then when can we meet Master?”
Yang Kai thought for a moment and replied, “You just have to wait two or three days.” After a pause, he looked at Sun Yun Xiu and sneered, “I hope the Great Elder can clearly explain Zi Yu’s marriage after meeting Senior Bing Yun.”
Sun Yun Xiu’s face immediately turned dark, but she quickly replied, “Whether Master wants to beat me or punish me, I will bear it. It has nothing to do with my sisters.”
Yang Kai inwardly nodded. Sun Yun Xiu’s performance just now was pretty good and she gave the impression that she wouldn’t hold a grudge even though he had slapped her; however, as she had agreed to marry Zi Yu to Feng Xi, she would ultimately be punished.
She was a Great Elder, but she had pushed the Sect’s best disciple into the fiery pit called Seeking Passion Sect. However, this was an internal matter pertaining to a Sect he did not belong to, so Yang Kai didn’t say much.
An Ruo Yun, on the other hand, didn’t know what he was thinking and worriedly looked at Yang Kai and asked, “Young Master has repeatedly said that it is inconvenient for Master and it will only be possible to meet after two or three days. Could it be that Master is injured and she is recuperating now?”
All the women present had a change in their expression after hearing this.
When Bing Yun left Ice Heart Valley, she was already a Third-Order Emperor. It had already been three millennia, so Bing Yun’s strength should have grown significantly. She must be one of the top experts in the entire Star Boundary, so how could she be hurt? How many people out there could hurt her?
Yang Kai glanced at An Ruo An in surprise. He hadn’t said anything but An Ruo Yun had actually guessed it. Obviously, she was not just gentle, but also quite intelligent.
Everyone here was in the upper echelon of Ice Heart Valley, and many of them were Bing Yun’s Disciples, so Yang Kai chose not to hide it anymore. He nodded and replied, “Senior An is right. Senior Bing Yun is indeed injured.”
Immediately, all the Ice Heart Valley Elders paled.
Yang Kai hurriedly said, “There’s no cause for concern, Senior Bing Yun’s injuries aren’t serious, she’s simply recuperating in Ice Moon City at the moment. She will have recovered after two or three days!”
“Master is in Ice Moon City!?” An Ruo Yun exclaimed.
Zhang Sun Ying also asked in excitement, “Can you take us to meet Master?”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and replied, “Senior Bing Yun is healing, won’t you be disturbing her?”
An Ruo Yun firmly stated, “We will not disturb Master, we simply wish to be closer to her. Young Master, please.”
She was a Second-Order Emperor, but at this moment, she was behaving more like a child who had been guarding the house for years, and had finally heard the news of the return of her parents. She was excited and filled with anticipation. The others, too, eagerly looked at Yang Kai with a pleading look in their eyes.
Yang Kai couldn’t stand being stared at by all these beautiful eyes so he could only agree, “Okay, okay, I will take you to see Senior Bing Yun.”
“Many thanks!” All the girls were relieved and ecstatic.
Next, An Ruo Yun instructed the disciples of the valley to activate all the barriers around Ice Heart Valley while increasing the patrols guarding the Sect. Then, the Elders all flew toward Ice Moon City with Yang Kai.
Among the dozen of them, only Yang Kai was male. It was quite an impressive sight. Furthermore, apart from Yang Kai and Zi Yu, everyone else was an Emperor Realm Master.
Such a force walking the street was naturally noticeable.
When they arrived at the gates of Ice Moon City, the cultivators guarding the city were about to step forward and interrogate them a bit, but when they saw the Emperor Realm Masters behind Yang Kai, they immediately retreated in shock, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Ice Moon City was Ice Heart Valley’s connection to the outside world, with many shops in the city owned and operated by Ice Heart Valley disciples. So, as soon as An Ruo Yun and the other Elders entered the city, Ice Heart Valley disciples constantly flew out from the shops on either side of the streets and bowed respectfully.
With this commotion, the entire Ice Moon City knew that upper echelon members of Ice Heart Valley had come to Ice Moon City in a short while. But they had no idea what they were doing in the city.
The puppet City Lord supported by Ice Heart Valley immediately ran over to greet them, drenched in sweat and trembling visibly. He thought that he had done something wrong and Ice Heart Valley’s Elders had come to punish him.
But An Ruo Yun and others just ignored him after a casual greeting, making the puppet City Lord feel sad as well as grateful at the same time.
“Greetings Valley Master An, Great Elder Sun, Elders, and congratulations on Ice Heart Valley’s marriage with the Seeking Passion Sect. It is truly an event worth celebrating. The entire world is celebrating!” Suddenly, a person flew over from the side, and landing before Ice Heart Valley’s Elders, he cupped his fists and smiled.
He was a middle-aged man and a First-Order Emperor. It appeared that he was an authoritative figure of some Sect in the Northern Territory, and by the looks of it, he was waiting here to congratulate Ice Heart Valley. When he heard that An Ruo Yun and the others had come to Ice Moon City, he proactively came to greet them.
An Ruo Yun promptly halted her step, but before she had the time to answer, Emperor Realm Masters suddenly flew over from every direction, one after another. And just like the man surnamed Hu, they continuously congratulated them.
An Ran Yun recognized these people and exchanged a few words with each of them.
The man surnamed Hu, the one who had appeared first, waited for her to finish before he curiously asked, “Valley Master An, why have you come to Ice Moon City?”
Ice Moon City was within the domain of Ice Heart Valley and was also the transit point for Ice Heart Valley to communicate with the outside world; however, the Elders of Ice Heart Valley generally didn’t come here, let alone a dozen of them all at once.
Everyone had a vague feeling that something wasn’t right. By the looks of it, it seemed as if something was about to happen, something big.
“We have something to do, ladies and gentlemen. Please make way!” Sun Yun Xiu said with a cold look on her face, “In addition, the marriage between Ice Heart Valley’s Zi Yu and Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master Feng Xi is cancelled. There is no need for any of you to remain here. You can return to wherever you came from.”
“Junior Sister Sun is a bit more direct. Please forgive her. You have all travelled tens of thousands of kilometres to come here, but our Ice Heart Valley has failed to receive you well!” An Ruo Yun gently smiled and then led her sisters into the city, leaving a group of Emperor Realm Masters stunned in their places.
After a long time, when An Ruo Yun and the others had disappeared from their sight, someone wiped the sweat from his forehead and nervously gulped before speaking, “Brother Hu Yuan, did I hear it right? Did Valley Master An and Elder Sun really say that the marriage is cancelled?”
“I heard it too.”
“Damn it, this is really worrying! What the hell are the women of Ice Heart Valley doing?” The man named Hu Yuan was also sweating and nervous.
Another person said, “I don’t know if this marriage was cancelled unilaterally by Ice Heart Valley, or if they had reached a consensus with the Seeking Passion Sect. If it was the former…”
Everyone’s expression sank as they suddenly realized something.
If Ice Heart Valley did this unilaterally, the Seeking Passion Sect definitely would not let it go.
“The Seeking Passion Sect disciples cultivate the Seeking Passion Supreme Art and take passion as their Dao. They would never easily give up the women they admire, let alone this being related to Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master. According to this one’s humble opinion, the Seeking Passion Sect will not give up on this marriage.”
“Since Seeking Passion Sect won’t easily give up, isn’t it Ice Heart Valley that’s going back on their word?”
“I heard that Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master and Young Sect Master are both in Ice Heart Valley. Where are they now?”
“Winds are blowing and a storm is about to come. I’m afraid that the sky of the Northern Territory is going to be subverted.”
“Brother Zhou, don’t be ridiculous! Even though Ice Heart Valley is strong, how could it compete with Seeking Passion Sect? The entire Northern Territory knows that Ice Heart Valley no longer deserves to be a top Sect. If Seeking Passion Sect really pursues this matter, Ice Heart Valley would not be able to do anything!”
“I heard that Seeking Passion Sect Master, Feng Xuan, will personally grace Ice Heart Valley with his presence on the auspicious day, which is tomorrow! If he learns that Ice Heart Valley has cancelled the marriage arbitrarily…”
The Emperor Realm Masters broke into a lively discussion, all of them were a little confused. Everyone only knew one thing, and that was that Ice Heart Valley was in serious trouble this time. Who gave these women the courage to cancel the marriage at the last moment? Isn’t that no different from slapping Seeking Passion Sect’s face in front of the entire Northern Territory? How could Feng Xuan simply let this matter drop like that?
“Brother Hu Yuan, should we persuade Valley Master An and the others? I remember that your wife is from Ice Heart Valley. If something bad really happened to Ice Heart Valley, will your Transformation Sect be able to stay out of it?”
Hu Yuan’s expression changed ever so slightly after hearing this. He pondered for a moment before he hurriedly chased after An Ruo Yun and the others. By the looks of it, he wanted to persuade them to rethink their hasty decision.
Other Emperors looked at each other before they too chased after the Ice Heart Valley Elders.
They might be here just to offer congratulations, but since things had developed to this point, they also wanted to know what exactly happened to Ice Heart Valley that gave them the guts to cancel the marriage with Seeking Passion Sect.
After a while, a crowd came to the front of some inn in Ice Moon City. Immediately, they saw An Ruo Yun and the others quietly standing in front of the inn with a serious look on their faces, saying nothing. They just kept looking in a certain direction with pious and excited expressions.
There was no one within a radius of a kilometre of these women as all the irrelevant people had retreated far away, only looking in their direction.
Hu Yuan flew over and hurriedly stepped forward, but just as he was about to speak, An Ruo Yun suddenly went down on her knees.
Immediately after, all the Ice Heart Valley Emperors followed suit.
Hu Yuan’s eyes were about to pop out as he stood stupefied, gawking in a daze. He had no idea what An Ruo An and the others were up to.
The other Masters, who caught up one after another, were also stupefied by this sight, extremely shocked by the unbelievable scene.
“Broth… Brother Hu, what’s going on?” Someone approached Hu Yuan and asked in a low voice.
Hu Yuan was equally confused and just kept shaking his head in response, “I have no idea. They were like this when I arrived.”
“Who exactly is inside the inn that Valley Master An, Great Elder Sun, and the other Elders would act like this?”
Among the Masters of Ice Heart Valley, An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu both were Second-Order Emperors, while the rest were First-Order Emperors besides a single Third-Order Dao Source Realm disciple. Such a force was extremely terrifying.
But this group of Masters happened to be kneeling right on the street; in front of the inn; in broad daylight; in front of everyone’s eyes, without any kind of reluctance or hesitation. On the contrary, they gave the impression that their actions were simply a matter of course.
An Ruo Yun was the current Valley Master of Ice Heart Valley while Sun Yun Xiu was Ice Heart Valley Great Elder. Each word from their mouths and everything they did represented Ice Heart Valley, and since they were kneeling here without a care and speaking anything, it meant that there was someone inside this inn who could make them surrender!
Hu Yuan’s face drastically changed as he seemed to have thought of something, immediately muttering in shock, “Could it be…”
Before he could finish himself, an extremely excited look appeared on his face.
“Brother Hu, what is it?” Someone eagerly asked because he really couldn’t understand the scene before him.
One among the crowd of onlookers then thoughtfully spoke, “In this world, even the Ten Great Emperors couldn’t make Valley Master An act this courteously. There is only one person who can make them show such respect!”
“Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, Senior Bing Yun!?” Someone suddenly exclaimed.
“Could it be that Senior Bing Yun is inside this inn?”
“Didn’t they say that Senior Bing Yun has already fallen? There has been no news of her in over three millennia.”
“Just because there hasn’t been any news, doesn’t mean that Senior Bing Yun is dead. Perhaps Senior Bing Yun has been living in seclusion, or perhaps she was trapped somewhere. Senior Bing Yun was already a Third-Order Emperor when she disappeared, how could she die so easily?”
As the Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley, Bing Yun’s name echoed like thunder even if she had disappeared for three thousand years. After having guessed that Bing Yun was inside the inn, everyone couldn’t help but have all kinds of changes in their expressions. Among the crowd, some were close to Ice Heart Valley, and some were close to Seeking Passion Sect. Naturally, everyone would be feeling different at this moment.
“Senior Bing Yun has suddenly appeared at this critical point, and Sect Master Feng Xuan will also be coming here tomorrow. If these two Masters meet…” The speaker shuddered all of a sudden, not daring to continue.
Under normal circumstances, Bing Yun meeting Feng Xuan would have been fine. Both of them were Sect Masters of top Sects in the Northern Territory, so who knows how many times they had met with each other. However, An Ruo Yun had just cancelled the marriage between the two Sects, so once Feng Xuan arrived, he would definitely seek justice for his son.
[No wonder An Ruo Yun and the others had the gall to cancel the marriage at this point. It turns out Bing Yun has returned!]
But even though An Ruo An and the others were kneeling in front of the inn, Bing Yun was nowhere to be seen, and no one dared to spread their Divine Sense to investigate, all of them simply standing there, burning with anxiety.
In a flash, twenty or so Emperor Realm Masters had gathered before an insignificant inn. It was a shocking spectacle.
Yang Kai, standing before the inn, looked completely helpless.
He had no idea that the Emperors of Ice Heart Valley would suddenly come here and act like this, making countless people gawk at them like monkeys.
Hearing the commotion outside, Fan Xin and the others immediately walked out of the inn. They took a glance at An Ruo Yun and the others before they approached Yang Kai and doubtfully asked, “Senior Brother Yang, who are they? Why are they kneeling here?”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched as he replied, “They are your Senior Sisters.”
“Senior Sisters!?” Fan Xin was taken aback as she immediately covered her mouth and exclaimed, “They are from Ice Heart Valley…”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
Fan Xin hurriedly approached An Ruo Yun and the others with her Junior Sisters and greeted with a bow, “Fan Xin greets Senior Sisters!”
“You are…” An Ruo Yun looked at her in surprise.
“Junior Sister Fan Xin. I was taken as a disciple by our Honoured Master in the Solitary Void Sealed World together with them,” replied Fan Xin, pointing at the few girls behind her.
The cultivations of those few girls were quite varied, so when they saw so many Emperors Realm Masters kneeling before them, all of them were quite speechless. After all, Emperors Realm Masters were like legends to them, but now, they could actually address them as Senior Sisters. This came as a huge pleasant surprise to them while also confusing them greatly as they had no idea what to do.
“You are our Honoured Master’s disciples?” An Ruo An’s eyes lit up.
Fan Xin smiled as she circulated her Secret Art, causing her temperament to turn extremely cold.
Sun Yun Xiu nodded and said, “It’s indeed our Ice Heart Valley’s Secret Art!”
Hearing these words, the gazes of Ice Heart Valley Elders looking at Fan Xin and the others turned gentle.
“Good!” An Ruo Yun gently smiled, “Master has finally taken in new disciples. Many thanks for caring for Honoured Master all these years. As your Senior Sisters, we are very grateful to you.”
Fan Xin shook her head and immediately stated, “It was Honoured Master who took us in, we were not able to help Honoured Master in any way. But Senior Sisters, why are you all kneeling here? Please get up.”
Zhang Sun Ying smiled and explained, “We have made a mistake. This is a punishment we deserve. Junior Sister does not need to mind us.”
An Ruo Yun suddenly asked, “Junior Sister, you just said something about a Solitary Void Sealed World. Could it be that Honoured Master has been in the Solitary Void Sealed World all these years?”
Judging by her tone, she had no idea about the Solitary Void Sealed World, but that wasn’t a surprise seeing how no one who was trapped inside that place had ever escaped. For the entire Star Boundary, the Solitary Void Sealed World was a total mystery.
“Yes, we were all trapped in the Solitary Void Sealed World, and we just escaped a few days ago with great difficulty,” Fan Xin answered with a nod.
“Master’s injuries, are they related to that Solitary Void Sealed World?” An Ruo Yun nervously asked.
Fan Xin explained, “There was a man named Chi Ri in the Solitary Sealed World. His cultivation was on par with Honoured Master’s, so when Honoured Master was about to leave, Chi Ri attempted to stop her which led to a battle…”
Ice Heart Valley’s Emperors Realm Masters knelt before the inn as they raptly listened to Fan Xin. When they heard about the thrilling and dangerous events that had taken place, they all became nervous. At first glance, Yang Kai could tell that they had many things they wanted to ask as An Ruo Yun and the others definitely wanted to know how Bing Yun had been doing all these years, and how she was now.
As such, Yang Kai decided to give them some privacy and headed back to his room to search through Feng Xi and Yao Zhuo’s Space Rings.
He had to use an Emperor Authority Bead this time, but he also obtained two Space Rings, so Yang Kai didn’t suffer a loss. Furthermore, there were countless treasures inside the rings of these two. After some calculations, Yang Kai discovered that he had not only not suffered any losses, but had instead made a fortune.
The only thing he regretted was that without the Emperor Authority Bead, he had lost a trump card.
Yao Zhuo’s and Feng Xi’s Space Rings had too many things in them so it took Yang Kai an entire day to finish taking inventory. He had collected a total of 100 million Source Crystals of Mid-Rank and High-Rank. If they were really converted into Low-Rank Source Crystals, they would amount to three or four billion at the very least.
Seeking Passion Sect’s wealth had opened his eyes.
Even if Yang Kai was wealthy before, this was still a great fortune to him. His personal wealth had become quite astonishing, making him recall when he first arrived in the Star Boundary when he and Liu Xian were worried about Source Crystals all day long. Those days now seemed like a lifetime ago.
In a good mood, Yang Kai threw all the rare and precious ores into the Sealed World Bead, letting his Embodiment refine them.
Ever since the Embodiment had refined an Emperor Realm Master using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, its aura had faintly hit a peak and seemed to be only a step away from breaking through to the Emperor Realm.
In the Small Sealed World, not only the Embodiment, but Hua Qing Si and even Liu Yan were like this. Their cultivations were advancing by leaps and bounds, soon reaching bottlenecks.
The only one with lower cultivation was Zhang Ruo Xi, who was just a First-Order Dao Source Realm, but with her unique bloodline, as long as she had sufficient World Energy, her cultivation would catch up sooner or later.
Yang Kai had always paid attention to Zhang Ruo Xi’s bloodline. He had always kept the Space Spirit Jade that resonated with Zhang Ruo Xi, and the one time they had experimented with it, some strange and beautiful images had appeared. Yang Kai was still at a loss about what the purpose of this jade was.
Furthermore, in the Four Seasons Realm, Zhang Ruo Xi said that she met an Ancient Divine Spirit Qiong Qi, a Winged Tiger. Qiong Qi was ferocious by nature, but he hadn’t harmed Zhang Ruo Xi in the slightest. On the contrary, he had even gifted her the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe, an Emperor Artifact with extreme defensive strength!
This matter had made Yang Kai pretty concerned and he vaguely felt that it might be related to Zhang Ruo Xi’s bloodline. However, he couldn’t confirm it.
Maybe after Zhang Ruo Xi became stronger, she could figure out the origins of her bloodline on her own.
Time slowly passed and Yang Kai sorted out the two Space Rings before entering the Sealed World Bead. There, he distributed some cultivation resources to Hua Qing Si, Liu Yuan, and Zhang Ruo Xi before returning to the room.
Before he could make any more movements, a thick sense of oppression suddenly crashed down from the sky.
Yang Kai’s expression changed and he instantly became vigilant.
This feeling was definitely because some Master had used their Divine Sense to scan the building. Although it quickly disappeared, Yang Kai had still sensed the strength of the other party. A Second-Order Emperor Realm Master could not give him such pressure, only a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master could do so!
Seeking Passion Sect’s Sect Master, Feng Xuan, had arrived!
This thought immediately flashed in Yang Kai’s mind as he rushed out of his room.
Outside the inn, An Ruo Yun and the others had solemn looks on their pretty faces. Obviously, they had noticed this man’s arrival as well.
Even the nearby Emperor Realm Masters, who had come to offer congratulations, wore serious looks. They might have known yesterday that Feng Xuan would be coming today, and that once he met Bing Yun, they would very likely fight, but when it was really about to happen, everyone still found the atmosphere suffocating and depressing.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Continuous explosions could be heard coming from the extremely distant sky. Each explosion sounded closer than the previous, and was followed by another. A figure was rushing over. It was unclear at first, but in just three breaths, it stopped over Ice Moon City, in front of a certain inn.
In the blink of an eye, an oppressive pressure spread over the entire Ice Moon City, causing space to tremble, as if even the world must submit.
Hu Yuan and the others looked up and then hurriedly bowed, “Greetings, Sect Master Feng!”
A man was proudly standing mid-air and raised his hand as he spoke, “Friends, there’s no need to be so polite!”
His every action seemed to carry deep profundity, as if he was in harmony with nature and the surrounding World Principles. Principles lingered about his figure and Hu Yuan and the others felt a subtle force holding them and the others up. They were extremely shocked when they realized that the gap between them and Feng Xuan was like that between Heaven and Earth.
Yang Kai looked up and saw a middle-aged man dressed in scholarly attire standing in the sky. This middle-aged man resembled Feng Xi a little, but he was nobler than Feng Xi. Furthermore, Feng Xuan was far more handsome, brave, and heroic compared to Feng Xi.
He was none other than Seeking Passion Sect’s Sect Master, Feng Xuan. It was uncertain if he was born like this or it was due to the Seeking Passion Supreme Art, but coupled with the gentle smile on his face, everyone who saw him felt as if spring breeze was gently blowing past them.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, felt extremely uncomfortable. This couldn’t be helped as Feng Xi and Yao Zhou were both standing behind Feng Xuan, both of them glaring at Yang Kai, grinding their teeth as if they wanted to feast upon him.
Just a day ago, their Space Rings had been snatched by Yang Kai. They were outnumbered at that time and had to lower their heads. Feng Xi had lost all face but now that Feng Xuan was here, he naturally had a backer. His confidence was also emboldened and he secretly decided that he would make Yang Kai pay for disgracing him before letting him know the fate of offending him.
Feng Xuan only took a cursory glance at Yang Kai, not paying much attention to him; after all, a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator was like an ant in his eyes. His gaze was extremely profound as if he was staring somewhere, penetrating the void, a smile suddenly appearing on his lips as he called out, “Bing Yun, you and I have not met each other in three millennia, this King is truly grateful to be able to meet you again today.”
Once he said this, everyone was shocked.
Whether it was the dozen or so Emperors of Ice Heart Valley or the Masters of various Sects who had come to offer wedding congratulations, up until now, it was just a speculation that Bing Yun was inside the inn. No one dared to use their Divine Sense to confirm it.
An Ruo Yun and the others had been kneeling at the entrance for a day and night, but even then Bing Yun hadn’t graced them with her presence. Hu Yuan and the others were beginning to wonder whether Bing Yun was actually in the inn.
If she really was here, why not show herself? Why leave her Disciples kneeling in the street like some show for others to watch?
But Feng Xuan’s words dispelled everyone’s suspicions.
Bing Yun was definitely inside the inn! Otherwise, it was impossible for Feng Xuan to say such words.
At this moment, since Feng Xuan had already come to Ice Moon City, Bing Yun would have to meet him no matter what, refusing would be extremely rude.
But to everyone’s surprise, after Feng Xuan spoke, there was still no movement inside the inn. Even An Ruo Yun and the others, who were kneeling at the entrance, didn’t say anything.
Hu Yuan and the others quietly waited for a while as they could feel the atmosphere growing slightly strange. Beads of cold sweat began to fill their foreheads as they felt an inexplicable uneasiness rising in their hearts.
Feng Xuan’s face slowly darkened as well since he could feel that Bing Yun was inside the inn. He had taken the initiative to greet the other party but received no response. This was tantamount to a disgrace! How could Feng Xuan suffer such an insult in silence in front of so many Sect Masters of the Northern Territory?
“Bing Yun, after so many years, you’ve grown quite bold,” Feng Xuan coldly smiled, obviously extremely unhappy.
On another side, An Ruo Yun, furrowed her black brow and explained aloud, “Sect Master Feng, Master is busy with some important affairs and cannot reply. Please wait a moment.”
“Important affairs?” Feng Xuan raised his brow. Who knows what was going on in his mind as he simply replied with a nod, “Very well, this King will just wait here.”
At that moment, Feng Xi, who had been grudgingly staring at Yang Kai, approached Feng Xuan and whispered in his ear, pointing in Yang Kai’s direction.
Feng Xuan’s eyes glimmered with a fierce light as he focused his gaze on Yang Kai. The next moment, he shouted, “You there, boy!”
This shout seemed to be mixed with subtle power and Yang Kai instantly felt his head ringing as he suddenly became dizzy. Panicked, he hurriedly mobilized his Spiritual Energy to resist this discomfort. In his Knowledge Sea, the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus also started slowly spinning, brightly shining with seven colours.
A gentle energy rose from his Knowledge Sea, allowing Yang Kai to feel a little better, but blood was trickling down his nose and the corners of his mouth. Not only that, he seemed as if he was about to collapse, his calves going limp as he almost fell to his knees.
Fortunately, the Soul Warming Lotus helped him resist and allowed him to remain standing, only staggering slightly.
After standing firm, fire rose in Yang Kai’s heart.
Feng Xuan had launched a sneak attack against him, concealing it from everyone else around them. Clearly, this Feng Xuan wanted to make him kneel as a show of force, putting Yang Kai in his place.
If Yang Kai knelt down from a single sentence from Feng Xuan in front of so many people, everyone would laugh at his incompetence. This unbearable experience was bound to become his heart demon on his Martial Dao, and if this heart demon wasn’t dispelled, his path in cultivation might end here.
[This Feng Xuan is simply too sinister and despicable!] Yang Kai’s ground his teeth, his eyes burning with fury.
Feng Xuan, on the other hand, raised his brow as a look of surprise flashed across his face.
Contrary to his expectation, Yang Kai hadn’t fallen to his knees. He might not have used too much of his power just now, but it still wasn’t something a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior should’ve been able to withstand. Even an inattentive First-Order Emperor would momentarily lose consciousness and make a fool of himself in public.
But Yang Kai just staggered. It was really a surprise.
However, Feng Xuan didn’t pay too much attention to it. The huge gap in their strength made it difficult for Yang Kai to even get his attention.
While Feng Xuan was thinking so though, Yang Kai wiped off the blood trickling down his mouth and nose and sneered before mocking, “The people of Seeking Passion Sect are truly wastes who only know how to bully the weak with strength and numbers! The Vice Sect Master is so, and so is the Sect Master! You have both opened this Young Master’s eyes wide today. Your name Seeking Passion Sect is simply wrong. In my opinion, you should rename yourself as Bullying the Weak Sect!”
Just as Yang Kai said this, Feng Xuan’s expression slightly changed.
He hadn’t expected Yang Kai to be so bold, not willing to suffer the slightest loss. He even dared to ridicule Feng Xuan in public!
Hu Yuan and the other Masters present went slack-jawed and all of them broke into a cold sweat. They might not have noticed what just happened, but Yang Kai bleeding from his mouth and nose was visible to everyone. Everyone could easily understand that he had been attacked by Feng Xuan’s shout just now.
But even if Yang Kai suffered a loss, this wasn’t something he should have spoken of aloud.
[This brat must not know how to write the word ‘death’.]
An Ruo Yun and the others, who were slightly late to notice, immediately asked upon noticing Yang Kai’s pale face, “Young Master Yang, are you alright?”
Yang Kai sneered, “This Young Master was sneak attacked by a despicable fellow, and my heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys have all been seriously injured. How could I be okay! This is a very big deal!”
An Ruo Yun could obviously tell that there was nothing wrong with Yang Kai and he was just deliberately making a mountain out of a molehill, inwardly shaking her head at his ability to spout nonsense.
Hu Yuan and the others also felt dizzy. [If your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are seriously injured, how can you speak so energetically? Where did this brat even come from? He actually doesn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth. It seems the ignorant are always fearless. Does a Third-Order Dao Source Realm boy dare to challenge Sect Master Feng Xuan? Sure enough, the young are hot-blooded and aggressive.]
[It will be very difficult for this guy to survive.]
The originally tense atmosphere had been messed up by Yang Kai, and the atmosphere had suddenly turned awkward.
“Little brat, what nonsense are you spouting!?” Feng Xuan was secretly annoyed by Yang Kai’s exaggerations. While he had mixed in some Spiritual Energy into his voice just now, even if Yang Kai had been injured, it should be his Knowledge Sea that took damage. How could it be related to his five viscera and six organs?
Yang Kai asked with a snort, “Why is Senior Feng Xuan acting so anxious? I didn’t say you sneak attacked me. Senior, you wouldn’t happen to have a guilty conscience, would you?”
Feng Xuan was at a loss for words. He was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master and he had to act like one. In any case, it would be too embarrassing for him to continue to bicker with Yang Kai.
At the critical moment, Feng Xi stepped forward and shouted, “You bastard! You dare insult my Seeking Passion Sect? If you quickly kowtow and apologize, you might be able to keep your life.”
He had a grim look on his face, as if he couldn’t wait to kill Yang Kai. Obviously, he still had not forgotten last night’s disgrace. It wasn’t surprising as he had always been treated with dignity since childhood. When had he suffered such humiliation and disgrace? Every time Feng Xi recalled what happened over these last two days, he felt like he couldn’t hold his head high. He couldn’t wait to behead Yang Kai and drink his blood; only this could end his enmity.
Yang Kai turned to him and asked with a friendly smile, “Why, if it isn’t Young Sect Master Feng? I remember you acting like a frightened baby last night, but now you’re acting all proud and mighty, I wonder what happened? Oh, is it because you found a strong backer so now you can hold your head up high? Oh, don’t stare at me like that, you might pop your eyes out.”
“You… you speak nonsense! When did that happen!?” Feng Xi glared at him, grinding his teeth, his face alternating between red and blue as he vehemently denied the charge.
Yang Kai coldly snorted and continued, “Last night, this Young Master took pity on you and let you go, seeing Young Sect Master crying and begging to spare you was deeply moving after all! I never thought that not only would the Young Sect Master not feel deep gratitude, but he would even try to repay kindness with enmity!”
When Hu Yuan and the others heard this, they all looked at Feng Xi with a weird look on their faces. They secretly thought that there was some kind of grievance between these two young men and couldn’t help but wonder what happened last night that made Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master cry and beg this young man to spare him.
[So, something like this happened. No wonder he was denying so forcefully.]
Feng Xi wanted to explain himself, but Feng Xuan waved his hand, stopping him.
Feng Xi’s face and neck were red in anger but he didn’t dare to disobey his father’s orders. He could only swallow his grievance back down as his eyes turned red, filled with complaint.
Feng Xuan looked at Yang Kai and indifferently stated, “Young man, acting boldly isn’t a bad thing, but you must also judge your situation accurately. Only a reckless person blindly charges forward without thinking.”
“Bah!” Yang Kai frivolously stood there and spat before he lazily cupped his fists at Feng Xuan and said, “Junior will take Seniors guidance to heart; however… what is it you really want to say?”
Feng Xuan furrowed his brow and asked, “I heard that you snatched two Space Rings from members of my Seeking Passion Sect last night?”
[He snatched two Space Rings from Seeking Passion Sect!?] Hu Yuan and the others’ eyes widened in shock when they heard this, none of them able to believe their ears.
Previously, they thought of Yang Kai as someone who truly didn’t fear the Heavens, a rash youth who didn’t know what was good for him, but now it seemed that he wasn’t just rash but a complete lunatic!
Who in the entire Northern Territory would dare to snatch Space Rings from Seeking Passion Sect? The answer, this young man! And it wasn’t just one ring, but two! Who knows which hapless fellow lost his Space Ring? But even if that was the case, why was Sect Master Feng Xuan personally asking about it?
This boy was finished, he wouldn’t see the light of day tomorrow.
Yang Kai immediately shouted with a serious look on his face, “Senior, you can eat whatever you please, but you cannot say whatever you want! What snatching? I take great offence to this charge! This Young Master acted openly and aboveboard, always maintaining a righteous character! I even sit upright! I have never done such a thing! Senior saying I ‘snatched’ two Space Rings is tantamount to tarnishing the noble character of this Young Master! I am very unhappy, being accused so!”
His serious face suddenly turned gloomy as if he was really angry.
Hu Yuan and the others immediately wiped the cold sweat off their foreheads.
All of them were Emperor Realm Masters, and had been roaming freely in the Star Boundary for several thousand years each, but what they saw today had truly broadened their horizons. They felt that the things they had seen in their entire lives weren’t as mind-blowing as what they were seeing today. Where did this lunatic come from? He was not showing any intention of lowering his head even when faced with a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master! On the contrary, he was speaking so flippantly and without any hesitation.
Yao Zhou angrily shouted, “Didn’t you steal this King and Xi’er’s Space Rings? Boy, don’t lie through your teeth!”
Once he said this, Hu Yuan and the others, who had just wiped the sweat off their forehead, started sweating again. To their surprise, the two hapless fellows who lost their Space Rings were the Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master and Young Sect Master!
This had suddenly turned into a big deal that would not end simply!
Originally, everyone thought that Yang Kai had robbed the rings of some Seeking Passion Sect disciples, but the truth was far more shocking. If it was just Feng Xi, it was still somewhat acceptable as he was just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but Yao Zhuo was a Second-Order Emperor! How could such a Master have his Space Ring stolen?
Regardless of how this matter ended today, Seeking Passion Sect would suffer a serious loss of face. Their Vice Sect Master and Young Sect Master had their Space Rings snatched by a Third-Order Dao Source Realm brat. If word got out, Seeking Passion Sect would not be able to gain a foothold in the Northern Territory anywhere.
Hu Yuan and the others could almost see this bizarre matter being turned into a song and sung on the streets of every city. In just ten years, the people of the Seeking Passion Sect would not be able to lift their heads.
“So, you were talking about those Space Rings…” Yang Kai looked as if he woke up from a dream and was struck with realization. The next moment, his face sank as he stated with a snort, “Vice Sect Master, please choose your words more carefully. When did I snatch those two rings? One ring was a bargaining chip given to this Young Master, while the other was forcefully stuffed into my hands by your Young Sect Master. If this Young Master didn’t take it, the Young Sect Master would have been uneasy, so this Young Master reluctantly took it, but now you are using this Young Master’s kind gesture to level false accusations?”
“Little Bastard!” Yao Zhuo erupted in fury as he fiercely circulated his Emperor Qi, seemingly wanting to rush forward and rip Yang Kai into ten thousand pieces.
Yang Kai, agilely jumped back and, landing beside An Ruo Yun and the others, stared up at him, asking, “What are you doing? Do you want to kill me? You can give it a try!”
“Sect Master!?” Yao Zhuo looked back and cupped his fist at Feng Xuan as he declared, “I must kill him!”
Feng Xuan calmly stated in response, “You can’t.”
Yang Kai had jumped to An Ruo Yun and the others’ side, so Yao Zhuo had lost any chance to kill Yang Kai. And Feng Xuan, as the Sect Master of the Seeking Passion Sect, couldn’t personally kill Yang Kai as that would be a disgrace to his status. He suddenly discovered that this young man of unknown origin was giving him a terrible headache, seemingly even harder to deal with than Bing Yun.
Feng Xuan pondered for a moment before staring at Yang Kai and praising, “Little Brother is a dragon among men. You will become an outstanding character in the future. You can treat those two rings as this Sect Master’s gift to you for our first meeting.”
Yang Kai raised his brow and responded with a snort, “Senior wants to have the last word and seems quite adept at it too.”
Feng Xuan knew that he would definitely not be able to take back the two Space Rings, so he simply said that they were gifts for their first meeting. It was extremely shameless; however, it would also show the generosity of Seeking Passion Sect and save them some face.
“But there is one thing in them that this King needs back. Little Brother, please cooperate.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and asked, “What is it?”
He hadn’t found anything special when he went through the rings before, though there were many precious treasures.
“The Blood Jade Qilin,” Feng Xuan quickly said.
“Blood Jade Qilin?” Yang Kai murmured to himself, quickly scanning his Space Ring with his Divine Sense before taking out a red Qilin statue. This Qilin statue was just thirty centimetres tall and was quite vivid and lifelike, but Yang Kai had no idea what it was carved from. He had thrown it into his ring after a glance, and only when Feng Xuan brought it up did he suddenly remember it.
“That’s it!” Feng Xuan confirmed with a nod.
“What’s so special about this thing?” Yang Kai asked curiously. He had no idea why Feng Xuan wanted this thing back.
Feng Xuan didn’t try to conceal anything and explained, “It is useless to Little Brother as it is simply a status symbol of the Young Sect Master’s wife of my Sect. It is passed down from the Ancestral Founder of my Sect and holds great ceremonial significance to my Seeking Passion Sect!”
“The status symbol of the Young Sect Master’s wife!” Yang Kai raised his brow and glanced at Zi Yu, who was still kneeling before the entrance, thinking that Feng Xi was still very interested in her. He had sixty-nine concubines at home and yet he actually brought this Blood Jade Qilin as a gift to give Zi Yu. Obviously, he regarded her as extremely important.
But this wasn’t strange as Zi Yu was the top rising star of Ice Heart Valley. She was a perfect match for Feng Xi, whether it was her origin or aptitude. His sixty-nine concubines at home were simply no match for Zi Yu.
Yang Kai had no idea whether Feng Xuan’s words were true or not, or whether there was a secret hidden in the Blood Jade Qilin, but while he was immersed in his thoughts, a voice suddenly rang in his ears, “Feng Xuan isn’t lying. The Blood Jade Qilin is indeed the status symbol of the wife of each generation’s Young Sect Master. Only the one who possesses the Blood Jade Qilin can be regarded as the Young Sect Master’s wife. Other women would just be the concubines of the Young Sect Master.”
The voice belonged to An Ruo Yun. She would definitely not lie to him so Yang Kai secretly nodded in acknowledgement.
“Good! This King needs to take this Blood Jade Qilin back. Please cooperate and return it to this King!” Feng Xuan stretched his hand toward Yang Kai as he spoke.
A meaningful grin immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face as he asked, “Senior only needs this thing back? There are many rare and precious treasures inside those two rings, are you sure you don’t want them as well?”
Feng Xuan proudly stated, “Although those things are valuable, they are nothing but a drop in the bucket to my Seeking Passion Sect. However, the Blood Jade Qilin cannot be lost.”
Yang Kai broke into laughter and declared, “Seeking Passion Sect deserves its reputation as a top Sect of the Northern Territory. As expected, you are really wealthy. So many treasures are nothing to you, this has indeed opened my eyes!”
Feng Xi let out a cold snort and sarcastically said, “What a country bumpkin!”
Yang Kai grinned towards him, his smile seeming to carry a deep meaning. Feng Xi couldn’t help but shudder seeing this smile, an extremely unpleasant feeling suddenly gripping his heart.
Right then, Yang Kai looked back at Feng Xuan and stated, “If Senior wants this Blood Jade Qilin back, this Young Master can return it; after all, this thing is extremely significant to your noble Sect, and this Young Master doesn’t want to take someone’s beloved treasure.”
“Many thanks for your understanding,” Feng Xuan calmly said.
Yang Kai laughed meaningfully next, “As I told your Young Sect Master and Vice Sect Master the night before, all things in this world are negotiable. If Senior wants this thing back, there is no problem, as long as… you can make it worthwhile for me!”
While speaking, he quickly rubbed his index finger and thump, indicating he wanted money.
The onlooking Hu Yuan and the others were immediately struck with dizziness.
Feng Xi suddenly turned pale as he coughed awkwardly. The last time Yang Kai said these words, he and Yao Zhou had lost their Space Rings, and now he was saying the same thing again. Who knows how he would ask for the lion’s share this time! Suddenly, Feng Xi understood why he was feeling restless just now.
Feng Xuan looked at Yang Kai with a weird look on his face and calmly asked, “Are you bargaining with this King?”
Yang Kai glanced at him, paying no heed, and stated, “Since Senior wants this Blood Jade Qilin, Senior must naturally pay an appropriate price for it. Senior is also a man of integrity so surely he knows there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, yes?”
Feng Xuan somehow controlled his fury, grimacing in anger as he asked with a scoff, “How much?”
Yang Kai broke into laughter, “Senior is very easy to talk to, much better than your son. Out of respect for your refreshing personality, this Young Master won’t ask for much. I think this much will be sufficient.”
He stretched one finger up and waved it lightly.
Feng Xuan lightly nodded, “Ten million. Indeed not much.”
Yang Kai looked dumbfounded and failed to stop himself from laughing as he stated, “Ten million? Senior must be joking, right? This Blood Jade Qilin is something passed down in your noble Sect from the hands of your Ancestral Founder. It might not be a treasure, but it is of great symbolic significance. In Senior’s eyes, is it only worth ten million?”
“So, you want a hundred million?” Feng Xuan’s eyes flickered with a cold gleam as he angrily rebuked, “Young man, your appetite is quite big! Be careful, or your belly might just burst!”
“A hundred million?” Yang Kai sneered, “Seeking Passion Sect controls many businesses and is incredibly rich. Senior must feel embarrassed to only take out a measly sum of a hundred million, and this Young Master is equally embarrassed to ask for such a paltry amount. Your Seeking Passion Sect must not lose face here.”
“Could it be… you want a billion?” Feng Xuan’s head was buzzing, nearly coughing up blood in anger.
“A billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals should be nothing to Seeking Passion Sect, right?” Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile.
“Mid-Rank Source Crystals!?” The corners of Feng Xuan’s mouth twitched. At first, he thought that Yang Kai wanted a billion Low-Rank Source Crystals, but he had never expected him to want Mid-Rank Source Crystals. The difference between the two sums was a hundredfold! Even if they were converted to High-Rank Source Crystals, it would still be ten million! Feng Xuan immediately shouted in anger, “Little Beast, it turns out you were just mocking this King without the slightest sincerity to return the Blood Jade Qilin! This King will teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents so you learn there are some people in this world you can never offend!”
Previously, Feng Xuan was unwilling to personally make a move on Yang Kai, mainly because of his identity and status; after all, there were many eyes on him. He, a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master attacking a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior, was really a shameful thing to do.
However, now that Yang Kai was making such unreasonable demands, Feng Xuan finally lost his temper. No matter how embarrassing it may be, even if he killed Yang Kai now, everyone wouldn’t think he was bullying the weak; after all, Yang Kai’s current performance was really too disgusting.
While speaking, Feng Xuan palmed towards Yang Kai, and in the blink of an eye, the Heavens and Earth dimmed as Principles began to surge.
The entire Ice Moon City seemed to have been covered by the might of this one palm strike, making everyone feel suffocated, their chests tightening as if something heavy was placed on them.
Hu Yuan and the others suddenly turned pale as they promptly backed away, secretly feeling sorry for Yang Kai. This boy really didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth, repeatedly provoking a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. He must really be tired of living.
Everyone could almost see Yang Kai’s corpse lying on the ground.
Feng Xuan attacked without any warning, so by the time the Ice Heart Valley Elders reacted and wanted to save Yang Kai, it was already too late.
Yang Kai was also rooted in his place by the Emperor Pressure, unable to move, his face pale; however, not even an ounce of fear could be found in his eyes. On the contrary, he looked calm and composed as he stared back at Feng Xuan with a look of mockery.
*Chi…*
With a soft noise, a snow-white Sword Qi suddenly flew out from somewhere inside the inn, shooting straight at the oncoming Feng Xuan’s palm with an imposing momentum.
Immediately after, a deafening explosion shook everyone’s eardrums as a huge shockwave swept out in every direction, causing the buildings within a radius of a thousand metres to rock.
The palm disappeared into nothing while the blade of Sword Qi shot straight towards the sky, disappearing in a flash.
When everyone finally regained their wits, they found a young woman standing in front of Yang Kai. This woman didn’t look very old, perhaps only seventeen or eighteen; however, her aura was extremely pure, as if she had never been defiled by the slightest dust.
Feng Xuan’s pupil immediately shrunk as his gaze completely fixed on this young woman.
An Ruo Yun and the others’ pretty eyes widened in surprise as they stared at this sudden newcomer and shouted in trembling voices, “Master!”
[Master!?]
Hu Yuan and the other nearby spectators immediately came to realize who this young woman was after hearing this. Evidently, she was the Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley, the Third-Order Emperor Realm Master who had been missing for three thousand years, Bing Yun!
“Disciple greets Master!” An Ruo Yun and the others bowed on the ground together.
Bing Yun calmly glanced at them, her thoughts impossible to read. Only sparing them a moment, she then focused her pretty eyes on Yang Kai and said with a soft snort, “You’re quite bold.”
Obviously, she was talking about Yang Kai’s constant provocation of Feng Xuan.
Bing Yun had lived for over ten thousand years, but even after so long, she had never seen someone as reckless as Yang Kai. He, a trivial Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior, dared to clamour and bargain with a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
“Heh heh!” Yang Kai laughed, wearing a smile on his face, “With Senior’s backing, why would I be afraid?” After a pause, he nervously asked under his breath, “Have you fully recovered, Senior?”
Bing Yun replied with a light snort, “Just about.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help relaxing. If Bing Yun said that she had ‘just about’ recovered, she must have completely recovered already. In other words, there was no problem with her taking action. As long as she was here to preside over the situation, there was nothing to fear from Feng Xuan.
“Bing Yun, what are you doing?” Feng Xuan coldly glared at Bing Yun and shouted, “If this King remembers correctly, your Ice Heart Valley doesn’t accept male disciples, right? Why did you stop this King from teaching this boy a lesson?”
Bing Yun glanced back at him and replied, “Wait there while I deal with some internal affairs of my valley first. I will deal with you later!”
Feng Xuan immediately froze; however, he did not argue. In the entire Star Boundary, there were few who were qualified to speak to him like this, but Bing Yun was definitely one of them. Who knows how many times they had fought, but every time, they wound up in a draw. Bing Yun and Feng Xuan dreaded one another, so Feng Xuan still had to give her face even if he was infuriated at this moment.
Bing Yun turned around and calmly said, gazing at An Ruo Yun and the others, “Get up, why are you still kneeling?”
An Ruo Yun and the others lowered their heads further; not one of them standing up.
Bing Yun coldly snorted and said, “This Queen has left for just three millennia and you are already having a difficult time speaking, is that right? No wonder you dare to marry off the best disciple of the valley. When did my Ice Heart Valley start to take cues from others? You little girls are truly impressive!”
Judging by her voice, she appeared to know the ins and outs of everything. She must have gotten some information from listening to everyone’s chatter outside.
An Ruo Yun’s soft and exquisite figure trembled slightly as she knew that her Master was truly angry, immediately stating in a panic-stricken voice, “We Disciples have gone against Master’s teachings and ask Master to punish us!”
Sun Yun Xiu anxiously spoke up, “Master, this matter has nothing to do with the other sisters. I was the one who agreed to the marriage with Seeking Passion Sect. If Master wants to punish someone, it should be me alone.”
“You think I won’t punish you!?” Bing Yun glared at Sun Yun Xiu. Sun Yun Xiu was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, but being glared at by Bing Yun, she trembled like a mouse that had just seen a cat, clenching her teeth while trying not to utter a single cry.
Right then, Zi Yu intervened, “Ancestral Founder, please calm your anger. Great Elder only had the valley in mind when she did this. I ask Ancestral Founder to spare her.”
Her act of interceding for Sun Yun Xiu really came as a surprise, even to Sun Yun Xiu herself, a complicated look appearing in her pretty eyes.
Bing Yun focused her gaze on Zi Yu and her expression immediately softened as she calmly stated, “You are too soft-hearted. Who would have thought that you would speak on her behalf even when she was the one to push you into the fiery pit.”
Zi Yu, shaking her head, continued to defend Sun Yun Xiu, “Great Elder was helpless. If she did not do this, it would have been difficult for my fellow sisters to survive. If Zi Yu’s happiness can be sacrificed for the safety of the other sisters, Zi Yu is willing. Even though I had such intentions, I don’t know why I wanted to run away, the further, the better. This Zi Yu was simply ignorant and unaware of the world. Ancestral Founder, please don’t blame others.” As she spoke, Zi Yu broke into tears, extremely confused and saddened.
Bing Yun’s lips parted to say something, but ultimately she just sighed before changing her words, “Rest assured, since I’m here, no one can force you to do anything against your will!”
Zi Yu’s tears immediately turned into smiles as she bowed her head, “Many thanks, Ancestral Founder!”
Bing Yun’s words seemed to have reassured her, making her feel at peace at once, so she no longer panicked as her fears all abated.
Bing Yun looked at Sun Yun Xiu again and stated, “As for your mistake, I will make a decision after I return to the valley. Get up first!”
“Many thanks, Master!” All the women thanked in unison. Only then did they stand up.
Bing Yun’s gaze softened as she looked at everyone’s face, discovering that over half of the Emperor Realm Masters present were the disciples she had taken in long ago. Today, they had all broken through to the Emperor Realm. Also, she had some impressions of the other Emperors present. They should be outstanding disciples of the valley from the past, so while they might not be her direct Disciples, all of them were among Ice Heart Valley’s first generation. There were only two or three Emperors she was unfamiliar with, never having seen them before.
These two or three Emperors Realm Master must have been recruited into Ice Heart Valley by An Ruo Yun and the others after she left.
There were always some lone cultivators without strong backgrounds who encountered Heaven-defying opportunities, allowing them to travel far on the Martial Dao. Such cultivators were outstanding geniuses who would always be welcomed by great forces. Since they could cultivate to such a high realm without any support and fewer cultivation resources, they had a very high probability of advancing to the Emperor Realm with such support.
Yang Kai was a prime example.
If cultivators like these wanted to take refuge in top Sects, they only needed to pass some simple tests and inspections to join. Of course, even after joining the Sect, they would be subjected to a long period of investigation and scrutiny to ensure they weren’t plotting anything against the Sect and they could be entrusted with important tasks.
Bing Yun looked at the unfamiliar Emperors, all of whom should have been recruited into Ice Heart Valley just like this. Since they were standing here, it meant that there should be no problem with their loyalty.
“What about Little Three, Little Five, and Little Nine?” Bing Yun suddenly asked. She seemed to have some premonitions as sadness flashed across her eyes.
An Ruo Yun quickly replied, “Third Junior Sister left shortly after Master left Ice Heart Valley. She went out to seek Master’s trail but lost contact with the valley, her whereabouts unknown.”
Bing Yun’s pupils shrank as she immediately asked, “Is her Life Lamp still burning?”
An Ruo Yun replied, “Yes, so we know Third Junior Sister is still alive; however, we don’t know where.”
“Good,” Bing Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
An Ruo Yun continued, “Fifth Junior Sister… she fell while trying to break through to the Emperor Realm.”
Bing Yun’s tender body trembled a little upon hearing this; however, she regained her calm soon and stated with a sigh, “That is also fate. Little Fifth always had a hurried temperament. I knew that her future would not be smooth.”
An Ruo Yun’s eyes reddened as she blamed herself, “As her Senior Sister, I didn’t take care of her well enough.”
Bing Yun shook her head and comforted, “It has nothing to do with you. What about Little Ninth? Is she… dead or alive?”
An Ruo Yun replied, “Ninth Junior Sister has been in secluded retreat for the past ten years. She said that she won’t exit until she breaks through to the Emperor Realm.”
“Very good,” a slight smile reappeared on Bing Yun’s face. She had left three millennia ago, and among the nine Disciples she had taken in at the time, seven of them had broken through to the Emperor Realm successfully. Among them, An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu had further lived up to her expectations by reaching the Second-Order Emperor Realm. One of them had already departed and had returned to the Heavens, while the last one, the youngest, Little Ninth, was in a retreat to achieve a breakthrough.
These results were, in truth, spectacular. As a Master, Bing Yun could be the only one in the Star Boundary to achieve such phenomenal results. Who could boast of having so many Disciples break through to the Emperor Realm? One could not help but wonder whether it was her superior mentorship abilities or simply because Ice Heart Valley was an excellent environment for nurturing talent.
“Bing Yun, if you are done reminiscing, can we talk now?” Feng Xuan urged loudly, appearing extremely impatient.
Bing Yun coldly snorted and glanced back at him before snapping, “For these three millennia this Queen has been absent, Sect Master Feng seems to have taken good care of my Ice Heart Valley.”
Her tone carried a strong sarcasm. Obviously, she was very angry about the fact that Seeking Passion Sect bullied her valley while she was away, forcing them to marry their best disciple against her will.
Feng Xuan calmly justified, “You and I represent top Sects in the Northern Territory, so there is no problem with us becoming allies! This King doesn’t think that there is anything wrong with this. Why are you being narrow-minded?”
“Am I narrow-minded or is Sect Master Feng too proud of himself?” Bing Yun replied in a light tone, “You can be considered a Senior Master, yet you feel gratified bullying a few little girls?”
Feng Xuan furrowed his brow and rebuked, “Bing Yun, your tongue is as sharp as ever. This King isn’t going to argue with you! Today, this King is here for two things, one is to let my son marry Zi Yu, and the other is to take back the Blood Jade Qilin! Bing Yun, please cooperate in these matters for the sake of our old friendship!”
Bing Yun coldly smiled as she raised her jade finger and quickly spoke, “Let this Queen make it clear to you. First, Zi Yu is my Ice Heart Valley’s top disciple, I will never let her marry your waste of a son, so perish this thought entirely. Second, I have no opinion about your Blood Jade Qilin, if you want it back, take it yourself, and if you can’t, then scram out of Ice Moon City as soon as possible, lest you lose face in front of the heroes of the Northern Territory and find it difficult to even show yourself in public again!”
Bing Yun taking an unyielding stance caught Feng Xuan by surprise.
Hu Yun and the others were even more terrified as they felt a faint oppression fill the air, like mountains were pressing down on them.
It seemed these two Masters had reached an impasse, and by the looks of it, a fight might break out. Once that happened, Ice Moon City would definitely be wiped from existence and who knows whether anyone could retreat safely. A fire at the city gates always brings disaster to the fish in the moat, so many were now considering whether they should take this opportunity to leave, lest they became those very fish
Feng Xuan sunk into a long silence before he pursed his lips into a sarcastic smile and stated, “This boy is not your illegitimate child is he? Is that why you are defending him so staunchly?”
Once he said this, An Ruo Yun and the others had a sharp change in their expressions. A Master of Feng Xuan’s stature was actually trying to soil Bing Yun’s reputation in front of so many people with such slanderous lies! Clearly he had ulterior, wicked motives here.
All of a sudden, the Ice Heart Valley Elders all became infuriated, grinding their teeth as they glared at Feng Xuan, wishing they could pounce at him and bite him to death.
To everyone’s surprise, however, Bing Yun didn’t seem to be angered in the slightest. On the contrary, she looked at Yang Kai with profound meaning and calmly stated, “If this Queen could have such an heir, then I would have no regrets in life.”
Feng Xuan was immediately dumbfounded.
An Ruo Yun and the others were jaw slacked, gawking at their Master in shock.
What did she mean by this? Was she secretly admitting it was true? This young man wouldn’t really happen to be Bing Yun’s bastard son? If that wasn’t the case, why didn’t she get angry and even go so far as to say such words?
For a moment, everyone’s gaze turned a little different when they looked at Yang Kai, as if he was now bearing the brand of Ice Heart Valley.
Yang Kai couldn’t help breaking out into a cold sweat as he bitterly looked at Bing Yun and stammered, “Senior, if you put it in this way, others might misunderstand.”
Bing Yun smiled and replied, “I just spoke thoughtlessly, don’t take it to heart.”
She didn’t mean to deliberately take advantage of Yang Kai; however, she knew that Feng Xuan was simply trying to anger her, destabilizing her mood to gain an advantage. As such, she simply chose the best option to maintain her calm.
“It seems that this brat is deeply related to you!” Feng Xuan immediately realized that the relationship between Bing Yun and Yang Kai was a bit unusual. Otherwise, Bing Yun wouldn’t ignore her reputation and say something like this.
“But even if he is really your illegitimate child, the Blood Jade Qilin must be handed to me today. Otherwise, don’t blame this King for being ruthless!” Feng Xuan sternly shouted as he suddenly took a step forward.
The entire world quaked with this step, as if it was surrendering to him.
The residents of Ice Moon City felt even more suffocated now as the pressure around them increased noticeably.
Yang Kai’s face turned slightly pale as he held the Blood Jade Qilin up high and shouted frantically, “This Young Master is quite timid! Senior Feng Xuan, please don’t frighten me! If this Young Master were to panic, he might just destroy this thing in his hand.”
Everyone was rendered speechless after hearing this, secretly thinking in their hearts, [Boy, if you can be considered timid, then there isn’t anyone in the world who can be considered courageous!]
While speaking, Yang Kai pushed his Source Qi and suddenly, a slight cracking sound came from the Blood Jade Qilin.
Seeing this, Feng Xi’s eyes bulged in shock as he cried in shock, “Father, he really intends to ruin the Blood Jade Qilin!”
“Stop!” Feng Xuan also sternly shouted, “If you dare to destroy it, I will let you know the meaning of a death without a burial!”
Yang Kai shouted, “Aiya, aiya, this Young Master just said he was extremely timid! Why is Senior scaring me so? I’m so afraid to die!”
While speaking, he pushed his Source Qi harder, causing many more cracks to sound from the Blood Jade Qilin.
Feng Xuan’s breath stopped at the sight of this and his face turned blue.
The Blood Jade Qilin wasn’t a treasure of any kind, or even that valuable; however, it was indeed the status symbol of the Seeking Passion Sect Young Sect Master’s wife. Because every generation of Seeking Passion Sect Young Sect Master would have many wives and concubines, only the one holding the Blood Jade Qilin could be considered his legitimate wife. This woman would take care of the harem on behalf of the Young Sect Master, so that the Young Sect Master would cultivate in peace and not be affected by his women’s internal troubles.
If such a symbol was destroyed before everyone’s eyes, it would be tantamount to a slap right across Seeking Passion Sect’s face.
Seeing that intimidation wasn’t working, Feng Xuan had no choice but to take a deep breath and withdraw his aura. He then said with an extremely unsightly look on his face, “Boy, what do you want?”
Yang Kai replied, snorting, “I have already given you the conditions. Why would Senior Feng knowingly ask me again?”
“You still dare to ask for a billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals!?” Feng Xuan angrily snapped. A billion Source Crystals might be nothing to Seeking Passion Sect, but if he gave in to Yang Kai’s blackmail here, Feng Xuan would be extremely disgraced.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and asked, “Then how much does Senior think he can pay?”
“At most a hundred million! Boy, don’t try to reach out for a yard after taking an inch!” Feng Xuan snorted and replied.
“Alright, a hundred million then, this Young Master is a very easy-going person!” Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile.
Everyone was stunned by his reaction. They had never expected for Yang Kai to actually agree; after all, he had tried to take the lion’s share just now. Furthermore, he was completely lawless and unafraid before, so everyone thought that he would definitely blackmail Seeking Passion Sect into giving him the full billion Source Crystals. Inferring from how much importance Feng Xuan attached to the Blood Jade Qilin, as long as Yang Kai insisted, he could easily get his hands on a billion Source Crystals. No one had expected him to compromise without even bargaining.
Was he scared? Young people are always hot-blooded, but they do tend to calm down when they become frightened.
However, a mere Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator actually dared to blackmail the Seeking Passion Sect’s Sect Master for a hundred million Source Crystals. No one knew if there would be such an occurrence in the future, but it was surely a first in history.
“Senior Bing Yun, can I trouble you a little?” Yang Kai suddenly asked, turning her head and looking back at Bing Yun.
Bing Yun had no idea what scheme he was cooking up this time, so she suspiciously asked, “What do you want me to do?”
Yang Kai took the Blood Jade Qilin in his hand and replied while making a slicing motion, “Senior Feng Xuan is only willing to pay a tenth of the price I asked, so obviously I can only give him a tenth of this item. Senior, can you cut this thing down by one-tenth. All business has to be fair and just, never taking advantage of others nor allowing them to take advantage of us!”
Bin Yun was secretly amused by this as only Yang Kai could come up with such a wicked idea. However, in public she quietly glared at him before summoning a sword as white as snow into her hand, appearing as if she was about to cut a piece off the Blood Jade Qilin.
Yang Kai looked up at Feng Xuan and asked with a cold smile, “Senior, I wonder whether you are satisfied with this?”
Infuriated, Feng Xuan almost spurted blood. Before he could say anything, Yang Kai added, “If Senior can come up with five hundred million, then I will ask Senior Bing Yun to cut this in half. How much Senior can get will depend on how many Source Crystals he can offer. I am very fair, so… how much of it do you want?”
Feng Xuan’s blood boiled with rage as he almost gasped for breath.
He felt that he had never been so infuriated in his entire life, andthe all of this was thanks to the little bastard before him!
Hu Yuan and the others were secretly growing apprehensive as they worried in their hearts, [This young man is truly cruel. He is still insisting on stealing a billion Source Crystals from Feng Xuan. If he really cuts a tenth, or even a half off of it, will this Blood Jade Qilin still hold any meaning?]
However… by offending Seeking Passion Sect like this, Yang Kai would surely pay a terrible price! He would not be able to survive unless he really was Bing Yun’s illegitimate son!
“Father, the Blood Jade Qilin Seal cannot be destroyed!” Feng Xi cried in shock.
“Shut up!” Feng Xuan snapped back, glaring at Feng Xi with a look of hatred. He suddenly realized there was a huge disparity between his son and the young man before him.
[Is it because I have spoiled him too much?] Feng Xuan secretly reflected.
Yang Kai added, “It seems that Senior Feng cannot afford a billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals. Ha… I take back what I just said about Seeking Passion Sect having multiple businesses and being rich. This Young Master, this country bumpkin, was hoping to have my eyes opened, but who would have thought… tsk tsk tsk, Senior Bing Yun, since they can’t afford it, let’s cut it!”
Bing Yun lightly nodded before raising her sword.
Feng Xuan immediately turned livid and hastily shouted, “Alright, a billion then!”
It was just a billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals, so it wasn’t that he couldn’t pay it, he was simply reluctant to agree because he didn’t want to let Yang Kai lead him by the nose. Regardless of anything else, Feng Xuan was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so it was disgraceful to be manipulated by Yang Kai before so many people. But now, he was at his wits’ end and had to agree even if he didn’t want to.
“Good, Senior Feng is a decisive man. This Young Master appreciates people with such sturdy character!” Yang Kai broke out into laughter.
As soon as he said this, even someone as indifferent as Bing Yun found her brow twitching, wondering just how he was able to spout such nonsense.
Feng Xuan’s face turned colder as he stated, “This King can give you one billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals, but this King has one more condition.
Yang Kai immediately snorted and rebuked, “I guess Senior Feng hasn’t woken up yet! Do you think you are qualified to bargain with this Young Master? Pay up the Source Crystals first, we can discuss other things later.”
Feng Xuan mockingly looked at him and asked, “Why are you refusing the condition so vehemently when you have not listened to this King’s proposal?”
Yang Kai disdainfully replied, “A dog’s mouth can’t spit ivory, I don’t want to listen, it’s that simple.” While speaking, he stretched his hand out toward Feng Xuan and beckoned, “Pay the money with one hand and take your thing with the other, don’t dilly dally.”
Feng Xuan, barely holding in his anger, stated in an indifferent manner, “My son ate a loss at your hands last night. Youngsters need to pick themselves up from where they fall. As such, my son wants to challenge you today. I wonder whether Little Brother has the courage to agree or not?”
As if acting in concert with his words, Feng Xi took a step forward, condescendingly looking down at Yang Kai. There was a look of disdain in his eyes and all that trembling and fear from last night was nowhere to be seen.
Feng Xi didn’t think Yang Kai was strong at all, believing instead that the reason he suffered so much the night before was because Yang Kai was a fox pretending to be a tiger, borrowing the power and influence of the group of Ice Heart Valley Emperor Realm Masters. He felt that he and Yang Kai had never properly faced each other head-on.
As the Young Sect Master of Seeking Passion Sect, he had learned the most powerful Secret Arts and Secret Techniques in the world, and had the most powerful artifacts. He simply had no opponents in the same realm.
One on one, Feng Xi was confident that he wouldn’t lose to anyone.
Last night and today, Seeking Passion Sect could be considered to have lost a great deal of face. If he wanted to regain some of what he lost, Feng Xi could only get it back from Yang Kai, the root cause of all this.
It was impossible for Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo to directly make a move against Yang Kai as once they tried to, Ice Heart Valley’s Emperors wouldn’t sit idly by, which would directly trigger a war between the two Sects.
The only other option left was to let Feng Xi challenge Yang Kai and then kill him in front of everyone, regaining Seeking Passion Sect’s lost face.
Obviously, Feng Xi knew what his father was thinking, so even though the father and son duo had not discussed in advance, the former hurriedly stepped forward with a look of provocation on his face.
Yang Kai glanced at Feng Xi as he stated, pursing his lips into a smile, “Young Sect Master, it seems you might not be Sect Master Feng’s real son.”
Feng Xi was momentarily stupefied, but in the next moment, he snapped back in anger, “Bastard, all you know is how to use your tongue!”
Yang Kai disdainfully rebuked, “If you were his real son, why would Senior Feng be so impatient to send you to your death?”
Feng Xi’s face turned ashen as he argued back, “How dare you look down on this Young Master!? If you really have the ability, why don’t we see who is stronger and who is weaker in the ring!? The winner will marry Zi Yu and the loser will leave the Northern Territory rolling on the ground, never to return!”
A dissatisfied Zi Yu immediately intervened, frowning slightly, “What does this have to do with me?”
Feng Xi was really something. He is actually trying to drag Zi Yu into this without any rhyme or reason, an infuriating prospect. However, when Zi Yu recalled how Yang Kai had proclaimed that the two of them had secretly pledged their lives to one another a long time ago before so many people last night, Zi Yu suddenly understood that Feng Xi was acting out of blind jealousy.
But that was just an excuse. After everything was over, her dozen or so Martial Aunts hadn’t brought this matter up again as it was obvious to them it was all just nonsense. Only Feng Xi took it seriously, making everyone worry about the mental capacity of this young man.
Just based on this fact alone, it was impossible for Zi Yu to wish to marry Feng Xi.
“First pay up the Source Crystals. Senior Feng won’t be going back on his word, right?” Yang Kai ignored Feng Xi’s provocation and shouted at Feng Xuan, turning his attention back to him.
Feng Xuan sneered as he took out an already prepared Space Ring, “The Source Crystals are all here, but why is Little Brother diverting the topic? Are you afraid of my son? If you are afraid, then apologize to him. My son’s upbringing is pretty good, he may forgive you.”
“First pay me the Source Crystals. We can talk about it after that!” Yang Kai impatiently exhorted.
Feng Xuan coldly snorted as he threw the Space Ring, grimacing.
Yang Kai immediately caught it and scanned it with his Divine Sense, his face immediately lighting up with joy.
Rather than one billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals in the ring, there were five million High-Rank Source Crystals and 500 million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, which was exactly one billion if converted into Mid-Rank Source Crystals.
[It seems Seeking Passion Sect is indeed extremely wealthy, they paid out one billion Source Crystals just like that.] Suddenly, Yang Kai started to regret not asking for a higher price; after all, judging by Feng Xuan’s appearance, he should be able to pay out more.
Confirming that the number of Source Crystals were as agreed, Yang Kai threw the Blood Jade Qilin back.
Feng Xuan caught it and tossed it to Feng Xi right away, without so much as taking a single glance. He then indifferently stated, “If you lose it again, you won’t be the Young Sect Master anymore.”
Feng Xi’s face immediately changed and he hurriedly promised, “Lord Father, rest assured. Your son will definitely take good care of it and never lose it again.”
Feng Xuan lightly nodded before he turned his gaze back to Yang Kai and asked, “What do you think about my previous proposal?”
Yang Kai coldly laughed, “Senior, I think you are eager to send your son to his grave! It seems he is really not your real son, but I suppose that’s not a surprise seeing how Senior has countless wives and concubines. Your energy is limited, so it is inevitable that you can’t take care of all of them alone. It’s very normal for Madams to go out and occasionally find other ways to soothe their loneliness.”
Hearing this, a strange look appeared on the faces of Hu Yuan and the others. It was clear they were all trying to stifle their laughter as they didn’t dare to make a scene in front of Feng Xuan.
In this world, who would dare to talk to Feng Xuan like this? By saying this, Yang Kai was making Feng Xuan wear a green hat! Everyone had no choice but to refresh their insight on Yang Kai’s boldness, feeling equal parts admiration and shock for him.
They were all a little afraid that Yang Kai would completely infuriate Feng Xuan, and an enraged Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would be a disaster.
“Little brat, how dare you!” Feng Xuan was furious. No man would be able to remain calm if someone said something like this about them.
Yang Kai sternly rebuked, “Didn’t Senior Feng happily slander Senior Bing Yun just now? But now, when you were slandered, you suddenly turned hostile? Senior, I guess you haven’t cultivated your temperament that well, it is simply worlds apart from Senior Bing Yun.”
Feng Xuan was taken aback when he heard this; however, he quickly regained his calm and no longer showed any irritation and anger. On the contrary, a calm and composed look had appeared on his face. Obviously, he had fully controlled his mental state.
After maintaining a straight face for a while, Feng Xuan indifferently stated, “In any case, a battle between you and Xi’er will happen today!”
Yang Kai let out a cold snort before agreeing, “Since Senior is being so unreasonable and playing the bully, then this Young Master… has no choice but to reluctantly agree.”
A mere Feng Xi wasn’t really worth his attention. Even if Feng Xi had some ace up his sleeves, Yang Kai was confident that he could escape.
Considering all this, Yang Kai asked Bing Yun in a low voice, “Is it okay if I kill him?”
Bing Yun furrowed her brow lightly. She didn’t doubt Yang Kai’s words in the slightest as she had a good idea how powerful he was. Even Emperor Realm Masters had lost their lives at Yang Kai’s hands, so no matter how strong Feng Xi was, he couldn’t be stronger than them! Still, she pondered for a moment before replying, “If you can spare him, it would be better. If Feng Xi was killed by you in front of everyone, Feng Xuan would definitely not let it go. Although my Ice Heart Valley isn’t afraid of him, once the two Sects start fighting, countless disciples will lose their lives. The gains would not outweigh the losses.”
“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded, the next moment a wicked smile spreading across his face as he muttered, “Then half dead it is.”
Hearing this, Bing Yun looked at Feng Xi, who was proudly posturing, with a sliver of sympathy.
On another note, when everyone saw Yang Kai readily agree to Feng Xi’s challenge, a strange look appeared on their faces. Even the faces of the Ice Heart Valley Elders were filled with worry and concern. Although they didn’t know how strong Yang Kai was, Feng Xi was Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, so there was no question about his strength.
If it was Zi Yu, even she might not be able to retreat unharmed from a battle with Feng Xi. Could Yang Kai be stronger than her?
Hu Yuan and the others, on the other hand, were very excited. They weren’t excited because of the fight between two Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters. All of them were Emperors, so how could a fight between Dao Source Realm Juniors excite them? They were excited because this way, the conflict between the two great forces, Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect, might be resolved. They didn’t have to worry about this leading to mayhem consuming the Northern Territory. They were all hoping for this. Therefore, they were a little grateful to Yang Kai for agreeing to this battle.
Everyone could tell that Yang Kai could care less about this battle, and that Feng Xuan was being completely unreasonable. He was simply oppressing others with force to save face.
At this point, Hu Yuan hurriedly suggested, “I remember that there is a ready-made ring in the city. If you don’t mind, why don’t we take this there?
Feng Xuan lightly nodded and agreed, “Since that’s the case, let’s go.”
While speaking, Emperor Qi surged from his body as his figure disappeared the next moment, along with Feng Xi. Yan Zhou gave a cold glare at Yang Kai before he left with a look of ridicule on his face.
“Master, is this alright? How about we let Zi Yu face him? Feng Xi would not dare to kill Zi Yu. Furthermore, he and Zi Yu are almost on par in terms of strength, she will make a worthy opponent for him,” Sun Yun Xiu was a straightforward person who always spoke her mind. She could care less about Yang Kai’s feelings and was clearly stating that he wasn’t Feng Xi’s opponent. Even implying he would die if he went up.
Zi Yu, hearing this, also agreed with a nod, “Ancestral Founder, I am not afraid of him! He is just an embroidered pillow, he has no great skills to back himself up.”
Before Bing Yun could say anything, Yang Kai broke out into laughter and stated, “Junior Sister Yu, I’m very grateful for your kindness, but since he is an embroidered pillow, then I don’t need to be afraid of him at all. Just watch how your Senior Brother beats him black and blue to the point that his wives would not recognize him!”
Zi Yu couldn’t help but giggle after hearing this.
Bing Yun immediately scolded, “Don’t underestimate your enemy. I know a little about your prowess and am certain Feng Xi is not your opponent, but know that when Feng Xuan reached the Third-Order Emperor Realm, he also congealed an Emperor Authority Bead just like me. If that Emperor Authority Bead happened to be with Feng Xi, you must force the battle into a quick end, ensuring he doesn’t have any chance to use it.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but furrow his brow after hearing this.
He wasn’t afraid of Feng Xi’s personal prowess and skill, but he had no alternative but to be vigilant of an Emperor Authority Bead. Yang Kai had used Emperor Authority Beads twice himself, and each time, they displayed incredible might. If an Emperor Authority Bead was really taken out by Feng Xi, Yang Kai would really not be his opponent.
Considering all this, Yang Kai nodded and replied, “I will remember it.”
“But you don’t have to worry about it too much. If he really uses the Emperor Authority Bead, I will intervene,” Bing Yun added.
Yang Kai immediately grinned and stated, “With Senior Bing Yun’s word, I can rest assured.”
“Let’s go then. If we let them wait for too long, they will start slandering again,” suggested Bing Yun as she led everyone towards the heart of Ice Moon City.
The commotion here had already alarmed all of Ice Moon City’s cultivators and while many people might be oblivious to the facts at this moment, everyone knew that the Young Sect Master of Seeking Passion Sect, Feng Xi would be fighting an unknown young cultivator in the city’s battle stage.
Almost all the cultivators in Ice Moon City rushed toward the arena, and by the time Yang Kai, Bing Yun, and the others from Ice Heart Valley arrived, the stands were already completely jam-packed.
The ring was quite impressive. It seemed that the City Lord of Ice Moon City had specially set it up for the cultivators to solve their enmities and grievances. This ring was covered by powerful barriers so that the cultivators could freely bring out their entire strength without worrying about causing damage to the arena or the audience.
The ring was also fairly wide, with a radius of a thousand metres in an oval shape. It was surrounded by a circular grandstand with multiple levels so that it was convenient for the people to spectate.
At this moment, all the seats on the stands were completely filled. Be that as it may, more and more people were coming from all directions to enjoy the battle.
Feng Xi was already standing at the centre of the ring with an indifferent sneer hanging on his lips. There was an enigmatic and arrogant look on his face.
After seeing Yang Kai’s figure, he gestured to Yang Kai, slowly sliding his thumb across his neck, expressing that he wanted to kill Yang Kai.
“Be careful!” Bing Yun’s warning rang in Yang Kai’s ear again.
Yang Kai lightly nodded before his figure flickered and he shot straight towards the ring, landing just one hundred metres away from Feng Xi before he shot a light gaze at him.
All the spectators around the ring broke into an uproar, pointing their fingers at Yang Kai, curiously staring at him. All of them were wondering who he was, where he was from, and what gave him the guts to stand against Seeking Passion Sect Young Sect Master on the ring.
Some busybodies then began to spread word of what happened outside the inn just now.
When everyone came to know that Yang Kai had robbed a billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals from the hands of Seeking Passion Sect’s Sect Master himself, and even snatched the Space Rings of the Vice Sect Master and Young Sect Master last night, they immediately became excited.
Most of the cultivators living in Ice Moon City favoured Ice Heart Valley, so they didn’t like the Seeking Passion Sect. As such, when they heard that three members of Seeking Passion Sect had suffered huge losses at Yang Kai’s hands, they were quite jovial.
Their cheers and discussion crashed into Feng Xi’s ears like tidal waves, and an extremely unsightly look appeared on his face. His emotions were inevitably affected.
Up in the stands, Feng Xuan, who was calmly watching, happened to have sensed this and coldly snorted, “Xi’er, if you can’t thrash this little brat today, you will no longer be the Young Sect Master. But if you did thrash him, I guarantee that you will marry that girl, Zi Yu!”
Hearing this, Feng Xi’s blood immediately started boiling and his face flushed a little as he proudly shouted, “Lord Father, rest assured, your son will live up to your expectations. I will use this brat’s blood and soul to wash our Sect’s shame. I will let him know the fate of offending people who shouldn’t be offended!”
“Very good! Act with a free hand, there is no need to hold back!” Feng Xuan nodded, satisfied.
On the ring, a grim and ruthless look appeared on Feng Xi’s face as he stated, coldly gazing at Yang Kai, “Little brat, you heard what my Lord Father said. If you don’t want to suffer, kneel down and kowtow right now. This Young Master guarantees that I will give you a quick death. Refuse and…”
Before he could finish speaking, the nearby Yang Kai suddenly disappeared.
Feng Xi was shocked and promptly spread out his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings, but even then he failed to sense Yang Kai’s position. It was like Yang Kai had disappeared into thin air without any trace. Feng Xi hadn’t even seen how exactly Yang Kai moved just now.
Just when he was filled with suspicion, Feng Xi’s instincts began screaming in alarm and without a moment of hesitation, he pushed his Source Qi wildly and summoned an oval light shield around himself, enveloping him completely like a protective shield.
This was an extremely high-grade defensive artifact for sure. Furthermore, it had no dead angle, covering all sides.
Just as Feng Xi activated the defensive artifact, Yang Kai appeared right in front of him like a ghost and punched out, a mocking look hanging on his face.
Just as he fired the punch, it set off a huge storm and the world itself seemed to shake.
Feng Xi immediately turned aghast.
With a thunderous boom, the entire arena rocked.
Feng Xi felt like a mountain had smashed into him and an overwhelming force struck him right in the chest, sending his blood and Qi into turmoil. An unbearable pain filled his body as he was sent flying.
The defensive shield also caved in from the might of this punch and even gave off a crisp cracking sound.
Feng Xi’s face immediately changed when he heard this and hastily looked up to find a metre-long crack on his Dao Source Grade High-Rank defensive artifact!
He immediately turned pale as dread rose from the depths of his heart.
This was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank defensive artifact that, once activated, allowed its user to stand perfectly still and let any cultivator of the same realm attack him for ten breaths without breaking.
But now, this precious artifact began to crack with just one punch! If Yang Kai delivered another punch, wouldn’t it be completely destroyed?
Feng Xuan up in the stands fiercely stood up, his eyes bulging as his face filled with shock.
He was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so the moment Yang Kai made his move, Feng Xuan realized that there was something wrong. This brat was far from an ordinary Dao Source Realm Master, and his son was completely not his opponent.
“So fast! So strong! Is this boy even human!?” Hu Yuan too cried out in shock.
“Feng Xi was sent flying with a single punch! Where did this boy come from!?”
“What do you think? He shouldn’t really be Sect Master Bing Yun’s…”
“Are you courting death!? Sir Feng Xuan might say so, but you!?”
All the Emperors Realm Masters were knowledgeable and experienced, so this one exchange was enough for them to tell that Feng Xi was completely outclassed by Yang Kai. Whether it was in terms of momentum or strength, Yang Kai had already left Feng Xi in the dust. His victory was just a matter of time.
Ice Heart Valley’s members were also taken aback at this moment. They had been filled with anxiety for Yang Kai earlier and were extremely worried about what might happen to him once he stepped into the ring, but after they saw this display, they knew that their worries were all superfluous. This Yang Kai was far stronger than Zi Yu.
The only thing they were wondering was whether it was just a momentary outburst or whether he still had strength in reserve.
The women quietly turned to look at Bing Yun, but they only saw a light, indifferent look on her face. She didn’t seem to be worrying for Yang Kai in the slightest. Only then did they realize their Ancestral Founder had long anticipated this result.
Sun Yun Xiu, when she recalled her proposal of letting Zi Yu go up instead of Yang Kai, felt her cheeks turning a bit red and hot.
“You dare to blabber on during a life-and-death match? Just watch how this Young Master smashes your mouth!” On the ring, Yang Kai relentlessly chased after Feng Xi, his fists covered in a five-coloured glow. Five Elemental Indestructible Sword Qi kept pouring out of his fists and there was not a sliver of hesitation in his attacks.
Unsure if Feng Xi had an Emperor Authority Beat on him, Yang Kai forwent all notion of hiding his strength and decided to quickly end this fight, eliminating Feng Xi as soon as possible. As such, he had no intention of holding back.
As Yang Kai kept ruthlessly punching, the Five Elements Sword Qi on his fists mutually promoted one another, filling his attacks with ferocious and ever-changing might.
With Yang Kai’s current strength, he didn’t even need to take out any artifacts to deal with the cultivators of the same realm.
Feng Xi staggered backwards as he watched Yang Kai’s punch coming closer and closer, and feeling the terrifying power behind it, he immediately turned aghast. He had already felt Yang Kai’s horror first hand from the first blow which had cracked his defensive artifact. If another punch landed, his artifact would surely be destroyed, and at that time, even if he didn’t die, he would be critically wounded.
Feng Xi wanted to use his final trump card, but he suddenly found that his vitality and Source Qi were in chaos and he was unable to mobilize his strength properly. Petrified, he hastily shouted at the top of his lungs, “Lord Father, save me!”
In just ten breaths, he had already lost his previous confidence. He was now like a bereaved dog who was begging for help from his owner.
Up in the stands, Fang Xuan too had realized the situation had turned dire. The moment Feng Xi yelled, he had already made his move, stretching out his hand to grab Yang Kai.
No matter what, he couldn’t let his son be killed in front of so many people.
Bing Yun saw this and immediately sneered, “Feng Xuan, in these three thousand years I didn’t see you, your skin has grown much thicker. Aren’t you embarrassed to intervene in a battle between Juniors?”
While speaking, she lithely and casually palmed towards Feng Xuan.
“Bing Yun, do you really want to make an enemy out of this King!?” Feng Xuan was infuriated, but he was still forced to pull back his hand to defend. Bing Yun was a Master of equal strength, so he would be injured if he didn’t mount any kind of defence, and if he was injured here, Seeking Passion Sect would be in serious trouble.
The two attacks clashed mid-air and annihilated one another, causing a terrifying explosion that set countless spectators in the arena trembling. Some of those with weaker cultivation even directly fainted from the fallout of this peak level exchange.
In the arena, Yang Kai was as fierce as a tiger and was emanating a lofty spirit. His two punches destroyed Feng Xi’s defensive artifact, leaving Feng Xi reeling in shock and coughing up blood, again and again, cutting a sorry figure.
Before Feng Xi could regain his footing, Yang Kai promptly caught up to him and sent out a third punch.
Feng Xi’s eyes widened in shock as he felt an aura of death blowing on his face, turning him pale.
He realized that he had greatly underestimated Yang Kai’s strength. As soon as Yang Kai made his move, Feng Xi had lost all chance to fight back. Had Feng Xi been aware of this great gap in strength from the start, he would have resorted to his trump card from the outset. Originally, he believed that there wasn’t any gap between his and Yang Kai’s strength, or if there was, it would be his strength that overwhelmed Yang Kai’s. It was simply impossible in his mind for Yang Kai to be his opponent. But now, it seemed that nothing could be farther from the truth.
Feng Xi, watching the fist approaching, held his breath as his pupils shrank to the size of a pinhole.
At that moment though, something suddenly changed.
The attacking Yang Kai’s face abruptly sank, as if he had suffered a sneak attack. He fiercely pulled his fist back before withdrawing, a moment later focusing his gaze on the back of his hand with a serious expression.
The aura of death vanished all of a sudden. However, Feng Xi cried out in surprise as he turned his gaze to his own arm. The next moment, he understood what just happened and immediately looked overjoyed.
On the other side, Yang Kai’s eyes widened in shock as his gaze was glued to the back of his hand.
Earlier, right as he was about to smash Feng Xi’s face in, a scorching-hot sensation came from the back of his hand. He thought that he was sneak-attacked by someone, so he halted his attack on Feng Xi and hastily backed off, prioritizing his own safety.
Anyone who could sneak attack him without him noticing was definitely an Emperor Realm Master.
What he found strange was that Bing Yun hadn’t seemed to notice.
However, after backing away and investigating things, Yang Kai found that the situation was different from what he thought. The back of his hand was still burning, but there weren’t any signs of him being attacked. The back of his hand grew hotter and hotter, as if he had plunged it into a pool of lava.
Just as Yang Kai was feeling sceptical about it and was lost in confusion, Feng Xi, who was on the other side of the ring, suddenly screamed as if he was in unbearable pain.
Yang Kai looked up and noticed Feng Xi was covering his arm with his other hand, gritting his teeth as he roared.
Not only was he like this, but cries could be heard coming from all around the arena.
[What happened?] A serious look appeared on Yang Kai’s face. Confused, he turned in the direction where the members of Ice Heart Valley were sitting and found Zi Yu was also covering her arm, profusely sweating.
However, Yang Kai keenly discovered a problem. And that was, everyone, who had encountered this odd phenomenon, was young, and there weren’t many of them. Only about a dozen or so people present, males and females, were reacting in this manner. Furthermore, all of them were Dao Source Realm cultivators.
The same thing was happening in the stands, which had also surprised those in the Emperor Realm. No one had any idea what happened to these Juniors. Bing Yuan also stopped focusing on Feng Xuan and hurriedly looked at Yang Kai with concern.
An Ruo Yun, Sun Yun Xiu, and the others gathered around Zi Yu, asking about the situation.
Before they could figure out what was going on though, specs of starlight emerged from the back of those dozen or so youngsters’ hands. It looked as if countless fireflies had gathered around and slowly flew towards the sky, a beautiful sight to behold.
“This is…” Bing Yun’s beautiful pupils narrowed, as if she understood everything at once.
The Masters of the various Sects of the Northern Territory were also shaking with excitement, their lips quivering as they pointed at these points of starlight.
At some point, the burning sensation at the back of his hand suddenly disappeared, and when Yang Kai looked down at it again, he found a pentagonal mark on the back of his hand.
An intelligent gleam flashed in his mind as he cried in low voice, “Star Seal!”
The pentagonal mark was obviously the Star Seal of the Shattered Star Sea, one of his spoils of war from the Four Seasons Realm.
Back then, when he took one of the quotas from Azure Sun Temple and entered the Four Seasons Realm, Yang Kai had collected a total of seven Star Seals. Later, he gave six to Azure Sun Temple and kept the last five-pointed Star Seal for himself.
Such a long time had passed, but the Star Seal had shown no movement, so Yang Kai had basically forgotten about it.
However, he had never expected a phenomenon to suddenly appear at the critical moment of his life and death battle with Feng Xi.
The Star Seal was the pass to enter the Shattered Star Sea. More importantly, the Shattered Star Sea was rumoured to be the place where the strongest Master of Star Boundary, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, fell. Some rumours even said that the inheritance of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was hidden there, which was also why untold Masters flocked towards it.
Unfortunately, every time the Shattered Star Sea opened, Emperor Realm Masters could not enter. Only those below the Emperor Realm were permitted entry.
It had already been tens of thousands of years since Heavenly Devouring Great Emperor fell, and over these countless years, Sects from all four territories of the Star Boundary had sent countless elite disciples into the Shattered Star Sea, hoping to find Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s inheritance so they could understand why he was able to dominate the Star Boundary in the past, why he was invincible in this world. However, no one had ever succeeded.
The secrets of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor seemed to have been buried somewhere in the Shattered Star Sea following his death.
If it was just this, it might not have many cultivators; after all, there was only one Heaven Devouring Great Emperor and only one inheritance. How could it be that easy to find and acquire?
What attracted most entrants was the countless shattered Star Sources in the Shattered Star Sea. As long as any cultivator could obtain those Star Source fragments, he or she could better comprehend World Principles and improve the chances of them breaking through to the Emperor Realm.
According to some rumours, seven out of every ten Emperor Realm Masters in the Star Boundary had entered the Shattered Star Sea. It was quite clear how much influence this Sealed World had on cultivators advancing to such a realm.
For Dao Source Realm cultivators, entering the Shattered Star Sea was equivalent to putting one foot into the Emperor Realm. No cultivator could resist such temptation.
Many Emperor Realm Masters had been trying to find the entrance to the Shattered Star Sea, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of it.
However, when the several Great Emperors besieged Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, that world shattered. The Heavens and Earth were inverted and devastated the Shattered Star Sea, sending it into the infinite nothingness of the Void, making it impossible for such Masters to enter it freely, or even locate it. During that battle, Heaven Devouring Emperor fell, but he also dragged several Great Emperors down with him.
In other words, the Shattered Star Sea didn’t just have the inheritance of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, but also the inheritances of other Great Emperors! And even if they couldn’t find the inheritance of a Great Emperor, it would be good enough to find the artifacts or Space Rings lost during that war. If anyone could find such a treasure, they would no longer have to worry about resources for the rest of their life.
For various reasons, the attention on the Shattered Star Sea in the Star Boundary had far exceeded that of any other Sealed World. It was a grand event in which all the elites of the four territories of the Star Boundary participated.
Compared to it, the Four Seasons Realm was a small side-show.
When the Star Seal suddenly started emitting specks of starlight, Yang Kai immediately understood what was going on.
“The Shattered Star Sea is opening!” A cry of excitement suddenly rose from the stands and many Emperor Realm Masters also stood in excitement.
Yang Kai grit his teeth and glared at the nearby Feng Xi, sneering loudly, “Count yourself lucky!”
Had it not been for the sudden movement of the Star Seal, Feng Xi would have been seriously injured by him. Who knows which lucky star shone on this brat today, but it had allowed him to escape at that critical moment.
Since his Star Seal had already shown a reaction, Yang Kai didn’t dare to do anything rash, lest he couldn’t enter the Shattered Star Sea if something went wrong.
Feng Xi too had a Star Seal, so obviously he would also be entering the Shattered Star Sea.
In the arena, Yang Kai could only cripple Feng Xi, but not kill him, otherwise, it would spark a war between Ice Star Valley and the Seeking Passion Sect. However, if they both entered the Shattered Star Sea, Yang Kai would be completely free of all worries. Thinking so, he didn’t bother to cause trouble for Feng Xi and simply stood in place calmly.
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, Feng Xi opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but when he noticed Yang Kai’s cold gaze on him, his pupils couldn’t help but shrink as he quickly swallowed his argument back down.
In these short few breaths he fought with Yang Kai, he was suppressed to the point that he had no room to breathe. A shadow had been left in his heart, so how could he dare to provoke Yang Kai at this point?
In the arena, Yang Kai looked around and saw that there were more than a dozen people in the stands like him, who had starlight leaking from their arms. Most of these people had an Emperor Realm Master standing next to them, earnestly giving them guidance.
They had undoubtedly come with these Emperor Realm Masters, all of them rising stars of various Sects of the Northern Territory.
Zi Yu was among these rising stars and An Ruo Yun, Sun Yun Xiu, and the other Elders were currently gathered around her. Sun Yun Xiu happened to be earnestly exhorting her while Zi Yu kept nodding in return. From time to time, she would glance towards Yang Kai.
When their gazes met, Yang Kai gently nodded to her.
Zi Yu surely had a Star Seal, so she would be entering the Shattered Star Sea with him. At that time, they could cooperate if they ran into each other inside.
On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t know much about the Shattered Star Sea. Even though he could be considered an in-name disciple of Azure Sun Temple, even possessing the highest-ranked Azure Sun Golden Token, he didn’t get any instructions from the Emperor Realm Masters of Azure Sun Temple regarding this matter. Yang Kai also didn’t deliberately ask Wen Xi Shan or Gao Xue Ting about the Shattered Star Sea either. In this regard, he was worse off than the disciples of these big Sects.
He would just have to ask his acquaintances in the Shattered Star Sea if they ran into each other. Or, he could explore on his own.
Speaking of which, he had a fair number of acquaintances. He knew most of the elite disciples of Azure Sun Temple, as well as the rising stars of the Southern Territory. Basically, everyone he had fought in the Four Seasons Realm would definitely enter the Shattered Star Sea.
While Yang Kai was mulling over his situation, Bing Yun’s voice suddenly rang in his ears, “The Shattered Star Sea is a huge opportunity, but it is equally important to remain alive. Everyone who comes back alive is a winner!”
Yang Kai sincerely nodded.
Obviously, Bing Yun wanted to tell him more, but she didn’t get the chance because the specks of starlight leaking from the back of everyone’s hand suddenly grew denser and gathered over everyone’s head in the next moment. In the blink of an eye, the starlight gathered and formed various doors.
It looked as if a Star Field that had been shrunk countless times had appeared over everyone’s head, an extremely mysterious sight to see.
A mysterious and ever-changing aura could be felt coming from inside the starlight door, shocking all who laid eyes on it.
Right then, beams of starlight suddenly shot down, falling on the dozen or so candidates and engulfing them.
Immediately after, a dazzling flash of light blinded everyone’s sight. By the time the dazzling flash dissipated, the dozen or so candidates surrounded by the starlight had disappeared.
The same thing was happening all over the Star Boundary at this moment. Across the four great territories, thousands of Dao Source Realm cultivators were drawn into the Shattered Star Sea.
Meanwhile, on the grandstands in Ice Moon City, Feng Xuan coldly glared at Bing Yun before he stood up and left.
Even as he departed, he didn’t say anything.
It was already meaningless to talk now. The Juniors had entered the Shattered Star Sea and the marriage between Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley could only be put on hold until Feng Xi and Zi Yu had safely returned. But if either of them perished inside, he would have to give up on the marriage.
Bing Yun had no intention of stopping him. She was not afraid of Feng Xuan since their strength and status were basically on par, but causing an incident here would not yield any benefits for either side.
…
In the dark and cold void, bleak shattered Cultivator Stars and debris floated about everywhere. This entire space seemed devoid even of World Energy and Starry Sky Storms blew everywhere, smashing everything in their path. A vast Asteroid Sea filled the sky, seemingly stretching out like an eternal river with no end.
It was extremely quiet, as if this was before the beginning of the universe, the Heavens and Earth not yet formed from the empty chaos.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared somewhere and by the time the flash disappeared, Yang Kai had strangely appeared.
Before, while he was surrounded by the starlight on the ring, he had felt Space Principles fluctuating around him. He was quite familiar with this feeling and understood it was a sign of long-distance teleportation.
Apparently, the reason why the Star Seals had become passes to enter the Shattered Star Sea was that they allowed points in space to connect and execute long-distance teleportation. Without a Star Seal, one would not be able to teleport to the Shattered Star Sea.
The moment he appeared in the Shattered Star Sea, a nostalgic look flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes.
Because he was quite familiar with the sight before him. It gave him the illusion that he had returned to the Heng Luo Star Field.
When he was in the Heng Luo Star Field, he had also travelled to many Cultivation Stars, shuttling back and forth through the Star Field many times, often seeing similar scenes.
The only difference was that the scene before him seemed bleaker than Heng Luo Star Field. Yang Kai even saw a giant shattered Cultivation Star.
This Cultivation Star was at least one month away from his current location and seemed no smaller than Shadowed Star, but the left half of this Cultivation Star seemed to have been smashed by a terrifying impact.
There were a lot of these Shattered Stars all around.
Yang Kai was completely shaken by this!
He couldn’t tell how strong one must be to be able to do this kind of thing. But if anyone could do it, they must be a Great Emperor Realm Master.
[In the battle back then, many Great Emperors had besieged Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. Could that battle have taken place in this Star Field?] Yang Kai suddenly had such a thought. If this wasn’t the case, why else would there be shattered Cultivation Stars in this Shattered Star Sea!?
In that case, this battle would have been a disaster for this Star Field. Perhaps it was precisely because of that battle that this Star Field became this desolate, leading to it being thrown into the Void, only accessible at certain special moments.
Thinking so, Yang Kai became gloomy all of a sudden. He could imagine what would happen if this battle had happened in Heng Luo Star Field. If history was slightly different, then this barren wasteland could have very well been Heng Luo Star Field. There would have been no Tong Xuan Realm, no Water Moon Star, and no Shadowed Star. There would have been just some Shattered Stars and ruins of the battlefield, which would never regain life.
While he was immersed in his thoughts, he suddenly felt a strange energy fluctuation not too far behind him.
Yang Kai promptly turned to look and saw a person appear about a thousand metres from him. This figure, too, was looking around in a daze, just like Yang Kai.
After seeing this person’s face, a huge grin appeared on Yang Kai’s face, “Young Sect Master, we really share some fate!”
Who knows if it was because they were standing next to each other when the Shattered Star Sea opened, but Feng Xi had actually appeared near him. However, the other rising stars of the Northern Territory were nowhere to be seen. Only the Heavens would know where they had been teleported to.
Previously, Yang Kai’s assault had fallen short because of the phenomena caused by Star Seal, so naturally, Yang Kai was overjoyed to meet his enemy like this.
While speaking, Yang Kai’s figure was already pouncing straight towards Feng Xi.
This was the Shattered Star Sea, and there were no spectators here, nor was there any Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo. Even if Feng Xi was killed here, no one would be the wiser and Yang Kai wouldn’t need to worry about triggering a war between Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect.
How could Yang Kai miss such a good opportunity? As such, he used his full strength in this attack, preparing to kill Feng Xi with one blow.
Feng Xi also regained his senses at this moment, but seeing Yang Kai coming straight at him, he didn’t appear to be panicking at all. He had no intention of avoiding and instead stood in place and sneered, coldly glaring at Yang Kai, “There was a path to the Heavens but you refused to take it, instead choosing to charge through the doors of Hell.”
Saying so, he raised his hand and threw a bead towards Yang Kai.
A terrifying might spread through the surroundings as Emperor Pressure filled the void. Immediately, the Starry Sky shook endlessly.
“Emperor Authority Bead!” Yang Kai’s face immediately turned pale as he blurted out in shock.
Bing Yun had warned Yang Kai about this possibility, so he had always been wary of Feng Xi having an Emperor Authority Bead up his sleeve; however, since Feng Xi hadn’t taken it out earlier, Yang Kai had assumed this was not the case.
But the facts were laid right before him, so Yang Kai couldn’t help but become suspicious.
Feng Xi really had the Emperor Authority Bead! Perhaps because he was afraid of getting beaten black and blue like he just was, when he saw Yang Kai again, he decisively summoned this Emperor Authority Bead.
This Emperor Authority Bead contained the full-powered strike of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so how could Yang Kai dare to take it head-on? After realizing that things weren’t looking good for him, Yang Kai quickly turned around and retreated a couple thousand metres using Space Principles.
*Hong…*
A powerful pressure suddenly came bearing down on him as Fang Xuan’s illusory phantom appeared in the desolate void. This phantom was incomparably huge; its head touching the sky as its feet stood on the ground. It was staring blankly at Yang Kai and suddenly pointed at him.
A shout suddenly echoed across a hundred kilometres, “Seeking Passion Finger!”
Just as it shouted, Yang Kai felt a dreadful aura fly towards his back.
He promptly cried, “Dragon Transformation!”
Immediately, Yang Kai’s entire body was covered in Dragon Scales and his arms suddenly became like dragon claws. Yang Kai did not stop here, though, and also pushed his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi to gather on his back for protection.
“Since the ant is bound to die, why does it bother struggling, hahaha!” Feng Xi, who was proudly standing in the void, couldn’t help but smugly laugh, looking at Yang Kai fleeing in panic.
Even though taking out the Emperor Authority Bead would make him short of a powerful trump card and even drain most of his Source Qi, as long as he could finish Yang Kai off, it was well worth it.
Yang Kai had stolen his woman and even made him lose all face in the arena of Ice Moon City, so Feng Xi was already consumed with hatred and wanted to kill him as soon as possible. But, he had never thought that he would encounter Yang Kai so soon after coming to the Shattered Star Sea. This was simply a Heaven-sent opportunity.
He didn’t believe that a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator like Yang Kai could survive under his father’s Emperor Authority Bead.
Yang Kai had just displayed his Dragon Transformation and Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi Secret Techniques.
Despite both these techniques bolstering his defences, Yang Kai still felt a tremendous pressure and was on the verge of losing consciousness even before the attack reached him. The moment he was struck, his back seemed to have been ripped open and unbearable pain filled his body. All of his bones were creaking and a sweet taste appeared in his mouth before he spurted a mouthful of blood.
Yang Kai didn’t even bother to check his injuries and promptly used the local Space Principles to teleport forward.
There was a fine line between life and death. At this moment, the power of the Emperor Authority Bead had still not played out completely, yet it had put such pressure on him. If all of it had erupted at once, Yang Kai believed that even if he was proficient in the Dao of Space, he would not have been able to escape.
The thick and dense Emperor Pressure was right on his tail and it engulfed the surrounding region, sealing off this part of the void. Yang Kai knew that once he was completely suppressed, it would be next to impossible to escape from here.
*Hong long long…*
Violent and continuous explosions coming from behind kept blasting in his ears and the might of that finger fired from the Emperor Authority Bead kept following him like a shadow. Yang Kai bit his tongue and madly burned his own Blood Essence, drastically improving his speed and allowing him to cross thousands of metres in the blink of an eye.
Another explosion suddenly reverberated, and the might of the Emperor Authority Bead seemed to have erupted completely at this moment.
A huge black hole had suddenly appeared in the direction Yang Kai had escaped, a chaotic blackness expanding outwards from the crack in space.
Feng Xuan’s illusory phantom stood still in the void, gazing at the fleeing Yang Kai in the distance, gradually dispersing a moment later.
“Hahaha, not even a shred of left behind! You are still a bit too tender to fight against this Young Master!” Feng Xi was certain Yang Kai had died, so he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. However, this laughter had tired his exhausted body even more, causing him to burst into a violent coughing fit.
After finally calming down, Feng Xi bitterly glanced in the direction of black hole before he turned around and fled in the opposite direction.
He had drained almost all of his Source Qi to activate that Emperor Authority Bead, so right now, he urgently had to find a place to restore himself, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to fight off dangers here once he encountered any.
The Shattered Star Sea wasn’t a stable place, and in the competition to find the inheritance of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, everyone was an enemy. They would try to kill anyone in sight without asking anything.
On another side, Yang Kai, who Feng Xi believed to have died, dragged his severely wounded body towards the nearby Asteroid Sea with great difficulty. At this moment, Yang Kai’s eyes were lifeless and his consciousness was hazy.
Ever since he had entered the Dao Source Realm, he had never suffered such serious injuries.
The might of the Emperor Authority Bead had just brushed him, but Yang Kai felt as if his back was torn open and his internal organs had been displaced. He didn’t need to use his Divine Sense to know that his back had been badly mutilated.
If he wasn’t proficient in the Dao of Space and hadn’t decisively ran, perhaps not even a piece of him would have been left.
Yang Kai was gasping for breaths, his face was as pale as paper. Nonetheless, he managed to fly through the Asteroid Sea and find a large asteroid to hide in. He then summoned the Sealed World Bead and entered the Small Sealed World.
This Asteroid Sea was in a moving state with some inexplicable power driving it in one direction, seemingly towards the depths of this endless Star Field. Who knows where it was going, but at this moment, Yang Kai could care less about that. Healing himself was his first priority.
Near the medicine garden, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged before grabbing a handful of healing pills from his Space Ring and stuffing them into his mouth. Immediately after, he began to refine the medicinal efficacies. At the same time, he gathered the immense vitality dispersing from the Immortal Tree to use on himself.
This time, he had been seriously injured by Feng Xi, but Yang Kai didn’t worry about it too much. His physique was extremely resilient, and with the Immortal Tree planted in the medicine garden, as long as he didn’t instantly die, he would eventually be able to completely heal himself.
In order to escape the might of the Emperor Authority Bead, Yang Kai had burned up some of his Blood Essence, which had left him in a weakened state; therefore, even with all his resources, it would still take him a long time to recover.
The Shattered Star Sea was surging with storms as tens of thousands of Dao Source Realm Masters from the Star Boundaries poured into it, seeking opportunities, pursuing a higher Martial Dao, hoping to advance to the Emperor Realm while here.
In the Asteroid Sea, Yang Kai was in a retreat inside the Sealed World Bead. He was completely focused on healing.
One month went by in a flash and Yang Kai finally opened his eyes before softly exhaling. A complex look flashing across his eyes.
He hadn’t expected to take such a long time to heal his injuries.
Worthy of the Emperor Authority Bead refined by a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master! The might of the Seeking Passion Finger had not only injured him but also left behind some persistent energy in his body, making it more difficult to recuperate!
And it was exactly because of this that Yang Kai was forced to spend a month to eliminate the harmful residual energy. Otherwise, Yang Kai’s recovery would have been a matter of days owing to the effects of his physique and the Immortal Tree.
Yang Kai had healed without any issues, and his strength had returned to its peak state. Nonetheless, Yang Kai didn’t rush to leave the Sealed World Bead. He first scanned and checked the outside world with his Divine Sense, confirming that it was completely quiet all around and there was no one nearby.
After confirming it was safe and sound, he stretched out his hand. The next moment, four beads of different colours appeared in his palm.
These four beads were the Four Seasons Beads, relics of the Flowing Time Great Emperor.
A long time ago, Yang Kai had once speculated that he would have an unexpected harvest after gathering all of the Four Seasons Beads; however, he had never been able to find the Bead of Winter until he set foot into Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area.
Feng Xi’s Emperor Authority Bead made Yang Kai aware that he was not completely invincible here. With his current strength, he really didn’t need to be afraid of the cultivators in the same realm as him, but he did need to guard against the hidden trump cards of these elites.
Feng Xi had an Emperor Authority Bead, so who was to say that Yang Kai would not run into similar enemies? Even if they didn’t have an Emperor Authority Bead, they might have some other cards to play.
After all, the cultivators who could enter the Shattered Star Sea were all rising stars of the Star Boundary, many of them descendants of powerful Emperor Realm Masters or elite disciples of the top Sects.
Many of these people could not be underestimated as doing so would cost him his life.
Therefore, Yang Kai eagerly wanted to improve his strength. He was now in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so the next realm would be the Emperor Realm; however, it wasn’t that easy to break through to the Emperor Realm. Without any appropriate opportunity, Yang Kai had no idea when he could get a glimpse of the Emperor Realm.
Since he couldn’t break through to a higher realm, all he could do was pin his hopes on improving his techniques.
The Four Seasons Beads were undoubtedly his best choice. If he could comprehend whatever mystery they held, he might be able to gain the inheritance of the Flowing Time Great Emperor.
This Great Emperor was proficient in Flowing Time Force and was a top Master of his time. If Yang Kai could obtain such an inheritance, it would definitely provide a great boost to his strength.
So, Yang Kai didn’t mull over it for long and immediately started to study the Four Seasons Beads after taking them out, hoping to gain something.
Surprisingly, when he took out the Bead of Summer in Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area, it produced a kind of resonance with the Bead of Winter which was already there. However, when the four beads were gathered together, there wasn’t any such reaction.
Yang Kai didn’t know how to activate the Four Seasons Beads, so all he could do was put them together in his palm and pour his Source Qi and Spiritual Energy into them, calmly analyzing any reaction they produced.
Yang Kai didn’t become impatient. On the contrary, he remained perfectly calm.
Gradually, he entered an ethereal state with no other thoughts in his mind, completely relaxed, as if his being was drifting through a sea of clouds. He completely forgot where he was and what he was doing here, simply immersing himself in this inextricable feeling.
Half a month went by, then one month, two months…
The Four Seasons Beads were still unresponsive; however, Yang Kai was madly absorbing the World Energy of the Small Sealed World, making his Source Qi denser and purer. His Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation was steadily rising and soon approached the peak of his current realm.
One day, after three months of silence, Yang Kai’s mind suddenly shook as a shock from the depths of his heart arose him. Immediately after, a scorching hot sensation came from his palm and he opened his eyes to see four radiant glowing balls escaping from his hand and dancing around him like ribbons of light.
Each of the glowing balls had given birth to a very distinct and unique kind of Principal Strength. The four Principles complemented one another, mutually restraining and promoting each other’s characteristics.
Four Seasons Principles!
Yang Kai’s heartbeat became rapid as he realized that he had accidentally triggered the power of the Four Seasons Beads. When he scanned them again, the Four Seasons Beads that should have been in his hand had disappeared, leaving four radiant glowing balls that flitted about around him.
Yang Kai immediately understood that this was his opportunity and he didn’t dare to neglect it. Instantly closing his eyes once again, Yang Kai focused all his attention on comprehending the pulsing Principle Strength around him.
Unlike the ethereal meditation state of the past few months, this time, he was actively trying to comprehend with a clear goal in mind.
As soon as he spread his consciousness, Yang Kai sensed four extremely unique and powerful Principles lingering around him; a pleasant spring breeze, a scorching hot summer, a withering autumn, and a frigid winter. They seemed to form a peculiar cycle, constantly overlapping each other, seemingly endless and ever-changing.
Yang Kai fell into a deep state of comprehension.
He was like an outsider that had been exiled by time itself, his skin slowly growing old. In just the time it would take to burn an incense stick, Yang Kai had been reduced to an elderly man with white hair. But he came back to life at the critical point, returning back to the peak of his youth. The entire experience was extremely strange.
The Four Seasons Principles were surging and even the environment beside Yang Kai was constantly changing.
The spirit medicines planted in the medicine garden seemed to have experienced many years in just a moment of time, growing and maturing at a rapid rate. Except for the Immortal Tree and the Firmament Tree, which weren’t affected by these surging Principles, all the other spirit grasses and spirit medicines grew noticeably.
Yang Kai felt like he was dreaming. In this peculiar dream, he kept wandering between two stages of life, young and old, using his own body to remember the feeling of the passage of time, his mind to experience the concept of passing time.
Gradually, some vague ideas appeared in his mind.
Yang Kai wanted to see these ideas clearly, but he felt as if a film was blocking him from doing so, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t penetrate this barrier.
But every cycle made these ideas clearer and clearer.
At some point, these vague ideas turned into enlightenment.
Yang Kai suddenly woke from that unending dream and his face and eyes glowed brightly.
The four glowing balls were still flying around him, like four coloured ribbons.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai remained absolutely still, an extremely serious look appearing on his face as he quickly formed a set of mysterious seals with his hands and he muttered a chant, “Time Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!”
His voice was very slow, and his movements even slower.
But the moment he said this, a mysterious seal suddenly formed.
The next movement, the four glowing balls that had been flying around him seemed to have received some instruction and suddenly turned into specks of light that drilled into his pores.
*Hong…*
An invisible and powerful aura rapidly spread outward into the surrounding area with Yang Kai as the centre.
After everything stabilized, a strange light appeared in Yang Kai’s eyes as he cried out in surprise, “So, it was Time Principles! The Flowing Time Great Emperor was truly remarkable!”
In this world, the only Dao which was more esoteric than the Dao of Space was the Dao of Time. These two Daos were extremely different from the rest, sharing some similarities in the sense that they were both extremely difficult to comprehend, and even harder to cultivate.
The only reason Yang Kai was able to cultivate the Dao of Space was because of luck and opportunities.
Along his road of cultivation, he had encountered some cultivators who had gained some knowledge of the Dao of Space, but as for mastering them, apart from him, there was probably only one other; Li Wu Yi.
Li Wu Yi was proficient in the Dao of Space, and was famous throughout the entire Star Boundary as a result. And as a Third-Order Emperor, no one dared to find trouble with him.
There were always a few cultivators who had learned some basic concepts of the Dao of Space, but Yang Kai had never encountered anyone who cultivated the Dao of Time.
In light of this, the Dao of Time seemed even more difficult to master than the Dao of Space.
But the Flowing Time Great Emperor had cultivated this exact Dao to an extremely high level!
Yang Kai originally thought that Four Seasons Principles were a representation of the four seasons themselves, a kind of derivative of Time Principles, but after comprehending this seal, he finally understood that the Flowing Time Great Emperor had already mastered the Four Seasons Principles to the level of Time Principles.
Thanks to the blessing of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, Yang Kai could be considered to have comprehended the initial concept of the Dao of Time after obtaining the power of the Four Seasons Beads.
Throughout the ages, Yang Kai might just be the only individual who had cultivated both the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time simultaneously.
After quietly comprehending his harvest this time, Yang Kai slowly stood up.
Liu Yang and Hua Qing Si were standing in the vicinity. They had come here at some point, probably attracted by all the commotion made by Yang Kai, but they remained far away and did not dare to approach.
Seeing Yang Kai get up at this moment, the two girls looked at each other before they flew over.
“Master, what Secret Technique did you comprehend? Why did your appearance and physical condition keep changing?” Liu Yan nervously asked.
“Did my appearance really change?” Yang Kai, raising his brow, asked in surprise. He thought that it was just an illusion in his head and hadn’t expected it to physically happen to him. [No wonder I could comprehend Time Principles and form the seal of the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Secret Technique. It turns out that my body was constantly growing older and younger. I remember how the passage of time made changes to my body. I see… so that is how I managed to comprehend the Dao of Time…]
“Mhmm, you look really pitiful when aged,” the nearby Hua Qing Si nodded.
Yang Kai gave a slight smile. He didn’t really care about that as everyone would always grow old and die, this was an inescapable cycle. After comprehending the Dao of Time, Yang Kai felt much more comfortable with such concepts and notions.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai finally replied, “Naturally it was the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Secret Technique!”
Liu Yan and Hua Qing Si’s eyes immediately lit up after hearing this. Liu Yan quickly asked, pleasantly surprised, “Master, have you obtained the inheritance of the Flowing Time Great Emperor!?”
Even though Yang Kai also had the inheritance of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, it wasn’t suitable for humans. The Great Emperor’s inheritance was different. If one could really obtain his inheritance, he or she would have a smooth sailing in the future.
Yang Kai denied, shaking his head, “I also thought the Four Seasons Beads held the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s inheritance, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. This was only a single Secret Technique of the Flowing Time Great Emperor. However… I still had a huge harvest.”
After learning the basics of the Dao of Time, Yang Kai felt that it didn’t matter even if he didn’t get the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s full inheritance. As long as he persistently cultivated, one day, he could reach the heights of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, or even surpass him.
However, before that, he needed to cultivate the Dao of Space to its pinnacle. If one bit off more than he could chew, it would only be counterproductive; Yang Kai understood this truth very well.
“How long has it been?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
He had been immersed in that repeating cycle of time, so he was unable to judge just how long had passed or tell how long he had been cultivating.
“It’s been almost a year!” Hua Qing Si replied.
When Yang Kai came in injured, Liu Yan and Hua Qing Si sensed him, and since then, roughly a year had passed.
“A year!?” Yang Kai was startled. He thought that even if some time had passed, it would not exceed two or three months, but to his surprise, almost a year had gone by.
In other words, in the first year after the opening of the Shattered Star Sea, he had been comprehending the mysteries of the Four Seasons Beads and healing himself! It was hard to tell if he was seizing a great opportunity, or wasting one…
Yang Kai had no idea how long the Shattered Star Sea would remain open, but if it only remained open for just a year, wouldn’t he have wasted all his time in this place?
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s face blackened and an inexplicable sense of crisis gripped his heart.
“I’ll go out and see what’s going on!” Yang Kai stated before he turned around and leapt out of the Sealed World Bead.
Since he obviously hadn’t gained any benefits from the Shattered Star Sea after spending a year in the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Coming out of the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai emerged on a huge asteroid. Looking around, he discovered that the surroundings weren’t that different from before when he first came to the Shattered Star Sea.
But what Yang Kai could say for sure was that this was definitely not the place where he first appeared. Perhaps he was hundreds of millions of kilometres away from his previous location, because this Asteroid Sea had been moving at a very high velocity.
With a flicker, Yang Kai flew out of the Asteroid Sea and summoned his ship.
Rumour had it that the Shattered Star Sea was filled with great opportunities for Dao Source Realm cultivators, but Yang Kai had no idea what or where these opportunities were. As such, all he could do was go out and try out his luck.
Over the next few days, he didn’t encounter any situation worth paying attention to, but he did encounter several Starry Sky Storms. The Starry Sky Storms of the Shattered Star Sea were extremely terrifying, even shattering space in their wakes. Yang Kai’s heart clenched at the mere sight of this and he didn’t dare to let himself be swept in these storms.
He didn’t encounter any cultivators.
In this vast Starry Sky, he seemed to be the only one alive, making Yang Kai wonder whether the Shattered Star Sea had closed and everyone else had been thrown out, leaving only him here now.
If that was the case, it would be horrendous.
But one day, as Yang Kai happened to be flying through the void, he suddenly felt a slight hot feeling coming from the back of his hand.
Raising his brow, he looked at the back of his hand.
Naturally, it was coming from the five-pointed Star Seal branded on his hand that was now emitting a faint glow and heat. Furthermore, he could feel a weak pull coming from a certain direction, attracting his own five-pointed Star Seal.
Yang Kai was puzzled, wondering what this Star Seal was resonating with.
After pondering for a moment, he changed his direction, flying towards the source of attraction.
No matter what, there was some movement there, so it would be better to take a look than to mindlessly fly around.
The Starry Sky was vast, so even if Yang Kai flew at full speed, it took him two full hours before he arrived at his destination. There was a shattered Cultivation Star before his eyes. This Cultivation Star wasn’t that big, but it wasn’t small either, just average-sized.
It was like the shattered planet that Yang Kai had seen when he had just entered the Shattered Star Sea. Over half of it had been smashed apart, leaving the other half listlessly floating in the void.
By the looks of it, this derelict Cultivation Star was devoid of any vitality; not even a little bit of greenery could be seen on it. Even after tens of thousands of years, this Cultivation Star still had a terrifying aura, something left behind in the aftermath of the decisive battle fought by the Great Emperors back in the past. It was particularly daunting.
But that pull that was drawing Yang Kai’s five-pointed Star Seal was definitely coming from this shattered star.
Yang Kai was surprised as he had no idea what was so special about this shattered star. He drove his boat to fly toward it and soon landed somewhere.
Sweeping his gaze around, everywhere Yang Kai looked, he saw barren ground covered in countless pits of all shapes and sizes.
After coming here, the five-pointed Star Seal on the back of his hand glowed brighter and brighter and Yang Kai immediately confirmed that this was the right place.
Yang Kai promptly spread his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings, and soon he raised his brow as he shouted in joy, “Star Source!?”
He bore the Star Source of Shadowed Star, and as a Star Master, he was naturally quite familiar with the aura of Star Sources. This was a shattered Cultivation Star, and yet it still had some of its Star Source energy remaining.
However, perhaps because this Cultivation Star was horribly destroyed, its Star Source was also shattered and incomplete.
A Star Source was a priceless treasure for the cultivators of the Star Boundary, because with one, a cultivator could better perceive World Principles, making it easier for him or her to break through to the Emperor Realm where Principle Strength comprehension was essential.
However, it was very difficult for any Star Boundary cultivator to obtain a Star Source because Star Sources could only be given birth to by a Cultivation Star. As such, there were only a few such treasures in the Star Boundary. Even if such a treasure did appear, it would swiftly be snatched up by powerful cultivators, so it was very hard for an ordinary cultivator to even get a glimpse of one.
But there was a Star Source here. It might be incomplete and broken, but it was still a Star Source!
It turned out the rumours were true. There are indeed many Shattered Star Sources in this Shattered Star Sea. If Dao Source Realm cultivators could absorb these Shattered Sources for themselves, it would be quite helpful for breaking through to the Emperor Realm in the future.
“Could it be that the Star Seal resonated with this Shattered Star Source and that is what led me to this place?” Yang Kai guessed, but there was no one to confirm this speculation with, so he didn’t know whether his guess was right or wrong.
If this was the case, then the Star Seal was just a guide, one that could locate Source Strength from a distance.
While Yang Kai was guessing, he suddenly turned his head and looked toward the sky as he sensed something. In the next moment, he saw two dazzling rays of light shooting down from the void, and soon after they landed beside him.
When the rays of light finally dissipated, two figures entered Yang Kai’s vision.
Both of these two were males and seemed to be from the same Sect as their aura and robes bore a striking resemblance. Who knows how they came to the Shattered Star Sea together, but both of them were Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters. Furthermore, their cultivations were quite solid and vigorous, far above that of an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator. These two were likely the disciples of some big Sect.
Yang Kai noticed that the five-pointed Star Seals on the back of their hands were also faintly glowing.
Apparently, these two were the same as Yang Kai and had been guided here by their Star Seals.
When Yang Kai’s eyes first landed on them, he beamed with delight instead of being surprised.
Because as long as there were other people here, it would mean that he wasn’t alone in the Shattered Star Sea. He was just unlucky to have been stuck in healing and cultivation for all this time. For a moment, Yang Kai looked at the two with genuine happiness.
The two of them had no idea what Yang Kai was excited about, but both maintained an air of arrogance and invincibility. They glanced at him once before ignoring him altogether. Instead, they spread their Divine Senses to scan their surroundings.
One of them slightly frowned and stated, “The Source Strength here is so thin.”
“En! It’s not even as good as the one we found yesterday,” the other nodded in agreement.
“But it’s better to have something than nothing. Many grains of sand would eventually build a tower. We can’t miss it just because of a lack of quantity,” the first man stated. He then glanced at Yang Kai and shouted, “What are you looking at? Why aren’t you leaving yet?”
The other man also sneered and added, “The Shattered Star Source here is ours! If you know what’s good for you, you’d better leave, or else you won’t be able to leave no matter how much you want.”
The two sang a chorus, and their threatening meaning couldn’t be any more obvious. Yang Kai, who was listening to this, turned livid in anger.
The Source Strength here was truly meagre, and Yang Kai didn’t even attach too much attention to it; after all, he already had the complete Source Strength of Shadowed Star, but when these two yelled at him in such an arrogant manner, it was only natural to become annoyed.
After thinking about it though, Yang Kai didn’t lash out and instead cupped his fists and asked, “Friends, I want to ask you something. I wonder if you can answer my questions?”
The person who spoke first, took a sideways glance at Yang Kai as he asked with a cold snort, “What do you want to know?”
Yang Kai promptly asked, “Did you come here because of the reaction between your Star Seals and the Source Strength here?”
The man glanced at Yang Kai in surprise as he sneered, “Didn’t you as well?”
Yang Kai curled his lips into a smile and replied, “Naturally.”
So, it turned out that the Star Seal really could sense Star Sources. Although Yang Kai had guessed this before, he wasn’t too sure about it as there was no one to confirm his hypothesis with. Now, after listening to the opposite party, Yang Kai understood. The Star Seal on the back of his hand wasn’t just a pass to enter the Shattered Star Sea, but it also seems to have other magnificent functions too.
The man angrily rebuked, “If that’s the case, why did you knowingly ask? How odd!”
Yang Kai replied, laughing lightly, “I just casually asked. Friend, why harbour such anger? Being so enraged only hurts you in the end. Friend, do you know how long the Shattered Star Sea stays open for?”
As soon as he asked this, the two looked at Yang Kai with strange expressions on their faces. They seemed to have gotten the gist of the matter though and one of them stated, “It looks like you don’t know anything about the situation here.”
Yang Kai turned serious and humbly asked, cupping his fist, “Friend, please give me advice!”
He really didn’t know anything about the Shattered Star Sea, and hiding it wouldn’t do him any good. He might find some information by exploring on his own, but it would be faster to just ask others.
Although these two didn’t seem to be good and honest people, it didn’t prevent Yang Kai from asking them.
The other man broke into laughter as he mocked, “Senior Brother, someone has actually come to the Shattered Star Sea without knowing anything? Has your Master, or Sect, or Elders not taught you anything?”
He appeared to be extremely happy as if he had heard some big joke.
Yang Kai stated with a cold look on his face, “I don’t have a Master, a Sect, or Elders for that matter! Is it very funny?”
The man restrained his smile and explained himself, “It’s not very funny, but for someone who doesn’t have a Master, a Sect, or any Elder to come here is really surprising.”
“Friend, you still haven’t answered my question,” Yang Kai urged.
“What would we gain by answering you?” The other party asked back with a cold snort.
Yang Kai replied, “How about I give the Star Source here?” Yang Kai paused before continuing, “I came here first, and as long as you two can answer my question, I will immediately leave. You two can decide who among you will take the Star Source. I won’t interfere!”
The Junior Brother angrily rebuked, “Who would dare to snatch the Star Source that we two brothers have eyed? Why do we need your useless favour?”
The Senior Brother, on the other hand, waved his hand and stated, “Friend, since you’re so easy to talk to, it would be impolite to refuse you.”
The Junior Brother spat in disdain upon hearing this, looking quite unhappy.
The Senior Brother continued, “No one knows when the Shattered Star Sea will close after it opens as the duration of its opening isn’t fixed. According to the ancient books, the duration of each opening of the Shattered Star Sea varies from as short as two years to as long as ten years! And there are no signs of when it closes. Once the Sealed World is closed, all the cultivators here will be expelled, no matter where you are! Friend, is this answer to your satisfaction?”
“There is no fixed period?” Yang Kai was a little surprised; however, it wasn’t the first time he was encountering this kind of thing, so he simply accepted this explanation.
But according to this man, the Shattered Star Sea would remain open for a minimum of two years each time. In other words, he still had at least one year to make up for lost time.
After being silent for a while, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Many thanks! Goodbye!”
Even though he still had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, these two were far from generous, so if he continued to question them, they might not tell him the truth. Instead of being misled by them, it was better to explore the Shattered Star Sea on his own or wait to run into an acquaintance.
Having said his thanks, Yang Kai turned and flew off.
But the moment he turned around, the eyes of the Senior Brother, who had just answered Yang Kai’s question, suddenly flickered with a shrewd gleam as a jet-black beam flew out of his hand with the flick of his wrist. In the lightning-fast moment, the beam was already behind Yang Kai.
It seemed that Yang Kai would be pierced by the black beam at any moment, but at the critical moment, he suddenly twisted his body, avoiding the black beam.
The next moment, Yang Kai stood in the mid-air and indifferently asked, coldly glaring down at the two, “What is your meaning?”
The Senior Brother was taken aback and he couldn’t help but murmur, “He actually dodged that? How is that possible?”
His sneak attack had no warning signs, and neither had he shown the slightest bit of murderous intent before he made the move. It was reasonable to say that it was impossible for Yang Kai to perceive this strike, but that was exactly what happened at the critical moment.
[This guy isn’t an easy mark!] The Senior Brother thought to himself.
His Junior Brother, on the other hand, didn’t take Yang Kai that seriously and immediately sneered, “Isn’t it clear what our intentions are? Why ask when you know them clearly?”
“You two want to kill me?” Yang Kai raised his brow and sorrowfully spoke, “You and I ran into each other by chance, and we have neither grievance nor grudge. You two were interested in the Star Source here and I offered it freely to you. I had no intention of fighting with you but you two still wish to kill me using under-handed means? Your conduct truly saddens me. Even the most basic trust between people has been broken!”
The corner of the Senior Brother’s lips twitched as he stated, “If you don’t want to die, you can leave your right hand and then scram.”
The Junior Brother nodded in agreement, “That’s right! If you want to survive, you can cut off your right hand! My fellow brother and I will spare your life if you do, otherwise, next year today will be your death anniversary!”
Yang Kai frowned and asked, “Why do you want my right hand? Don’t you have yours?”
The Junior Brother sneered and stated, “Do you think your right hand is a treasure or something? We don’t want your right hand, what we want is the Star Seal on the back of your hand!”
“We have already entered the Shattered Star Sea, why do you want to steal my Star Seal?” Yang Kai was still confused.
“You really don’t know anything!” The Junior Brother broke into laughter, “My fellow brother and I will be generous and give you a final piece of free advice. It’s very common to snatch other people’s Star Seal in this Shattered Star Sea. As for the reasons and benefits… heh heh, you will come to know about it later.”
The Senior Brother’s face sank before he spoke, “Friend, since you can avoid my attack, I assume you have some impressive skill, but do you think that you can defeat me and my Junior Brother together? If you don’t want to die, obediently cooperate. Otherwise, we will kill you and take away your Star Seal afterwards!”
Yang Kai touched his chin and indifferently stated, “You are really making me curious. What is so good about snatching someone else’s Star Seal? You have made me curious to the point that I want to kill you two!”
“Kill us?” The Junior Brother’s eyes widened after hearing this, but immediately after, he burst into laughter as he pointed at Yang Kai and asked, “Senior Brother, did you hear what he just said? He actually said that he wants to kill us. This guy must be out of his mind!”
The Senior Brother coldly snorted and said, “Friend, since you refuse a toast, you must drink at a loss. We don’t need to be polite to him, attack together!”
Just as he spoke, the Junior Brother’s laughter disappeared as a ruthless look appeared on his face. Immediately after, the two pushed their Source Qi, preparing to attack.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, formed a set of hand seals as a strange and inexplicable energy fluctuation appeared around him, instantly covering the two brothers.
The two, who were just about to attack, inexplicably quivered as a sense of crisis gripped their hearts. They seemed to hear the call of death and their clothes instantly became drenched in a cold sweat.
They wanted to look up to see what kind of profound Secret Technique Yang Kai had used, but what took them aback was the fact that their thoughts seemed to have frozen. They couldn’t even move their bodies now, and more importantly, everything around them was strangely calm and quiet. It was almost as if time itself had stopped flowing, freezing the world in this exact moment.
A low murmur suddenly rang in their ears, causing them to shiver like they had been sunk into a blizzard.
“Time flows on infinitely, like a mighty stream, like an unending dream, Time Flies Seal!”
Just as these words fell, Yang Kai pushed his palms towards his opponents from where he stood and a mysterious seal shot out, striking them before they could even react.
Two muffled groans rang out at the same time as Flowing Time Force madly invaded the two brothers’ bodies, causing their vitality to completely escape in a very short time.
With a speed visible to the naked eye, the black hair of the two men turned grey and then fell out. Even their skin began to wrinkle and their healthy and strong physiques grew old and skinny in just ten breaths. Their footing looked unsteady and they seemed almost incapable of standing upright any longer.
Hundreds or even thousands of years seemed to have passed, leaving only the deep scars of time on their bodies.
The strangest thing was the two still maintained their sluggish posture, seemingly unaware of their own changes, their eyes were completely hollow.
Finally, at some point, the two suddenly recovered and collapsed together.
“Senior… Senior Brother…” The handsome-looking Junior Brother looked no different from an old man who had one foot in the grave now, and his eyes sank as he looked at his Senior Brother, who barely resembled his past self, in horror. A quavering voice escaped from his mouth that had no teeth remaining as he asked, “How did you become like this?”
“Junior Brother, you…” The Senior Brother was also horrified and stared back at his Junior Brother with the same shocked look on his face.
The Junior Brother finally seemed to have realized what happened and touched his face while staring at the wrinkled and withered hands before his eyes. He looked at them in a daze before screaming in horror.
“What… What did you do to us?” The Senior Brother raised his head with difficulty and looked towards the sky, his turbid eyes filled with horror and despair.
He had never seen or even heard of such a strange Secret Technique. In just one move, he and his Junior Brother had been defeated like this without even being able to fight back. He had never seen a Dao Source Realm cultivator as powerful as Yang Kai in his entire life.
Yang Kai sneered and sarcastically spoke while treading down from the void, “Two wastes, you can die without regret under the Divine Ability of the Flowing Time Great Emperor.”
“Flowing Time… Great Emperor!” The Senior Brother had obviously heard of the Flowing Time Great Emperor and his eyes widened in horror upon hearing this. His throat wheezed heavily as he tried to breathe in, but after inhaling sharply, his head slumped over to one side and he perished.
Although the Junior Brother did not immediately die, he did not fare any better. He was now on the verge of death, his aura extremely weak. At this time, unless there was a treasure with strong vitality restoration properties, such as the Immortal Source Liquid from the Immortal Tree, he would undoubtedly die.
A deep regret flashed past his lifeless eyes. Had they known that Yang Kai was so powerful, they would never have provoked such a star of calamity.
Very soon, the Junior Brother’s aura ceased to exist as well, his eyes wide open as if he died with everlasting regret.
The next moment, two swishing sounds came as two streaks of light suddenly shot out. Yang Kai saw this clearly. The two streaking beams of light were the five-pointed Star Seals on the backs of the two dead brothers’ hands.
Yang Kai had seen the very same scene once before, back in the Four Seasons Realm, when he had killed someone with a Star Seal, their Star Seal had also flown out in a very similar manner after their death.
After the two five-pointed Star Seals flew out, they didn’t leave too far. Instead, they flew around Yang Kai a few times, as if they were being drawn by something before they shot straight into the back of his hand.
Yang Kai only felt a slight heat on the back of his hand, and when he took a closer look, the original five-pointed Star Seal on the back of his hand seemed to have undergone some changes, becoming slightly more defined.
He was taken aback as he had no idea why the Star Seal of those two had merged with his.
Just when he was confused, the five-pointed Star Seal on the back of his hand suddenly burst with a dazzling flash, transforming into a cloud of starlight.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded!
Previously, the two brothers wanted to rob his Star Seal, so he originally thought that stealing someone else’s Star Seal would provide some great benefits, but the current situation had caught him by surprise!
[My own Star Seal fused with theirs and exploded!?]
How was this good? Although Yang Kai was already inside the Shattered Star Sea and the Star Seal had lost its significance as an entry pass, it could still sense the location of Source Strength. Without a Star Seal, how was Yang Kai to find Source Strength in this vast Shattered Star Sea?
Had he known this would happen, he would have never let others’ Star Seals merge with his own. Yang Kai’s heart was bleeding.
But right then, something strange happened.
The starlight that had just burst apart flowed back towards the back of Yang Kai’s hand and a scorching hot pain immediately followed before another brand-new Star Seal appeared.
“Six-pointed?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but cry out in shock.
He simply couldn’t believe his eyes. After the five-pointed Star Seal on the back of his hand exploded, the starlight re-converged and formed a six-pointed Star Seal!
The sudden changes in mood in this short period of time had brought Yang Kai to a standstill.
He quietly sensed for a moment and found that after the emergence of the six-pointed Star Seal, his ability to sense the Shattered Source of this shattered star had strengthened a little. It was more obvious than with his previous five-pointed Star Seal.
“Could it be that the higher the grade of Star Seal, the easier it is to sense Source Strength?” A bold guess suddenly started to take root in Yang Kai’s mind. Although this speculation hadn’t been verified yet, from his experiences it seemed quite credible.
Yang Kai recalled the seven Star Seals he had obtained in the Four Seasons Realm. Among those Star Seals, there were three-pointed Star Seals, four-pointed Star Seals, and one five-pointed Star Seal.
Back then, Princess Lan Xun of Star Soul Palace had told him that the higher the grade of Star Seal, the easier it was to obtain benefits from the Shattered Star Sea.
The Elders of Azure Sun Temple seemed to have mentioned this as well.
It was just that no one had given him a detailed explanation.
Now, after giving it a second thought, being easier to gain benefits probably referred to the ability to sense Source Strength in this place. The higher the grade of the Star Seal, the easier it was to sense Star Sources from further away.
Now his Star Seal had advanced to a six-pointed Star Seal, which was definitely better than the five-pointed Star Seal.
Lan Xun had also said that on top of the six-pointed Star Seal, there were seven-pointed, eight-pointed, and even the most advanced nine-pointed Star Seal!
As far as Yang Kai knew, the highest-grade Star Seal obtained by those cultivators in the Four Seasons Realm was only five-pointed. He was still wondering how there would be higher grade Star Seals, but now it seemed that they weren’t obtained naturally, but were upgraded step by step.
One had to kill enemies and obtain their Star Seals to merge with their own Star Seal. Once it reached a certain accumulation, the Star Seal would explode and reorganize itself into a higher-grade Star Seal.
His six-pointed Star Seal was the best proof of this.
The two people he had just killed now, both had five-pointed Star Seals, and he too had a five-pointed Star Seal. Three five-pointed Star Seals had merged to upgrade to a six-pointed Star Seal.
In other words, if he could get two or more six-pointed Star Seals, Yang Kai could upgrade his to a seven-pointed Star Seal, and so on and so forth. If he carried on like this, he would eventually obtain the highest-grade nine-pointed Star Seal.
Once he had a nine-pointed Star Seal, he would be able to sense Star Sources from very far away, no longer having to aimlessly search for them in this endless void.
This experience made Yang Kai realize many mysteries of the Shattered Star Sea and Star Seals.
[No wonder those two wanted to snatch my Star Seal, it turns out that there was such a reason behind it.] Realization suddenly dawned upon Yang Kai.
However, it was definitely not an easy task to upgrade one’s Star Seal to a nine-pointed Star Seal. Just the number of Star Seals one needed to snatch were extraordinary, and Yang Kai wasn’t belligerent and bloodthirsty, so he didn’t hold too many expectations in his heart.
If the six-pointed Star Seal could be used, why bother to pursue the most advanced nine-pointed Star Seal?
Yang Kai, standing in the same place, pondered for a long time before he dispelled such thoughts and bent over, picking up the Space Rings of the two. However, when he touched the two corpses, they suddenly shattered into dust.
Yang Kai was secretly taken aback at the sight of this. He had just comprehended the Time Flies Seal recently, so although he knew that this Divine Ability was extremely powerful, because he hadn’t used it before, he wasn’t too sure about its effects and had simply been experimenting just now.
But much to his surprise, the two cultivators of the same level were reduced to dust by the Flowing Time Force with just one move, completely powerless to resist it.
Apparently, the might of this Divine Ability had exceeded Yang Kai’s expectations. It was worthy of being one of the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s techniques. It wasn’t surprising that it was so powerful. And along with the enhancement of Yang Kai’s strength, his comprehension of this Divine Ability would deepen, further increasing its might. In the future, it would definitely become one of his trump cards, on par with his Space Divine Abilities.
As Yang Kai took a quick scan of the rings of these two cultivators with his Divine Sense, he couldn’t help but coldly snort because he discovered that there were many things in their Space Rings that didn’t belong to these two, including some female undergarments.
Obviously, these two had killed and robbed a lot of people already.
Maybe during the one year since the Shattered Star Sea opened, these two had constantly been killing others and snatching their treasures and Star Seals.
No wonder they both had the five-pointed Star Seals. Presumably, their Star Seals had also been upgraded several times. Who knows how many people they had killed using underhanded methods.
Yang Kai threw the two rings into the Sealed World Bead, letting his Embodiment sort out the contents for him.
He was the only one left here, so although the Star Source of this shattered star was relatively incomplete, it was still a Star Source. Naturally, Yang Kai had no reason to let it go.
After thinking about it for a moment though, he waved his hand and Hua Qing Si suddenly appeared in front of him.
Just as she appeared, her beautiful eyes flickered with surprise before she excitedly exclaimed, “Young Master, isn’t this the Shattered Star Sea?”
“Sister Hua is indeed knowledgeable. This is indeed the Shattered Star Sea!” Yang Kai slightly smiled, paying close attention to Hua Qing Si’s movements while they spoke.
Hua Qing Si said in a trembling voice, “It’s really the Shattered Star Sea! Every Dao Source Realm cultivator dreams of coming here! If one can obtain some opportunity here, he or she will definitely advance to the Emperor Realm…” While speaking, she glanced at Yang Kai, “Why are you staring at me like this?”
Yang Kai asked, “Do you not feel any discomfort, like the world is rejecting you?”
Hua Qing Si was taken aback; however, she soon understood what Yang Kai was implying and replied with a slight smile, “Since you brought me in, then whether I have a Star Seal or not, I can continue to stay here. Were you worried I would be teleported out because I don’t have a Star Seal?”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded.
Hua Qing Si stated, waving her hand lightly, “You don’t need to worry about this. Many cultivators have their Star Seals robbed in the Shattered Star Sea, yet they can remain here.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai suddenly smacked his head and scolded himself for being so stupid.
If he wanted to inquire about the Shattered Star Sea, he could have just asked Hua Qing Si! Regardless of her current position, she was still a disciple of Star Soul Palace and certainly knew much more than others. Since he hadn’t recently let her out, he had forgotten about her.
But after confirming that she could stay in the Shattered Star Sea even without a Star Seal, Yang Kai let Liu Yan and Zhang Ruo Xi out with a wave of his hand.
Zhang Ruo Xi seldom left the Sealed World Bead, except when she was breaking through to a new Great Realm, so seeing Yang Kai summon her out, she couldn’t help but look at him curiously, wondering what he wanted her to do.
“This is the Shattered Star Sea, a grand event that all the elite Dao Source Realm cultivators of the Star Boundary participate in. It is a huge opportunity. Sister Hua, tell us, what do we need to pay attention to here!”
Hua Qing Si nodded, sorting out her thoughts before she recounted everything she knew.
Most of the information she told everyone was what Yang Kai had already speculated, including the specific use of and how to upgrade Star Seals. However, Hua Qing Si’s information was more comprehensive and complete. According to her, higher-level Star Seals could not only sense the location of distant Star Sources, but could also sense the location of other lower grade Star Seals.
In other words, the owner of a higher grade Star Seal could detect the locations of those with lower grade Star Seals even from a long distance.
If one’s grade of Star Seal was worse than the opposite party’s Star Seal, they would be found out no matter what kind of concealment technique they used. This feature of the Star Seal made the Shattered Star Sea a bloodbath every time it opened. In order to upgrade one’s Star Seal, many cultivators did not hesitate to kill others.
This feature of the Star Seal was quite sobering, causing Yang Kai’s face to turn serious upon hearing it.
He hadn’t paid much attention to the level of his Star Seal before. Obviously, this grade of Star Seal was sufficient for him; there wasn’t any need to pursue a higher grade, but now, after listening to Hua Qin Si, Yang Kai realized that in order to ensure his own safety, his grade of the Star Seal had to be high enough, otherwise someone would very likely learn his location and come find trouble with him.
This feature secretly promoted killing and snatching between cultivators! It forced all the cultivators in the Shattered Star Sea to find ways to increase the grade of their respective Star Seal, whether they wanted to or not.
“The benefits of the Star Seal are roughly these; however, I have also heard of another legend…” While speaking, Hua Qin Si’s face suddenly turned serious.
Zhang Ruo Xi nervously asked, “What?”
Hua Qing Si replied, gazing at Yang Kai, “Rumour has it that if you can obtain the highest-grade nine-pointed Star Seal, it can guide you to the location of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s inheritance!”
“Really?” Yang Kai looked surprised.
Hua Qing Si pursed her lips and answered, smiling, “This legend has been going around since the Shattered Star Sea was formed, but whether it is true or false, no one has been able to confirm. Naturally, there is no way to verify it.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “But this shouldn’t be appealing to you, Young Master Yang.”
His Embodiment was cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which happened to be the key component to the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s inheritance, so naturally Yang Kai had no need to pursue this vague opportunity.
“It’s not that attractive to me, but it’s different for others,” Yang Kai’s face stiffened slightly, suddenly realizing that Star Seals in the Shattered Star Sea were like double-edged swords, a source of conflict and avarice. It was of great help to the cultivators here, but because of its various features, it also led to bloody slaughter among the cultivators.
Had there been no such thing as Star Seals, the chances of conflict among the cultivators here would have been much smaller.
“Of course, not everyone is looking for the inheritance of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. In the Shattered Star Sea, there are other treasures left by other Great Emperors. These are what generations of cultivators yearn for. I heard that five millennia ago, someone found the Indestructible Cyan Lotus of Cyan Lotus Great Emperor in the Shattered Star Sea, allowing them to inherit the mantle of Cyan Lotus Great Emperor.”
“And how is that person doing now?” Liu Yan indifferently asked.
Hua Qing Si replied, “He created a top Sect that’s renowned in the Eastern Territory, the Cyan Lotus Palace. That person is also the Palace Master of Cyan Lotus Palace.”
“He is quite lucky,” Yang Kai raised his brow slightly.
“Luck is an opportunity. Who hasn’t cultivated without relying on opportunity?” Hua Qing Si stated frankly.
Yang Kai agreed. Every cultivator needed great opportunities in order to cultivate to the Dao Source Realm, and if their opportunities continued, they might even take a step further and explore the mysteries of the Emperor Realm. If one’s opportunities were insufficient, however, they could remain stuck in the Dao Source Realm forever.
“Okay, let’s not talk about this. There is an incomplete Star Source here. Let’s refine it together,” Yang Kai stated.
Originally, the Star Source was supposed to be hidden somewhere inside the Cultivation Star and just finding it would require a lot of effort, but now, this Cultivation Star had been broken and the shattered Star Source Strength was leaking out. There was no need to look for it now and it could be refined at will.
When Hua Qing Si and the others heard this, they nodded and found a place to sit cross-legged, circulating their Secret Arts.
The same was true for Yang Kai. Even though he wasn’t that interested in the Source Strength here, the early bird takes the worm and many grains of sand would eventually build a tower. A change in quantity would always lead to a qualitative change.
Source Strength was a very special type of energy. Refining and absorbing it would not increase the strength of a cultivator directly, but it could bring great benefits to any cultivator. This was especially true for Hua Qing Si and the others who had never refined a Star Source before. If they could gain some Source Strength here in the Shattered Star Sea, it would definitely help them reach the Emperor Realm.
Time slowly trickled by as the four sat cross-legged not far away from each other.
After half a day, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown.
He discovered that the efficiency of refining and absorbing Source Strength like this was simply too low.
Even after tirelessly trying for half a day, the four hadn’t absorbed much of the Source Strength here. If they kept at it like this, they would need ten days to half a month to completely refine the Shattered Star Source here.
If it was taking this long even when the four of them were cooperating, just how long would it take for a single person? A month? Two months? This was a troublesome situation.
Yang Kai quietly observed Hua Qing Si and the others, and found that they were in the same position as himself.
Only Zhang Ruo Xi seemed to be refining and absorbing the Source Strength at a faster speed. Who knows whether it was related to her bloodline or not; however, even her speed was very limited.
[I wonder, if I threw the Embodiment here and let him use the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, how effective would it be? The Heaven Devour Battle Law can devour everything in the world, so Source Strength should definitely not be an exception.]
Thinking about it, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Just like the Embodiment had the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he too had another Secret Technique which was designed to refine Star Sources.
The Star Refining Art!
This Secret Technique was obtained when he explored the Emperor Garden on Shadowed Star. It was one of Yang Yan’s Secret Techniques and it was also thanks to this technique that Yang Kai could refine Shadowed Star’s Star Source and become its Star Master.
Later, he passed on the Star Refining Art to Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang, who then successfully refined the Star Source of Tong Xuan Realm.
It was quite evident that the Star Refining Art was a Secret Technique dedicated to refining Star Sources, so wasn’t it perfect for this place?
Yang Kai suddenly became excited and without hesitating for another moment, he promptly began circulating the Star Refining Art.
In the beginning, nothing worth mentioning happened around him, but as time passed, the Source Strength swarmed toward him like cats that had gotten the whiff of fresh fish, waiting to be refined and absorbed by him.
After a while, specks of starlight appeared around Yang Kai, as if he was surrounded by large swaths of fireflies. These specks of starlight were filled with a tremendous amount of Source Strength, the physical manifestation of the Shattered Star Source.
Yang Kai’s body had turned into a bottomless pit, welcoming all of this energy. He opened his body and mind to accept the countless specks of starlight.
For a moment, the entire process painted a spectacular and extremely dazzling picture.
Hua Qing Si and the others were all startled and opened their eyes and stared at Yang Kai in surprise.
After this, even Zhang Ruo Xi was unable to absorb any more Source Strength as all of it had been drawn to Yang Kai, depriving everyone else of any benefits.
After some unknown amount of time, the specks of starlight around Yang Kai gradually became thinner and then disappeared.
Realizing that there was no more Source Strength here, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes, a satisfied look on his face.
But immediately, he noticed three pairs of beautiful eyes grudgingly glaring at him, as if Yang Kai had abandoned them.
Yang Kai, wiping the sweat off his forehead, embarrassingly stating, “I was doing an experiment. I didn’t expect it to be this effective!”
Although he had been focusing on refining the Source Strength here, he knew what was going around him. He also knew why Hua Qing Si and the others were looking at him with accusatory gazes.
Hua Qing Si spoke, “Young Master, what kind of mysterious technique were you using? It only took you half a day to absorb the Shattered Star Source here.”
“The Star Refining Art,” Yang Kai beckoned and stated, “Come, I will teach it to you. This Secret Technique is tailor-made for this place.”
The three girls’ eyes instantly lit up after hearing this and they hurriedly came to Yang Kai and sat down cross-legged, earnestly looking at him.
Yang Kai immediately began to teach them, hiding nothing.
The three girls listened to him with rapt attention. Each of their aptitudes was quite good, so they mastered this new technique in just two days. After they had mastered the Star Refining Art, Yang Kai finally set off again, flying through the cold and empty Starry Sky.
With the Star Refining Art, he felt that he could make up for the loss of one year easily.
After all, the time it would take others to refine Shattered Star Sources couldn’t be compared with the time he took, making his efficiency much higher than others.
After five days, Yang Kai found another Cultivation Star with a Shattered Source through his Star Seal.
He flew to it with Hua Qing Si and the others, then within half a day, the Source Strength here was completely absorbed. It was the first time Hua Qing Si and the others had absorbed Star Source so efficiently, so they were left wanting more.
Over the next month, Yang Kai continued to explore the Starry Sky, finding Shattered Star Sources several times.
This one month of wandering had made Yang Kai deeply appreciate the mystical effects of his Star Seal. Often, at a very far distance, Yang Kai could sense the presence of others whose grade of Star Seal was obviously lower than his own, making it impossible for them to hide their presence.
Yang Kai didn’t bother these people though as he focused on searching for more Source Strength.
After another month, all four of them had a good harvest.
But today, after absorbing the Shattered Star Source of a certain Cultivation Star, Hua Qing Si suddenly approached Yang Kai, seemingly wanting to say something.
Yang Kai looked at her with a weird gaze and asked, “What’s the matter, Sister Hua?”
Hua Qing Si replied, “Young Master, I want to act alone.”
Yang Kai was taken aback, frowning as he asked, “Is it because the Source Strength is too little for four?”
Hua Qing Si shook her head and stated, “No… it’s not that… It’s just…” She turned her head and looked toward the pitch-black void. Her beautiful eyes flickered with a strange gleam, “I can feel it. There is something in this Shattered Star Sea that can help me take that last step. There is an opportunity waiting for me somewhere! I want to search for it.”
Hua Qing Si was already a peak Dao Source Realm Master, only one step away from the Emperor Realm. Since she was feeling like this at this critical juncture, it was very likely that there was a real opportunity out there for her.
A sudden epiphany was often more useful than entering secluded retreat for ten or twenty years.
Considering all this, Yang Kai didn’t have any intention to stop her. Perhaps by letting Hua Qing Si act alone, she might have a surprising harvest.
Furthermore, Hua Qing Si was strong, and she had the Five-Coloured Spear Emperor Artifact. This Emperor Artifact was formerly owned by Yao Chang Jun and had already been refined by Hua Qing Qi now, boosting her strength greatly.
Ordinary cultivators would not be her opponent.
What Hua Qing Si was lacking now was just a Star Seal! Without a Star Seal, she would not be able to sense the location of Star Sources and would only be able to search aimlessly.
“Take this,” Yang Kai reached out and gave her a Space Ring.
Hua Qing Si took it and checked out its contents with her Divine Sense. The next moment, she cried out in surprise, “So many Source Crystals!”
Everything in the ring was basically Source Crystals. There were roughly two to three hundred million Source Crystals, many of which were High Rank. In addition to the Source Crystals, there were various pills personally refined by Yang Kai.
“If you really manage to obtain an opportunity to break through to the Emperor Realm here, these Source Crystals will be a necessity. The World Energy in the Shattered Star Sea is very thin, so don’t reject this,” Yang Kai earnestly urged her.
Hua Qing Si tightly gripped the Space Ring and nodded, “Many thanks, Young Master Yang. You really care about me the most in this world.”
She might have been forced to follow Yang Kai in the beginning and was even locked in the Sealed World Bead by him for a time, but Yang Kai hadn’t put her at any disadvantage over these years. Not only that, but she also received an Extraordinary Treasure Pill, that everyone dreamed of but could never obtain, which allowed her to lay a solid foundation and clear path to the Emperor Realm. She also received the Five-Coloured Spear Emperor Artifact from Yang Kai.
Now, Yang Kai had given her three hundred million Source Crystals all at once. In this world, no one other than him had treated her so well and given her so many treasures. Whether it was the Extraordinary Treasure Pill or the Five-Coloured Spear, they were the treasures that could cause countless Masters to fight over. Even her own Master back in Star Soul Palace had not been this good to her.
Hua Qing Si was truly moved.
If she could really break through to the Emperor Realm in the future, she would have to thank Yang Kai the most. She mentioned sensing an opportunity just now, but in her heart, she thought that meeting Yang Kai was the biggest opportunity of her life.
“Sister Hua, there’s no need to be polite!” Yang Kai smiled. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, “Don’t move!”
Saying so, he suddenly stretched his finger out toward Hua Qing Si’s forehead.
Hua Qing Si didn’t know what he was planning to do, but she didn’t take any defensive stance at all, simply standing still and waiting.
Yang Kai pointed his finger at her forehead, and in the next moment, Hua Qing Si’s tender figure trembled. She felt as if some invisible shackle had been lifted, allowing her mind and body to completely relax.
She instantly understood what Yang Kai had done. To her surprise, Yang Kai had returned her Soul Brand to her Knowledge Sea!
Back then, when she was locked in the Sealed World Bead by Yang Kai, she had been forced to open her Knowledge Sea and allow Yang Kai to take her Soul Brand. From then on, she was no longer able to resist Yang Kai and had to unconditionally obey him.
But now, Yang Kai had returned her Soul Brand to her of his own volition!
In other words, she was now free, no longer bound to Yang Kai.
“Young Master Yang…” Hua Qing Si’s pretty eyes quivered as she looked at him with disbelief.
Yang Kai smiled and stated, “If one wants to break through to the Emperor Realm, they should have nothing hindering or distracting them.”
Hua Qing Si pursed her lips into a smile before she suddenly placed her hand over her heart and swore, “Young Master, rest assured, Sister Hua will not reveal any of your secrets in this lifetime. If I ever violate this oath, let the Heavens cause dissonance in my cultivation and condemn me to death!”
She knew too many of Yang Kai’s secrets. Whether it was the Sealed World Bead or Yang Kai’s various trump cards, or the Immortal Tree and the Firmament Tree planted in the medicine garden, if word of any one of these treasures got out, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to gain a foothold in the Star Boundary again. He would be hunted down no matter where he went.
She took the initiative to swear such an oath, planting a Heart Demon on herself all to assure Yang Kai that his secrets would not be leaked.
Yang Kai stated with a smile, “If I didn’t believe you, I wouldn’t have returned your Soul Brand. Sister Hua, act freely but be careful on your way!”
Hua Qing Si nodded before asking, “If the Shattered Star Sea closes, how can I find you?”
“If you want to find me, you can go to the Thousand Leaves Sect. Someday I will visit Thousand Leaves Sect.”
Chi Yue, Ai Ou and the others were in Thousands Leaves Sect, so Yang Kai would eventually go there to reunite with them.
“Alright, I’ll go there and wait for you,” Hua Qing Si nodded and walked forward, saying a few words to Liu Yang and Zhang Ruo Xi before her tender figure flew towards the Starry Sky, disappearing into the darkness.
Looking in the direction she left, Yang Kai heaved a slight sigh.
Over the past few years, Hua Qing Si had helped him a lot. When he had imprisoned Hua Qing Si, there wasn’t any malicious intent behind it, she had simply seen too many of his secrets for him to let her go at the time. He had always planned on returning her freedom to her once she broke through to the Emperor Realm, now he had just done it a bit earlier.
After having been with her for such a long time, Yang Kai felt that Hua Qing Si was trustworthy, so even if she had not made such an oath, he wouldn’t have worried about it.
“Sir…” A weak shout came from nearby, and Yang Kai felt someone tugging his sleeve. Looking down, he saw it was none other than Zhang Ruo Xi. She was gazing at him with an expectant look on her face.
He sceptically asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Sir, I… I…” Zhang Ruo Xi hesitated, stuttering and repeating herself.
Yang Kai, furrowing his brow, asked, “You wouldn’t happen to be thinking of acting alone as well, would you?”
He had noticed that Zhang Ruo Xi was somewhat anxious and excited, so he had this guess. What he didn’t expect was that Zhang Ruo Xi would nod in agreement.
Yang Kai was greatly shocked, “Are you sure?”
Zhang Ruo Xi bit her cherry red lips, then took a deep breath as if she was summoning her courage before she spoke, “Since Ruo Xi left the Zhang Family, Ruo Xi has been cultivating under the shelter of Sir’s wings. Although Ruo Xi can be considered to have achieved some success, Old Ancestor once told me that flowers that do not withstand the wind and rain do not grow strong. Ruo Xi does not want to be a drag on Sir. Ruo Xi wants to become stronger too… So… Ruo Xi wants to try.”
Yang Kai’s face turned serious as he asked, “Do you know how dangerous this will be?”
Zhang Ruo Xi hesitated before gently nodding.
Yang Kai added, “Then you know who the people who have entered here are, yes? You have a naturally kind and simple personality. You haven’t seen how treacherous the world is, are you sure you can survive here?”
“Ruo Xi will try her best!”
Yang Kai blankly stared at her, seeming to have seen another side of Zhang Ruo Xi for the first time. The weak-looking girl seemed a lot stronger now.
“Master, let me go with her,” Liu Yan suddenly interrupted. “If I and Ruo Xi are together, we can take care of each other. Moreover, I still have Xiao Bai, so there shouldn’t be any danger.”
Yang Kai glanced at Liu Yan and seeing her nod at him, he finally relented, “Liu Yan will go with you. Will that be a problem?”
Zhang Ruo Xi cried in joy, “That would be the best!”
Yang Kai appeared to have become emotional as he spoke, “Since your wings have grown, then fly as you wish.”
When he first brought Zhang Ruo Xi with him, she was just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm child, but over the years, she had slowly advanced to the Dao Source Realm.
If someone from Zhang Family knew about this, they would surely be joyful. The Zhang Family hadn’t had a Dao Source Realm Master in many years. Now, the strongest person in the Zhang Family was the Old Ancestor who was just a Second-Order Origin King. Such strength was basically insignificant in this world.
If Zhang Ruo Xi was allowed to move alone, Yang Kai would not have been able to relax. She might just be eager to try out how strong she currently was and was following Hua Qing Si’s example, but she was still just a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and even if she had her special Bloodline Power, someone with her cultivation and with no experience in fighting would be in danger here. She might encounter a crisis that she couldn’t deal with.
But if Liu Yan was with her, there would be no problem.
Not to mention Liu Yan having a Heaven Grade puppet with her, Xiao Bai, her personal strength was at the peak of the Dao Source Realm. Furthermore, Liu Yan had the Annihilation Thunder Bead with her. What’s more, although Zhang Ruo Xi was a little weaker, she was wearing the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe.
As long as the two were cautious, they wouldn’t be in any danger.
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, Zhang Ruo Xi waved her hands in horror and explained herself, “Sir, you are misunderstanding, Ruo Xi didn’t mean it like that.”
Liu Yan comforted her, “Don’t mind it. Master was just casually speaking.”
Yang Kai handed Liu Yan a Space Ring and instructed, “Take these, they are the same as Sister Hua’s. When the Shattered Star Sea closes in the future, if we haven’t met up by then, go to the Thousands Leaves Sect and wait for me there.”
Liu Yan took the Space Ring and answered with a nod, “I will remember.”
“Go on then!” Yang Kai waved them off.
Zhang Ruo Xi pursed her cherry red lips before she approached Yang Kai and knelt down, kowtowing as she declared, “Ruo Xi will forever remember Sir’s kindness. Sir, you must remain safe. Ruo Xi will take care of you in the future.”
“Get up, this is not a life and death parting. We will meet another day,” Yang Kai bent over and helped her up.
“Let’s go,” said Liu Yan, grabbing Zhang Ruo Xi’s tender hand and pushing her Source Qi before flying towards the Starry Sky with her.
After a while, the two disappeared from sight.
“Everyone is gone,” Yang Kai murmured as he stood there, feeling some slight melancholy.
Although he had wandered alone for many years now, he never felt too lonely because there was life in the Sealed World Bead. This time though, Hua Qing Si, Liu Yan, and Zhang Ruo Xi had all left, making him feel a little uncomfortable, like something was missing from his side.
However, he also knew that although it was safer for everyone to stick together, the harvest was also significantly smaller.
Now that he had taught them the Star Refining Art, if they acted alone, their gains would be greater. Perhaps this was a part of the reason they wanted to leave. They didn’t want to drag him down and share his harvest.
Just as Yang Kai was in a daze, he suddenly realized that the Embodiment was calling him.
He quickly sent a part of his consciousness into the Sealed World Bead and connected with the Embodiment, “You’re not thinking of acting alone too, are you?”
Although the base of the Embodiment’s sentience was his Soul Clone, along with the rise in its strength, the Soul Clone had fused completely with the Stone Puppet body. Now, the Embodiment could be considered a unique existence. It couldn’t be merely regarded as Yang Kai’s Soul Clone. It had its own thoughts and ideas. Of course, if the two were willing, they could still communicate with each other and share all their thoughts and memories. Even if they did not converse, they could still guess what the other was thinking.
The Embodiment burst into laughter before speaking, “Do you think I can easily act alone?”
Yang Kai stated, snorting, “At least you are a little self-aware.”
The Embodiment added, “I couldn’t see you act all lonely, come, I will accompany you to chat.”
Yang Kai’s corners of mouth twitched, “How is it any different from me talking to myself?”
Although he said this, Yang Kai’s lonely mood very soon cleared up. The little sense of loss that had been there had disappeared.
“There is one thing I haven’t told you,” the Embodiment suddenly continued in a solemn voice.
“What’s the matter?” Yang Kai asked.
The Embodiment replied, “I feel that my cultivation has reached a bottleneck.”
Yang Kai stated, “It’s usual to encounter a bottleneck while cultivating. It’s not your very first time cultivating, you should…”
Before he could finish, Yang Kai suddenly realized that something was extremely wrong.
The Embodiment added, “Logically speaking, a Heaven-defying Secret Art like the Heaven Devouring Battle Law should not have any bottlenecks. You have also studied this Secret Art and should understand what I mean.”
Yang Kai nodded. He had indeed researched this Secret Art after he obtained it from Wu Meng Chuan. At that time, he had felt that this Secret Art was too Heaven-defying. Everything in the world generally had some kind of energy in it, so theoretically there was nothing the Heaven Devouring Battle Law couldn’t devour. Furthermore, there should not be any bottleneck when cultivating with it.
But now, the Embodiment had encountered a bottleneck, which was undoubtedly abnormal.
“I have a feeling that this bottleneck cannot be broken through cultivation nor opportunity. Are you sure the Secret Art passed by Wu Meng Chuan is complete?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but be suspicious.
If the Heavenly Devouring Battle Law taught by Wu Meng Chuan was incomplete, then the situation encountered by the Embodiment was well within reason.
But Yang Kai couldn’t figure out why Wu Meng Chuan taught him an incomplete Secret Art. If it was to repay Yang Kai for saving his life, then this price was too high. This Secret Art was known as the number one Secret Art in the Star Boundary. The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had climbed to the top of the Star Boundary relying on this Secret Art, so every Master and Emperor coveted it.
Looking back now, Yang Kai realized that many things back then could be considered dubious.
“After the Shattered Star Sea closes, let’s take a trip to Blue Feather Sect and ask Wu Meng Chuan for a clear answer,” Yang Kai pondered for a moment before coming to a decision.
In the past, he was afraid of Wu Meng Chuan. First, the opponent’s background was pretty big as an authentic descendant of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. Wu Meng Chuan also had many cards up his sleeve. More importantly, Yang Kai was far weaker than him at the time.
But now, the situation was no longer the same as it used to be. Among the cultivators of the same realm, Yang Kai didn’t need to fear anyone. Even if, after all these years, Wu Meng Chuan really broke through to the Emperor Realm, Yang Kai had the confidence to challenge him.
…..
In the Starry Sky, Yang Kai flew forward. It had been nearly a month since he parted with Hua Qing Si and the others, and during this time, his harvest was mediocre.
Relying on the six-pointed Star Seal, Yang Kai could sense some Source Strength fluctuations every few days. All the Source Strength he encountered were completely cleaned out by him and the Embodiment.
The Embodiment also had a Star Source. The reason why its body was so huge was that it had merged with the Floating Continent. The Floating Continent had given birth to a Star Source a long time ago, so the two had become integrated.
The amount of Source Strength they had collected, however, wasn’t much. Yang Kai had also encountered a dozen people who came looking for trouble. Because of the special function of the Star Seal, the cultivators in the Shattered Star Sea would often start fighting as soon as they met.
Naturally, Yang Kai didn’t show them any mercy and killed them all.
However, the six-pointed Star Seal didn’t show any signs of upgrading. It had only become slightly brighter.
Today, Yang Kai sensed Source Strength fluctuations once again. He immediately changed his direction and shot off.
While he was en route, Yang Kai sensed two slightly different energy fluctuations.
He was familiar with these fluctuations. It was obviously the induction between Star Seals. In other words, two people had already arrived at the location of the Shattered Star Source.
Yang Kai hesitated for a while, but didn’t change his direction. Rather he sped up and shot straight towards these people, very soon arriving at a huge asteroid.
This asteroid was at least several thousand meters in radius and was floating through the Starry Sky. Its surface was flat and glossy.
What surprised Yang Kai was that he could sense Source Strength fluctuations coming from this asteroid. In other words, there were some Shattered Star Source fragments in this asteroid, and the amount wasn’t small either.
This was pretty strange. The Shattered Sources Yang Kai had encountered before were all found on some broken Cultivation Stars. This was the first time he had encountered this kind of Shattered Source, which seemed to be formed from an asteroid.
At this moment, there were two people on the asteroid already, a man and a woman, both of them in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm. The man and woman appeared to be fighting each other for the Source Strength here and it was not clear how long they had been fighting for. When Yang Kai arrived, both of them were panting, their auras slightly chaotic, clearly exhausted.
Yang Kai found the clothing of the man on the left a little familiar. The man appeared to be in his thirties and had a fierce look on his face.
The woman on the right had a graceful figure and her face was sharp and thin, giving off a wicked look. Furthermore, her aura gave an uncomfortable feeling. It was very cold.
This kind of coldness was very different from the coldness of an Ice Attribute Secret Art like that of Ice Heart Valley’s disciples. This cold gave rise to an instinctive repulsion in others, like this woman didn’t belong to this world.
These two were locked in heated combat, but the sudden appearance of Yang Kai had immediately startled them. They leapt back, one after another, and turned to stare at Yang Kai.
After scanning with their Divine Senses and realizing that Yang Kai was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, their expressions immediately turned serious. Both of them were only in the Second-Order, so they had fought a hard struggle against one another with no clear winner, but if they now had to face Yang Kai, they definitely had no chance of winning in their current state.
Yang Kai indifferently glanced at the two before focusing his gaze on the back of their hands. To his surprise, both of them had five-pointed Star Seals.
According to Yang Kai’s understanding of Star Seals, there weren’t many five-pointed Star Seals that were naturally generated. Most of them were three-pointed or four-pointed. Since these two both had five-pointed Star Seals, they must have killed a lot of people in the Shattered Star Sea.
[They are not a good bunch!] Yang Kai coldly snorted in his heart.
Seeing Yang Kai stand there without speaking a single word, the two felt a little stressed. The woman was unable to take the silence anymore and she forced a smile to give Yang Kai a friendly nod.
However, before she could say anything, the other man interrupted her, cupping his fists and stating, “Greetings, this one is Northern Territory Seeking Passion Sect disciple, Guan Qi. I wonder how I should address this friend?”
“Seeking Passion Sect?” Yang Kai raised his brow, seeming to have been struck with realization.
He was still wondering why the other party’s robes looked familiar, but now it turned out he was a disciple of the Seeking Passion Sect.
When he thought of the Seeking Passion Sect, Yang Kai recalled Feng Xi and Feng Xuan, the two shameless fellows, one old and one young. The old liked to bully the weak using his strength, while the young liked to bully the weak using his status. When he first entered the Shattered Star Sea, Yang Kai had even suffered a huge loss at Feng Xi’s hands. That Emperor Authority Bead had almost cost him his life, so, naturally, Yang Kai had no good feelings towards Seeking Passion Sect.
Seeing Yang Kai’s reaction, Guan Qi raised his brow and asked, “Friend, are you also from the Northern Territory?”
Yang Kai coldly snorted and scoffed, “Whether I am from the Northern Territory or not, it’s none of your damn business!”
Guan Qi found it a little hard to swallow Yang Kai’s complete impoliteness. He was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm, one Minor Realm lower than Yang Kai, but he was an elite disciple of Seeking Passion Sect. Since he could enter the Shattered Star Sea, it was evident that his aptitude was extraordinary. If he was outside, he would really not care about a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. Simply reporting his name and his Sect would be enough for most Third-Order Dao Source Realms to prostrate themselves before him.
But now, he just had a heated fight, and his strength was less than half of his peak. What’s more, Yang Kai didn’t look like someone easy to talk to, so why would he take a dive in a poisonous pool? All he could do was swallow his anger for now.
On the other hand, seeing Yang Kai not giving Guan Qi any face, the woman suddenly became relaxed.
She was afraid that Yang Kai and Guan Qi knew each other, or that he had some connection with the Northern Territory’s Seeking Passion Sect. If that had been the case, she could only choose to escape.
Now the situation was undoubtedly something she liked to see. So, she suddenly burst into a peal of bell-like melodious laughter, attracting everyone’s attention before she mocked, “What thing is Seeking Passion Sect. They even dare to utter their name in the Shattered Star Sea. I wonder how thick your face is.”
Being mocked by Yang Kai first and now ridiculed by this woman, Guan Qi’s face turned quite gloomy.
The woman completely ignored him and instead bowed to Yang Kai, winking at him as she bat her lashes and spoke in a sultry tone, “Greetings Senior Brother, this Junior Sister is Eastern Territory’s Netherworld Sect disciple, Yu Ying!”
Yang Kai’s pupil shrank as he blurted out, “Netherworld Sect!”
Yu Ying was stunned, wondering why Yang Kai showed such a big reaction. She cautiously asked, “Senior Brother seems to have heard of my Netherworld Sect?”
Yang Kai took a deep breath as he calmed his excitement before he stated with a smile, “I have naturally heard of it. Netherworld Sect’s name resounds like thunder in one’s ears. I have long heard of your noble Sect. How could I not have heard of it?”
When Guan Qi heard Yang Kai say so, he almost breathed flames of anger.
Earlier, when he had reported that he was a disciple of Seeking Passion Sect, Yang Kai had rebuffed him without any trace of politeness, but when this woman reported that she was from Netherworld Sect, he had heaped praise upon her. The difference in treatment was just too much!
In the entire Star Boundary, both Netherworld Sect and Seeking Passion Sect were actually top Sects in their respective territories, enjoying similar status across the world.
But Yang Kai’s different reaction made Guan Qi feel deeply insulted. He was so angry that he wanted to attack them and kill this shameless couple.
In Guan Qi’s opinion, Yang Kai was definitely a lecher who was weak to beauties. Judging by how Yang Kai was fawning over Yu Ying, he had definitely fallen for her beauty, and this girl wasn’t anything good either. When Guan Qi had met her, she had giggled and flirted with him, trying to make him give her the Star Source here, but after she was rejected, she started attacking without any hesitation, now, without even batting an eye, she was fawning over this newcomer. She was shameless to the core, having not the slightest self-respect or dignity.
Yu Ying smiled and asked, “Does this Senior Brother have some connection with my Netherworld Sect?”
It might have seemed that she was asking a casual question, but she was really showing meticulousness because she knew that she couldn’t trust anyone in the Shattered Star Sea. Yang Kai had only said that their Sect’s name ‘resounded like thunder’. How could she believe that he didn’t hold any malicious intention towards her just based on this?
She needed to inquire a little more so that she could be sure that the other party wasn’t just playing with her since she could not compete with a Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
“Obviously there is,” Yang Kai slightly smiled. He saw through Yu Ying’s meticulous thoughts and pondered for a moment before adding, “I came from the Grand Desolation Star Field. I wonder if Junior Sister has heard of it?”
Yu Ying’s pretty eyes lit up after hearing this as she cried out in surprise, “Grand Desolation Star Field?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter and continued, “Junior Sister, since you have heard of the Grand Desolation Star Field, you should know Senior Brother Yin Le Sheng pretty well, yes?”
Yin Le Sheng was from the Grand Desolation Star Field, and just like Liu Xian Yun, he was a former overlord from that Star Field.
Yang Kai hadn’t expected that he would actually run into someone from the Eastern Territory’s Netherworld Sect in the Shattered Star Sea. He had hoped for it, but he hadn’t expected it to be so easy.
Before he departed from Thousand Leaves Sect, he had been thinking of going to the Netherworld Sect to look for Yin Le Sheng to find out about the whereabouts of Xiao Xiao. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out as he expected. Before Yang Kai could arrive in the Eastern Territory, he was swept into the Solitary Void Sealed World, and then was later sent to the Northern Territory, which had made his plans go awry.
At this moment though, he had actually run into someone from the Netherworld Sect. Naturally, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised.
And if by some chance Yin Le Sheng had come to the Shattered Star Sea as well, Yang Kai believed that he could get his location from Yu Ying.
[If I want to find Xiao Xiao, I can only start from Yin Le Sheng.] In a flash, Yang Kai’s gaze towards Yu Ying changed, filling with a fiery light.
Yu Ying had obviously noticed this and turned shy at just the right moment as she stated in a low voice, “Senior Brother Yin, he has been very good to me.”
“Senior Brother?” Yang Kai raised his brow as he asked in surprise. It had been just six or seven years since Yin Le Sheng arrived in the Star Boundary from the Grand Desolation Star Field. Even if he had entered the Netherworld Sect, he shouldn’t have been able to become a Senior Brother in such a short time.
Yu Ying was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but she was addressing Yin Le Sheng as Senior Brother, so wouldn’t that mean that Yin Le Sheng’s cultivation was higher than hers?
“Naturally, it is Senior Brother!” Yu Ying smiled, “Senior Brother Yin might have joined the Sect recently, but his aptitude is superb. He was personally taken in by the Sect Master as a Disciple and advanced to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm just before the Shattered Star Sea opened!”
Yang Kai gasped in shock upon hearing this.
Yin Le Sheng actually reached the Third-Order Dao Source Realm in such a short amount of time! Yang Kai thought that his cultivation speed was quite quick, but Yin Le Sheng’s wasn’t bad either, basically keeping pace with him.
Compared to Ai Ou, Chi Yue, and the others’ current cultivation, Yin Le Sheng’s progress was terrifying.
Yu Ying smiled and continued, “Senior Brother Yin is a Star Master from the lower Star Field, and he has received much care from the Sect Master, enjoying many resources. Be that as it may, it is still a miracle to reach the Third-Order Dao Source Realm in such a short time. The year he joined the Sect, I was also a First-Order Dao Source Realm, but now… hehe.”
While speaking, a saddened look appeared on her face, appearing a bit ashamed to compare her progress with Yin Le Sheng’s.
“Senior Brother Yin’s aptitude is extraordinary. He is also the person I admire the most in my life. Knowing that he has already advanced to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, I am truly gratified!” Yang Kai barely suppressed the nauseating feeling in his heart and spoke words of praise.
Yu Ying seemed to have eliminated the suspicion and vigilance in her heart because he had spoken about the Grand Desolation Field and Yin Le Sheng. It was evident that Yang Kai and Yin Le Sheng had deep ties, otherwise, he shouldn’t have been aware of such secret information.
“Isn’t this Senior Brother also a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master? In this Junior Sister’s opinion, you aren’t worse than Senior Brother Yin,” said Yu Ying, smiling.
“I don’t dare to compare myself with Senior Brother Yin. I was able to reach this point because I encountered an extraordinary opportunity. If it had just been through regular cultivation, how could I stand a chance against Senior Brother Yin’s heaven-defying aptitude? Back then, in the Grand Desolation Star Field, I received many favours and guidance from him. In fact, it was only thanks to him that I was able to come to the Star Boundary. I had planned to join your noble Sect, but unfortunately, the Starlight Corridor collapsed at that time and I was thrown out into the Southern Territory. Since then, I never had the chance to pay homage to your noble Sect.”
“You were also going to join our Sect?” Yu Ying looked at Yang Kai in surprise before asking, “Why haven’t I heard about you from Senior Brother Yin?”
Judging by her tone, she seemed to know Yin Le Sheng fairly well.
Yang Kai smiled and explained, “Senior Brother Yin most likely assumed I had died; after all, I was seriously injured at that time. But that became a blessing in disguise. Not only did I not die, I also gained a great opportunity.”
“So, that’s how it is!” Yu Ying nodded without doubting anything.
Yang Kai, changed the topic, asked, “By the way, is Senior Brother Yin also in the Shattered Star Sea now?”
“He is! Twelve of our Sect’s disciples have come here. Naturally, Senior Brother Yin had a quota too,” replied Yu Ying.
“Wonderful!” Yang Kai excitedly shouted, “I have always wanted to go to the Eastern Territory to meet my Senior Brother all these years, but it was simply too far. Who would have thought that I would encounter Junior Sister Yu in the Shattered Star Sea. Tell me, is this not fate?”
Yu Ying giggled and added, “It is this Junior Sister who is blessed to meet Senior Brother here. By the way, how should I address Senior Brother?”
“Feng De, my name is Feng De!” Yang Kai replied.
Feng De was indeed a real character, a burly bald-headed man. Just like Liu Xian Yun, he was together with Yin Le Sheng in the Starlight Corridor; however, he was later killed by Yang Kai. Since Yang Kai wanted to impersonate someone from the Grand Desolation Star Field, he had used this name.
Who knows what kind of expression Yin Le Sheng would show when he heard that Feng De had come back from the dead.
“Greetings, Senior Brother Feng!” After having chatted with Yang Kai, Yu Ying was no longer suspicious of him. Instead, she was acting quite ‘familiar’. A glimmer flashed in her eyes as she asked, “Senior Brother Feng, are you still interested in joining our Sect? Or is Senior Brother already part of another Sect?”
Yang Kai promptly replied, “How could I belong to any Sect? I had joined a small Sect before, but it was destroyed not long after. I have been wandering alone since then.” While speaking, he looked at Yu Ying with expectation, “I do indeed wish to join your noble Sect, but unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet Senior Brother Yin and did not know anyone else who could give me a recommendation. So, I didn’t dare to take any liberties.”
Yu Ying smiled and stated, “That’s a simple matter to resolve. I will take you to Senior Brother Yin when we are done with the things here. When you see Senior Brother Yin, you can ask him yourself. I believe he will not refuse you.”
“Really!?” Yang Kai was overjoyed.
“Why would Junior Sister lie to you?” Yu Ying slightly smiled, flying over and leaning her soft and fragrant figure against Yang Kai before meaningfully asking, “When Senior Brother Feng joins our Sect, don’t forget to take good care of this Junior Sister.”
Yang Kai immediately showed a lustful look as he agreed, nodding repeatedly, “If I can really join your noble Sect, then Junior Sister Yu will be my great benefactor. This Feng will never treat you like an outsider.”
Yu Ying broke into a giggle, “Then, let me thank Senior Brother Feng in advance.”
The two began a steamy chat, while the gloominess of the nearby Guan Qi’s face only increased.
When Yang Kai stated that he came from some Grand Desolation Star Field, he had already realized something was wrong. Later, the more the two fools talked, the more passionate they became. The unfriendly look in this Feng De’s eyes gave him a sense of crisis.
At this moment, the two of them were acting more like Senior Brother and Junior Sister, obviously intent on pulling their relationship closer, leaving Guan Qi anxious.
He might have been able to fight off Yu Ying before, but with Yang Kai added to the mix, he had absolutely no chance of winning. And judging by Yang Kai’s previous attitude, he clearly didn’t have a good impression of the Seeking Passion Sect. Since he was a Seeking Passion Sect disciple, what good would it do to bargain here?
He wanted to escape, but he didn’t dare to act rashly, lest he draw their murderous intentions.
But if he didn’t leave now, what could he do?
Considering all this, he clenched his teeth and stated, cupping his fist, “Friends, you can continue with your chat, this Guan will take his leave first.”
While speaking, his figure swayed and he prepared to retreat.
Yu Ying, who was chatting with Yang Kai with a smile on her face, suddenly turned cold, her expression changing as quickly as flipping a page and she shouted in a piercing voice, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Just as she screamed, she raised her bare and tender arm as a dark and gloomy ghost claw tore towards Guan Qi. The ghost claw was exuding an incomparably sinister and cold aura.
Guan Qi’s face changed and he immediately sent out a barrage of fist shadows towards the sky.
Deafening explosions immediately rang out as the two moves cancelled one another out.
But having been blocked by Yu Ying like this, Guan Qi didn’t dare to leave.
“Senior Brother Feng…” Yu Ying suddenly coquettishly called out to Yang Kai, shaking his arm as she stamped her foot and pleaded, “He is bullying me, don’t you care!?”
Yang Kai immediately got goosebumps and cold sweat formed on his back. He was barely suppressing the nausea in his heart as he stated with a cold snort, “You, rat, dare to bully my Junior Sister Yu, are you really that tired of living!?”
Even though he didn’t like members of the Seeking Passion Sect, at the end of day, he had no grievances or grudges with this Guan Qi. Therefore, there was no reason for him to kill Guan Qi. Not to mention, he didn’t like being treated as someone else’s dog. Obviously, Yu Yin was using her power to embarrass Guan Qi, and Yang Kai disdained such practices, so although he was presenting a vicious stance, he didn’t release the slightest murderous intent.
Guan Qi grit his teeth and explained himself, “Brother Feng, I discovered the Star Source here first, and this… Young Lady wanted to snatch it from me after the fact. We had a disagreement, which led to a fight. She hasn’t suffered any injuries and this Guan doesn’t want this Star Source either. I just want to leave this place. Friend, I’m asking you to allow me to leave.”
“Who is robbing you!? Obviously it was you who was attracted to me and tried to use the Star Source here to seduce me, and after you were rejected by me, you became angry out of shame and wanted to use force! Fortunately, I was prepared, otherwise, you would have surely succeeded,” Yu Ying aggrievedly cried, guarding herself in frustration as if Guan Qi had really done something wrong to her.
Guan Qi looked at Yu Ying with widened eyes as he rebuked in disbelief, “Do you know no shame?”
Yu Ying’s pretty face turned extremely gloomy as she lashed out, “You dare call me shameless!?”
Guan Qi angrily rebuked, “I discovered the Star Source here first and you wanted to snatch it! Why are you blaming others while you yourself are to be blamed.”
Suddenly, the two were locked in an endless quarrel, citing that the Star Source here was first discovered by them and the other party wanted to snatch it. They both repeated the same words but there was no evidence for either side, so there was no way to prove that what they were saying was indeed true.
Yang Kai indifferently stood on one side, sneering in his heart.
[If my guess is right, Guan Qi should have discovered the Star Source first and Yu Ying tried to snatch it.]
The reason was very simple. Since Guan Qi could come to the Shattered Star Sea, it meant his aptitude was pretty good in the Seeking Passion Sect. He could be regarded as an elite disciple, and as an elite, he must be cultivating the Seeking Passion Supreme Art.
This Secret Art of Seeking Passion Sect followed the Dao of Passion, so even if their elite disciples were a little lustful and each of them had countless wives and concubines, because of the characteristics of the Seeking Passion Supreme Art, they would never force themselves on a woman. When they wanted to get a woman, they would inevitably need to seduce and win her over, so the other party fell in love with them.
Yu Ying stated that Guan Qi had lusted for her, which was obviously nonsense.
If Yang Kai hadn’t dealt with the Seeking Passion Sect in the Northern Territory, he wouldn’t have been aware of this particular detail.
But then again, neither of these two were good people. They were fighting like dogs, biting each other.
The two quarrelled for a while before Yu Ying shook Yang Kai’s arm and sweetly whispered, “Senior Brother Feng, this person is bullying me. You have to do something on my behalf!”
By the looks of her stance, she really wanted to rely on Yang Kai’s strength to wear the lion’s skin.
Yang Kai didn’t want to watch it anymore, so he let out a cold snort and stated directly, “Since you have offended my Junior Sister Yu, this matter can’t be forgotten.”
Guan Qi gritted his teeth and shouted in a low voice, glaring at Yang Kai, “What do you want? Friend, I have no past grudge or grievance with you, so don’t go too far!”
He was neither humble nor overbearing, catching Yang Kai by surprise. After pondering for a while, Yang Kai sneered and stated, “Fortunately, Junior Sister Yu didn’t suffer any injuries. Otherwise, this Feng would have already taken your life!”
Guan Qi relaxed after hearing this. From the looks of it, it seemed that Yang Kai wasn’t planning on making things too difficult for him. This surprised him as he had no idea what Yang Kai wanted.
In this damned place, a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master had plenty of reasons and the ability to kill him. And to top it off, any conflicts at this point would mean a death in vain.
“Who said I’m not hurt? My heart is deeply wounded. If you don’t believe it, Senior Brother, you examine it for yourself,” Yu Ying whispered in a tender voice and while speaking, she pushed her ‘heart’ before Yang Kai, as though saying ‘I’m all yours’.
Black lines appeared on Yang Kai’s face as he stated, “There is someone here…”
Yu Ying giggled and said, “Senior Brother Feng, you are really interesting.”
She thought that Yang Kai had thin skin and was embarrassed to have excessive contact in front of others.
Yang Kai quickly changed the subject and shouted at Guan Qi, “Let’s do it like this, you will have to leave something behind and I’ll let you go!”
“What!?” Guan Qi’s face changed as he cried in shock. If Yang Kai’s request wasn’t excessive, he might agree, but if it’s too excessive, even if he had to put his life on the line, he would not let Yang Kai have his way.
“Leave your Space Ring as compensation for my Junior Sister Yu,” Yang Kai stated coldly.
Yu Ying was a little unhappy because Yang Kai said that he was going to let Guan Qi off, but when she heard the next sentence, she immediately raised her brows in glee and looked at Yang Kai in gratitude.
Guan Qi pondered for a moment in silence. He seemed to have also realized that he was currently a fish on the chopping board that couldn’t resist at all, so he reluctantly removed his Space Ring and threw it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai casually took it, secretly inspected it with his Divine Sense to make sure that there was nothing in it that he was interested in, before gifting it to Yu Ying.
“Can this Guan go now?” Guan Qi anxiously asked.
“Scram!” Yang Kai fiercely shouted.
Guan Qi bitterly glanced at Yang Kai and Yu Ying, as if he wanted to burn the image of this shameless couple in the depths of his mind. Only then did he use some kind of Secret Technique to flee at a very fast speed.
“Senior Brother Feng, if you make a move now, you can definitely catch him by surprise!” Yu Ying whispered in Yang Kai’s ear while secretly circulating her Source Qi, preparing to make her move at any moment.
[She is truly vicious!] Yang Kai was secretly shocked. Even now, she didn’t plan to let Guan Qi go. She wanted to take his life. Presumably, if not for her being uncertain if she would succeed, she would have already acted.
She wanted to use Yang Kai’s strength to kill Guan Qi.
But much to her disappointment, from the start of Guan Qi’s departure, Yang Kai had no intention of making a move. Yu Ying was a little dissatisfied by this and knit her brow, secretly thinking that this Senior Brother surnamed Feng was a little too kind.
[That Guan Qi had a five-pointed Star Seal. If I could have killed him and stole his Star Seal, then my Star Seal would have upgraded. I missed this huge opportunity for nothing!] Yu Ying’s joy of getting Guan Qi’s Space Ring had diminished a lot.
“The disciples of the Seeking Passion Sect aren’t good to provoke, he might have some card up his sleeve. Once he was forced to use that card, we might not be able to retreat scot-free,” Yang Kai indifferently explained.
In fact, he just didn’t want to be used by Yu Ying. If he had met Guan Qi alone, the result might not have been the same.
“I guess, you are right,” Yu Ying approvingly nodded before continuing with a smile, “Senior Brother Feng is quite thorough.”
After a pause, she asked, “Senior Brother Feng, about that ring…”
Although Yang Kai had just mentioned that the ring was meant as compensation for her loss, it was Yang Kai who had robbed it, so at this moment, she had to ask for his opinion.
“Junior Sister, take it as my gift to you,” Yang Kai slightly smiled.
Yu Ying beamed with joy as she put the ring away and stated, “Senior Brother Feng, you are so good!”
Yang Kai smiled and continued, “Senior Brother is just gifting at the expense of others, so Junior Sister doesn’t need to care.” He then quickly changed the subject, “Right, I haven’t seen Senior Brother Yin for several years, why don’t we go look for him now?”
Deep down in his heart, he couldn’t wait to meet Yin Le Sheng and inquire about the whereabouts of Xiao Xiao. If it weren’t for this reason, why would he try to please Yu Ying and even more, tolerate her shamelessness?
“It’s not that simple to find Senior Brother Yin. Although we Netherworld Sect disciples cultivated a certain Secret Technique before we came to this place which allows us to sense each other from far away, the Shattered Star Sea is vast and we might not see each other until it closes. However, Senior Brother Feng, rest assured, even if we don’t find Senior Brother Ying, when you come to my Netherworld Sect in the future, you only need to report this Junior Sister’s name, and this Junior Sister will definitely welcome you in person.”
Yang Kai was struck with a chill when he heard this. If Yin Le Sheng wasn’t found, what would he do with Yu Ying?
Yu Ying added, “But it’s not like there is no hope. We are still in the periphery of the Shattered Star Sea. Senior Brother Yin must be heading towards the central region so we simply need to travel deeper before I can sense his position.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Yang Kai anxiously proposed.
Yu Ying glanced at him and said, “Oh, Senior Brother Feng, you are really anxious. It is important to find Senior Brother Yin, but the Star Source here is not to be missed either.”
Yang Kai smacked his head and said, “Good, I almost forgot about this. Many thanks for Junior Sister Yu’s reminder.”
Yu Ying pursed her lips into a smile, “Senior Brother Feng is so cute.”
Yang Kai stated, “In that case, you and I should find a place to refine the Star Source here, and then we will go look for Senior Brother Yin.”
“Good!”
Next, the two moved separately, each looking for a safe location before they sat down cross-legged and started refining the Source Strength.
The Source Strength here wasn’t bad, enough for two ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivators to spend an entire month to completely absorb it.
Fortunately, the Shattered Star Sea remained open for quite some time, allowing cultivators to refine a lot of Source Strength despite it being a time-consuming process. If the duration was too short, the cultivators who entered here basically wouldn’t gain any benefits at all.
Yang Kai was anxious to find Yin Le Sheng though, so he directly used his Star Refining Art and in an instant, the Source Strength lingering about this asteroid swarmed toward him, transforming into specks of starlight that passed through his skin and merged with his body.
After two days, the Source Strength of the asteroid was completely refined.
This was the result of Yang Kai holding back. If he had gone all out, perhaps it wouldn’t have taken him half a day to absorb the Source Strength here.
Ninety-nine percent of the Star Source here was refined by Yang Kai, so Yu Ying ended up with a pitiful amount.
Two days later, the two reunited and Yu Ying looked at Yang Kai with a weird expression and asked, “Senior Brother Feng, why did the Source Strength here disappear so soon?”
“I don’t know either,” Yang Kai pretended to be ignorant. Yu Ying didn’t see him while he was circulating the Star Refining Art so there was no way for her to know anything.
Yu Ying stated, “I could feel it, all the Source Strength was converging toward Senior Brother Feng’s location. Senior Brother Feng, your refining speed is much faster than mine…” At this point, she seemed to have struck with realization and her countenance changed as she asked in a shaking voice, “Senior Brother Feng, you wouldn’t happen to be a Star Master?”
Yang Kai was stunned; however, he agreed with a nod, “En, I am also a Star Master of the Grand Desolation Star Field.”
Yu Ying couldn’t help but cover her cherry red lips with her soft hands as she looked at Yang Kai with excitement, as if she had seen some marvellous treasure, whispering in a low voice, “Senior Brother Feng, are you really a Star Master?”
Yu Ying looked inexplicably surprised, which Yang Kai found extremely strange, “Is there something wrong with that?”
Yu Ying excitedly explained, “I heard rumours that the Shattered Star Sea is the best place for Star Masters to seek opportunity because their speed of refining Source Strength is far greater than that of others. In the past, I used to think that it was just a lie, but now, it seems those rumours are indeed true. Your speed of refining is much faster than I expected!”
Yang Kai curiously asked, “Do Star Masters really get to enjoy such benefits?”
“Senior Brother Feng, don’t you know?”
Yang Kai shook his head and replied, “I have been alone since I came in. And I have been refining the Star Sources like this. I thought that it was the same for everyone.”
“How could that be? The same?” Yu Ying screamed, “If you let this Junior Sister refine the Star Source here alone, I would take at least two months!”
“That long!?” Yang Kai looked as if he had been greatly taken aback.
Yu Ying looked at Yang Kai with a fiery hot gaze and explained, “Senior Brother, do you know how amazing you are? I guess it should be true for Senior Brother Yin as well!”
Yang Kai agreed, nodding, “Senior Brother is stronger than me. Naturally, he is more amazing than me.”
While saying this, Yang Kai sneered in his heart. Yin Le Sheng might also be a Star Master and may enjoy some benefits, but it was impossible for him to refine it this quickly without the Star Refining Art. At best, he would be a little faster than others.
It was the Star Refining Art that made the Shattered Star Sea a walk in the park.
“Senior Brother Fen really has a bright future.” Yu Ying looked at Yang Kai with a fiery gaze. She knew that Yang Kai, like Yin Le Sheng, came from the Grand Desolation Star Field and his aptitude was good. So, he most likely would achieve high success and status someday. However, after learning that he was in fact a Star Master, Yu Ying immediately understood that the Feng De before her was a second Yin Le Sheng.
If she could recruit such a person into the Netherworld Sect by herself, her status would also rise. She would be greatly appreciated by the Sect’s upper echelon. And when her Brother Feng’s cultivation reached the top, who would dare to provoke her?
In a flash, Yu Ying made a decision. She secretly made up her mind that she would find a chance to occupy her Senior Brother Feng’s heart and body so that only she could use him.
“Junior Sister Yu is too polite. Since the Star Source here is already finished, why don’t we set off.” Yang Kai’s heart was preoccupied with Yin Le Sheng, so he didn’t want to waste time chatting with her.
Yu Ying agreed with a nod, “Good.” Saying so, she flicked her wrist and summoned a small flying artifact. This artifact looked extremely delicate but the energy fluctuations emanating from it weren’t weak. Surprisingly, it was a Dao Source High-Grade flight type artifact, on par with the wooden boat Yang Kai used.
Yang Kai was secretly shocked as he thought to himself, [This Yu Ying is indeed an elite of one of the top Sects in the Star Boundary.] To his surprise, a mere Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator like Yu Ying had easily taken out such a precious artifact.
“Senior Brother Feng, why don’t you join me?” Yu Ying winked at Yang Kai and appeared shy before inviting in a sweet voice, “We will need to travel for a long time, so we won’t be lonely if we go together.”
Yang Kai’s skin crawled as he shuddered. He didn’t want to stay in the same room with her, but at this point, it seemed too inappropriate to refuse. So after a moment of pondering, he could only choke down his disgust and agree, “Of course.”
Yu Ying invited with a smile, “Senior Brother Feng, please come in.”
While speaking, the hatch of the flying shuttle opened.
The two entered one after another.
After entering, Yang Kai found that the space inside the flying artifact wasn’t that big. Besides a bridge from which to control the artifact, there was only a bedroom; however, the interior of the artifact was luxuriously decorated by Yu Ying and was filled with a luxurious fragrance that lingered at the tip of Yang Kai’s nose.
Who knows how many people she had invited into her shuttle. In any case, Yang Kai didn’t like this environment at all.
Yu Ying appeared bashful as her eyes were filled with spring, as if she was expecting something amazing to happen.
Yang Kai didn’t wait for her to speak and simply stated, “Junior Sister Yu, I have been fighting a lot of people recently, making me exhaust a lot of my Source Qi. So, I will have to use Junior Sister’s bedroom. I will recuperate for the time being and take your place after a few days!”
After having said this, Yang Kai immediately walked into the only bedroom, closed the door, and sat down cross-legged.
Yu Yin stood there blankly; it was obvious as to what she was thinking. After a good while, she let out a snort before she turned around to control the artifact.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai lived very cautiously and bitterly.
Yu Ying always came up with ways to tease him, harass him, and kept pestering him, hoping he would give in to her. If he didn’t need Yu Ying to search for Yin Le Sheng, Yang Kai would have already slapped this shameless woman to death.
In any case, having been with her for so many days, Yang Kai knew there wasn’t anything decent about Yu Ying.
Yang Kai spent most of his time in retreat, inside her bedroom. Except for replacing Yu Ying to pilot the shuttle, Yang Kai didn’t come out, so Yu Ying never found a chance to ‘further’ their relationship.
Occasionally, they would find some shattered stars or asteroids with Source Strength along the way. Naturally, the two would not miss them.
Whenever they refined this Source Strength though, Yang Kai would always use the Star Refining Art with all his strength, resulting in little benefit for Yu Ying. Because of this, Yu Ying couldn’t help but grumble a little. She felt that this Feng De wasn’t generous enough as whenever they encountered something good, he would unceremoniously snatch it all, leaving nothing for her.
However, Yu Ying didn’t dare to not give Yang Kai face. First, Yang Kai’s cultivation was higher, and second, she also hoped that Yang Kai would shelter and take care of her after entering the Netherworld Sect. So, even though she was extremely dissatisfied, she still didn’t grumble in front of Yang Kai, only cursing him in secret.
But oblivious to her, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense had been paying attention to her movements while he was in retreat, so he knew all about her sentiment. He also understood how evil she was.
Today, Yang Kai, who was in retreat, suddenly opened his eyes as he sensed some quickly approaching Star Seal fluctuations. Star Seal fluctuations meant that a cultivator was approaching, but he had no idea how many there were because he could only sense the existence of the cultivators whose Star Seals were lower than his. If the Star Seal level was the same or higher than his, he couldn’t sense them.
Considering all this, Yang Kai sent a message to Yu Ying, “Junior Sister Yu, some people are approaching us.”
A bored Yu Ying was piloting the shuttle, but the moment she heard this, she immediately asked in surprise, “Where are they and how many of them are there?”
Judging by how ignorant she looked, obviously, she hadn’t noticed the ones approaching, which meant that the Star Seals of the people coming were all on the same level as hers’ or higher.
“To the east, as for how many, there are at least three of them!” Because Yang Kai could only sense the fluctuations of three Star Seals, he was certain that there were at least three approaching. While speaking to this point, he paused and then added, “They have increased their speed. They are rushing towards us.”
Yu Ying was greatly shocked after hearing this, but just as she was about to accelerate and leave this place, a streak of light appeared in her sight. In that fleeting moment, the streak of light had arrived not too far away from the shuttle and came to a halt.
Immediately afterward, five figures suddenly appeared in that location.
Yang Kai was secretly surprised because he could only sense the fluctuations of three Star Seals, but now, there were five people. In other words, two of them had six-pointed Star Seals at least.
Meanwhile, when Yu Ying saw these five figures, her pretty face went pale and she nervously gulped, as if she was very afraid of them.
[It’s too late to run at this point, and any rash move might cause a negative chain reaction. Judging by these people’s attitudes, it seems that they were targeting us from the start. Who knows whether this is a blessing or curse.] In a flash, Yu Ying felt extremely uneasy.
“Who are these people?” Yang Kai suddenly appeared beside her and asked.
Yu Ying’s pretty face slightly paled as she replied, “They are disciples of Brahma Holy Land. Brahma Holy Land is also a top Sect of the Eastern Territory; our Netherworld Sect is just slightly weaker than theirs.”
Yang Kai asked again, “And the relation between yours and their Sect isn’t very good, right?”
Yu Ying smiled bitterly as she agreed, “It isn’t that bad, but there is still some small friction between the two Sects, the same as with all disciples from top Sects.”
Yang Kai lightly nodded before he asked, pointing at two particular individuals, “Those two should be extremely strong!”
Yu Ying glanced at him in surprise and replied, “Those two are the Holy Sons of Brahma Holy Land, so they are naturally extremely strong. In my Sect, only a few Senior Brothers can compete with them.”
“Holy Sons?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“I don’t know what they are doing here. Senior Brother Feng, please don’t say anything, I will deal with them,” Yu Ying nervously exhorted. She was afraid that Yang Kai would ignorantly offend them, dooming them.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded.
At that moment, one of the five suddenly shouted, “Get out!”
Yu Ying had a bitter taste in her mouth as she reluctantly opened the shuttle hatch and went out.
Yang Kai followed closely behind her. At this point, it was meaningless to hide as the opposite party’s Divine Senses were constantly scanning the shuttle. They must have discovered him a long time ago.
After stepping out of the shuttle, Yu Ying politely cupped her fist and gently greeted, “Yu Ying greets Senior Brother Zhang Hao and Senior Brother Zhang Xian!”
The two called Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian should be the two Holy Sons of Brahma Holy Land, the ones Yu Ying was afraid of. Both of them were peak Dao Source Realm Masters and seemed extremely powerful. As for the remaining three, they were only in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, so Yu Ying wasn’t too afraid of them.
Zhang Hao, who looked a little angry, narrowed his eyes and coldly glared at her before stating, “I was wondering who it was, so it’s you, you slut!”
He didn’t show the slightest bit of politeness when he directly called Yu Ying a slut. Obviously, he knew about Yu Ying’s infidelity and lasciviousness.
After all, both of them were disciples of top Sects in the Eastern Territory, so they had some intelligence about one another. What’s more, Yu Ying was extremely famous throughout the Eastern Territory for her debauchery.
Zhang Xian, on the other hand, glanced at Yang Kai with a meaningful gaze before sarcastically commenting, “In the short time I haven’t seen you, you have already changed your man. Yu Ying, you have really opened my eyes!”
Yu Ying lightly bit her cherry red lips and pitifully asked, “Senior Brothers, why are you slandering me as soon as we meet? How did this Junior Sister offend you? Senior Brother Feng and I share a pure and innocent relationship. Senior Brothers, please don’t soil my reputation.”
While speaking, she looked at Yang Kai with some worry, as if she was afraid that he would come to know of her past.
“Pure and innocent!?” Zhang Xian’s eyes immediately widened, stunned. He was rooted on the spot while the four other disciples of Brahma Holy Land also looked as if they had seen a ghost.
After a while, the five suddenly laughed out loud in unison., their voices rampant and filled with sarcasm.
Suddenly, they stopped laughing as Zhang Hao stated with a cold look on his face, “That’s the funniest joke I have ever heard.”
Zhang Xian also added, “A man staying with you in a bedroom and still remaining pure and innocent? I’m afraid such a man must be one that has yet to be born!”
Yu Ying’s face turned red and blue. Even if she was fickle and lascivious, she found it a little hard to take it when it was said straight to her face. She glanced at Yang Kai and defended herself, “Senior Brother Feng, don’t listen to their nonsense. This Junior Sister isn’t that kind of person.”
Yang Kai said, nodding, “I know.”
But he also sneered in his heart. He had pretty much figured out her nature over the time he was with her. [What’s going on in her mind? She is still pretending to be innocent and explaining herself to me even at this point?]
Yu Ying, seeing Yang Kai’s indifferent look, was a little bit annoyed in her heart and secretly blamed the Brahma Holy Land disciples for being meddlesome. But since she was weaker than them, she didn’t dare to be angry. All she could do was cast a pitiful look and defend herself, “Senior Brothers, did you stop this Junior Sister just to humiliate her? If that’s the case, then you have succeeded. This Junior Sister… will take her leave.”
“You want to leave? Did you ask me yet?” Zhang Hao shouted aloud.
“Senior Brothers, what do you want?” Yu Ying’s heart started pounding. Seeing Zhang Hao and his group aiming at her, it was quite obvious that they weren’t here for a chat.
Zhang Xian coldly glared at Yu Ying and asked, snorting, “Cheap slut, let me ask you, where is our Junior Brother Deng Yong now?”
When she heard this, Yu Ying’s expression slightly changed; however, she hid it very quickly as she forced a smile and stated, “Senior Brother Zhang Xian, why are you asking me this? Shouldn’t you know where Deng Yong is? Why are you asking this Junior Sister? I haven’t seen him.”
“You still dare to lie!?” Zhang Hao’s eyes flickered with a cold gleam as he shouted, “Junior Brother Deng Yong clearly died at your hands.”
Panic-stricken, Yu Ying defended herself, “Why would Senior Brother Zhang Hao think that? I and Deng Yong have no past grudges or grievances. Even if I ran into him, why would I kill him? Not to mention, Deng Yong is stronger than me. Junior Sister is powerless to kill him even if I wanted to. Senior Brother Zhang Hao, don’t slander me.”
“You are still trying to give excuses!” Zhang Hao grit his teeth, his burning with fury as he glared at Yu Ying and coldly snorted, “Since you are being so stubborn, I let you understand! The Scattered Soul Seal of Junior Brother Deng Yong is clearly branded on you. We tracked you down by sensing this Scattered Soul Seal. Now, what else do you have to say!”
Yu Ying’s face suddenly paled.
Zhang Xian added, “At first, we were still wondering who it was that killed Deng Yong, but it turned out to be you! Deng Yong is indeed stronger than you, but it’s not surprising that he died at your hand; after all, he has always been a lecher!”
Zhang Hao continued, “Although Deng Yong was utterly depraved and deserved to be damned, he was still a Brahma Holy Land disciple. Yu Ying, you will have to pay for his death with your life! However, I will give you a chance to commit suicide here and now rather than suffer at our hands.”
The two of them had directly pronounced Yu Ying’s death, draining Yu Ying’s pretty face of its blood, causing her tender body to tremble.
At this moment, Yang Kai had already noticed a hidden Soul Imprint somewhere on Yu Ying’s body. Obviously, it was left by this Deng Yong before his death. It was ridiculous that Yu Ying had been unaware of it, causing her to be caught by the disciples of Brahma Holy Land. Now, she couldn’t justify herself even if she wanted to.
Yang Kai had been wondering why the five Brahma Holy Land disciples would come straight at them and block him and Yu Ying, but now it seemed that it was because of the Scattered Soul Seal.
It was unclear when Yu Ying had killed Deng Yong, but she must have done so within this year.
Yang Kai was secretly annoyed. He followed Yu Ying just so that he could find Yin Le Sheng, nothing more, nothing less. He had never expected such a thing to happen, and worse, he couldn’t just ignore it either. If he didn’t do anything, Yu Ying would die for sure, and all his hard work and perseverance would go to waste.
So, whether he wanted to or not, he had to save Yu Ying.
“Still not acting?” Zhang Hao, seeing Yu Ying stalling, he couldn’t help but shout, “Think about it, if you force us to do it, you won’t die even if you want to!”
Yu Ying’s face turned paler as she grit her teeth and stepped back as she tenderly shouted, “This is Senior Brother Feng De from my Sect. If you have anything to say, talk to him!”
When she saw that things weren’t in her favour, she directly pushed Yang Kai out, wanting to use him as a shield and not making any qualms about it.
“Feng De?” Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes as he indifferently glanced at Yang Kai, “Where did this waste pop out from? I’ve never heard of him!”
Regarding Netherworld Sect, any Dao Source Realm cultivator who could compete with the Holy Sons of their Sect was well known, so since he had never heard of Feng De, it meant he was just a normal disciple, not someone they needed to care about.
“Boy, are you going to stand up for this slut? You still have time to think it out!” Zhang Xian looked at Yang Kai and sneered.
Yang Kai remained calm while he was filled with irritation, using this opportunity to vent slightly, “Junior Sister Yu, since you called me Senior Brother, then this Feng naturally can’t sit back and watch. If you want to kill her, you have to pass through this Feng first!”
Yu Ying, who was hiding behind him, had her eyes brightened immediately. She hadn’t expected his response would be so bold and responsible; after all, he wasn’t a Netherworld Sect disciple and they were just acquaintances. If he fled at this moment, it would be understandable. But he didn’t do so.
[This guy is really stupid!] Yu Ying sneered in her heart.
However, if Feng De kept them busy for a while, she may have a chance to escape. As for whether Feng De could survive or not, she didn’t care, her life was most important.
[Unfortunately, I can’t bring him to Netherworld Sect, but who would have thought that he was this unlucky?]
Yu Ying secretly made plans in her heart. She had already taken the posture to escape at a moment’s notice. Although her stance was quite well concealed, it couldn’t escape Yang Kai’s notice.
He sneered in his heart seeing this. Yu Ying was as sinister and vicious as could be. If he was really Feng De, he might have been sold out by her already. Unfortunately for her, even with all her schemes, what was the point if they are so obvious?
“Alright, since you want to die, then I will fulfil your wish!” Zhang Hao looked rough and was clearly someone with a fiery temper. He was undoubtedly irritated by Yang Kai, so as he spoke, he summoned a war hammer into his hands. This artifact gave off terrifying energy fluctuations as he raised it up high and smashed it towards Yang Kai and Yu Ying, showing no mercy.
In a flash, the surrounding space froze, and it seemed as if the void was about to collapse. The next moment, an enormous hammer image appeared above Yang Kai and Yu Ying, covering them entirely.
Even though this move was powerful, it was nothing in Yang Kai’s eyes. If he wanted, he could easily wipe out these five disciples of Brahma Holy Land.
However, he didn’t want to expose his true abilities here, especially in front of Yu Ying.
So, he pretended to be panic-stricken. He didn’t use any Secret Techniques or summon any artifacts, instead just wielding his fists madly towards the giant hammer.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The next moment, the void shook as powerful shockwaves spread in all directions.
Yang Kai spurted a mouthful of blood and retreated ten metres, as if he couldn’t bear it.
Taking advantage of this momentum, Yang Kai promptly jumped back and fled towards the depths of the void, without even looking back. Before fleeing, he didn’t forget to shout, “Junior Sister Yu, quickly run!”
At this moment, Yu Ying had already used some kind of Secret Technique and her figure vanished into a plume of smoke, flying off into the distance like a gust of wind. Judging by her appearance, it seemed that she had already decided to run when Yang Kai and Zhang Hao clashed, having no intention of helping Yang Kai.
Hearing Yang Kai’s shout, she hurriedly said, “Senior Brother Feng, you escape as well! You will definitely die if they catch you!”
Her escape technique was very peculiar and it seemed that she was burning up all of her Source Qi to use it. Such consumption was terrifying, but it made her move extremely fast.
Yang Kai took a glance and hurriedly bit the tip of his tongue, pretending to spurt out a mouthful of Blood Essence before catching up with Yu Ying.
Zhang Hao and his group stood gawking on their spot, dumbfounded.
When Yang Kai took a brave and senseless stance, they thought that they had encountered someone with some backbone. However, they hadn’t expected Yang Kai to spurt blood after clashing just once with Zhang Hao and now even burned his Blood Essence to escape.
“That guy… he’s just an embroidered pillow!” Zhang Xian teasingly remarked.
“Hmph, he should count himself lucky for running so quickly, otherwise, he would have definitely died without a burial!” Zhang Hao added, furious. He then put away his hammer artifact and ordered, waving his hand, “Follow them. No matter what, they have to die to avenge Junior Brother Deng Yong!”
The others nodded in agreement as they followed closely after the two Holy Sons, Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian, in pursuit of Yang Kai and Yu Ying.
Yu Ying and that guy named Feng De had resorted to such extreme means to escape. One using such a high consumption Secret Technique and the other, using his Blood Essence; however, both methods could not be maintained for long! Once enough time passed, they would definitely be in a greatly weakened state.
At that time, they wouldn’t have to worry about anything when killing them.
On the other side, Yang Kai and Yu Ying, who had fled into the depths of the void, didn’t dare to look back.
Having ‘burned his Blood Essence’, Yang Kai appeared to be in a sorry state. But in fact, everything was under his control as he simply hadn’t done such a thing.
After flying for a while, Yang Kai finally shouted, “Junior Sister Yu, you have to dispel the Scattered Soul Seal on your body as quickly as possible, otherwise we won’t be able to escape.”
[This woman is really stupid, those two Holy Sons just mentioned this but even now she hasn’t thought of getting rid of it!] If she had no relation to finding Xiao Xiao, Yang Kai would have never reminded her.
After being reminded by Yang Kai, Yu Ying finally came to her senses and she immediately started undressing herself. After a while, she had completely stripped herself, leaving only a set of undergarments that were as thin as cicada’s wings and completely transparent.
Black lines immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face at the sight of this and he couldn’t help but ask, “Junior Sister Yu, what are you doing?”
Yu Ying justified herself, “I can’t even sense where the seal is. I hope that it’s on the clothes.”
Yang Kai was rendered speechless, “It’s on your shoulder, focus your Divine Sense to look for it!”
The Scattered Soul Seal was indeed pretty well hidden, and had it not been for Yang Kai’s extraordinarily powerful Divine Sense, he would not have been able to easily find it. Now, with Yang Kai’s guidance, Yu Ying hastily gathered her Divine Sense on her delicate shoulder.
After a while, a smile bloomed on her face. Obviously, she had found something.
Who knew what Secret Technique she had cast, but as the two escaped, Yang Kai could feel the Scattered Soul Seal slowly dissipating before finally vanishing into nothing.
Only then did Yu Ying heave a sigh of relief. She then took out a new set of clothing from her Space Ring and put it on.
Now that there was no Scattered Soul Seal, the two of them only needed to run faster and get rid of the Brahma Holy Land disciples to be safe.
After having gotten free of the worries, Yu Ying finally thanked Yang Kai, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Feng, for everything you did just now.”
Yang Kai indifferently responded, “You’re welcome.”
As if she had sensed his indifference, Yu Ying couldn’t help but look a little sad. She was wondering whether this Senior Brother Feng was angry at her because of what just happened; after all, she had indeed gone overboard. Had it been someone else, they would have surely been angry.
After escaping for half an hour like this, Yu Ying’s already pale face whitened even more. She was out of breath and although her Secret Technique was easy to use, it consumed a lot of her energy. It was difficult to maintain their speed.
Yang Kai, seeing that she had slowed down, summoned his ship and proposed, “Get on, I will take you with me!”
Yu Ying immediately nodded her agreement before jumping straight onto his ship. She sat down cross-legged and started stuffing herself with restorative pills. While at it, she took out a communication artifact and continuously sent out messages. Apparently, she was trying to contact some Netherworld Sect disciples.
Seeing this, Yang Kai was secretly elated. He hoped that Yu Ying could connect with Yin Le Sheng at once.
The Brahma Holy Land disciples seemed to have been thrown far behind as when Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense, he was unable to find them.
One day later, Yu Ying’s pretty eyes suddenly lit up and she shouted in a low voice, “Senior Brother Feng, I found someone from my Sect.”
Yang Kai was overjoyed and immediately asked, “Who?”
Yu Ying replied, “It’s Senior Brother Zhong, Zhong Zhen Yong. I wonder if you have heard of him or not?”
[It’s not Yin Le Sheng.] Yang Kai was a little disappointed, but he still replied, “I don’t know much about the Eastern Territory as I have never been there, so I haven’t heard of your Senior Brother Zhong.”
Yu Ying explained with a smile, “Senior Brother Zhong ranks among the top three in the Dao Source Realm within our Sect. If we can get his protection, we don’t need to be afraid of those Brahma Holy Land disciples. We should look for him right away.”
“Good, lead the way!” Yang Kai nodded.
Although Yu Ying couldn’t reach Yin Le Sheng, Yang Kai felt that it might not be impossible to inquire about Ying Le Sheng from this Zhong Zhen Yong; after all, maybe Zhong Zhen Yong knew something they didn’t.
Next, Yang Kai changed direction under Yu Ying’s guidance and flew towards a certain place.
After an hour, a figure standing in the void entered Yang Kai’s vision. Yang Kai immediately piloted his ship toward this figure and even before the ship could come to halt, Yu Ying rushed out in joy and cried, “Senior Brother Zhong!”
“Junior Sister Yu!” Zhong Zheng Yong smiled at Yu Ying before he raised his eyes and indifferently gazed at Yang Kai while asking, “Is this the Brother Feng that Junior Sister Yu mentioned?”
He directly spoke Yang Kai’s false name, so obviously, Yu Ying had already informed him about Yang Kai before coming here.
Yu Ying agreed with a nod, “Yes, Senior Brother Zhong. Junior Sister was only able to safely come here thanks to Senior Brother Feng.”
Zhong Zhen Yong was handsome and suave and seemed to have an amiable air around him without much arrogance. Having gotten the confirmation, he glanced at Yang Kai and asked, “I heard Junior Sister Yu say that you are from the Grand Desolation Star Field and a Star Master, just like Junior Brother Yin?”
Yang Kai politely cupped his fists and replied, “This Feng is indeed from the Grand Desolation Star Field and is also a Star Master, just like Senior Brother Yin. I haven’t seen Senior Brother Yin for many years and miss him very much, so I took the liberty to come with Junior Sister Yu here. I hope Senior Brother Zhong will forgive me.”
Zhong Zhen Yong broke into laughter as he stated, “No worries, no worries, since you intend to join our Netherworld Sect, we might be fellow Brothers in the future, so there’s no need to be so polite.”
Yu Ying added, “Senior Brother Zhong, this is not the right place to talk. Senior Brother Feng and I were being chased by Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian of Brahma Holy Land. I don’t know if they are still chasing after us. Let’s talk while on the move.”
“Zhang Hao, Zhang Xian!” Zhong Zhen Yong’s eyes glistened with a cold gleam as asked in a cold voice, “They dared to chase you? What for?”
Yu Ying apologetically replied, “Junior Sister accidentally killed Deng Yong…”
Zhong Zhen Yong angrily looked at her and asked, “He died because of the exhaustion of his Source Qi, am I right? How many times have I told you not to improve your strength like this! It will cause your foundation to become unstable and can also lead to an accident…”
“Yes, yes!” Yu Ying, seeing Zhong Zhen Yong about to lay bare all her past scandals in front of Yang Kai, immediately interrupted him and coquettishly reminded, “Let’s go quickly. Thanks to Senior Brother Feng, I am finally safe and sound. Senior Brother Feng is my saviour.”
“Then you better treat others a little better in the future,” Zhong Zhen Yong slightly smiled.
It seemed that because Yu Ying had said so many good things about Yang Kai, Zhong Zhen Yong’s attitude towards Yang Kai’s was pleasant. Obviously, he wanted to become friends with Yang Kai.
Under Yu Ying’s repeated urging, the three of them immediately set off.
Zhong Zhen Yong seemed to already have a destination in mind as he led the way without saying a word. Yang Kai and Yu Ying were left with no choice but to quietly follow after him.
After flying for a while, Yu Ying couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother Zhong, where are we going?”
“I’m looking for the others. They seemed to have found a very interesting place.”
“A very interesting place?” Yu Ying’s eyes lit up as she immediately asked, “What’s interesting about it?”
“You will know when you get there,” Zhong Zhen Yong left her hanging and didn’t explain anymore.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he asked, “Will Senior Brother Yin be there as well?”
Zhong Zhen Yong replied, “I don’t know. I also received a call from another disciple and was rushing over when I suddenly received a message from Junior Sister Yu. So, I stopped and waited for you.” He glanced at Yang Kai and stated with a smile, “Brother Feng and Junior Brother Yin must have a very good relationship for you to be so anxious to meet him.”
Yang Kai’s heart jumped as he realized that he had acted too eagerly. Nevertheless, he maintained the same expression as he explained himself, “Senior Brother Yin helped me a lot in the Grand Desolation Star Field in my early years and I have never gotten the opportunity to repay him. Naturally, I’m concerned about him.”
“You owe a debt of gratitude and hope to recompense it! Brother Feng is also a man with brotherly sentiments. My Netherworld Sect will gladly welcome someone like you,” Zheng Zhon Yong broke into laughter.
Yang Kai replied, “It is this Feng’s honour to join the Netherworld Sect. But I don’t know how high the threshold of your noble Sect is.”
Zhong Zhen Yong patted Yang Kai’s shoulder and said, “Rest assured, you will be fine.”
“Then, let me thank Senior Brother Zhong for his kind words in advance.”
The three chatted as they continued with their journey.
After two days, a huge dark red star suddenly came into view.
When their eyes laid on this star, whether it was Zhong Zhen Yong, Yu Ying, or Yang Kai, they were all shocked.
Ever since they entered the Shattered Star Sea, all the Cultivation Stars they had encountered were shattered. They had never seen a complete star; however, at this moment, one such star was right before their eyes.
The star was enormous and seemed quite ancient. Looking at it, it looked like a giant eye indifferently watching over the surroundings, causing everyone to shudder at the sight of it. It even gave off some kind of inexplicable pressure.
Not only that, this Cultivation Star was also radiating a terrifying heat, so much that even the space around it appeared to be distorting. In addition, there were countless black holes of varying sizes around this Star. When everyone turned their attention towards these black holes, it felt as if they would be completely devoured by them.
“Senior Brother Zhong…” Yu Ying’s pretty face slightly turned pale as she leaned against Zhong Zhen Yong a little as she asked, “Is this the interesting place you mentioned?”
Zhong Zhen Yong replied with a grin, “Exactly!”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he stated, “What dense Source Strength. Furthermore… it seems to be a little different from a normal Source Strength…”
Zhong Zhen Yong explained with a nod, “That’s because it is a Fire Attribute Star Source, not just an ordinary Star Source. If a cultivator cultivating a Fire Attribute Secret Art or Secret Technique can obtain this Source Strength, his or her strength would soar!”
“A Fire Attribute Star Source!” Yang Kai’s expression changed and he immediately thought of Liu Yang.
This would be extremely useful for Liu Yan! But Yang Kai hadn’t seen her after we had parted ways some time ago. It was a mystery whether she knew about this Fire Attribute Star Source.
However, Liu Yan was currently with Zhang Ruo Xi, and this Cultivation Star seemed like a dangerous spot, so even if Liu Yan had sensed this Fire Attribute Star Source, Zhang Ruo Xi might not be able to get close since her strength is still too low.
[Since it is here, if I can obtain and collect this Fire Attribute Star Source, I can just leave it for Liu Yan.]
Yang Kai secretly made up his mind as he became interested in this strange star.
And in that momentary loss of concentration, a sense of crisis suddenly flooded Yang Kai’s heart. Immediately after which a matchless burst of energy flew towards his face.
Yang Kai’s expression slightly changed as he saw a giant ghost claw piercing towards his heart.
This wasn’t the first time he saw such a ghost claw. When he had first encountered Yu Ying, he had seen her use this Secret Technique to fight with Guan Qi. It could be considered a symbol of the Netherworld Sect.
In a flash, Yang Kai understood who had sneak-attacked him.
If any ordinary cultivator had been sneak-attacked at such a close range and without any prior warning, he or she would have been completely powerless to resist, but Yang Kai cultivated the Dao of Space, so it was easy for him to sense and avoid such a sneak-attack.
At the critical moment, he directly used Nihility, turning his body illusory.
The ghastly ghost claw pierced through Yang Kai’s body, flying toward the depths of the void before disappearing very soon after.
Yang Kai’s figure solidified again as he coldly glared at Zhong Zhen Yong.
“Senior Brother Zhong… what are you doing?” Even until this moment, Yu Ying hadn’t realized what was happening and turned to Zhong Zhen Yong in amazement; she had no idea why he suddenly attacked Yang Kai.
After all, Zhong Zhen Yong’s attitude toward Yang Kai had been pretty good along the way. He had been chatting and laughing with him the whole time, so why did Zhong Zhen Yong suddenly turn hostile after coming here? Yu Ying wasn’t able to figure it out.
“Yes, Senior Brother Zhong, what are you doing?” Yang Kai coldly looked at Zhong Zhen Yong and asked with a gloomy look on his face, “How has this Feng offended you that you actually want to assassinate me?”
“This Feng is it?” Zhong Zhen Yong raised his brow and broke into laughter before he shouted, “Brother Feng, let this Zhong ask you a question. If your answer is satisfactory, this Zhong will apologize for everything. If it’s not… heh heh…”
Yang Kai slowly squinted his eyes as he replied, “Senior Brother Zhong, why don’t you ask then?”
Zhong Zhen Yong asked with a grim look on his face, “Brother Feng, which Sect in the Grand Desolation Star Field do you belong to? How did you come to meet Junior Brother Ying?”
Yang Kai was lost in thought after hearing this.
Zhong Zhen Yong had been paying close attention to the change in Yang Kai’s expression, not daring to miss even the slightest change. The nearby Yu Ying looked between the two as well. No matter how stupid she was, she finally realized that something was wrong and she couldn’t help but furrow her dark brow, silently circulating her Source Qi while vigilantly staring at Yang Kai.
After a short while, Yang Kai raised his eyes as he finally responded, staring at Zheng Zhen Yong, “Senior Brother Zhong, these are… two questions? You are breaking your word.”
Zhong Zhen Yong was stunned before he snapped back, “Whether it’s one or two, just answer.”
Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile as he asked, thoughtfully staring at Zhong Zhen Yong, “Senior Brother Zhong seems to know something!”
Since he already launched a sneak attack, it was obvious this Zhong Zhen Yong knew something and probably realized from the start that Yang Kai had been impersonating Feng De.
“Senior Brother Zhong, what is happening here?” Yu Ying asked, with an unsightly look on her face.
Zhong Zhen Yong let out a cold snort as he explained, pointing at Yang Kai, “Junior Sister Yu, this ‘Feng De’, who had been following you all the while, is a fake.”
“A fake!?” Yu Ying was stunned as she looked at Yang Kai in shock.
“The real Feng De is already dead!”
“Dead!?” Yu Ying was confused as she muttered to herself in disbelief, “How is that possible?”
If Feng De was already dead, how did this guy know so much about her Senior Brother Yin? What was the relationship between this guy and Senior Brother Yin? Did he pretend to be Feng De to approach Senior Brother Yin? Recalling that she had been totally defenceless with Yang Kai without even being aware of his true intentions, Yu Ying couldn’t help but shudder.
“The real Feng De died in the Starlight Corridor. Junior Brother Yin saw it with his own eyes, so this is a fact. As for the person in front of you, he has some grudges with Junior Brother Yin,” Zhong Zhen Yong sneered as he mockingly looked at Yang Kai, “Am I right, Brother Yang?”
A heavy emphasis on the ‘Brother Yang’.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he asked in surprise, “Oh? Since you know everything down to my name, it seems that Yin Le Sheng has been in contact with you?”
While speaking, his eyes lit up as he glanced towards the strange dark red Star.
Although Zhong Zhen Yong didn’t mention where Yin Le Sheng was now, Yang Kai was ninety percent certain that he was on this Star. Otherwise, Zhong Zhen Yong would not have been able to contact Yin Le Shen and ask about him at all.
“Good,” Zhong Zhen Yong didn’t have any intention of denying it, “I indeed obtained all this information from Junior Brother Yin. No matter what kind of grievance there is between you and Junior Brother Yin, you will not have a chance to report it.”
While he was speaking, a hideous and greedy look appeared on Zhong Zhen Yong’s face, like he was hungry for a pound of Yang Kai flesh.
“Who exactly are you? Why did you lie to me!?” Yu Ying became furious. Her pretty eyes were burning with fury as she bit her lips in anger, glaring at Yang Kai, her face laced with murderous intent.
Yang Kai glanced at her and stated in a cold voice, “What an ungrateful and ruthless woman. This Young Master saved your life and now you dare to show murderous intent toward me? Even shamelessness should have a limit!”
Yu Ying tenderly shouted, “So what!? Since you dared to lie to me, you deserve to die!” She turned around and said to Zhong Zhen Yong, “Senior Brother Zhong, this guy has a complete Star Source. If you can obtain it, it will be of great benefit to Senior Brother.”
Zhong Zhen Yong licked his lips as he excitedly stated, “I’m well aware of this.”
In the Netherworld Sect, although he believed that his current strength wasn’t much worse than Yin Le Sheng, based on Yin Le Sheng’s terrifying cultivation speed, it wouldn’t be long before he would be surpassed. And the biggest source of Yin Le Sheng’s rapid progress was his status as a Star Master and the fact that he had a complete Star Source.
This was an opportunity that no cultivator could get even after praying day and night for!
But now, another cultivator with a complete Star Source was right before him. This kind of Star Source was completely different from the Shattered Star Sea’s Shattered Sources. If Zhong Zhen Yong could obtain Yang Kai’s Star Source, the benefits would be simply unimaginable. With it, he wouldn’t need to worry about being surpassed by Yin Le Sheng. Both would have a complete Star Source and the rest would come down to hard work and persistence. And in those regards, Zhong Zhen Yong was confident that he wouldn’t lose to anyone.
Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Is Yin Le Sheng really on that Star?”
Zhong Zhen Yong rebuked with a cold snort, “You are about to die, what’s the point in asking?”
Yang Kai grinned and stated, “Since I’ve found Yin Le Sheng, there is no need to keep you all alive!”
Zhong Zhen Yong was startled before he furiously roared, “Little brat, you are really insane! You are the first one to say something like this to this Zhong! I will send you to hell with this Netherworld Purgatory Banner!”
Saying so, he suddenly stretched his hand out and summoned a black banner. A burst of cries and howls immediately came from the black banner and gusts of dark and sinister winds that carried endless coldness swept out.
When the Netherworld Purgatory Banner spread open, even richer Yin Qi billowed towards Yang Kai, making him feel as if he was being dragged into the real Netherworld.
Yu Ying, seeing Zhong Zhen Yong resorting straight to his trump card, had a distinct change in her expression and hastily retreated, lest she was also caught up in this fight.
“An interesting artifact! This should be perfect for Gui Zu,” when Yang Kai caught sight of the Netherworld Purgatory Banner, his eyes immediately lit up. This artifact was similar to Gui Zu’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner. Both artifacts should have the same origin, but the grade of the Netherworld Purgatory Banner was obviously much higher than Gui Zu’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Yang Kai could even feel faint Emperor Pressure emanating from it.
In other words, this artifact should have been personally refined by an Emperor Realm Master and was currently a Pseudo-Emperor Artifact, yet to fully evolve into a genuine Emperor Artifact. However, as long as Zhong Zhen Yong advanced to the Emperor Realm and used his Emperor Aura to nourish this Netherworld Purgatory Banner, that upgrade would happen sooner or later.
Worthy of one of the top three disciples of a top Sect! Zhong Zhen Yong took out something extraordinary right from the start.
The never-ending cries and howls were like devil’s whispers, filled with mystifying powers that could affect the mind of any hostile cultivator. Judging by how aggressive Zhong Zhen Yong was, it was quite apparent that he wanted to finish Yang Kai in one move, not giving him a chance to fight back.
A complete Star Source was too attractive to him!
Yang Kai was ready to take the challenge with a serious look on his face, lifting his hands and quickly forming a series of profound seals.
After a few complicated movements, an inexplicable force suddenly spread towards the surroundings and a mysterious Principal Strength started to diffuse about.
Zhong Zhen Yong’s eyes bulged as he suddenly had a bad feeling. At that moment, it seemed like his actions and even his thoughts were slowing down, everything around him coming to a halt.
The only one that wasn’t still was the guy who pretended to be Feng De.
[What Divine Ability is this!?] Zhong Zhen Yong’s face drastically changed as his heart was gripped by a chill.
Although Yang Kai’s seals hadn’t been finished yet, Zhong Zhen Yong already had warning bells ringing in his mind. [This boy surnamed Yang isn’t someone that should be provoked!]
From somewhere unknown, a whisper rang in his ears, shaking his Soul.
“Time Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!”
An unprecedented sense of crisis suddenly flooded his mind, and at the critical moment, Zhong Zhen Yong bit his tongue and spewed out a mouthful of Blood Essence.
Along the spurting of his Blood Essence, the strange stillness around him was finally broken and everything returned to normal, but when he looked up, an enormous seal was already right before him, leaving him no room to escape.
*Hong…*
A thud suddenly rang out, stunning Zhong Zhen Yong on the spot.
He didn’t feel a strong impact like he had imagined, nor did he notice any injuries on his person; however, he was shocked to find that a strange energy was now invading his body, causing his vitality and lifespan to pass at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if hundreds or even thousands of years had elapsed for him.
“Senior Brother Zhong!” Yu Ying couldn’t help but scream as her eyes widened in incredulity, the scene before her absolutely terrifying to behold.
Zhong Zhen Yong seemed to have realized something too and he slightly raised his old and dried hands, putting them right before his eyes before asking in a trembling voice, “What… what the hell… did you do to me?”
Yang Kai coldly glared at him before raising his hand and sending out a Moon Blade at him.
Had Zhong Zhen Yong been at his peak, he might have been able to avoid this blow, but at this moment, over ninety percent of his vitality had been drained. He was now completely powerless to react.
The pitch-black Moon Blade struck Zhong Zhen Yong and silently sliced him in two.
Yu Ying immediately turned pale.
Dead! Her Senior Brother Zhong Zhen Yong had actually died just like that!
Senior Brother Zhong was ranked amongst the top three in her Sect and could be regarded as an outstanding genius in the Eastern Territory or even the entire Star Boundary, but he had been killed by a cultivator in the same realm effortlessly!
If this kind of thing hadn’t happened right under her nose, Yu Ying would have never believed it.
But the facts were right before her eyes and she couldn’t doubt them.
It was only now that she finally realized that Yang Kai had hidden his strength throughout their journey. Previously, when he spurted blood while fighting against the Brahma Holy Land disciples, he was undoubtedly just acting! It was simply laughable that she had scorned him earlier for not being Zhang Hao’s opponent.
[With such strength, even Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian aren’t worthy to carry his shoes!]
[Can a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator really be this strong!?] Before the man pretending to be Feng De, Yu Ying was hit with a sense of panic and powerlessness, as if she was in front of an Emperor Realm Master. She couldn’t even lift a finger, much less summon the courage to escape. She just stupidly stood on the spot, her tender body shivering like a sparrow in the winter without a nest.
After killing Zhong Zhen Yong, Yang Kai reached out and took his Space Ring and the Netherworld Purgatory Banner. At the same time, a beam of starlight shot straight into the sky from the back of Zhong Zhen Yong’s hand before flying towards Yang Kai, straight into the seal on the back of his hand.
Yang Kai had already noticed that Zhong Zhen Yong’s Star Seal was the same as his, six-pointed. After the two merged, it would surely provide a lot of nourishment to his Star Seal, helping it go a step further.
Finally, he focused his gaze on Yu Ying, coldly staring at her.
“Senior… Senior Brother Feng, I…I…” Yu Ying, meeting his gaze, turned pale all of a sudden, stammering incoherently as she was unable to even finish a complete sentence.
“Along the way here, I have troubled you,” Yang Kai indifferently said.
Yu Ying forced a smile as she tremblingly stated, “It is this Little Sister’s honour to be of service to Senior Brother Feng.”
“En!” Yang Kai gently nodded before suddenly waving his hand, and along with fluctuations of Space Principles, a pitch-black Moon Blade flew out.
“Nooooooo!” Seeing this, Yu Ying turned pale as she screamed loudly.
Although she had no idea what this Secret Technique was, she had seen Zhong Zhen Yong die under the exact same attack. Now, Yang Kai was using the same move to deal with her… Obviously, he wasn’t planning to let her leave with her life.
As she screamed, she hurriedly summoned her defensive artifact and pushed all her Source Qi to defend herself, hoping to avoid this catastrophe, but what horrified her was that this pitch-black blade was far more horrifying than she had imagined. It cut through all her defences like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, rending her figure in two.
Yu Ying only felt a slight pain before her consciousness faded away.
Yang Kai reached out and took away her Space Ring. After waiting for a while, Yu Ying’s Star Seal flew out and was received by him.
He raised his hand again, firing a few bursts of energy that crushed Zhong Zhen Yong’s and Yu Ying’s corpses into dust.
He didn’t hesitate to kill Yu Ying. Regardless of whether he was Feng De or not, it was still a fact that he had saved her, but instead of doing her best to repay that life-saving grace, she had instantly turned hostile after coming to know of his origins. The death of such a person wasn’t worth pitying.
Not to mention, Yang Kai didn’t have a good impression of her.
After finishing all this, Yang Kai suddenly frowned as he glanced behind him.
He noticed that the Brahma Holy Land disciples from before had re-appeared. It was unknown whether they were here because they received word of this Fire Attribute Star Source, or because they were pursuing him.
However, Yang Kai had no intention of meeting the Brahma Holy Land disciples. These people’s grudge was with Yu Ying, and now that she was dead, Yang Kai didn’t want to unnecessarily become entangled with Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian.
His figure flickered as he shot toward the dark red star at an astonishing speed.
The closer he got, the more Yang Kai could feel the terrifying heat radiating from the Star. The Fire Attribute Star Source there seemed even more incredible than he imagined, exciting him greatly.
Half an hour later, he landed somewhere on the Star. Everywhere in sight was nothing but a desolate piece of land. Apparently, everything had been burned to the ground by intense flames, leaving not a single blade of grass behind.
Who knows how this Star remained intact in the battlefield where numerous Great Emperors fought to the death.
“Oh? A Flaming Cloud Mushroom!” Yang Kai’s gaze was suddenly attracted by something like a cloud of fire. With his knowledge, he could naturally recognize that it was an Emperor Grade spirit medicine, Flaming Cloud Mushroom. What took him aback was the fact that it could still grow in a place like this and even reach the Emperor Grade.
However, after giving it a second, it wasn’t that surprising to find Fire Attribute spirit medicines growing here. The Fire Attribute energy here was extremely rich. Not to mention, there was a Fire Attribute Star Source here as well.
In that momentary hesitation though, Yang Kai caught sight of a figure rushing toward the Flaming Cloud Mushroom. Apparently, the oncoming figure had also discovered the spirit medicine and wanted to pick it.
The Flaming Cloud Mushroom was an Emperor Grade spirit medicine, which was extremely valuable in itself. The conditions it required to grow were also extremely harsh, so it was much more expensive than an ordinary Emperor Grade herb.
As an Emperor Grade Alchemist, how could Yang Kai let someone else snatch such a rare spirit medicine from right under his nose?
As such, his figure flickered as he arrived before the Flaming Cloud Mushroom in one step.
He reached out and dug out a large part of the area where the Flaming Cloud Mushroom grew then threw it into his Sealed World Bead.
When Yang Kai was finished with everything, that figure came leaping toward the area before him.
But obviously, this person was a step late. So, the figure immediately stood ten metres away from Yang Kai, glaring at him with an unhappy look on its face.
Yang Kai indifferently looked back at the figure, but upon seeing this person’s appearance, he couldn’t help but frown.
Because just judging by appearance, Yang Kai couldn’t tell whether the opposite party was male or female.
If this person was a man, he was a bit too handsome. His skin was white as snow and looked soft and delicate, but if she was a woman, Yang Kai couldn’t find any characteristic features an ordinary woman should have. Her chest was completely flat, and her bottom wasn’t the slightest bit shapely. Even though her figure was slender, she was lacking all the curves a girl should have.
Even the clothing this person wore was gender-neutral.
[Is this guy a man or woman?] A confused look immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face.
While Yang Kai was carefully sizing up the opposite party, the opposite party suddenly rebuked, “Friend, isn’t what you did a bit unbecoming? I spotted that spirit medicine first.”
As soon as he heard the opposite party’s voice, Yang Kai was gobsmacked.
At first, he believed that even if he couldn’t tell the other person’s gender by their appearance or figure, he could at least infer something from their voice, but after hearing them speak, Yang Kai realized that he had been too naive.
The opposite party’s voice was a little magnetic, and very pleasant to the ears, but also unspecific and mild-pitched, making it hard to tell whether it belonged to a man or woman. The other party was also in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, just like Yang Kai, but the Star Seal on the back of their hand was only five-pointed.
Yang Kai didn’t bother about the other party’s gender anymore and simply replied with a smile, “Fellow Brother, you can eat whatever you like but you can’t just say anything you want. This herb was without an owner, so it belongs to whoever picks it first.”
Just as Yang Kai said this, the opposite party’s face contorted into an angry scowl before cursing angrily, “You are a Brother! Your entire family are Brothers! Can’t you see that I’m a woman!?”
Yang Kai was flabbergasted and seriously sized up this person who claimed himself to be a woman. But even after a good long while, Yang Kai just earnestly shook his head and stated, “I can’t tell!”
The woman immediately grew furious, her face filling with rage as she lifted her head and pointed to her neck and stated, “Are you blind!? Can’t you see that I don’t have an Adam’s apple?”
Black lines immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face as he stated, “I can see that… but I don’t see… many other things…”
While speaking, Yang Kai gazed at her chest.
The woman’s face now turned extremely gloomy and she couldn’t help but puff up her chest, finally causing some slight bulge to appear.
Yang Kai clapped his hands and stated, “Now, I see some clues.”
“You are really as blind as a dog!” The woman seemed to have a bad temper and ground her teeth as she cursed.
Yang Kai wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, “Little… Sister, how old are you this year? Children should speak in a civilized manner. You shouldn’t swear.”
“You’re the child! You’ll be a child your whole life!” The young woman was so incensed that she directly palmed towards Yang Kai.
This move of hers wasn’t powerful and carried no murderous intention. Obviously, she was just angry and lashing out because of Yang Kai’s teasing.
After she finished, she turned around left without even looking back or checking Yang Kai’s response.
Yang Kai happily raised his arm and dispersed her attack. He then looked up and saw that she was already thousands of metres away from him. Finally, she looked back and angrily glared at him before she disappeared.
“Sister, don’t go, I still didn’t get your name!” Yang Kai shouted with a grin.
But he didn’t get any response. He had no idea where she had gone. Perhaps she was so angry at Yang Kai that she didn’t even bother to respond to him, and didn’t bother to pester Yang Kai to return the Flaming Cloud Mushroom.
After having been prodded by that so-called girl, Yang Kai’s mood was suddenly lifted.
He spread his Divine Sense and scanned the surroundings to make sure that there weren’t any other spirit medicines around. After he was done, he finally summoned his ship and flew toward the direction where the Fire Attribute Source Strength was the richest.
What he could say for sure was that Yin Le Sheng was on this Star. Only, he couldn’t discern his exact location.
However, it was absolutely the right choice to move closer to where the Source Strength was rich, because Yin Le Sheng would definitely go there, and as long as he could find Yin Le Shen, Yang Kai could inquire about Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts.
Yang Kai had been separated from Xiao Xiao ever since he entered the Star Boundary and had never stopped worrying about him. Xiao Xiao’s specialty and naivety would make him an easy target for any powerful Master.
This Star was very peculiar, however. Yang Kai had been in the Shattered Star Sea for so long but he had never encountered a star with spirit medicines. However, there were many of them here.
All the spirit medicines here were, of course, Fire Attribute. They should have been born because of the Fire Attribute Source Strength. Every spirit medicine’s medicinal age was also quite good, making them all very valuable. However, Yang Kai didn’t pick every spirit medicine along the way; he didn’t waste his time picking useless things.
Apparently, quite a few cultivators had come to this Cultivation Star as Yang Kai occasionally met some. These people rarely acted alone like him, basically moving in pairs, or groups of three to five. Obviously these people were disciples of the same Sect, or were good acquaintances.
Some of these people had fierce and wicked auras, and from just one glance, it was quite evident that they weren’t to be provoked easily.
After a day, Yang Kai suddenly felt bursts of powerful energy fluctuations coming from a very far distance.
He immediately stopped and looked towards that direction with a stern gaze, feeling Emperor Pressure emanating from there. He was surprised by this and wondered who was breaking through to the Emperor Realm.
In the Shattered Star Sea, cultivators could break through to the Emperor Realm. Every time the Shattered Star Sea opened, many would see through the profundities of the Emperor Realm here and jump over the dragon gate, reaching the sky in a single leap.
So, Yang Kai couldn’t help but wonder about this.
However, when he gave it a second thought, he realized that something wasn’t right, because while the energy fluctuations emitted were on the level of someone breaking through to the Emperor Realm, Yang Kai didn’t notice the World Energy Baptism that would accompany a breakthrough to a new Great Realm.
Since it wasn’t a breakthrough, could an Emperor Artifact be about to appear?
Realizing this, Yang Kai was surprised and he hurriedly turned and shot towards that direction.
He had heard that some very high-grade Emperor Artifacts would occasionally appear in the Shattered Star Sea, because it was not just Heaven Devouring Great Emperor who died in this place, many other Great Emperors had been buried with him.
Various treasures owned by the other Great Emperors, who had died in the Shattered Star Sea, were patiently waiting for the destined one to obtain them.
Therefore, all the Emperor Artifacts born in the Shattered Star Sea were of extraordinary significance and high value. They could cause countless people to fight for them.
The Emperor Artifacts of Great Emperors were completely different from ordinary Emperor Artifacts. If one really compared, the gap between them was equivalent to the difference between an Emperor Artifact and a Dao Source Grade Artifact. There was simply no comparison.
Naturally, nobody would miss such a good thing.
When Yang Kai was flying in the direction the Emperor Pressure was coming from, he suddenly felt the world around him tremble. Immediately after, an echoing sound like a morning bell came from the front. The sound waves were so concentrated that they were visible to the naked eyes. They swept away everything like a violent gust of wind and carried an extremely terrifying might.
Yang Kai’s expression drastically changed as he hurriedly flew down to the surface while carefully protecting his Soul.
*Hualala…*
The ground in the vicinity was completely flipped over and rolled like a wave, giving the illusion that this Star was about to shatter.
When the sound waves hit, Yang Kai suddenly became unstable; stars circled around his eyes and he was struck by dizziness. There were only the chimes of a huge bell ringing in his mind, making him lose his wits.
In shock, he quickly mobilized the power of his Soul Warming Lotus, supplementing and protecting his Knowledge Sea. Only then did he finally recover from the shock.
As he looked around again, Yang Kai gasped as the landscape had experienced tremendous changes. Several small peaks had actually risen from the ground while mountains that originally existed had ceased to exist. Countless abyss-like fissures had appeared on the ground, making for a daunting sight. The whole world seemed to have been shrouded in a haze all of a sudden.
Yang Kai was completely dumbfounded.
Such a terrifying might definitely couldn’t come from the cultivators who had entered the Shattered Star Sea for tempering. The only explanation was that an Emperor Artifact had appeared!
And this artifact definitely belonged to a Great Emperor. Yang Kai’s heartbeat quickened all of a sudden. He wiped the blood flowing from his nostrils and quickly rushed in the artifact’s direction like a bolt of lightning.
There were many people all around, and the sound of them cutting through the air was obvious. Clearly many cultivators were rushing there with the same intention as Yang Kai.
Yang Kai secretly cursed in his heart. None of the people who had come to the Shattered Star Sea were simple. Even if he had been slightly injured just now, he didn’t expect that no one had died from that deathly knell!
After a while, Yang Kai arrived not far away from the source of the sound. Hovering mid-air, he looked over and couldn’t help but shiver at the sight before him.
About a thousand meters away, a strange mountain entered Yang Kai’s vision. This mountain was about three hundred meters high and had a peculiar shape, almost like a giant bell placed on the ground.
Halfway up the mountain, shattered pieces of rocks kept rolling down, and from inside that mountain, dazzling brilliance and powerful Emperor Aura kept radiating.
“The Emperor Artifact!” Yang Kai’s pupils shrank as he immediately realized that the mountain was where the Emperor Artifact was hidden.
The other cultivators here were obviously aware of this too, but the might of the Emperor Artifact before had been too deadly, so even though they all came here, no one dared to act rashly.
And in front of the mountain, several mutilated corpses were lying on the ground at this moment. All of these corpses were bleeding from their seven orifices. It was quite a miserable sight, and judging by their appearances and the location of these deceased people, they should have been the first ones here. The person who discovered the Emperor Artifact encountered severe backlash when he tried to take it away, as a result, he was killed right then and there.
Suddenly, the brilliance of Star Seals glowed from these corpses. After their owners died, these Star Seals escaped and hovered mid-air, but right then, they seemed to be attracted by something as they flew towards cultivators in the vicinity.
An extremely dazzling Star Seal among them actually flew toward Yang Kai’s direction.
How could Yang Kai miss such a good thing? His figure flickered as he welcomed the Star Seal.
At the same time, countless cultivators also made their moves, their gazes fixed on the free Star Seals, prompting them to snatch these prizes.
About seven or eight cultivators were eyeing the same Star Seal as Yang Kai, their cultivations all in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
They were fast, but Yang Kai wasn’t slow either.
Making use of his mastery of Space Principles, Yang Kai leapt ahead of the crowd and snatched the Star Seal.
But the moment the Star Seal entered his hand, a figure suddenly shot over towards him and reached out to grab his hand, grabbing his wrist right away. However, because the other party didn’t push their Source Qi and didn’t have the slightest malice, Yang Kai didn’t show much reaction.
[This guy is pretty fast!] Yang Kai was a little surprised, because he hadn’t noticed any threat from the person who was trying to rob his Star Seal, but now, it seemed that if he was a little slower, the Star Seal would have been snatched by this person.
This cultivator, who was only a step away from the Star Seal, was so fast that Yang Kai couldn’t keep up without using Space Principles to teleport.
Yang Kai looked up at the opposite party in surprise, but after seeing the opposite party’s face, he couldn’t help but speak with a grin, “We meet again.”
He found that the cultivator he was slightly concerned about, was none other than the so-called woman he had previously seen.
“It’s you again!” The young woman, after seeing that it was Yang Kai, frowned as an annoyed look appeared on her face, “Why are you stalking me? Why do you keep snatching my things wherever I go!”
Just recently, Yang Kai had snatched a Flaming Cloud Mushroom from her, and now he had robbed her of a Star Seal. Was this guy sent by the Heavens to snatch her things?
Yang Kai sheepishly grinned and stated, “Sister, you speak as if I have been chasing you. Rest assured, I’m not interested in women with small chests!”
After hearing this, the young woman’s face immediately turned cold and she clenched her teeth in anger. Both her top and bottom weren’t well defined, and this was the biggest regret in her life. Now, when Yang Kai pointed it out right in front of her face, it would be strange if she looked happy.
“If you dare to talk nonsense, I’ll rip your tongue out!” The girl said with hatred.
Yang Kai smiled and stated, “Then you should let go of my hand first. If you keep doing this, I’m going to act indecently!”
The woman let out a snort after hearing this and she retracted her hand, turning around before flying down and landing.
The other oncoming cultivators, who failed to grab the Star Seal, looked at Yang Kai in amazement. There was an extremely strange look on all of their faces.
Seeing Yang Kai turn his gaze towards them, all of them shuddered and their faces turned pale as they involuntarily took a few steps back, creating a distance between them.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, unaware of why these people were reacting like this, but in the next moment, he suddenly realized and explained himself with a straight face, “She’s a woman. What, did you think I’m interested in men?”
Everyone’s face turned pale after hearing this and they scampered off in haste.
Yang Kai’s face turned black after he realised that they all thought that he would use his sword to attack them.
He scanned the surroundings with an unhappy look on his face, but in the next moment, he had no intention of worrying about these trivial details and instead excitedly focused his gaze in one direction. On that side, a familiar figure was vying for a Star Seal with several others. His means were extremely ruthless and his cultivation was unmatched. Even though his rivals were all Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators as well, they were clearly not this man’s opponent and were being beaten black and blue.
Yin Le Sheng!
Yang Kai had never imagined meeting Yin Le Sheng would be so easy. Even though he inferred that Yin Le Shen was on this Star through the clues revealed by Zhong Zhen Hong, Yang Kai had no idea where he was, exactly.
And right this moment, he actually saw Yin Le Sheng!
He was obviously attracted by the commotion here.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but have his emotions fluctuate. He thought about it a bit before he flew over, taking something out from his Space Ring and sticking it to his face before circulating his Source Qi.
In the blink of an eye, his appearance changed into that of a burly fellow, completely different from before.
This mask that could change his appearance was a prize he had obtained from Sang De’s Space Ring. In the Solitary Void Sealed World, Sang De relied on this artifact to change his appearance and leave Clear Sky City unnoticed. Otherwise, with his popularity, he would be unable to sneak away.
Even though Sang De wasn’t a good fellow, his Artifact Refining skills were extraordinary. The artifacts he personally refined were extremely effective. Even those close to Yang Kai couldn’t determine his identity while he was wearing this mask, unless they were an Emperor Realm Master and used their Divine Sense to probe him.
After finishing his disguise, Yang Kai felt a strange gaze cast at him.
Yang Kai turned to look and noticed that it was none other than that so-called woman.
She must have seen his actions.
Yang Kai didn’t care about it too much though and just smiled as he flew over to her side, cupped his fist politely, and asked, “I still didn’t get your name!”
The young woman furrowed her brow, appearing a little impatient. Nonetheless, she still replied, “Lan He!”
“So, it is Sister Lan He. This one is Yang Kai!”
“I’m not interested in what you are called! Don’t try to get close to me!” Lan He stated with a cold face.
She had a very bad impression of Yang Kai; after all, she was robbed not once but twice by him. It would be strange to have a good impression of him. As such, she didn’t want to even converse with Yang Kai, afraid that he would really take advantage of her and snatch more of her precious treasures. What’s more, judging by how he was hiding his face and only showing his tail, he must have provoked some powerful enemies and was afraid of exposing himself. The only reason she could be approaching her was to drag her down into the mud with him.
Lan He naturally wanted to stay as far away from someone like him as possible.
Yang Kai grinned and stated, “Fate brought us together, Sister Lan He, why are you being so cold?”
“Who was brought together by fate? Scram!” Lan He, seeing Yang Kai prattling on and on, couldn’t help but curse him.
“En, en!” Yang Kai perfunctorily replied, apologizing for pestering her in his heart but still insisting on standing next to her and quietly watching the situation.
Although Lan He had a temper, she was still a good person. Yang Kai had robbed her twice, yet she did not try to rob him, nor did she make unreasonable demands.
Had it been some other cultivator, it was quite possible that they would have tried fighting Yang Kai to snatch back those treasures.
There were only so many free Star Seals here, but there were dozens of cultivators who had rushed over, attracted by the commotion here, so these Star Seals were quickly divided up.
Yang Kai noticed that Yin Le Sheng, after snatching a Star Seal, landed about two thousand metres away from him. Next to Yin Le Sheng stood three other Netherworld Sect disciples, their auras all dark and cold. Obviously, they were cultivating Netherworld Sect’s unique Secret Arts.
No one was in their vicinity, probably because of the uncomfortable feelings caused by their gloomy auras.
When Yang Kai was secretly observing Yin Le Sheng, the latter actually sensed it and turned his head to stare straight towards Yang Kai’s location, a cold gleam flashing past his eyes.
Yang Kai looked away in a natural manner, as if he was just looking around, but in his heart, he was slightly startled.
When he first met Yin Le Sheng in the Starlight Corridor, Yang Kai came to know that he was the strongest cultivator in the Grand Desolation Star Field. Not only was he a Star Master, but his aptitude was also extraordinary. The second time he saw Yin Le Sheng, he had already soared up into the sky, his speed of cultivation no worse than that of Yang Kai’s.
He had suffered a huge loss in the Starlight Corridor, and hated Yang Kai to the bone, so if Xiao Xiao really fell into his hand, Xiao Xiao would certainly be mistreated. As such, Yang Kai needed to find out about Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts from Yin Le Sheng as soon as possible.
While Yang Kai was lost in his thoughts, whispers sounded around him.
The cultivators gathered here all pointed at the bell-shaped mountain, guessing the origin of this Emperor Artifact. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of years had passed since the battle in the Shattered Star Sea, so how could the youths of the current era have much knowledge about such remote history? As a result, nobody had any idea what this artifact was or who left it behind.
Yang Kai looked around, but unfortunately, he didn’t find any acquaintances. None of the elites of the Southern Territory were here. Who knows where else they went.
The Shattered Star Sea was vast and filled with countless opportunities, but only tens of thousands of cultivators could enter it at any one time. Such numbers were like a drop of water in an ocean, so it was quite normal to not meet the elites of the Southern Territory.
“Brother Qi Hai, you are the one with the most profound and immense knowledge here. Surely you are knowledgeable about past and present events. If you can, please tell us about this Emperor Artifact.” Suddenly, someone’s voice echoed loudly.
Everyone immediately looked toward him after hearing this.
There was a smile on this man’s face as he was quietly looking at another nearby man, who was dressed as a scholar.
Following his gaze, everyone focused their gazes on this scholarly man.
The scholarly man had a gloomy look on his face. Obviously, he didn’t want to be the focus of everyone’s attention. Furthermore, even if he knew about the Emperor Artifact, he wasn’t willing to share.
But the person who had spoken before deliberately spoke in a loud voice, causing everyone to look at him with expectations. If he didn’t speak now, he would undoubtedly hide his knowledge, but he might offend everyone present. With so many Masters staring at him, he had to speak even if didn’t want to.
Everyone who could come here was a worldly character and could tell that the relationship between the scholar and the speaker wasn’t very good. If they were really friends, the former speaker would not have embarrassed this scholar to this extent.
However, even if everyone knew this, no one blamed the speaker. Instead, everyone eagerly looked at the scholar, wanting to hear his answer.
In front of everyone’s eyes, the scholar could only bitterly glare at the former speaker before indifferently speaking, “You say I have deep and profound knowledge about both past and present events? That’s hardly true. This Qi has only read some ancient books in his idle time, that’s all. I don’t dare accept your praise.”
That man smiled and continued, “Brother Qi Hai, you are too modest. Compared to Brother Qi Hai, this one’s knowledge is simply like the glow of a firefly before a bright moon. Brother Qi Hai, please give us some advice!”
As soon as that man said this, a grim-faced brute suddenly added, “What’s the origin of the Emperor Artifact? Why is it so powerful?”
“Yes yes, Brother Qi, if you know something, you might as well tell everyone. We are very curious.”
“Tell us about it!”
Qi Hai took a breath. He was riding a tiger now, so he straightened up his thoughts before speaking, “The Shattered Star Sea was the battlefield of Great Emperors. I think you all know this.”
Most of the cultivators gently nodded.
“Back then, although Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s cultivation was peerless, and no one in the Star Boundary was his opponent, because he persisted in killing wantonly with no regard for others, he eventually provoked public anger. Numerous Great Emperors joined forces to fight him here. Finally, their fight shattered this Star Field, leading to the formation of the Shattered Star Sea. In that battle, rumour has it that Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was jointly killed by a few Great Emperors, but the price they paid was extremely heavy. The Masters who participated in the encirclement of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor suffered heavy injuries if not death; no one came out unscathed. It is said that the Heaven’s Revelations Great Emperor is still healing in the Heaven’s Revelation Valley and can’t come out because of his injuries!”
Everyone gasped in shock after hearing this.
Yang Kai was also shocked. He didn’t know whether Qi Hai was speaking the truth or not, but he had indeed heard of Heaven’s Revelations Great Emperor. He was one of the current ten Great Emperors.
This Great Emperor was a very special one even among the other ten because, rumour had it, he could spy on the secrets of the Heavens, catching glimpses of both the past and the future.
Before the opening of the Four Seasons Realm, Heavens Revelations Great Emperor had also sent a message to Azure Sun Temple, informing the entire Southern Territory that Star Seals would appear.
If what Qi Hai said was true, it had taken Heavens Revelations Great Emperor tens of thousands of years to heal from his injuries. It was hard to imagine how badly he had suffered during the encirclement of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was really an astonishing character.
“It is said that a total of four Great Emperors died in that battle!” Qi Hai continued with a solemn expression.
“Four!?” Someone asked nervously.
Qi Hai continued with emphasis, “Cyan Lotus Great Emperor, Yuan Ding Great Emperor, Azure Sea Great Emperor, and Martial Flame Great Emperor!”
No one had ever heard of what he was narrating, so they listened with rapt attention. The same was true for Yang Kai. He had heard of Cyan Lotus Great Emperor a few days ago when Sister Hua had spoken of this Great Emperor. She said that someone had obtained Cyan Lotus Great Emperor’s Indestructible Cyan Lotus in the Shattered Star Sea five thousand years ago, going on to found Cyan Lotus Palace in the Eastern Territory, which was now a top Sect.
“These four Great Emperors fell here, and their Natal Emperor Artifacts and Space Rings, as well as many other treasures and even inheritances were scattered throughout the Shattered Star Sea, including the Indestructible Cyan Lotus of Cyan Lotus Great Emperor, the Mountains and Rivers Bell of Yuan Ding Great Emperor, the Inverse Azure Sea of Azure Sea Great Emperor, and the Phoenix True Fire of Martial Flame Great Emperor. All of these are unparalleled artifacts,” having spoken all this in one breath, Qi Hai slightly paused before continuing. “The Indestructible Cyan Lotus has been obtained already. Everyone should have heard of the Eastern Territory’s Cyan Lotus Palace. The Palace Master of Cyan Lotus Palace is the current owner of the Indestructible Cyan Lotus. But the artifacts of the other three Great Emperors haven’t been found.”
Having spoken until here, he turned his gaze towards the bell-shaped mountain and spoke in a solemn tone, “The Emperor Artifact in front of us now should be the Mountain and Rivers Bell of Yuan Ding Great Emperor. The toll of the Mountains and Rivers Bell can suppress worlds and invert the Heavens!”
*Gudong…*
Sounds of gulping nervously were heard everywhere as everyone’s gaze turned fiery hot.
“What evidence do you have?” Suddenly, someone expressed his doubt.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked toward the source of the voice. It was none other than Yin Le Sheng. Although he looked excited, he suppressed it well. Instead, he looked at Qi Hai vigilantly and asked, “You say that this is the Mountains and Rivers Bell of Yuan Ding Great Emperor, but what proof do you offer?”
Qi Hai sneered and rebuked, “I said it is, then that’s it. Believe what you want!”
Qi Hai was already extremely upset after being forced to reveal such top-secret information in front of so many people. Now he was still being questioned, so he felt like his hot face was put on someone’s cold ass, leading his tone to become cold all of a sudden.
“Since Brother Qi Hai has said so, then we believe it. Since some people doubt this and don’t have the ability to prove otherwise, Brother Qi Hai doesn’t need to pay attention to him!” A handsome young man gave a friendly smile to Qi Hai before reprimanding Yin Le Sheng.
Yin Le Sheng’s eyes turned cold and he fixed his glare on the young man who just spoke as if he was looking at a dead person. Obviously, he was memorizing his face.
The young man was completely oblivious to this, however, and still smiled and asked Qi Hai, “Brother Qi Hai, since this is Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Mountains and Rivers Bell, how should we collect it? I ask Brother Qi Hai to give us his valuable advice!”
When everyone heard this, they all gazed at Qi Hai attentively.
Qi Hai coldly snorted and rebuked, “If I knew how to collect it, would I still be talking to you here?”
The young man was stunned after hearing this. Even though he knew that it was a stupid question, he still had some hope.
Qi Hai added, “Which of the Great Emperor’s artifacts aren’t sentient? The Mountains and Rivers Bell is the Natal Emperor Artifact of Yuan Ding Great Emperor, it has its own consciousness! If it is willing to choose you as its master, you don’t even need to refine it! It will take the initiative to run into your arms, but if it doesn’t find you worthy, even if you are a peak Emperor, you won’t be able to touch it.”
The young man’s eyes lit up when he heard this and he anxiously asked, “Brother Qi, you mean to say if there is an opportunity, even I can become the master of this Mountains and Rivers Bell?”
Qi Hai stated with a frosty look on his face, “Everyone has an equal opportunity!”
The young man broke into happy laughter as he proudly proclaimed, “This Zhang isn’t confident in other things, but he is quite confident in his own luck. Since the Mountains and Rivers Bell is sentient, it might choose this Zhang as Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s successor and pass me the mantle of Great Emperor!”
He broke into a burst of frantic laughter. While speaking, he actually turned around and started walking towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Everyone was startled at the sight of this and they all realized that this guy surnamed Zhang was going to try to make the Mountains and Rivers Bell choose him as its master! For a moment, everyone curiously looked at him, wondering what the final result would be.
Many of them had a change in their expression, also seeming eager to try; however, they suppressed their urges and patiently waited to see what was going to happen.
Qi Hai stared at the young man’s back and sneered, seemingly mocking his overconfidence.
In front of everyone’s eyes, the young man advanced unopposed, briskly making his way towards the bell-shaped mountain. Perhaps because of how smoothly he was advancing, his confidence increased and he quickened his pace with ecstasy.
Very soon, he was only fifty metres away from the mountain, and still inching closer and closer to it.
At this moment, all the onlooking cultivators were on the edge, weighing the pros and cons of this situation. Everyone was worried; if this man really got lucky and obtained the Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Natal Emperor Artifact, wouldn’t he be the next Yuan Ding Great Emperor?
After another ten breaths, the young man walked up to the mountain without encountering any obstacles or danger along the way. Everyone was a little taken aback by the fact that he hadn’t encountered any troubles. At the sight of this, even the originally sneering Qi Hai became a lot gloomier all of a sudden.
Everyone thought, [Is this guy really destined to be its master by the Heavens themselves!?]
The young man couldn’t help but break into riotous laughter, “I have kept you waiting for far too long. Today, this Zhang will take you away, so you may, once more, proudly walk the Star Boundary. The brilliance of Sir Yuan Ding should not be covered in dust!”
While speaking this, he reached out his hand and tried to touch the bell.
Immediately, a flash of light pulsated from the mountain, as if it was reacting to the young man’s words.
This greatly increased the confidence of the young man surnamed Zhang and without any more delay, he pressed his palm onto the mountain peak and spread his Divine Sense, trying to connect with the Artifact Spirit of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
But right then, something strange happened.
The bell-shaped peak shook ever so slightly as a loud hum reverberated from within. In an instant, the mountain collapsed as rocks and sand flew in every direction.
At the same time, an enormous bell-shaped artifact appeared before everyone’s eyes. The enormous bell was extremely simple and unsophisticated, but it was exuding an ancient aura as if it had seen and weathered hundreds of thousands of years.
The enormous bell was covered in extremely complex and mysterious runes that were constantly circling on its surface.
Suddenly, the bell started to glow, and while its brilliance was pulsating, a reverberating toll suddenly rang from it.
*Weng…*
At that moment, the world seemed to be about to be torn apart and the Heavens seemed to invert. Mountains and rivers seemed to be suppressed as the sound of the bell spread to the surroundings. Immediately, sound waves visible to naked eyes converged into an indestructible energy wave. Everyone’s expression drastically changed at the sight of this and they hastily displayed all kinds of defensive techniques.
The moment the bell rang, the young man surnamed Zhang, who was closest to the Mountains and Rivers Bell, seemed to be hit by a mountain, his figure flying high up into the air, profusely bleeding as bits and pieces of his crushed organs spewed out of his mouth along with copious amounts of blood. His Dao Source Realm aura quickly waned as his vitality disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Before he crashed to the ground, the young man was already dead.
*Hualala…*
The aftermath due to the sound wave was still spreading, and the force of impact caused the ground to flip over as if the end was here.
Only after ten breaths did everything slowly subsided.
Several dozen Dao Source Realm cultivators were thrown into a panic as some were even buried under the soil. At this time, everyone finally crawled back up and took the chance to look around, their jaws dropping in astonishment at what they witnessed.
Shocked, they couldn’t bother to snatch the Star Seal left by the young man surnamed Zhang.
“Cough cough…” Qi Hai lightly coughed a few times, patting off the dust on his body as he looked over at the dead young man surnamed Zhang and stated, “It looks like this opportunity is not for you!”
Everyone was rendered speechless.
Worthy of being the artifact of a Great Emperor, the might of the Mountains and Rivers Bell was simply extraordinary. The young man surnamed Zhang had only touched it, but that had been enough to set off a huge sound wave that killed him and knocked everyone else flying. If this artifact were really refined, how much power could it exert?
Furthermore, this was definitely not the true might of the Mountains and Rivers Bell; after all, it had been left here for tens of thousands of years, so its power had definitely fallen. It was very likely that the power it had shown just now was not even half of its peak.
Therefore, despite the lesson learned from the young man surnamed Zhang, no one’s enthusiasm reduced; rather, it had grown stronger.
And because of the shock just now, the Mountains and Rivers Bell hidden in the mountain had been completely revealed. Surprisingly, this Emperor Artifact was several hundreds of metres tall and sat on the ground, looking like a small mountain. The Emperor Aura and the runes circling around it were extremely dazzling. No one could take their eyes off this mysterious treasure as they tried to spy on its secrets from afar!
But now, no one dared to easily touch it. So, although everyone’s heart was burning with enthusiasm, strangely, everyone had entered a strange stalemate. They seemed to be secretly praying that the Artifact Spirit of the Mountains and Rivers Bell would choose them as its Master without them having to do anything.
At this moment, the bell tolled once more.
Everyone’s face immediately changed and fell into confusion as no one had touched the Mountains and Rivers Bell this time. So, why was it ringing again?
After having tasted it once, everyone invariably pushed their Source Qi to mount the strongest defence they could while simultaneously summoning their defensive artifacts.
But the shockwave everyone was waiting for never came. Rather, something astonishing happened in the next moment.
Much to everyone’s surprise, the Mountains and Rivers Bell slightly shook as it rose into the air before shooting straight towards the Starry Sky, leaving a long trail of light behind it.
In an instant, everyone was dumbfounded.
Who knows who reacted first, but someone shouted, “Chase it!”
Just as he said this, he flew off in pursuit.
After finally discovering a treasure left by a Great Emperor, how could these cultivators miss it? So, after that guy who shouted left, several dozen cultivators rose into the air, one after another, and chased after the Mountains and Rivers Bell, leaving all kinds of colourful trails in their wake.
Yang Kai was no exception.
Even though he had a lot of Emperor Artifacts, enough to have even gifted one each to Liu Yan, Sister Hua, and the Embodiment, one could never have too many Emperor Artifacts. And he had seen the might of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, making him even more interested in it. This kind of might was even stronger than that of the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
He believed that Qi Hai was right, that it was impossible to obtain this Emperor Artifact without some luck and opportunity, especially since the Mountains and Rivers Bell already had its own sentience. If one wanted to take it, he or she had to get the Artifact Spirit’s recognition first.
As long as one could get the recognition of the Artifact Spirit though, it would become easy to collect the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Along the road of cultivation, Yang Kai had obtained countless opportunities, and when it came to good luck, he was confident that he would not lose to anyone, so he still had some hopes that he could collect the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
What’s more, Yin Le Sheng, whom he had been looking for all the while, was also chasing after the Mountains and Rivers bell.
But the moment Yang Kai flew up, a strange feeling suddenly sprouted deep in his heart. It was weak and unclear, but it still made him feel a little restless.
This strange feeling was elusive to him; and when he deliberately tried to search for its source, he was unable to find anything.
However, the faster Yang Kai flew away, the stronger this feeling became!
It was as if… if he left this place now, he would deeply regret it!
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and abruptly stopped.
He might be eager to obtain the Mountains and Rivers Bell, but if he couldn’t understand this feeling…
A figure suddenly shot from behind. Apparently, it was giving chase to the Mountains and Rivers Bell too. Yang Kai focused his gaze on the figure and discovered that it was none other than Lan He.
Seeing him stop, Lan He cast a strange glance at him. However, by the looks of her appearance, she had no intention of paying attention to him, so after a quick glance, she tried to bypass him.
When the two passed one another, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed before he reached out to hold Lan He’s shoulder.
Lan He’s expression dramatically changed as her figure made a strange twist and she quickly distanced herself from Yang Kai; however, even though she was quite fast, Yang Kai’s hand had still brushed her clothes.
“What do you want?” Lan He angrily shouted. At the same time, she carefully probed the location where Yang Kai had just patted with her Divine Sense, trying to figure out what Yang Kai just did to her.
But to her disappointment, no matter how she probed, she didn’t find anything.
Yang Kai explained with a smile, “Nothing. Don’t be so nervous, I just wanted to persuade you not to chase after it. So many people are trying to obtain that thing, so you will definitely not be able to get it.”
“Whether I can snatch it or not, it’s none of your business!” Lan He looked upset. She thought that this guy was a little interesting, but in the end they had only met by chance, so why was he being so meddlesome? What exactly was going through his mind.
Yang Kai shrugged as he replied, “I just wanted to make the suggestion. As for what you do, it is all up to Sister Lan He.”
Lan He deeply stared at him before speaking, “There’s something wrong with your head!”
After having said this, she turned around and flew towards the Starry Sky.
If it wasn’t urgent, she would have definitely taught Yang Kai a good lesson. This guy had been too frivolous from the first time they met, and now he dared to touch her so casually. How utterly shameless!
Unfortunately, her mind was preoccupied with the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so she wasn’t in the mood to argue with Yang Kai.
However, after this latest incident, her impression of Yang Kai had almost hit rock bottom.
Seeing her gradually moving away, Yang Kai touched his nose in helplessness. He hadn’t intended to make a move against Lan He specifically, it was just that she was right behind him, so there was no one else for him to target. If it had been someone else, Yang Kai would have still acted the way he did.
In the blink of an eye, everyone had flown away, each of them seemingly afraid that the others would be a step faster. So, no one spared any effort to catch up with the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Yang Kai on the other hand turned around and flew back towards the dark red Star.
After a short while, he returned to the place where the Mountains and Rivers Bell had originally been and began looking around with a solemn gaze.
There was no one here, but the feeling that made him restless was definitely coming from this place.
It was for this reason that he returned here instead of chasing the Mountains and Rivers Bell like everyone else, trying to figure out the cause.
After a while, Yang Kai noticed something. His eyes immediately brightened as he came to the original location of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
It was originally a small mountain; however, because of the quake caused by the advent of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, the mountain had completely collapsed, and after the Mountains and Rivers Bell flew away on its own, this place had been reduced to nothing but rubble.
However, a distinctive scorching energy was leaking from the original location of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Previously, everyone’s attention was drawn to the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so no one noticed the strangeness here.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but be suspicious, wondering what was going on here. After giving it a thought, he flew into the air and punched downward.
After a few punches, the ground split apart as a small pit suddenly appeared in his view.
Suddenly, incomparable heat gushed out from this pit while at the same time, intense Source Strength fluctuations spread, catching Yang Kai by surprise.
Looking down, there was actually a pool of lava inside the pit, and the scorching temperature it gave off caused Yang Kai to turn pale. He didn’t dare to casually approach it.
“The Fire Attribute Star Source?” Yang Kai cried out in a low voice as a strange look appeared in his eyes, a bold conjecture flashing across his mind.
Was it possible that the Fire Attribute Star Source had been hidden here?
The reason why Yang Kai came to this Star in the first place was that Zhong Zhen Yong had said that someone here had found traces of a Fire Attribute Star Source, but after arriving, the appearance of the Mountains and Rivers Bell had taken away everyone’s attention, causing them all to forget about the Fire Attribute Star Source.
But who could have guessed that the Fire Attribute Star Source was actually hidden under the Mountains and Rivers Bell? In fact, by the looks of it, this Source was being suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell!
It was no wonder dozens of Dao Source Realm cultivators with their Star Seals were unable to find the exact location of the Fire Attribute Star Source, it was all because of that bell!
At first, when Yang Kai arrived here, he too had used his Star Seal to search for the location of the Fire Attribute Star Source, but the sensation he always received was vague and uncertain, making it impossible to get clear directions. It became apparent now that this was because of the existence of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Now that the Mountain and Rivers Bell had flown away on its own, the Fire Attribute Star Source was immediately exposed.
The Source Strength was hidden under the lava here, and it was precisely because of this Fire Attribute Star Source that this Star was so hot and had produced so many Fire Attribute spirit medicines!
Considering all this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but become excited.
He felt that it really was a wise decision to remain here. So many people were chasing and vying for the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so no one would be able to capture it in short order; however, the Fire Attribute Star Source was only discovered by him alone, so he could collect it in peace and at leisure.
However, it was just a guess that the Fire Attribute Star Source was hidden under this pool of magma. As to whether it was true or not, Yang Kai had no way to confirm it. Even if it was true, he still had not found a way to get it.
The Fire Attribute Star Source wasn’t easy to obtain as just a moment of carelessness here could cause Yang Kai to be reduced to ashes.
Just when he was at a loss, the magma in front of Yang Kai suddenly started boiling. Huge bubbles of hot gas rose to the surface of the magma and burst, causing the surrounding temperature to rise to an unbearable level.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but circulate his Source Qi to defend his body; only then feeling slightly better.
However, this sudden change had caused him to become extremely vigilant and he immediately took a few steps back.
After a moment, the entire magma pool in the huge pit erupted, and immediately afterward, a sharp and clear bird cry reverberated throughout the world, echoing in Yang Kai’s ears…
Yang Kai was rooted to the ground, dumbstruck!
Because this cry sounded quite familiar.
In the past, when he was dual cultivating with Su Yan, when the auspicious phenomena of a dragon and phoenix had manifested, the Ice Phoenix’s cry was exactly the same. It shook the listener’s hearts and made all living beings submit to it!
*Huala!*
A beautiful, fiery red figure suddenly flew out of the pit, and as it appeared, all the heat flowed away along with it, turning the huge pit of magma into stone in an instant.
Suddenly, the sky was obscured by a huge figure as an ear-piercing cry resounded throughout the sky.
Yang Kai looked up, gawking at the beautiful and incomprehensible figure, nervously gulping as he muttered with difficulty, “A Fire Phoenix!”
There were Divine Spirits in this world, and Dragons and Phoenixes reigned supreme above these great beasts.
The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan were the strongest existences among the Ancient Divine Spirits. This was almost an indisputable fact. Putting the Dragon Clan aside, the Phoenix Clan had two major branches.
The Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix!
These two branches of the Phoenix Clan represented the two great attributes of Fire and Ice, making them polar opposites of one another.
The Divine Spirit Luan Feng that Yang Kai had seen on Clear Jade Mountain outside Maplewood City fell under the Fire Phoenix branch. The Luan Feng’s World Extinguishing Black Flame was simply synonymous with destruction and disaster. A single breath of its black flames had caused Clear Jade Mountain to burn down, and its fires would undoubtedly continue burning for many years to come. This phenomenon had attracted countless cultivators who cultivated Fire Attribute Secret Arts and Secret Techniques to Clear Jade Mountain to enter retreat, seeking enlightenment.
And the giant, beautiful figure before Yang Kai now was undoubtedly an authentic Fire Phoenix! Its bloodline was even purer than that Luan Feng’s.
Yang Kai had never even dreamed that he would see a Fire Phoenix in the Shattered Star Sea! Moreover, one that was suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Had the cultivators not discovered the Mountains and Rivers Bell by accident, and caused it to fly away, this Fire Phoenix might still be sleeping under it, never to see the light of the day.
“No!” Yang Kai suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the Fire Phoenix hovering in the sky as if he had noticed something amiss.
Because he noticed that this Fire Phoenix had no vitality. It could even be said that it had no physical body. Everything about it was composed of pure energy. And when it appeared, Yang Kai had clearly felt the energy of a Fire Attribute Star Source.
In a flash, Yang Kai was struck with realization and involuntarily cried, “Phoenix True Fire!”
This was not a true Fire Phoenix Divine Spirit, it was the Phoenix True Fire! And combined with what Qi Hai had said before, Yang Kai immediately realized that this Phoenix True Fire was left here after the death of Martial Flame Great Emperor!
In terms of value, it wasn’t inferior to the Mountains and Rivers Bell, and to some, it was a priceless treasure that nothing could compare to.
However… Why was Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Mountains and Rivers Bell suppressing Martial Flame Great Emperor’s Phoenix True Fire? Didn’t these two Great Emperors jointly attack Heaven Devouring Great Emperor?
Yang Kai was suddenly confused and he couldn’t fathom what happened during the great battle of those Great Emperors for such a thing to happen.
But it was useless to think about matters that happened tens of thousands of years ago.
Now that the Phoenix True Fire was right before him, the mysteries of this place were also solved. The Fire Attribute Star Source on this star was actually the Phoenix True Fire, something far more valuable than a mere Fire Attribute Star Source.
The Phoenix True Fire carried the inheritance of a True Fire Phoenix. A Fire Phoenix would eventually die, but its True Fire would never go out. Contained in this Phoenix True Fire was the knowledge and experiences the Fire Phoenix Clan had gained over hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years. No matter who obtained this Phoenix True Fire, their strength would certainly improve by leaps and bounds.
If Liu Yan could absorb this Phoenix True Fire, it might even be possible for her to be reborn as a real Fire Phoenix!
“Li!”
The loud cry rang out again, pulling Yang Kai from his excited thoughts. Yang Kai was immediately startled by the sight before his eyes. The Phoenix True Fire in the sky had actually started rotating and swiftly turned into a fist-sized ball of fire before flying straight at him.
At this moment, Yang Kai was frightened out of his senses.
He might be proud of his uncommon strength and even dared to fight ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, but in the face of the Phoenix True Fire that was known to be able to burn all things in existence to ash, he didn’t even dare to touch it.
If he was hit by this flame, he would evaporate instantly!
Just when he wanted to run away, a force uncontrollably surged out of Yang Kai’s body.
Immediately afterward, a reverberating and deafening dragon roar resounded through the sky as a golden glow appeared around Yang Kai. The Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength that had been hiding in Yang Kai’s body all this time directly appeared behind his back at that moment, seemingly stimulated by the Phoenix True Fire.
The enormous Dragon head stared at the Phoenix True Fire with its house-sized eyes, its golden light giving it a dazzling and majestic look.
In a flash, dragon roars and phoenix cries sang one after another, trying to display their majesty to the other.
Right afterwards, the two Sources clashed with each other mid-air, causing the surrounding space to collapse and the world to crack.
Suddenly, a muffled groan came from somewhere nearby, as if someone was injured by these clashes. Yang Kai’s eyes immediately turned cold as he turned his head and glanced towards the source of the groan, but when he looked over, he didn’t notice anything.
At this moment, he had no time to care about other things as he was currently at the centre of the collision between the two Ancient Divine Spirit Sources. He too was having a hard time holding on, and if the Dragon Source wasn’t safeguarding his body, he might have been long crushed into nothing. Even so, his bones were beginning to crack and Golden Blood started flowing out as his skin split apart, making him look extremely miserable.
The fiery glow became more and more vibrant, but the golden radiance wasn’t showing any weakness either.
The whole world now seemed to have only two colours.
This was a confrontation merely between two Sources, without real physical bodies, a battle between the supreme overlords of the Ancient Divine Spirits. Under these surging Source Strengths, Yang Kai suffered immense pain, but also gained phenomenal insights.
Over time, the collision between the two Sources seemed to have become even more fearsome, and Yang Kai had no choice but to use his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique to cover his entire body in Dragon Scales. Even so, his blood and Source Qi were in turmoil from the constant impacts and he kept coughing up blood, looking like he might die at any moment.
Although he looked miserable, there was a light of ecstasy in his eyes.
Because he discovered due to being in the centre of this clash, his comprehension of Source and Principle Strength had climbed to a new height in a very short period of time. At this moment, some obscure concepts that he never understood before suddenly became clear.
As such, he hoped that this clash would keep going a while longer!
Slavin, Original Title – Phoenix True Fire
What disappointed Yang Kai a little was the fact that these two supreme Sources only clashed with each other for less time than it took to drink a cup of tea before they settled down and retreated from each other.
However, he could tell that although it seemed that they came out on par in their clash, the fact was that the Phoenix True Fire was slightly inferior. It seemed his Golden Divine Dragon Source was a little bit stronger than the Phoenix True Fire.
Yang Kai was extremely excited by this discovery.
Right then, he grit his teeth and forced the Golden Divine Dragon Source once more.
The Phoenix True Fire was immediately caught off guard and was enveloped by the Dragon Source Strength. It constantly cried in anger and vigorously struggled, a terrifying display to behold.
Yang Kai quickly formed seals with his hands as he summoned the Sealed World Bead. Suddenly, an entrance to the Sealed World Bead opened up, sucking the Phoenix True Fire straight into the Small Sealed World.
Immediately afterwards, he mobilized the power of the Small World Bead and suppressed it.
After doing all this, Yang Kai staggered a few steps, his face completely pale as he sweat profusely, making him look like a fish out of water.
He hurriedly immersed his consciousness into the Small Sealed World to check the condition of the Phoenix True Fire. Immediately, he noticed that although the Phoenix True Fire was vehemently struggling, it was unable to free itself from the World Strength. Finally, Yang Kai put his heart to rest.
A sense of exhaustion finally struck him as Yang Kai slumped down on the ground.
Putting something as powerful as the Phoenix True Fire into the Small Sealed World had almost completely exhausted his Spiritual Energy, which was more exhaustive than taking over a hundred Embodiments into the Small Sealed World. It was proof in itself how Heaven-defying the Phoenix True Fire was.
What surprised Yang Kai was that everything went so smoothly. He had just tried to test the waters, that’s all. He hadn’t expected to succeed on first try. The credit for this mostly went to his Golden Divine Dragon Source. Had it not been there to suppress the Phoenix True Fire, Yang Kai would never have been able to obtain it, even with the Sealed World Bead on his side.
How could a supreme Source be taken away so easily?
Suddenly, a figure appeared from somewhere nearby and sat down cross-legged on the ground, watching Yang Kai with a look of disbelief. Like Yang Kai, his face was similarly pale.
Qi Hai!
Who would have thought that while everyone was chasing the Mountains and Rivers Bell, Qi Hai would unexpectedly use a concealment-type Secret Technique to hide here.
However, when the two Source Strengths clashed with each other, Qi Hai seemed to have suffered from the impact. From the look on his face, he seemed to be slightly injured right now. Presumably, he knew that his whereabouts had been exposed, so he no longer hid himself and had appeared in a frank and upright manner.
He was looking at Yang Kai with a complicated gaze, but he didn’t come forward right away, and neither did he show any hostility. He just stood there quietly and waited.
Although Yang Kai was recuperating in a cross-legged position, he was also paying a little attention to Qi Hai’s movements. He found this cunning refreshing. If it weren’t for the groan Qi Hai made when he was injured, Yang Kai would have never thought that there would be someone else beside him here.
Obviously, Qi Hai had some motive for secretly staying here. Yang Kai reckoned that it might have something to do with the Phoenix True Fire. In other words, Qi Hai had long known about the Phoenix True Fire being suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell. That’s why he didn’t chase after the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
For a moment, both of them remained silent. The high temperature on the surface of the dark red star seemed to be rapidly dropping because the Phoenix True Fire was taken away. Hissing noises could be heard coming from everywhere because of the rapid drop in the temperature.
After half an hour, Yang Kai finally opened his eyes.
Even though adjusting his breathing for this half-hour wasn’t enough to fully replenish his Spiritual Energy, he wasn’t as tired as before. Not to mention, he also had the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, which was nourishing his Soul every moment, so there was no need to deliberately restore his Spiritual Energy.
Next, he turned and deeply stared at Qi Hai.
This guy had been sitting there all the while. He didn’t disturb Yang Kai’s recovery, nor did it look like he had any malicious intentions, so what did he want?
However, Yang Kai could tell that Qi Hai wasn’t hostile to him. On the contrary, because of his shocking battle which had just taken place, it seemed Qi Hai’s gaze was filled with intense fear.
Seeing Yang Kai looking at him, Qi Hai’s expression turned serious as he quickly cupped his fists and introduced himself, “This one’s name is Qi Hai. I think you should know me by now. Friend, may I have the honour of knowing your name?”
“Yang Kai!” Yang Kai didn’t conceal his name, because he believed that he wasn’t famous. His fame couldn’t be compared to that of top disciples from top Sects, so it didn’t matter if he said his real name.
“So, it is Brother Yang Kai. Greetings!” Qi Hai cupped his fists again, wondering in his heart. He kept recalling the names of the elite disciples of the Sects of four territories of the Star Boundary, but he found that there was no Yang Kai among them.
“Brother Qi Hai, is there something I can do for you?” Yang Kai indifferently asked.
Qi Hai smiled in embarrassment as he stated, “You can indeed do something for me. This Qi has a presumptuous request…”
Yang Kai interrupted with a snort, “Since it’s a presumptuous request, then don’t ask.”
“Uh…” Qi Ha immediately choked, rendered speechless. He was only being polite by saying so and hadn’t expected Yang Kai to give such a harsh reply. This made him really helpless.
“I am a little curious though,” Yang Kai calmly gazed at Qi Hai, “Everyone chased after the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so why did Brother Qi Hai secretly stay here? Did you already know something?”
Qi Hai had displayed extensive knowledge about the past and knew many secrets that others had never even heard of. He was also the one who revealed information about the war between the Great Emperors. He might have hidden some of the insider information.
Qi Hai raised his brow but instead of replying, he counter-questioned Yang Kai, “What about Brother Yang? You flew off and then came back. You wouldn’t happen to know something too, would you?”
Yang Kai calmly answered, “I suddenly got a stomach ache, so I ran back to take a dump!”
Qi Hai’s face darkened upon hearing this.
Yang Kai continued, “Brother Qi Hai has been hiding here all the while. Didn’t you see me creating a big hole on the ground as soon as I came back? I was going to take care of my business here, but who would have thought that something like this would happen!”
The corners of Qi Hai’s mouth twitched as he stated, “Brother Yang’s luck is quite Heaven-defying!”
Qi Hai’s expression clearly stated that only some idiot would believe him, but Yang Kai didn’t mind. Instead, he meaningfully grinned and stated, “Brother Qi, if you know something, you might as well tell me about it. Since things have come to pass like this, there is no point in hiding it anymore.”
Qi Hai’s face slightly sank. Obviously, he was feeling frustrated, but after a long time, he heaved a sigh before he confirmed it with a nod, “I do know something.”
Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up as he stated, “This Yang is all ears.”
Qi Hai continued, “I knew that the Phoenix True Fire was suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell!”
Yang Kai immediately voiced his doubt, “I’m extremely puzzled about this. Didn’t Yuan Ding Great Emperor and Martial Flame Great Emperor join hands to deal with Heaven Devouring Great Emperor? How did Yuan Ding Great Emperor end up using his Mountains and Rivers Bell to suppress Martial Flame Great Emperor’s Phoenix True Fire? Were they enemies?”
Qi Hai denied, shaking his head, “Brother Yang’s conjecture is wrong. Yuan Ding Great Emperor and Martial Flame Great Emperor were indeed companions, and they joined hands to deal with Heaven Devouring Great Emperor in that battle long ago, but there is a special reason why the Phoenix True Fire was suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell.”
“Can you tell me the details?” Yang Kai earnestly asked.
Qi Hai pondered for a moment before answering, “Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was incredibly shrewd on top of being extremely powerful. He had many trump cards up his sleeve and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the strongest expert in the Star Boundary’s entire history. However, even though he was a Great Emperor, he wasn’t immortal or indestructible. In his era, his cultivation had reached a level which no one could surpass, but he still wanted to go further. Brother Yang, can you guess what he wanted when his strength and status reached that level?”
Yang Kai wasn’t a fool. After listening to Qi Hai, he could pretty much guess it and an intelligent gleam flashed past his eyes as he muttered in surprise, “Eternal life?”
Qi Hai confirmed it with a nod, “Yes, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor wanted to have the longevity of the Heavens and Earth, sharing brilliance with the sun and moon!”
Yang Kai gasped in shock, “What a big appetite!”
Qi Hai chuckled, “You and I still haven’t reached that realm. If you or I had the cultivation and abilities of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, we might also consider this, but it is not that easy to achieve immortality and have an indestructible body. However, rumour has it that there was a precious treasure formed just as the Heavens and Earth first came into being from the undivided chaos: the Immortal Tree!”
Yang Kai’s eyes twitched ever so slightly hearing this.
Qi Hai continued, not noticing this slight twitch, “According to the ancient rumours, if one can obtain the Immortal Tree and refine it, they can obtain an immortal and indestructible body!”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “Does Brother Qi believe this kind of unfounded rumour?”
Qi Hai earnestly looked at him and asked, “Why? Don’t you believe it?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “A tree that can make someone immortal and indestructible? That’s just some tale used to deceive children. Brother Qi Hai, you are already an adult, don’t believe such nonsense.”
Qi Hai shook his head and stated, “In this world, there are many marvellous and exotic treasures, each of which has an incomprehensible and unimaginable effect. The Immortal Tree can indeed make someone immortal and indestructible.”
Yang Kai feigned surprise and asked, “Is that true? Then does Brother Qi know how one can become immortal and indestructible using the Immortal Tree?”
Qi Hai bitterly smiled and stated, “I don’t know anything about that. How can it be that easy to see the Immortal Tree? Since ancient times, the people who have seen the Immortal Tree should not exceed five.”
Yang Kai rebuked in his heart, [Bullshit, when I got the Immortal Tree, at least six or seven people saw it.]
However, the fact that Qi Hai didn’t know how to use the Immortal Tree inevitably disappointed Yang Kai. He thought that since Qi Hai was so knowledgeable, perhaps he could get some information about the Immortal Tree from him.
After Yang Kai obtained the Immortal Tree back then, he had tried refining it many times in order to achieve an immortal and indestructible body.
But no matter what method Yang Kai tried, he discovered that he couldn’t refine the Immortal Tree at all. Back then, he was just an Origin Returning Realm cultivator, so it was reasonable to assume that his cultivation was simply too low. But now, he was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master, yet he still couldn’t refine it.
The biggest role the Immortal Tree played today was to bring great vitality to the Small Sealed World, allowing the spirit medicines in his medicine garden to grow rapidly. It shortened the growth cycle of these spirit medicines by a great deal. Occasionally, Yang Kai would also use the rich vitality exuded by the Immortal Tree to heal his injuries. Likewise, its leaves could also be used to instantly heal severe wounds. Besides this, it had no other effect. As for achieving an immortal and indestructible body, Yang Kai had no clue about this.
“In the past, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor once went looking for the Immortal Tree to gain immortality. He even tore apart the Star Boundary’s Starlight Corridor and invaded countless lower Star Fields. Every time he went to a Star Field, countless Cultivation Stars would be devoured by him, plunging people into misery and suffering. It was for this reason that he finally incurred the wrath of the entire world,” Qi Hai unhurriedly continued, “But unfortunately, even the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was unable to find the Immortal Tree.”
Yang Kai was filled with fear after hearing this.
He could say for sure that the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had never been to Heng Luo Star Field. Had he been there, he might have really found the Immortal Tree; however, his arrival would have definitely brought doom to the Heng Luo Star Field.
Qi Hai continued, “Unable to find the Immortal Tree, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor could only look for other methods. The popular rumour is that the reason why the other Great Emperors besieged the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor in the Shattered Star Sea was because his behaviour was no longer acceptable, but in fact, that was only a part of the reason.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he asked, “What’s the other reason?”
“There was another bigger reason. He wanted to attack another Great Emperor and snatch something from him!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s mind quickly started working. All of a sudden, he was struck with some realization as cried out in alarm, “Could it be…”
Qi Hai confirmed it with a nod, “Yes, it’s exactly as Brother Yang has guessed. It is absolutely impossible for Great Emperors to fight if there isn’t an absolute irreconcilable enmity between them. However, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s conduct undoubtedly touched the inverse-scale and bottom line of all the other Great Emperors. If they ignored this, the next unlucky person might be themselves, so they formed an alliance and declared war against Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. Their battle shattered the sky and split worlds, causing the universe to shatter, resulting in the creation of this Shattered Star Sea!”
“What the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor wanted to steal was the Martial Flame Great Emperor’s Phoenix True Fire!” Qi Hai’s face grew serious, “The Phoenix True Fire is the inheritance of a True Fire Phoenix. The Fire Phoenix might die, but its Phoenix Fire will never go out. It even has the Heaven-defying Divine Ability of nirvana, so the Phoenix True Fire is also known as the Nirvana True Fire. It’s ranked at the top among all the exotic fires created by the Heavens. The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor wanted to obtain the Phoenix True Fire and understand the mysteries of eternal life from it. If the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor really succeeded in getting his hands on it, then he might have really gotten what he wanted.”
“During that battle, the Martial Flame Great Emperor was the first to fall under the hands of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor; after all, he was the main focus of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. The Phoenix True Fire was also pulled out by him, but in order to prevent the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor from getting his hands on the Phoenix True Fire, the Yuan Ding Great Emperor could only use his own Mountains and Rivers Bell to suppress it. He was also helpless. And without the Mountains and Rivers Bell, the Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s strength plummeted, so he too followed the footsteps of the Martial Flame Great Emperor. However, the Phoenix True Fire suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell was sent away by another Great Emperor during the tangled fight. It had been missing since then!”
“Over the years, countless cultivators have entered the Shattered Star Sea to find the treasures left by the fallen Great Emperors, but few knew that the Phoenix True Fire was being suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell.”
Listening to Qi Hai, Yang Kai immediately understood why he secretly remained and he couldn’t help but smile as he praised, “Brother Qi Hai, you really know a great deal.”
Qi Hai stated, “This Qi has been paying attention to the whereabouts of the Phoenix True Fire, and has also read countless ancient books due to some special circumstances.”
“Special circumstances?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Qi Hai timely cupped his fists and explained, “I’ll be honest with Brother Yang. This Qi’s wife was severely injured twenty years ago, and had been in a coma since then. Although this Qi has tried everything to save her, I could only keep her barely alive. It’s not a long-term solution. In order to save her, apart from the Immortal Source Liquid on the Immortal Tree, only the Phoenix True Fire will do.”
Yang Kai’s face turned livid as he coldly snorted and asked, “Brother Qi, did you come to me to ask for the Phoenix True Fire? If so, then this Yang has been wrong about you. It was a pleasant talk, but I didn’t expect that Brother Qi had this plan in his mind. Goodbye!”
“Brother Yang, you are misunderstanding me,” Qi Hai hurriedly waved his hands, “Can you please listen to me first?”
Yang Kai coldly glanced at him and stated, “I’m neither your friend nor your relative, why must I care about your troubles?”
Large beads of sweat immediately appeared on Qi Hai’s forehead and he promptly swore, “If Brother Yang is willing to help me this time, this Qi is willing to pay any price. Whatever Brother Yang asks of me, this Qi will definitely do it for you.”
“Even if I want you dead?” Yang Kai pursed his lips as a sinister smile appeared on his lips.
Qi Hai’s face slightly changed but he quickly gave a big-hearted smile, “If Brother Yang really saves my wife, this Qi will commit suicide in front of you.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed ever so slightly, the corners of his lips twitching as he muttered, “You’re crazy!”
Qi Hai smiled instead and asked, “I wonder whether Brother Yang had met a woman whom you can depend on to stand beside you even in the face of death? If you have met such a woman, you will be able to understand this Qi’s feelings.”
Several beautiful figures flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes and he couldn’t help but be a little moved.
He wondered if those few encountered something similar, what would he do? Suddenly he understood Qi Hai’s feelings.
“Although I sympathize with you, I can’t give you the Phoenix True Fire,” Yang Kai shook his head. The Phoenix True Fire was too precious and he already planned to give it to Liu Yuan. He couldn’t hand it to Qi Hai just because of a few words.
Who knows if this Qi Hai was speaking the truth or not? Even if what he said was true, there was no friendship between them that would warrant such a sacrifice.
Qi Hai stated, “Brother Yang, you really misunderstood me. I don’t want your Phoenix True Fire.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he asked, “Then, what do you want?”
Qi Hai replied, “I just wanted to ask Brother Yang to come with me. You only need to use the Nirvana Divine Ability of the Phoenix True Fire a little. It will be enough to save my wife. And you will not lose the slightest.”
“Just this?” Yang Kai asked, surprised.
“Just this!” Qi Hai solemnly nodded.
Yang Kai pondered for a while before asking, “What kind of injuries has your wife suffered? Why are you sure that the Phoenix True Fire will save her?”
Qi Hai’s expression turned dark as he explained, “It’s not an injury per se, but more of a kind of cold poison. At the edge of the Eastern Territory lies the vast Ancient Wild Lands. Only a few people ever set foot into those lands and fewer return, but where there is danger, there is also opportunity. Many Masters of the Eastern Territory like to go to the Ancient Wild Lands to explore and temper themselves. My wife once went to the Ancient Wild Lands alone twenty years ago, from which she returned seriously wounded a month later. Since then, she has been in a coma. According to my Qi Family Fort’s Alchemist, my wife was poisoned, and the poison in her system is none other than the Heavenly Frost Earth Rain!”
“Heavenly Frost Earth Rain!” Yang Kai’s face immediately changed when he heard this and he couldn’t help but cry out in shock, “One of the Ten Extreme Poisons!?”
Qi Hai looked at Yang Kai in surprise as he asked, “Brother Yang knows about the Heavenly Frost Earth Rain?”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “I’ve heard of it.”
Qi Hai bitterly smiled, “Since Brother Yang has heard of it, you should know that there is basically no cure for someone afflicted by this kind of poison.”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai slightly sighed. There was no cure for any of the Ten Extreme Poisons. Basically, one would just be counting his or her days unless he or she encountered some astonishing treasure, such as the Immortal Tree.
“However, the Phoenix True Fire’s Nirvana Divine Ability may be able to cure my wife,” Qi Hai blazingly stared at Yang Kai as he continued, “My main purpose for entering the Shattered Star Sea this time was to find the Phoenix True Fire and take it back to the Qi Family Fort. But… after watching everything, this Qi realized that he was far too naive. With my current strength, I wouldn’t have been able to even approach the Phoenix True Fire.”
Qi Hai had naturally seen the Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength breaking out of Yang Kai and its fight with the Phoenix True Fire. Just remembering that terrifying battle made him tremble all over.
“Brother Qi, you are overestimating me. I still haven’t subdued it, I was only able to temporarily suppress it,” Yang Kai calmly explained.
“Suppressed…” Qi Hai nervously gulped. It sounded even more unbelievable than Yang Kai subduing the Phoenix True Fire and he immediately muttered in admiration, “Brother Yang is really amazing.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he stated, “Although even the Heavens and Earth would be moved by Brother Qi’s feelings for your wife, please forgive this Yang for being incapable of helping you.”
Qi Hai’s face darkened. He knew that he couldn’t force this kind of thing. Yang Kai hadn’t subdued or refined the Phoenix True Fire at all, so even if he did want to help, he was unable to do so, this was a simple fact. In order to save Qi Hai’s wife, Yang Kai must first refine the Phoenix True Fire; otherwise, once he took out the Phoenix True Fire, not to mention saving his wife, everyone might be burned to ashes in an instant.
“Then… Will Brother Yang come to the Qi Family Fort in the Eastern Territory after you have refined the Phoenix True Fire someday?” Qi Hai pleadingly looked at Yang Kai before earnestly swearing, “Right now, this is my last hope to save my beloved wife. Brother Yang, rest assured, this Qi will never divulge anything he witnessed today, if I do so, may I be struck by lightning.”
“Qi Family Fort in the Eastern Territory?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“That’s right!”
“If it’s the Eastern Territory, I may go there someday,” Yang Kai nodded. This time, whether he could get Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts from Yin Le Sheng or not, he had to go to the Eastern Territory because Xiao Xiao may very well be in the Eastern Territory.
“Really!?” Qi Hai was overjoyed when he heard this. He cried, lost in happiness, “Great! When Brother Yang comes to the Eastern Territory, just ask about the Ancient Wild Lands. My Qi Family Fort is near the Ancient Wild Lands.”
“We’ll see when the time comes,” Yang Kai didn’t agree right away. He couldn’t easily make a promise when it came to matters like this. If he failed to fulfil his promise, it would definitely make Qi Hai hate him.
Qi Hai obviously understood this, but the initiative was entirely in Yang Kai’s hands, so he couldn’t force the issue. He could only take out a Communication Bead from his Space Ring and carefully hand it to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, this is this Qi’s Communication Bead, it might be to use in the future.”
Yang Kai took it and threw it into his Space Ring before cupping his fist and bidding him farewell, “Then, let’s part ways here.”
Qi Hai nodded with a complicated look on his face.
Before Yang Kai left, Qi Hai suddenly cried, “Brother Yang, wait a moment!”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai gazed back at him.
Qi Hai earnestly asked, “Brother Yang, are you planning to chase after the Mountains and Rivers Bell?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “How can I let a Great Emperor’s artifact slip? I should give it a try.”
Qi Hai stated, “Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Mountains and Rivers Bell is extremely powerful. No one in the Dao Source Realm can succeed in subduing it unless you can get the approval of the Artifact Spirit and let it choose you as its Master.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai flicked his hair as he narcissistically stated, “Since I’m so handsome, it should take a liking to me.”
Qi Hai’s face turned black.
“Brother Yang is a dragon among men, but if you want to subdue the Mountains and Rivers Bell, you can’t just depend on handsomeness!” Qi Hai summoned up his courage and stated. He was the one requesting Yang Kai’s help, so he couldn’t be too straightforward, lest he made Yang Kai upset.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he asked, “Judging by Brother Qi’s words, do you know the way to conquer the Mountains and Rivers Bell?”
“Of course I don’t know the way to subdue it, but this Qi has some information about it for Brother Yang.”
“Oh? Let’s hear it,” Yang Kai immediately became interested.
Qi Hai continued, “The world only knows that the Mountains and Rivers Bell is the Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Natal Emperor Artifact, but what few know is that the Mountains and Rivers Bell didn’t belong to the Yuan Ding Great Emperor from the start. It’s an Ancient Exotic Artifact!”
“Ancient Exotic Artifact!” Yang Kai’s pupils shrank after hearing this.
“Indeed!” Qi Hai explained with a nod, “It was precisely because the Yuan Ding Great Emperor got his hands on the Mountains and Rivers Bell that he could become a Great Emperor. It could be said that the Mountains and Rivers Bell made him a Great Emperor.”
“So it was like this!” Yang Kai got to hear a lot of surprising things. This was really a big secret, and had Qi Hai not told him, Yang Kai might never have learned this.
“If not, how can the Mountains and Rivers Bell suppress the Phoenix True Fire? What’s more, after the suppression, even Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was unable to break through its defences. If it were a normal Emperor Artifact, it would have been impossible for it to suppress the Phoenix True Fire for tens of thousands of years.”
Yang Kai felt that this also made sense. The Phoenix True Fire was extremely overbearing, yet it was suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell for tens of thousands of years. If the Mountains and Rivers Bell hadn’t flown away on its own, it might have been impossible for the Phoenix True Fire to see daylight again.
“Then Brother Qi, isn’t there something you were going to tell me?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
Qi Hai’s expression turned grim as he continued, “It is written in ancient records that the Yuan Ding Great Emperor had ventured into the Eastern Territory’s Ancient Wild Lands in the past. There, he had stumbled upon an enormous bell. It was the Mountains and Rivers Bell. At that time, Yuan Divine Great Emperor was just an ordinary Emperor Realm Master. He wanted to subdue the Mountains and Rivers Bell but was unable to. In the end, he forcefully endured its eighty-one gongs and finally won the approval of the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Only then was he able to bring it out from Ancient Wild Lands.”
“The Mountains and Rivers Bell actually came from the Ancient Wild Lands!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. He had heard Qi Hai mention Ancient Wild Lands before, but he hadn’t paid too much attention to it, but now, after hearing that the Mountains and Rivers Bell came from the Ancient Wild Lands, Yang Kai naturally realized that it was an incredible place. Secretly, he decided that he would go there and take a look if got the opportunity.
However, the Yuan Ding Great Emperor actually endured eighty-one gongs to finally obtain the Mountains and Rivers Bell’s recognition. It was a remarkable feat.
Yang Kai had also experienced the might of the Mountains and Rivers Bell first hand. A Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator had died on spot just by coming in contact with it, so Yang Kai wasn’t confident that he could withstand its eighty-one gongs.
By informing him of this, Qi Hai had undoubtedly provided Yang Kai with a way to subdue the Mountains and Rivers Bell, but the danger was also great.
“Brother Yang, if you are uncertain, I advise you to ignore the Mountains and Rivers Bell. There are still many priceless treasures in the Shattered Star Sea. You and I can together…”
Before he could finish speaking, Yang Kai interrupted him, “I would still like to go and see.”
Qi Hai’s face darkened as he said, “Since that’s the case, then this Qi won’t persuade you anymore. Brother Yang, please be careful along the way.”
“Many thanks, Brother Qi. See you again!” Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile and while speaking, his figure flickered, flying off into the void.
Qi Hai stood in his place, staring at Yang Kai’s back with a complicated look on his face. Only after a long time did a heavy sigh finally escape his lips before he went searching in another direction, alone.
He didn’t have a deep friendship with Yang Kai, but judging by the fact that Yang Kai promised him that he would visit the Qi Family Fort in the Eastern Territory if he got the chance, it was quite evident that Yang Kai was an easy-going person. Had it been someone else, he or she would have totally ignored him, or more likely, silenced him.
After all, Qi Hai had witnessed Yang Kai suppressing and subduing the Phoenix True Fire. If the word of this got out, Yang Kai would have pretty hard days ahead of him.
It was precisely for this reason that Qi Hai vowed first to not speak a word of what he saw.
However, he had no confidence that Yang Kai would go to the Qi Family Fort and look for him.
If Yang Kai didn’t visit, then his wife would really die, but even if Yang Kai went there, in light of his wife’s current condition, she only had a slim chance, that’s all.
…..
Yang Kai flew in the direction of the Mountains and Rivers Bell for half a day before he suddenly sensed that Soul Mark he had left on Lan He.
When Lan He passed by him earlier, he deliberately patted Lan He’s shoulder, just so that he could plant the Soul Mark, giving him a chance to track the Mountain and Rivers Bell easily. As for becoming the target of Lan He’s discontent and suspicion, that was inevitable and unavoidable.
Without this Soul Mark, Yang Kai would never be able to track the location of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Yang Kai immediately flew in the direction of the Soul Mark, and after another hour, Yang Kai finally saw Lan He’s figure somewhere in the void.
However, what surprised him was that Lan He was fighting with some people at this moment. Furthermore, she was being besieged.
Yang Kai focused his gaze and found that two besieging here were Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters. Their cultivation was pretty good, and with one against two, Lan He appeared to be in a rather precarious situation. She seemed to have suffered a lot of injuries already and she was bleeding in a lot of places.
When he took a second look at the surroundings, Yang Kai found that almost none of the dozens of cultivators that were on the dark red star before had fallen; everyone was here.
And the Mountains and Rivers Bell was hovering in the void in one place, completely still.
Everyone was looking at the Mountains and Rivers Bell with a greedy and covetous gaze, but no one stepped forward to fight for it. Yang Kai found this extremely strange and he had no idea what was going on here.
However, what put his heart at ease was that Yin Le Sheng of the Netherworld Sect was still here. Yang Kai was pretty relieved by this. The Shattered Star Sea was so vast, so if he lost track of Yin Le Sheng, Yang Kai wasn’t confident he could find him again.
Almost everyone remained still in the void. Only Lan He was fighting with two opponents, so Yang Kai’s arrival attracted a lot of attention. Yin Le Sheng, too, indifferently glanced at him, but as Yang Kai was wearing a disguise, he wasn’t recognized.
“Don’t come here!” Just when Yang Kai was rushing over, Lan He, who happened to be fighting and at a disadvantage, suddenly shouted at Yang Kai.
Due to this momentary distraction, she had suffered two more wounds as blood spurted from them.
Yang Kai looked at her in astonishment, wondering why she prevented him from approaching when she was still being ganged upon. If it was because she was disgusted by his previous actions, then she was being too sensitive.
However, very soon, Yang Kai understood her intention.
Just as he rushed over, he suddenly noticed an anomaly around him.
There was a Natural Spirit Array hidden in this place, one that was extremely dangerous and well concealed.
He didn’t notice it from outside at all, but as soon as he entered it, Yang Kai felt as if he was surrounded by a crisis, unable to find a way out.
No wonder no one was acting rashly when the Mountains and Rivers Bell was right in front of them. The place where the Mountains and Rivers Bell was seemed to be the most dangerous place in this entire Natural Spirit Array, causing Yang Kai to tremble all over.
After understanding this, Yang Kai’s face turned black.
The dozens of cultivators in the vicinity were looking at him with a mocking look on their faces, taking pleasure in his misfortune.
Yang Kai coldly snorted as he shouted, “What are you looking at? Bunch of wastes, do you believe this Young Master won’t gouge your eyes out?!”
Having accidentally rushed into this Natural Spirit Array had somewhat annoyed Yang Kai, and even though it was normal for these people to not warn him, their act of taking pleasure in his misfortune was very irritating.
As soon as he said this, several dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on him, their murderous intent instantly spilling over to the surroundings, causing this part of the void to freeze.
Every cultivator here was an elite of some great force and had always been to ones to be on the receiving end of respect, but today, they had been called wastes by Yang Kai; how could they take it?
Not to mention, Yang Kai scolded everyone in one sentence. He was too lawless and he didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
Many people looked at Yang Kai as if they were looking at a dead person.
Yang Kai spat disdainfully, as if he didn’t put any of them in his eyes. He then turned to Lan He and asked, “What hatred or grievance do you have with these two that you have to fight here?”
The act of Lan He warning him not to come when she was under attack had slightly moved Yang Kai. Naturally, he couldn’t sit back and watch this without doing anything.
Lan He lashed out, annoyed, “It’s a matter between our Sects, nothing to do with personal enmity!”
The reason why she warned Yang Kai was not because she was trying to save Yang Kai. Rather she wanted Yang Kai to send a message to her Sect to inform them about her own situation. If she died here, at least someone would know about it.
But this idiot actually rushed in, so now he couldn’t leave even if he wanted to.
Lan He found that ever since she met this guy, everything had been going wrong, as if he was some kind of god of misfortune plaguing her.
One of the two men besieging Lan He shouted, “Slut, Eldest Senior Brother was castrated by you. He is neither man nor ghost from now on, and you dare to say that it has nothing to do with personal enmity!”
As soon as this was mentioned, everyone’s expression was unusually brilliant and secretly sympathized with that unknown Eldest Senior Brother. As a man, getting castrated was a tragic thing, and just the thought of it caused many legs to clamp tightly.
Lan He rebuked with a cold snort, “He used that thing to try to commit an outrageous act against me, he should be punished for it!”
The man angrily lashed out, “With your looks, no man in this world will ever be interested in you! I think you were just jealous, that’s why you did such a sinister thing to Eldest Senior Brother.”
The other man yelled, “Yes, as a woman, you’ll never get to have a man in your life! If you don’t believe it, you can try it out and see if any man here will be interested in you!”
“He’s a she?” One of the surrounding cultivators stared at Lan He with widened eyes as he asked in amazement.
“I’m really blind. I thought she was a man!”
“Tsk tsk, this girl is really interesting. Could it be that she was born in the wrong family!”
“Haha, you don’t understand, the more a woman is like her, the more interesting it is to play with her.”
“Sii… Brother, your tastes are quite… heavy…”
Lan He’s face flushed red while listening to the noisy comments coming from all around her, whether it was because she was angered or ashamed, however, it was impossible to tell.
Even though she had a neutral personality and her appearance was flat, she was still a woman and naturally felt embarrassed when someone spoke such things right in her face. Even if her will was firm, she couldn’t help being disturbed by such overt harassment.
Seeing this, the two cultivators besieging her looked happy and started to attack even more ruthlessly.
Lan He was quite strong, though, so although her two attackers had an absolute advantage, they would still have to pay a hefty price if they wanted to really kill her. But at this moment, Lan He’s emotions were in chaos, so her defeat was imminent, it was only a matter of time.
At this moment, another person broke into laughter, mocking Lan He, “Who hasn’t heard of the famous Heavenly Wolf Valley’s Eldest Senior Brother Lan He? Oh, sorry, I was wrong, it should be Eldest Senior Sister, hahaha!”
Yang Kai found this person’s voice familiar, turning his head to look and realizing it was none other than Brahma Holy Land’s Holy Sons, Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian, whom he had met once before.
The speaker was Zhang Hao, who had fought against Yang Kai before.
By the looks of it, he was acquainted with Lan He, and it didn’t sound like a friendly relationship; there might be some dispute between them so he didn’t shy away from adding insult to injury here.
“Heavenly Wolf Valley?” Yang Kai raised his brow, feeling as if he had heard of this Sect somewhere before, but even after mulling over it, he couldn’t remember.
“Whether she is a man or a woman, let’s quickly check it!” Someone made a ruckus, rallying many along with him.
“Shut up!” Yang Kai glared at everyone before sneering, “Is it really that interesting to watch a group of men bully a woman?”
The person, who just yelled, immediately lashed out angrily, “Little brat, who do you think you are? You were just being arrogant and now you dare to treat others with contempt? I dare you report your name!”
Others also glared at Yang Kai and everyone was extremely dissatisfied with his arrogant attitude.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, completely ignoring that one who spoke before his figure flickered and he flew towards Lan He. Halfway there, he summoned a hundred Golden Blood Threads.
Suddenly, a dazzling golden flash blinded everyone as the Golden Blood Threads soared through the void.
Although the two besieging Lan He were focused on their battle with Lan He, they were still paying close attention to Yang Kai’s movements; after all, he seemed to have some friendship with her.
So, when Yang Kai made a move, the two of them promptly reacted, one of them turning to confront Yang Kai, shouting, “Boy, you court death!”
Unleashing a slash from his sword, it seemed as if space was being cut asunder. The incomparably fierce blade aura made the world go dark and everyone paled at the sight of this.
But suddenly, the Golden Blood Threads transformed into an enormous golden net that gave the impression that it could cover the entire world, directly trapping the sword wave.
The next moment, grating noises rang out. Although the sword wave was quite strong, it was unable to break through the Golden Blood Threads. Instead, it was pushed back while the Golden Blood Thread net remained completely unaffected and it continued shooting straight towards the cultivator while shrinking rapidly, looking like it was about to wrap around him.
The man’s face drastically changed. Although he had no idea what was special about this golden net, the terrifying fluctuations emanating from it were impossible to ignore. Not daring to let it touch him, he made a prompt retreat.
But the next moment, his eyes widened in shock as his face went pale as a ghost.
Because Yang Kai, who had been hundreds of metres away from him before, was now somehow standing right before him with a wicked grin on his face. The vicious glint in Yang Kai’s eyes made this man’s feet go cold as he trembled all over.
He didn’t even notice how Yang Kai got so close to him. It was as if he had fallen into a momentary trance then the two were already standing face to face.
As their gazes met, that cultivator only saw a white lotus bud image suddenly fly out of Yang Kai’s left eye. The bud was spotless and pure, but it disappeared in a flash.
The next moment, his Knowledge Sea suddenly shook, making him dizzy and almost knocking him off the ground.
The next moment, Yang Kai threw a punch.
*Kacha…*
At the same time, the sound of ribs cracking came out as blood splashed into the void.
The man stood rooted in place, dazed as he gawked at Yang Kai with a look of incredulity hanging on his face.
At the same time, gasps could be heard coming from all around.
Because everyone saw Yang Kai rush in front of his opponent using some unknown Secret Technique or Divine Ability. The next moment, a painful look appeared on his opponent’s face before Yang Kai punched straight through the man’s chest, leaving a huge gaping hole.
The eyes of all the cultivators standing nearby this place jumped wildly.
Because at this moment, Yang Kai was actually holding a beating heart in his hand. This scene was so bloody that they didn’t dare to look directly at it.
With a slight force, the heart burst apart, and along with this sound, the head of the cultivator, whose chest was punched through, tilted to one side as his aura disappeared altogether.
*Gudong…*
Sounds of everyone nervously gulping were heard, one after another. Many people’s gazes toward Yang Kai changed dramatically as even the strongest and most prideful people present here had serious and grim looks on their faces.
Killing a cultivator of the same level in the blink of an eye and in a completely relaxed fashion was not something everyone present here could do.
Even if they could do it, they would have to resort to their most powerful Secret Techniques, which would consume a lot of their strength.
On the other hand, Yang Kai just summoned a big golden net, and then threw a punch. It was like he was killing a chicken rather than a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master.
Only now did everyone finally realize that Yang Kai had the capital to act so arrogant, not putting any of them in his eyes.
“It’s him…” Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes, staring at Yang Kai closely, seemingly realizing something.
“Who?” Zhang Xian asked in a low voice.
Zhang Hao answered with a grim look, “If I’m not mistaken, he’s the guy we saw with Yu Ying before.”
Zhang Xian was greatly shocked, “How is that possible? Didn’t you injure that guy in one move? How can he be this strong then? Not to mention, the two of them look completely different.”
Zhang Hao explained, “One’s appearance can be changed, but their aura can’t be disguised. I could tell when he made his move just now. This kid hid himself deeply. He definitely concealed his strength before. But if he is here, what about Yu Ying?”
Zhang Xian replied with a straight face, “Since this brat is so ruthless, Yu Ying’s fate was most likely quite miserable.”
Zhang Hao worriedly stated, “I hit him before… I wonder if he’s holding a grudge against me for it. If he attacked me like how he just did…” At this point, his face went slightly pale. As a Holy Son of Brahma Holy Land, Zhang Hao had never been afraid of anyone in the Dao Source Realm before, but witnessing Yang Kai’s decisive and ruthless move, he couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.
Zhang Xian’s expression changed as he proposed, “If Yu Ying really died under his hand, we can inform the Netherworld Sect. Yin Le Shang isn’t a well-tempered man.”
Zhang Hao’s eyes lit up after hearing this and he hurriedly agreed with a nod, “Yes, we can do this.”
While the two were secretly communicating, the battle on Lan He’s side ended.
Lan He was not to be underestimated based on her stunted growth and appearance, her strength was nothing to make light of. The reason she had fallen into a disadvantage before was that she was fighting one versus two, but now that Yang Kai had instantly killed one of her attackers, shaking the other’s nerves greatly, it didn’t take long for Lang He to kill him by taking advantage of the lapse in concentration.
Immediately after, two Star Seals flew up into the void before being taken away by Yang Kai and Lan He respectively. Even the Space Rings were quickly divvied up by them.
Having survived the disaster, Lan He gratefully glanced at Yang Kai.
No matter why Yang Kai had helped her, the fact was that Yang Kai had saved her life. Had Yang Kai not made a move, her death would have just been a matter of time. At best, she could have dragged one of her attackers down with her.
“Who was it that was asking who this Young Master thinks he is?” Yang Kai looked around and shouted in an arrogant manner, “Come, come! Stand forth, this Young Master will tell you now!”
The person who had spoken earlier had already hidden behind the crowd, trembling in fear.
“Friend, you should show some propriety, shouldn’t you?” Zhang Hao suddenly sneered as he rebuked, looking at Yang Kai, “Could it be you think that you are invincible in this world and everyone here is beneath you?”
His words had dragged everyone into this mess in one go, causing all of them to direct their anger towards Yang Kai.
Although it was obvious Zhang Hao was instigating discord, Yang Kai’s attitude was indeed over the top.
“So what if I think you are beneath me? Come and bite me!” Yang Kai coldly glared at Zhang Hao, who didn’t know that an early bird is shot first.
Zhang Hao coldly snorted, but he wasn’t angry; rather, he looked at Yang Kai with a grin and a cold expression on his face.
“Where is my Junior Sister Yu Ying?” Someone suddenly asked.
Yang Kai raised his brow, turning his gaze towards the speaker. Immediately, a weird look appeared on his face as this person was none other than Yin Le Sheng!
[This is interesting! I have been looking for him, and now he came to me first, but the first thing he asks is about Yu Ying… how did he know about Yu Ying having been with me? I’ve already changed my appearance…]
However, very soon, realization dawned upon Yang Kai as he took a deep look at Zhang Hao, realizing that he had been recognized after making a move just now.
“Long time no see. Who would have thought that you would have grown to this level,” Yin Le Sheng looked at Yang Kai coldly while inside he was feeling quite shocked. Apparently, he already knew of his real identity. After all, Zhong Zhen Yong had sent him some information earlier, revealing some news about this newcomer. It was precisely because of this that Yin Le Sheng looked shocked.
He could cultivate to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm because of the vigorous support of an entire Sect and the teachings of a powerful Master.
He didn’t believe that Yang Kai was blessed with such luck.
If Yang Kai didn’t have such conditions and could still cultivate to the same level as him, it was evident that Yang Kai had encountered a great opportunity.
“You aren’t bad either!” Yang Kai sneered. Since his identity had been revealed, it didn’t make sense to hide anymore, so he simply reached out and took off his mask, immediately revealing his real appearance.
“Sure enough, it’s you!” Yin Le Sheng’s expression suddenly changed. Coming face to face with his enemy, his eyes started flashing fire and he gritted his teeth and added, “You’re pretty sturdy, not only did you survive the disaster back then, but you also came to the Shattered Star Sea.”
Yang Kai glared at him coldly before asking in a grim voice, “Yin Le Sheng, I’ll just ask you one question, you better answer me honestly. Where is the puppet that was with me back then?”
Yin Le Shen slightly smiled upon hearing this before responding, “Who knows? Since it’s your puppet, why are you asking me?”
[As expected, he does know about Xiao Xiao.] Yang Kai’s brow twitched. Although Yin Le Sheng didn’t directly answer Yang Kai’s question, Yang Kai could tell from his tone and demeanour.
Yang Kai immediately became furious and he glared at him and stated, “It seems that you’re not going to tell me.”
Yin Le Sheng rebuked with a grin, “Since you know it, why bother asking?”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded as his aura instantly became extremely ferocious, like a cheetah ready to pounce on its prey, causing everyone present to shudder, “Since you aren’t going to tell me, this Young Master will beat you until you start speaking!”
Yin Le Sheng’s face turned ashen as he spoke, “Do you really think you are invincible in this world?”
“I admit I’m not invincible in this world, but pinching you to death will not be a problem.”
Yin Le Sheng broke into laughter instead of getting angry, “You think so? Why? Because you are a Star Master?”
“What!? Brother Yin, what did you just say?”
“Is this brat really a Star Master?”
“Aren’t Star Masters cultivators who came from lower Star Fields? Who would have thought that this little brat would be one of them?”
“I heard that all Star Masters have an intact Star Source, giving them a unique advantage in cultivating the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao. I wonder if it’s true or false.”
Upon hearing that Yang Kai was a Star Master, all the cultivators in the vicinity broke into pandemonium. They stared at Yang Kai with a heated gaze, as if they were looking at a huge piece of fresh meat.
Everyone had come to the Shattered Star Sea in search of Source Strength, but the Source Strength here was all from mere Shattered Star Sources, nothing more. Although absorbing and refining these Shattered Sources would still provide them an edge in cultivation, at the end of the day, they were still just broken remnants; how could they be comparable to an intact Star Source? An intact Star Source could give them a better comprehension of World Principles, something an incomplete Star Source couldn’t.
For a long time, there had been rumours that there were intact Star Sources in the Shattered Star Sea, but with the repeated opening of the Shattered Star Sea over time, these intact Star Sources had long found their owners. The remaining Star Sources were all broken.
Perhaps after a few more openings, even these incomplete Star Sources in the Shattered Star Sea would be carved up or dissipate. When that time came, the Shattered Star Sea would lose its current use and appeal to cultivators.
That was why everyone’s reaction was so over the top when they heard that Yang Kai was a Star Master.
Yin Le Sheng confirmed with a laugh, “This boy is indeed a Star Master. This Yin can personally guarantee this.”
Everyone gave him a weird look upon hearing this.
Lan He coldly snorted and said, “How ridiculous! Does the Netherworld Sect have no honour?”
Yang Kai had saved her life before, so now that Yang Kai was about to be targeted, she would naturally speak up on his behalf. It was quite evident that she wanted to advance and retreat with him now.
Yin Le Sheng turned gloomy as he looked around and stated, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask him, what was his cultivation seven years ago!”
A burly man immediately turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Little brat, didn’t you hear him? Quickly answer the question!”
Although Yang Kai’s previous act of killing a cultivator of the same level was very daunting, he was all alone. At this moment, with so many people targeting him, everyone believed that no matter how strong Yang Kai was, he couldn’t raise any more waves.
Yang Kai gave a sidelong glance at the burly man before rebuking him with a cold snort, “None of your damn business.”
He didn’t place any importance on the burly man at all, making the burly man go livid in anger.
Yin Le Sheng continued with a smile, “Seven years ago, he was only a Second-Order Origin King. Brother Yang, did I remember it correctly?”
“Second-Order Origin King!?”
“How… how is that possible!?”
“From Second-Order Origin King to Third-Order Dao Source Realm in just seven years!? Ai, how is this possible!?”
“Brother Yin, are you lying to us?”
A Second-Order Origin King actually reached the Third-Order Dao Source Realm in just seven years! Such a rate of progress was simply terrifying. Comparatively, everyone here had at most advanced by a Minor Realm over the past seven years, if they advanced at all.
Ying Le Sheng stated, “What good does it do for me to lie to you? Other opportunities might have played some part in helping him reach this level, but being a Star Master provided him with the greatest edge!”
“I have long heard that all the cultivators from lower Star Fields are geniuses, especially the Star Masters; their cultivation is as fast as flying. If Brother Yin is right, then you have really opened up my eyes today!”
“You’re believing the words of a Netherworld Sect disciple? Can’t you see that Yin Le Sheng has a grudge with this guy? He even went so far as to specifically point out that he is a Star Master! Clearly, he wants to murder with a borrowed knife.”
“I can see that, but who doesn’t want an intact Star Source? If I can get it…”
Endless whispers could be heard everywhere, but Yang Kai just sneered as he took a sidelong glance at Yin Le Sheng and stated, “You have been talking only about me, why does Brother Yin talk about himself as well? You were just a Third-Order Origin King seven years ago, am I right?”
Yin Le Sheng responded with a smile, “So what?”
As soon as he confirmed this, many people looked at Yin Le Sheng in surprise.
Yang Kai had spent seven years advancing from Second-Order Origin King to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. That was already amazing enough, but they didn’t expect for Yin Le Sheng’s progress to be not much worse than his. Compared to these two, everyone suddenly felt they were somewhat mediocre.
Yin Le Sheng spoke in an open and confident manner, “There is no harm in telling you, this Yin is in fact, also a Star Master, so I can clearly tell how quickly a Star Master cultivates.”
When he confirmed this, everyone glanced at him with an extremely heated gaze.
Yin Le Sheng saw this and coldly snorted, “However, I am different from this brat. This Yin is the Legacy Disciple of the Sect Master of the Netherworld Sect. Before you make a move on me, you’d best first consider the consequences.”
Hearing this, many people’s expressions changed, and after a moment, many shook their heads as they looked away from Yin Le Sheng.
As a Star Master, Yin Le Sheng was also a very attractive target; however, he was a Legacy Disciple of a top Sect, so he certainly had a lot of life-saving cards up his sleeve. If they really fought a life and death battle with him, they might even lose their rice while trying to steal a chicken.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was easier to deal with.
However, it was precisely because Yin Le Sheng admitted that he was a Star Master that his previous statement became more convincing. Everyone’s gaze toward Yang Kai became more and more heated.
Yin Le Sheng broke into laughter as he mocked Yang Kai, “Yang Kai, there was a path to the Heavens but you refused to take it, instead you forced open the gates of Hell. With so many heroes present today, I want to see how you are going to escape!”
Yang Kai remained calm and composed as he scoffed, “How shameless, you want to murder me with a borrowed knife?”
“Who asked you to have an intact Star Source?” Yin Le Sheng remained indifferent as he shouted, “Everyone, my Netherworld Sect has a Secret Technique that can completely remove the Star Source from a Star Master, resulting in no loss at all. If any friend can take him down, he can ask for this Yin’s help to strip the Star Source from him. This Yin guarantees that he will do his best and will not do anything selfish!”
“Haha, since Brother Yin has said so, then I can rest assured. I was just wondering how I could snatch his Star Source after killing this little brat. It turns out that the Netherworld Sect has such an amazing Secret Technique,” the burly man, who had been disdained by Yang Kai before, burst into laughter.
Yin Le Sheng stated, “This guy is pretty strong. If you want his Star Source, you better attack him together.”
Now, he was nakedly urging everyone to deal with Yang Kai together. Although the cultivators present here didn’t like his approach, before the temptation of a complete Star Source, they couldn’t help but be moved. What’s more, Yang Kai’s previous arrogant and domineering attitude had irked them greatly.
In an instant, several dozen auras locked onto Yang Kai, causing a suffocating pressure. Lan He, who was standing next to Yang Kai, had turned pale as she furrowed her brow.
She might be strong, but she had never been an enemy of so many people at once. For a moment, she couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy, uncertain about her future as she quietly sized up Yang Kai.
When she did so, though, Lan He couldn’t help but be surprised.
Because Yang Kai was standing there in a completely calm and composed manner. There wasn’t the slightest bit of fear or timidity in him. The dozens of auras locked on him were like a spring breeze to him; they didn’t deter or affect him in the slightest.
[He has impressive mental strength!] Lan He was secretly shocked.
Her initial impression of Yang Kai was quite bad; she had thought that he was a perverted and petty man, but after Yang Kai saved her life, she looked at him in a new light.
After all, so many people were enjoying the show just now, while Yang Kai was the only one to help her. What’s more, he had no prior relationship with her, so him taking a stand to help her had warmed her heart.
Now that the situation had changed, and it was now Yang Kai who was being targeted by everyone, Lan He could not sit idly by.
Just when she had secretly made up her mind to help Yang Kai, he suddenly spoke to her in a low voice, “Sister Lan, leave this place first.”
Lan He furrowed her brow upon hearing this and she immediately asked in a shout, “Why!? Brother Yang, are you looking down on this Lan He?”
Yang Ka was taken aback. He gazed at her and asked, “When did I say that?”
Lan He asked, snorting, “Then why are you driving me away? Since you drew a sword to help me first, then I, Lan He can’t feign uninvolvement here. Don’t worry, if they dare to gang up on you, I will help you, and I won’t drag you down!”
Yang Kai looked at her in a daze before stating, “You’ll die!”
Lan He’s tender body momentarily shuddered, but she soon composed herself and stated in a loud and firm voice, “If I’m going to die, then so be it. I still won’t leave.”
A different look flashed in Yang Kai’s eyes as he swept his gaze over Lan He several times, as if he was just coming to know the real her. Suddenly, a stunned look appeared on his face as he asked, “Sister Lan He is from the Heavenly Wolf Valley, right?”
“That’s right!” Lan He agreed with a nod, wondering why Yang Kai was asking her this at this moment of life and death. In the end, it seems he was still a strange man.
“I remember the Heavenly Wolf Valley now,” Yang Kai smiled and stated, “When this is over, I have something to ask of Sister Lan. I hope Sister Lan will not refuse.”
Lan He bitterly replied, “If we survive, I will promise you as long as it’s not too much.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t die,” Yang Kai burst into laughter.
Lan He weirdly looked at him. She didn’t know where he was getting the confidence to speak such big words. Was he so blind that he can’t see that he is surrounded by several dozen Dao Source Realm Masters? These people were not ordinary cultivators, they were all elite disciples of great forces. If they teamed up, even an ordinary Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t be their opponent.
Did he think he was better than an Emperor?
“Little brat, you still continue to shamelessly boast!” That burly man suddenly shouted in anger. Suddenly, an axe appeared in his hand with a flip of his wrist. Pushing his Source Qi into the artifact, the aura and pressure exuded by it reached an extraordinary height as he continued, “If you know what’s good for you, you better surrender without a fight and I may leave your corpse intact. But if you dare to remain stubborn…”
*Pthooh…* Yang Kai opened his mouth and spat straight toward that burly man, launching the spitball like an arrow from a bow.
The yelling man’s face immediately changed as he hurriedly dodged to one side. Although the spit wasn’t lethal, it would be too disgusting to be spat upon.
After regaining his footing, the burly man rebuked with a cold face, “Are you a child? You actually spat at me! Don’t you think it’s shameful!?”
Yang Kai sneered as he countered, “So many of you are targeting me, and you still don’t think that’s shameful, but I spat on you and you called me shameless!? How ridiculous!”
Yin Le Sheng snorted and stated, “Whatever you say, you are going to die today for sure.”
“Is that so?” Yang Kai coldly glared at him, he then raised his foot and took a step forward as he majestically proclaimed, “Then this Young Master likes to see who is blind enough to dare to make a move against him. Let this Young Master warn you, if anyone dares to make a move, I will make him die here today!”
Once he said this, everyone’s expression changed as a serious look appeared on their faces.
The amazing strength displayed by Yang Kai earlier was still vivid in their mind, so although it seemed that he was just trying to give them a scare and couldn’t back up his words, it was still somewhat daunting. They were afraid that he would fight a desperate battle if pushed too far which would cost them dearly.
In a flash, several dozen cultivators stood rooted in place, no one was willing to be the first to act and subsequently, the first to die. They were waiting for the others to make a move first so they could become the fisherman and take advantage of the fight between snipe and clam.
Yin Le Sheng could clearly spot this and his face turned gloomy as he shouted, “Since you are being so timid and fearful, after this Yin has snatched his Star Source, you should not get jealous!”
When he said this, he suddenly stretched his hand out and shouted, “Netherworld Purgatory Hand!”
A sinister gale immediately appeared, followed by eerie cries and howls. The next moment, an enormous ghost suddenly appeared and rushed towards Yang Kai with a ferocious look on its face.
This ghost had yet to reach him, but a cold feeling rose from inside Yang Kai as if even his blood was going to be frozen.
Before he could react, Lan He, who was standing next to him, suddenly yelled, “Heavenly Wolf Moon!”
A deafening wolf howl rang out and as Lan He pointed forward, a powerful silver wolf phantom appeared out of thin air. This wolf was enormous, as if it was a true Heavenly Wolf. Next, it opened its enormous jaws and bit toward the ghost.
In a flash, the two enormous entities clashed with each other, fighting crazily.
And at the same time Yin Le Sheng made his move, the several Netherworld Sect disciples around him also attacked. Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian of Brahma Holy Land glanced at each other before quickly forming hand seals as they used their own Secret Techniques.
As soon as the others saw someone taking the lead, they no longer watched from the sidelines. One after another, they summoned their artifacts, or displayed some Secret Techniques to attack Yang Kai.
In a flash, the void glittered with colourful glows as energy fluctuations undulated everywhere.
Lan He immediately turned pale and stood rooted on the spot, dazed. Her eyes seemed to have lost their luster.
With so many Dao Source Realm Masters attacking together, she was completely powerless to resist. Only death was waiting for her.
At that moment, Yang Kai suddenly let out a fierce roar. Immediately, a dazzling flash of light blinded everyone before a wide broadsword appeared in Yang Kai’s hand. The next moment, a majestic Emperor Pressure filled the void as Yang Kai assumed a firm stance like a towering and immovable mountain. He slowly turned the long sword in his hand as he shouted, “Myriad Sword Arts, One Man as a Mountain!”
*Chi Chi Chi…*
Countless sword auras suddenly shot from the long sword, greeting the oncoming attacks like locusts.
Deafening explosions immediately rang out as the sight of countless energy collisions created a shocking scene before everyone’s eyes.
“Emperor Artifact!”
“Where is this brat from!? He actually has an Emperor Artifact as well!”
“Don’t let him go, kill him!”
Although many of the cultivators who had entered the Shattered Star Sea were either elite disciples of major Sects, or descendants and Legacy Disciples of Sect Masters and Elders, Emperor Artifacts were still a rarity among them. Apart from a few top elites who owned an Emperor Artifact, no one else was eligible to have one.
At this moment, seeing Yang Kai actually take out an Emperor Artifact, the blood of several dozen cultivators started boiling.
In their opinion, Yang Kai was simply a huge treasure trove.
Not only did he have a complete Star Source, he also had an Emperor Artifact. If they could kill him and snatch his treasures, they would instantly become rich. They would be the proud owner of an Emperor Artifact!
In a flash, a fire was lit in everyone’s heart.
After the clash, Yang Kai too staggered back as a sweet and sour taste flooded his throat and spurted out of his mouth.
He barely resisted the joint attacks of several dozen cultivators thanks to the might of the Myriads Swords, but he was all alone in the end, so how could he contend with so many people? He could resist their attacks all because they hadn’t used their full strength just now, otherwise Yang Kai would not have only suffered minor injuries.
“Damn you all, you actually dare to jointly attack me!” Yang Kai turned livid with rage as he glared around and shouted, grinding his teeth.
Yin Le Sheng snorted and said, “It’s too late to beg for mercy, you are going to die today!”
Zhang Hao anxiously demanded, “Quickly hand over the Emperor Artifact!”
Although the others didn’t say anything, the greedy look in their eyes was enough to tell what was going in their minds.
Yang Kai grimly smiled before he suddenly teleported to the front of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Yin Le Sheng’s expression changed as he asked in shock, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai broke into a burst of loud laughter as he shouted, “What am I doing? Isn’t it obvious? I told you before, if anyone dares to attack me, I will make him die without a burial!”
He swept a cold gaze through the crowd with a crazed look on his face.
“Are you crazy!?” Yin Le Sheng seemed to have guessed Yang Kai’s intentions and his face turned pale while the others were also shocked as their thoughts all froze.
Yang Kai’s face and eyes turned colder as he stated in a frigid voice, “You forced me to do this.”
As he spoke, he lifted the Myriads Swords up high all of a sudden.
“Wait, we can talk about this, there’s no need to act rash!” Zhang Hao yelled in horror.
“You want to talk now? Too late! Go to hell!” Yang Kai shouted as he ruthlessly swung the Myriads Sword at the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
“It’s over!” Yin Le Sheng’s forehead was immediately covered in large beads of cold sweat at the sight of this and he turned around and rushed back without even looking back.
“Run!” Zhang Hao also screamed, “This brat has gone insane!”
*Hong…*
As the Myriads Sword struck the Mountains and Rivers Bell, a reverberating tone immediately rang out before sound waves visible to the naked eyes began to propagate outwards.
Yang Kai was the first to bear the brunt of this pulse, and even though he circulated his Source Qi to defend himself, he couldn’t help but stagger. He almost fainted on the spot as he spurted a mouthful of blood.
Dozens of Dao Source Realm Masters had their backs to Yang Kai at this moment, only wanting to escape from this place but unable to do so.
They were trapped inside a Natural Spirit Array, one that had no easy way out, so even if they desperately fled, it was a fruitless attempt. When the sound wave spread, they were swept up in it at once.
On the dark red star before, a young man had only touched the Mountains and Rivers Bell lightly and was blasted to death as a result, but now, Yang Kai had used an Emperor Artifact to strike the Mountains and Rivers Bell with all his strength, causing a shock wave that couldn’t be compared with the previous one.
After being struck by the sound wave, everyone spurted blood and all of their defensive artifacts grew a lot dimmer.
Not only that, but the sound wave seemed to have the power to suppress and lock. After the sound wave swept through everyone, they froze in place as if they were trapped in a quagmire, unable to move at all.
*Hong…*
Before they could take a breath of respite, another deafening knell rang.
Everyone’s heart shuddered as they turned their heads and saw that Yang Kai had struck the Mountains and Rivers Bell again. He had a horrifying look on his face and was frantically laughing, “How are you feeling, better? Tell me loudly, how does it feel!?”
“Madman… he’s a madman!”
“This guy has lost his mind!”
“You bunch of wastes, why would you think of provoking someone so crazy! If he keeps this up, everyone will be killed along with him!”
“Stop, stop, we can talk it out. Don’t do this, please!”
“Brother Yang, it’s better to get rid of an enmity than keep it alive! Rather than dying with everyone, it’s better to sit down and talk it out!”
Watching that terrifying sound wave sweep over again, everyone started crying and screamed. Each of them hated Yang Kai to death, but they were forced to please him with a smiling face even against their will.
“I’m not listening, I’m not listening!” Over on Yang Kai’s side, he spat another mouthful of blood as he shook his head wildly. The third time he raised his Myriads Sword, he shouted, “I’m making a profit by taking you guys all with me. So, don’t think about leaving alive today!”
“Senior Yang, I am willing to offer my space ring, please spare my life!” Someone suddenly shouted.
Yang Kai paused for a moment before he snorted and shouted with a voice filled with righteous indignation, “Do you think this Young Master is someone who is moved at the sight of money!? Don’t disgrace this Young Master’s character!”
That man was dumbstruck. He didn’t know how to reply.
Yang Kai quickly asked, “What treasures are in the ring?”
Everyone, “…”
That speaker was also stunned. He didn’t know what Yang Kai meant until a cultivator next to him secretly kicked him. The man suddenly came to realize and hurriedly replied, “There are many, many great treasures inside! I guarantee that Senior Yang will be satisfied.”
Yang Kai suddenly smiled and stated, “You should have said so earlier, you wouldn’t have suffered then. Tell me, aren’t you a miserable wretch?”
“Yes, yes, yes, I’m a miserable wretch!” The corner of that man’s lips twitched as he agreed.
“If that’s the case, then I will spare your dog life!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. Then he turned to Lan He and ordered, “Sister Lan, go and get his Space Ring.”
“Me!?” Lan He was taken aback. Although she didn’t feel very good about this, she knew that it was a little inconvenient for Yang Kai to move right now, so all she could do was nod, fly to that cultivator and stretch her hand out.
The cultivator took off the Space Ring with a painful look on his face and reluctantly handed it over to Lan He.
Yang Kai shouted with a stoic face, “Who wants to buy their life? If you want to buy it, hurry up before it’s too late.”
“Isn’t… Isn’t he taking advantage of our difficulties to rob us!?”
“Boy, don’t go too far!”
“There are several dozen of us, don’t think we’re really afraid of you! I advise you to exercise prudence.”
“Yes, yes! Brother Yang, when it’s possible to forgive others, one should be forgiving. You should always leave a way out for yourself, only this way, your future will be broader and wider!”
“When it’s possible to forgive others, one should be forgiving?” Yang Kai sneered before he showed contempt and rebuked, “I didn’t see you forgive me just now. But now, what’s the use of this nonsense! I’ll say it one last time, if you want to buy your life, hurry up and cooperate, otherwise don’t blame this Young Master for being ruthless and making you die here!”
As he spoke, he raised the Myriads Sword high again, taking the stance as if he was about to strike again.
The several dozen Dao Source Realm cultivators’ faces turned incomparably ugly.
Yang Kai had only knocked the Mountains and Rivers Bell twice, yet most of the cultivators here were already injured. However, inside this Natural Spirit Array, they couldn’t escape even if they wanted to. If this went on a few more times, they would really die here.
“Don’t compromise! The weaker you act, the more he is going to take advantage of you. Never compromise with him! If you join hands with him, you still may not be able to survive!” Yin Le Sheng suddenly shouted. Among everyone, he was the last one who wanted to see Yang Kai flaunt his prowess. Therefore, when he saw someone trying to compromise, he instantly became anxious.
“Brother Yin is really firm and unyielding, very good!” Yang Kai looked at him and sneered deeply, “Then, this Young Master will wait and see for how long will you remain this staunch.”
Yin Le Sheng’s face turned gloomy so much that one could almost shave off a layer of frost from his face. His expression was extremely ugly to look at.
As soon as the topic was changed, Yang Kai quickly stated, “I’ll only count to three, after three, if you still won’t obediently cooperate, then you can all be on your way to Hell! One…”
“Two!”
Before Yang Kai could even count to three, someone shouted, “Brother Yang, I’m willing to hand you my Space Ring, please let me live!”
“Good!” Yang Kai turned his gaze and looked at the speaker before ordering, “Take the ring off and stand aside.”
Lan He walked up to the man without a word and stretched her hand out.
After that man handed over the Space Ring, he immediately flew to one side.
“I am also willing to hand over my Space Ring!”
“Me too!”
“Me too! There is nothing good inside anyway. It’s better than death.”
In a flash, handing Space Rings over to buy their lives had almost become the general trend. Among several dozen cultivators, most of them had soon chosen to surrender their Space Rings.
Lan He’s mood was extremely complicated. She had thought she would definitely die this time; after all, her enemies were several dozen Dao Source Realm Masters.
But the situation quickly turned around. She and Yang Kai, who were supposed to be at an absolute disadvantage, had their positions reversed and were now leading the same several dozen cultivators around by their noses.
All of this was too abrupt, but it was all Yang Kai’s credit.
In the face of several dozen Dao Source Realm cultivators, he didn’t panic or become intimidated, instead he used the Mountains and Rivers Bell to deter the enemy, bravely and smartly forcing his opponents into a position where they could neither advance or retreat. It was the first time Lan He had met such a courageous and cunning man.
In a short while, she had already received more than twenty Space Rings.
She was the Eldest Senior Sister of Heavenly Wolf Valley and had witnessed many great scenes and storms, yet she was still trembling in excitement a little at this moment. Each of these twenty Space Rings was filled with enormous amounts of treasure.
These were the Space Rings of elite disciples of top Sects, each of them stuffed with wealth. Lan He could hardly imagine the amount of money in these twenty Space Rings.
After another while, those hesitating cultivators didn’t dare to tarry any longer. Yang Kai had raised the Emperor Artifact right next to the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so who knows when he would knock it again?
All of them could only take off their Space Rings in humiliation and hand them over to Lan He. They secretly decided in their hearts that they would make Yang Kai know of the consequences of offending them once they escaped from here.
The several dozen Dao Source Realm cultivators, who had originally teamed up, were now divided into two camps. One that was handing over their Space Rings, and the other filled with those who were still acting stubborn.
The cultivators who were stubborn weren’t that many, however, only five in total. Yang Kai glanced at them and noticed that all these people were the disciples of the Netherworld Sect and Brahma Holy Land.
Next, Yang Kai sneered at Zhang Hao, “It seems Holy Son Zhang Hao wants to die here.”
Zhang Hao furrowed his brow and stated, “Brother Yang, how about we discuss this. Why don’t you let me and Zhang Xian just leave? We will remember today’s kindness and repay you some other time!”
“Some other time!” Yang Kai sneered and said with a cold look plastered on his face, “The matters of some other time should be discussed some other time. For now, all I want are your Space Rings.”
Zhang Hao stated, “Brother Yang, do you really need to do this? You have already offended over twenty Sects, how will you gain a footing in the Star Boundary in the future?”
Yang Kai said with a deep nod, hearing this, “Brother Zhang Hao makes sense. I hadn’t considered this.”
Zhang Hao was gleeful hearing this, but before he could say anything, Yang Kai continued, “You mean to say… after I take the treasure, I should silence everyone? Tsk tsk, Brother Zhang Hao is truly vicious. En, as expected, just as the sea cannot be measured by a bushel, a man cannot be judged by his appearance.”
Zhang Hao wiped off the cold sweat of his forehead as he hastily added, “Brother Yang, you misunderstand, how could I think of inciting Brother Yang to go back on his words and do such a thing? Wouldn’t I be ruining Brother Yang’s reputation? I only wanted to say that it’s better to have more friends than enemies. Brother Yang, what do you think?”
“You want to be friends with me?” Yang Kai slightly smiled.
Zhang Hao cupped his fists and said, “If Brother Yang does not mind, hehe…”
“I do mind. You’re not worthy to be my friend,” Yang Kai’s face turned colder as he rebuked, glaring at him.
Zhang Hao’s smile turned stiff as his flash flushed red. He was extremely embarrassed.
As a Holy Son of Brahma Holy Land, he could be considered a leader of the younger generation in the Star Boundary, yet he wasn’t worthy of being friends with Yang Kai? This brat was just a Dao Source Realm cultivator, yet he dared to boast so shamelessly! And before so many people, too. How could this not cause Zhang Hao to lose all face.
His heart was burning with flames of fury.
Zhang Xian, who was standing next to him, also had an ugly look on his face. He and Zhang Hao both were Holy Sons, so Yang Kai slapping Zhang Hao’s face like this made him also feel hot in his cheeks, as if he too had been ruthlessly slapped too.
“Brother Yang, you refuse to realize the errors of your ways!” Zhang Hao snorted.
Yang Kai snorted back and declared, “If you keep up with your nonsense, this Young Master will take your dog life first!”
“Good, we will remember this! I hope you can still be as arrogant as you are today the next time we meet!” Zhang Hao dropped a ruthless sentence before Zhang Xian and Zhang Hao took off their Space Rings and threw them to Lan Hen. They then turned around and joined the crowd on the other side.
Yang Kai grinned and said, “You only know how to bullshit. If you had the guts, you could come up and fight this Young Master right now. This Young Master will teach you how to show proper respect!”
Zhang Hao stopped for a moment. He was almost provoked by Yang Kai to turn around and make a move, but fortunately, he suddenly remembered the scene of Yang Kai instantly killing a cultivator in the same realm just a moment ago. Before such a terrifying opponent, he asked himself whether he was his opponent. But the only answer he got was even if Zhang Xian and he attacked Yang Kai together, they could only remain undefeated at best, that’s all.
“Another miserable wretch who is only willing to cooperate after being severely educated by this Young Master,” Yang Kai sneered.
Zhang Xian suddenly turned and said, looking at Lan He, “Sister Lan He, although I don’t know what your relationship with Brother Yang is, you have to be more careful. Zhang Hao and I saw him living together with Yu Ying from the Netherworld Sect in the same room. Yu Ying’s clothes were dishevelled when she came out of her flight-type artifact, and you know very well what kind of woman Yu Ying is. Everyone is an Eastern Territory Sect’s disciple, so I hope you don’t fall into this devil’s hands.”
Yang Kai’s face turned ashen after hearing this and quickly declared, “You dare to drive a wedge between us?! This Young Master and Yu Ying are pure and innocent, don’t soil my reputation.”
Zhang Xian chuckled and stated, “Yu Ying said the same thing before.”
After saying so, he walked into the crowd without looking back.
Lan He frowned her black brow as he glanced at Yang Kai, a weird look on her face.
Yang Kai righteously asked, “Sister Lan He, you wouldn’t believe him, would you?”
Lan He stated, “Brother Yang, as long as you have a clear conscience, it’s okay. It’s none of my business!”
Yang Kai thought for a moment before agreeing with a nod, “Good!”
After they were finished, he turned to Yin Le Sheng and stated with a crafty grin, “Brother Yin, now there are only a few of you left? Tell me, are you going to cooperate? How about you? And, you?”
The remaining three were all the disciples of Netherworld Sect. Yin Le Sheng had a very high status in the Netherworld Sect; after all, he was the Sect Master’s Legacy Disciple, so even if his duration in the Sect was short, he was still in charge.
Since he hadn’t made a statement, the other two disciples couldn’t make a decision either.
Yin Le Sheng proudly smiled and stated, “This Yin least likes others threatening him, and anyone who has dared to, didn’t have a good end.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he said, “Coincidentally, I am the same as Brother Yin regarding this.”
Yin Le Sheng stated, “Prideful people always have a lot in common. Yang Kai, if you really want my Space Ring, you have to fight with me. If you win, this Yin will offer you his Space Ring with both hands.”
“You want to fight me one-on-one?” Yang Kai looked at him, narrowing his eyes.
“Is Brother Yang afraid?” Yin Le Sheng sneered.
Yang Kai stated with a snort, “Since Brother Yin is being so refined, then this Young Master will give you a chance!”
Once Yang Kai said this, Yin Le Sheng happily smiled. Although Yang Kai had shown extraordinary strength before, Yin Le Sheng was confident that he would remain undefeated. This was also why he could talk with ease and fluency with Yang Kai, and didn’t panic despite being trapped in the Natural Spirit Array.
If he wanted to leave here, he could leave at any moment; however, he would have to pay a hefty price. He wasn’t willing to do that unless it was a last resort.
Originally, Yin Le Sheng thought that a treacherous person like Yang Kai would definitely not agree to his challenge. At that time, he could only severely humiliate Yang Kai, and speak all kinds of slander, but contrary to his expectation, Yang Kai had actually accepted!
He was ecstatic.
He might not be confident about being Yang Kai’s opponent head-on, but he had an ace up his sleeve, and once he resorted to it, Yang Kai would definitely die.
Yin Le Sheng secretly decided in his mind that as soon as the fight with Yang Kai began, he would directly use his trump card, not giving Yang Kai any chance to resist.
Just as his imagination was running wild, Yang Kai suddenly pointed at the several dozen cultivators beside him and stated, “Since Brother Yin likes to fight solo, then you can fight with these friends. I believe they will definitely accompany you. Have fun!”
Yin Le Sheng was dumbstruck after hearing this.
The several dozen cultivators were also taken aback.
Lan He too was similarly rooted on her spot, in a daze.
Zhang Hao’s face turned cold as he grimly rebuked, “Yang Kai, don’t go too far! We have handed you our Space Rings, what else do you want?”
“That’s right! You should resolve your grievance with Yin Le Sheng yourself, why drag us into your fight?” Zhang Xian too shouted before stating in a firm voice, “We will never help you.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t treat us as fools!”
The group of cultivators immediately started clamouring, criticizing Yang Kai.
Yin Le Sheng sneered, “Brother Yang, if you don’t have the guts to fight me, no one will laugh at you, why bother beating around the bush?”
Yang Kai meaningfully grinned and justified himself, “Brother Yin is the Legacy Disciple of the Eastern Territory’s Netherworld Sect’s Sect Master, whereas I, Yang Kai, am a lone man with no support. Of course I don’t have the guts to fight with you. If I accidentally killed you, wouldn’t I be inviting a disaster?”
“If you don’t have the guts to fight with Yin Le Sheng, why should we? We won’t!”
“That’s right, we won’t! If you want to beat him, do it yourself!”
“You are really treating us like idiots. This brat is simply insatiable! How ridiculous!”
Everyone was extremely dissatisfied with Yang Kai because they were forced to hand over their Space Rings, and now, this brat actually wanted to make them deal with Yin Le Sheng as well! Why should they? Each and every one of them started shouting in indignation.
Lan He looked worriedly at Yang Kai, afraid that he would make things go out of hand. He was already threatening everyone with the Mountains and Rivers Bell, and it was nothing short of a miracle that he had obtained so many Space Rings. If he did something even more excessive, it might bring some unnecessary trouble.
She furtively winked at Yang Kai, signalling him to not be too greedy, lest it was too late.
Yang Kai ignored her, unfortunately, and stated with a cold look on his face, “You probably didn’t hear what I said at the beginning, did you?”
“What did you say!?”
“Boy, just speak, what do you want to do!?”
Yang Kai stated with a snort, “This Young Master said that whoever dares to not hand over their Space Rings, this Young Master will make him die!”
“Yes, you did say that! But I’ve already handed over my Space Ring, what do you want now?”
Yang Kai said, “Now Yin Le Sheng is unwilling to cooperate, so this Young Master wants him dead, do you have any objections?”
Zhang Hao answered, “Of course not! You and Brother Yin can resolve your grievances by yourselves, without involving us.”
“Good!” Yang Kai grinned before shouting, “This Young Master will now use this Mountains and Rivers Bell to beat this bastard Yin Le Sheng to death! If you still want to survive, quickly leave this place. This Young Master will not stop you!”
“What!?”
“Again!?”
“No, Brother Yang, calm down!”
Once Yang Kai said this, everyone turned pale in shock.
Yang Kai sneered and stated, “Since you have handed your Space Rings over, this Young Master means what he says and will spare your lives. Now, this Young Master only wants to deal with Yin Le Sheng. If you don’t want to die, quickly leave!”
Zhang Hao angrily shouted, “The Natural Array here is too complex! If we could leave, how could we be threatened by you? Yang Kai, aren’t you talking nonsense!?”
Zhang Xian also shouted, “You should exercise moderation. You can’t be shameless to this level!”
Yang Kai remained unaffected by all this and calmly stated, “None of my business! If you don’t have the ability to leave, if you are shaken to death by the Mountains and Rivers Bell, then you can only blame your bad luck, it has nothing to do with this Young Master!” He then switched the topic and angrily shouted at Yin Le Sheng, “Surnamed Yin, next year today will be the anniversary of your death. You can be on your way to Hell!”
While speaking, he swung the Myriads Sword fiercely toward the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Lan He’s eyes widened in shock as she hastily circulated her Source Qi to defend herself.
The crowd of cultivators also panicked and hurriedly shouted, one after another.
“Stop, stop!”
“Damn it! Quickly stop! We can talk it out! At worst, we will help you persuade Yin Le Sheng!”
“Yes, yes, we can talk with Yin Le Sheng and ask him to hand over his Space Ring!”
In this havoc, Yang Kai’s Myriads Sword stopped less than a finger’s width away from the Mountains and Rivers Bell before he looked at the crowd and asked, “You are going to talk with Yin Le Sheng?”
Everyone was drenched in cold sweat as they repeatedly nodded after hearing this.
Yang Kai looked embarrassed as he stated, “This surnamed Yin is very arrogant, he won’t give in easily. If you just talk it out… I’m afraid it will be useless!”
“Brother Yang may rest assured, if Brother Yin remains untactful, we will use harder methods to speak with him,” Someone stated with a ferocious look on his face.
Yang Kai stated, “Hmm, no! You have already handed your Space Rings over, logically speaking, the next thing has nothing to do with you. How can I drag you all into my grievance with Yin Le Sheng?”
Everyone’s face turned black as if they stared at this hypocritical act. They were all cursing Yang Kai their hearts furiously, but no one dared to speak their thoughts aloud.
“Brother Yang, don’t mind it! Brother Yin is the one being untactful, so he should be taught a lesson. Only when the youngsters encounter some hardships will they understand how high the Heavens are and how deep the Earth goes!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up after hearing this as he said, “If you insist, this Yang will have to trouble you all regarding this matter. Just know, I didn’t force you.”
“Hehe, we are doing this voluntarily.”
Having finished speaking, the several dozen cultivators turned their heads and glared at Yin Le Sheng.
Yin Le Sheng’s face turned black like the bottom of a pot while the two Netherworld Sect disciples next to him had also turned pale and become dumbstruck.
Somehow, he and his team were now standing on the opposite side of everyone. They were simply caught unprepared.
“Yin Le Sheng, be tactful and quickly hand over your Space Ring, otherwise everyone will die here!”
“Yes, if you don’t cooperate, then don’t blame us for being impolite.”
“Hand it over now!”
Everyone seemed to have been implicated because of Yin Le Sheng’s lack of cooperation, or perhaps because they were unlucky and they wanted others to be part of their misfortune too. Therefore, their attitude towards Yin Le Sheng was far from good.
Yin Le Sheng was burning with fury and he asked with a sullen face, “You are the elite disciples of top Sects, the pride of your various forces, yet you’ve given up all your self-respect and allowed yourselves to be driven by one person’s threats? Aren’t you afraid that you will become a laughing-stock if the word gets out?”
Many people’s faces darkened after hearing this, looking embarrassed.
Yang Kai smiled and stated, “Yin Le Sheng is asking you to silence the witnesses so that no one will tell anyone about today’s matter.”
Everyone’s eyes lit up after hearing this. They secretly felt that it was a good idea. A fierce gleam even flashed past in a few people’s eyes.
Yin Le Sheng’s face darkened as he lashed out, “Yang Kai, you are such a despicable person. This Yin really misunderstood you.”
Yang Kai rebuked with a snort, “Back then, when you intercepted and tried to kill me in the Starlight Corridor, you should have thought of the consequences!”
Yin Le Sheng, gritting his teeth, warned, “Don’t force me. If I am backed into a corner, you won’t have a good end.”
Yang Kai jumped back and said, staring at him with widened eyes, “Aiya, I’m so sacred!” He then turned his head and said, looking at the several dozen cultivators, “This guy dares to threaten you, I don’t know whether you can stand it or not, but anyway, I can’t stand it. If I were you, I would rush to him and tear him to pieces!”
Even though they knew Yang Kai was adding fuel to the fire and driving a wedge, everyone was still a little unhappy with Yin Le Sheng’s words as they were simply too much.
Zhang Hao pondered for a while and stated, “Brother Yin, a wise man, submits to the circumstances. I know you have the means and the cards, but do you really think you can be an enemy of so many of us?”
“Zhang Hao, you are forcing me too?!” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes were shooting flames of fury and his voice was cold as ice.
Both of them were disciples of Sects of the Eastern Territory and had known each other for a long time. There might not be a friendship between them, but they all belonged to the Eastern Territory. It was fine for the others to compel him, but the fact that Zhang Hao too was acting so made Yin Le Sheng extremely angry.
Zhang Hao stated in a heavy voice, “Brother Yin, it’s not too late for a gentleman to take his revenge within ten years. This is the Shattered Star Sea, there will be plenty of opportunities.”
He didn’t transmit his voice but said it in an open and aboveboard manner in front of Yang Kai. Apparently, he too was holding a grudge, and wanted to find a chance to take revenge.
Yang Kai disdainfully spat, looking completely indifferent to this.
Yin Le Sheng, maintaining a straight face, pondered for a while before agreeing with a nod, “Alright, this Yin will remember this. Yang Kai, I will make you pay for it a hundred times over in the future!”
Yang Kai chuckled and stated, “Brother Yin, you’re a fish on a chopping board, and I am the knife, is it okay to say such inflammatory words?”
Yin Le Sheng glared at Yang Kai without speaking another word.
Yang Kai snorted and requested, “Sister Lan He, collect their Space Rings.”
Lan He nodded before walking up to Yin Le Sheng and stretching her hand out.
Yin Le Sheng warned, “Heavenly Wolf Valley, this Yin will remember you and will definitely visit you in the future!”
Lan He’s face slightly changed; however, at this moment she knew that anything she said would be useless, so she simply took the Space Rings of the three Netherworld Sect disciples, turned around, and left.
After a while, she came to Yang Kai and said, “There are a total of forty-six Space Rings here, Brother Yang, you can count them.”
Yang Kai cheerfully took it and offered, “Sister Lan He, you should also pick one.”
Lan He refused, shaking her head, “I don’t need it. I didn’t do anything!”
Just as Yang Kai was about to say something, his face suddenly changed as fierce Source Qi fluctuations spread from him.
Lan He was also shocked, having no idea what just happened to Yang Kai, but when she quickly scanned him, she noticed a wisp of black Qi around his wrist. This black Qi looked like a snake and was now travelling up Yang Kai’s arm. Wherever it passed, Yang Kai’s body rotted, revealing his bones, while the places corroded by the black Qi made sizzling noises, causing the listeners’ skin to crawl.
A rancid smell instantly filled the void.
“Asura Earth Demon!” Lan He couldn’t help but cry out in shock.
Yang Kai’s face had gone blue and he was constantly forming seals with his hands, pushing his Source Qi madly. After struggling for a while, the wisp of black Qi was finally halted.
But from the looks of it, half of his right arm had been terribly corroded. It was bloody all over and the blocked black Qi was still thrashing about like a living creature, desperately trying to push towards Yang Kai’s shoulder.
Yang Kai fiercely raised his head and shouted in a grim voice, glaring at Yin Le Sheng, “You dare plot against me!”
At this moment, Yin Le Sheng too was dumbstruck. That Asura Earth Demon was one of Netherworld Sect’s Forbidden Secret Techniques. In each generation, only the top disciple could cultivate it. Furthermore, one needed to connect to the real Netherworld Purgatory to cultivate it by refining an Earth Demon with Netherworld Yin Qi. Once one had cultivated it successfully, the might of this Secret Technique was astonishing, and basically, anyone below the Emperor Realm would be completely powerless to resist it.
Yin Le Sheng had secretly hidden this wisp of Asura Earth Demon in his Space Ring, and when Yang Kai took it, he suddenly activated this Secret Technique. As he had expected, Yang Kai was afflicted.
But what shocked Yin Le Sheng was that Yang Kai actually blocked the progress of the Asura Earth Demon. Although he was injured, he hadn’t suffered serious damage and there was no danger to his life.
After a momentary shock, Yin Le Sheng immediately regained his wits and his figure flickered as he pounced towards Yang Kai like a hawk spreading its wings. A fierce and hideous look appeared on his face as he shouted, “This Yin always takes his revenge as quickly as possible! Ten years is too late for me! Yang Kai, go to Hell!”
And the same time Yin Le Sheng made his move, Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian also attacked together as their Source Qi surged. Who knows what kind of Secret Technique they used, but their figures merged into one as they flew towards Yang Kai with astonishing momentum, leaving a single long trail.
Others also reacted quickly. One after another, they let out war cries as they rushed at Yang Kai.
Having been forced to surrender their Space Rings, they were already burning with fury, so seeing Yang Kai get seriously injured after being sneak-attacked by Yin Le Sheng, they naturally seized this opportunity to take their revenge.
“Yang Kai, run!” Lan He was startled, and seeing the situation change so quickly, she hurriedly urged Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s face grimaced, who knows whether it was from pain or anger, but in a flash, a crazed look appeared on his face as he stated in a firm voice, “We can’t escape.”
He couldn’t find the exit to this Natural Spirit Array, and unless he had time to study it in peace, he wouldn’t be able to get out of here anytime soon. As such, he promptly raised the Myriads Swords and swung it hard towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell, fiercely shouting, “You want my life!? You can all die first!”
*Hong…*
As the Myriads Sword struck the Mountains and Rivers Bell, a halo suddenly appeared around it before a terrifying sound wave swept outwards, causing everyone’s eyes to widen as they started screaming.
But to everyone’s surprise, the sound wave didn’t travel far, instead just sending the nearby Yang Kai flying.
“Hahaha, if disasters come from nature, something can be done to counter them, but if they are of one’s own making, one is done for!” Zhang Hao was overjoyed by this. Although he didn’t know why the Mountains and Rivers Bell reacted differently this time, in his opinion, right now was the best chance to kill Yang Kai. He roared at the top of his voice, “Everyone, let’s attack together! Let’s make this surnamed Yang die without a burial!”
The rest of the people also had their spirits lifted and they immediately charged ahead, one after another.
Yang Kai was dazed. Having taken the full brunt of the shockwave, he couldn’t tell north from south. The Mountains and Rivers Bell’s deviation had caught him by surprise too and he couldn’t understand what the Artifact Spirit’s intentions were.
At this juncture of life or death though, the Mountains and Rivers Bell suddenly shook on its own, causing a spatial collapse along with it.
This Natural Spirit Array collapsed and disappeared in an instant. The next moment, a black hole of the size of a house appeared out of thin air. The Mountains and Rivers Bell turned into a streak of light as it was sucked into the black hole, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The next moment, the black hole expanded at an extremely fast speed. At the same time, a tremendously powerful suction came from the black hole, pulling in all the nearby cultivators.
“What happened!?”
“What’s going on!?”
“Damn it, quickly get out of here, the space here is collapsing!”
“Surnamed Yang, you’re not human!”
Everyone started yelling and screaming one after another. Everyone was panicking and even Yin Le Sheng, who was relentless about Yang Kai’s death, had a change in his expression. How could he still care about Yang Kai’s life or death in this situation? He promptly turned around and tried to escape.
But the black hole’s suction was irresistible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make any forward progress, much less escape.
With the rapid expansion of the black hole, its pull grew stronger and stronger, making every cultivator feel desperate and powerless.
Yang Kai and Lan He, who were closest to the black hole, were sucked in first and disappeared
After a while, screaming and panicking cultivators were swallowed into the black hole, one after another.
In less than ten breaths, each and every cultivator was pulled into the black hole; no one could escape it.
And the black hole was still expanding.
Until a certain moment, after the black hole expanded to a certain limit, it suddenly shrank back down and disappeared in a flash.
The void had regained its peace, but strong Space Principle fluctuations remained behind, the only signs that an abnormal event had taken place here before.
…..
A dizzy Yang Kai woke up sometime later and immediately heard Lan He’s distressed cries.
The pain coming from his arm was still unbearable and seemed to pierce straight through to his Soul, making Yang Kai feel like it was being torn apart.
He had vaguely sensed the things going on before, but because he had borne the brunt of the Mountains and Rivers Bell’s sound wave, his consciousness had become blurry, so he hadn’t been able to investigate his surroundings.
He only saw the formation of a black hole and felt its powerful pull dragging him in. The next thing he knew, he was here.
If he hadn’t had a precious treasure like the Soul Warming Lotus, the shockwave alone from before would have been enough to extinguish his Soul.
As the shouts in his ears became clearer and clearer, Yang Kai shook his head and finally regained some lucidity. He turned his head to look, but he couldn’t see anything at all. There was no light here, just some chaotic nothingness, a familiar feeling to him.
“The Void Crack!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he cried out in surprise.
Obviously, this was the interlayer of the void crack.
The Void existed everywhere in the world, but if one didn’t understand the Dao of Space, he or she couldn’t detect its existence at all. It was also impossible for one to enter this place except in very special circumstances. Recalling the previous scene, Yang Kai immediately understood the reason why he was here in the Void. It was completely because of the sudden eruption of the Mountains and Rivers Bell that shattered space with tremendous force.
The black hole was the most obvious sign.
Forcing his aching body up, Yang Kai quickly spread his Divine Sense. As expected, he found Lan He not far away from him.
At this moment, Lan He’s situation was precarious, because she was caught in a Void Turbulence and was being sucked into it.
The Void was riddled with crises, but the biggest was undoubtedly Void Turbulences which were like invisible rivers. These were chaotic confluences of chaotic Space Principles, and once anyone fell into one, it was very difficult to escape. The only end for someone who experienced such misfortune was being swallowed by this undercurrent.
Even Yang Kai had to be careful of these undercurrents while walking through The Void.
Although Lan He’s cultivation was good, she had no understanding of the Dao of Space, so after falling into a Void Turbulence, she was completely helpless and was only waiting for her death.
Yang Kai quickly came over to her and called out, “Sister Lan He!”
Lan He was slightly startled, and then responded in a low voice, “Yang Kai?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Lan He shouted, “I’m entangled by some kind of strange force. I can’t get away. Don’t come closer.”
She was afraid that Yang Kai would follow in her footsteps, so she quickly reminded her.
Yang Kai grinned and stated, “Don’t worry, this is a Void Turbulence, I’ll save you now.”
Lan He refused, shaking her head, “No, I tried just now to escape. The harder one struggles, the faster they are pulled under, just like in a swamp. If you try to help me, it will be counterproductive. If you have a chance to leave this place, please go to Eastern Territory’s Heavenly Wolf Valley, and give them a message, tell them that I, Lan He died here.”
She felt that she had no hope of surviving, so she began making arrangements for her funeral.
Yang Kai remained silent, got down on one knee and calmly started probing by her side.
After a moment of silence, seeing Yang Kai not give her a reply, Lan He said in a dejected voice, “By the way, take my Space Ring and hand it to one of my Heavenly Wolf Valley disciples.”
While speaking, she took off her Space Ring.
Yang Kai suddenly stretched his hand out and patted the location where she was. Immediately, Space Principle fluctuations undulated, turning into an invisible force that affected the movement of the Void Turbulence.
After a short while, the surging Void Turbulence became calm, and Yang Kai then reached out his hand and fished Lan He out.
“This… How…” Lan He didn’t seem to believe that she was able to get out so easily. She couldn’t help but remain rooted to her spot, but soon, she reacted and couldn’t help but cry out, “You wouldn’t happen to cultivate the Dao of Space, do you?”
Yang Kai meaningfully grinned and modestly stated, “I understand a little bit.”
Shocked, Lan He asked, “Are you Sir Li Wu Yi’s disciple?”
[It’s that Li Wu Yi again…] Yang Kai had heard this name more than once and had long known that he was a famous Master in the Star Boundary with a powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation. Moreover, Li Wu Yi was apparently proficient in the Dao of Space.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this person was the first Master under the Ten Great Emperors.
Yang Kai denied, shaking his head, “I have heard of him a long time ago, but I have never met him.”
He wasn’t going to continue discussing this topic and immediately proposed, “I’ll take you to a safer place first. I also have to heal myself.”
After Lan He heard this, she recalled the scene of him being sneak-attacked by Yin Le Sheng and quickly stated, “The Asura Earth Demon is a Forbidden Secret Technique of the Netherworld Sect. Its corrosiveness is extremely strong. If anyone below the Emperor Realm is hit by it, they are guaranteed to die. How can you be alright?”
Yang Kai chuckled and stated, “I’m lucky, or Yin Le Sheng, that bastard, isn’t that proficient in that technique.”
The Asura Earth Demon was indeed terrifying, and Yang Kai reckoned that if he were any other Dao Source Realm cultivator, he would really be unable to solve this problem. But Yang Kai’s strength was incomparable to an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivators’; Regardless of whether it was his physique, Source Qi, or his Spiritual Energy, everything was far beyond what an average Dao Source Realm cultivator should possess, so Yang Kai was somehow able to suppress the Asura Earth Demon.
Even so, half of his arm was corroded beyond recognition.
While leading Lan He through the Void, Yang Kai suddenly stopped.
Lan He had no idea what was going on, and she didn’t dare to bother him, so she just calmly stood by his side.
After a while, Yang Kai stated, “It’s safe here, the space is relatively stable. Sister Lan, take a rest here while I heal my injuries. I will send you out after my injuries are healed.”
“Send me out…” Lan He was momentarily dumbstruck; however, remembering how easily Yang Kai rescued her just now, she was filled with confidence in him. She nodded and said, “Good, don’t worry about me, just focus on healing your injuries as soon as possible. The Asura Earth Demon’s corrosiveness is incredibly powerful, and the longer it remains, the more troublesome it will be to deal with.”
Yang Kai stretched his hand out and mobilized the surrounding Space Principles before speaking, “I have left a Space Seal here, if anything changes, I will be able to detect it at a moment’s notice and come right away.”
After having said that, he turned around and flew to a nearby spot.
After Yang Kai left, Lan He slowly sat down cross-legged and spread her Divine Sense to investigate the surrounding situation. She found that the space here was fairly stable as Yang Kai had said, not like the chaotic situation she had encountered before. At that time, she didn’t dare to make a rash move. All she could do was stay in her spot and wait.
Not too far away from her location, Yang Kai too sat down cross-legged and took out a bunch of healing pills from his Space Ring before stuffing them into his mouth like beans.
His injuries weren’t too serious in fact, the ones caused by the shock of the Mountains and Rivers Bell having already mostly healed. The only problem was the Asura Earth Demon which was like maggots on rotting bones, tightly wrapped around his arm.
He had to circulate his Source Qi to force the power of the Earth Demon out of his body.
Fortunately, his Source Qi was vigorous and pure, so even though this Secret Technique was extremely powerful, it could still be repelled.
As time went on, bit by bit, Yang Kai forced the power of the Asura Earth Demon out little by little. He looked meticulous and his movements were methodical.
After five to six days, he finally heaved a deep breath.
The Asura Earth Demon had completely dispersed now, but his corroded arm had still not been completely healed. Nevertheless, thanks to his tyrannical physique and restorative abilities, such injuries were basically nothing.
After five to six days of recuperation, the injuries he had suffered from the Mountains and Rivers Bell’s shock wave had also fully healed.
Yang Kai flung his arms as he slowly stood up, walking towards Lan He’s location.
Not long after, he came to Lan He’s side and found her still sitting in a cross-legged position in her original spot. The Space Seal he had previously arranged didn’t show any signs of being touched, indicating that this place had been peaceful for the past few days and wasn’t affected by the local Space Principles.
Sensing Yang Kai’s arrival, Lan He stood up and asked, “Brother Yang, are you alright?”
“Everything’s fine now,” Yang Kai assured her with a smile.
“That’s good!” Lan He also heaved a sigh of relief then immediately asked, “Can we go out now?”
Yang Kai replied, “But of course! Come, I will send you out.”
Lan He was taken aback by his words and immediately asked, “What about you? Are you going to remain here?”
Yang Kai smiled and confidently stated, “I am quite familiar with this place so I won’t be in any danger. I want to find the Mountains and Rivers Bell that has also escaped into this Void Crack. I just don’t know where to wander.”
“So, it’s like that!” Lan He also knew that she couldn’t try to persuade him too much; after all, she wasn’t close with Yang Kai. “Then I hope Brother Yang gets his wish fulfilled.”
“Many thanks for your kind words,” Yang Kai smiled.
“Right!” Lan He suddenly remembered something and asked, “You said that you wanted to ask me about something, what was it?”
After being reminded by her, Yang Kai also remembered and smacked his head as he replied, “It’s like this, I have a friend who has departed from the Northern Territory more than a year ago for your Heavenly Wolf Valley.”
“Brother Yang’s friend? Is it to join our Heavenly Wolf Valley? But how come anyone from the Northern Territory wants to join us?” Lan He was surprised after hearing this.
If it was a cultivator of the Northern Territory, he or she would choose the Northern Territory’s Sects first. It made no sense to travel all the way to the Eastern Territory by trekking through mountains and rivers; after all, there was a huge distance between the two territories. If one didn’t use cross-territory Space Arrays, one might not be able to arrive even after a few years.
“It’s a bit complicated. I will tell you about it along the way,” Yang Kai started explaining to her while he led Lan He to find the weak point in the Void Crack.
The friend he spoke of was naturally Ling Yin Qin.
When the Holy Son of Brahma Holy Land, Zhang Hao, mentioned Heavenly Wolf Valley, Yang Kai felt that he had heard of this Sect somewhere before, but when he tried to recall where, he couldn’t remember. Later, a flash of thought had suddenly jogged his memory.
Ling Yin Qin had mentioned Heavenly Wolf Valley to him.
Because Ling Yin Qin’s departed husband was from the Eastern Territory’s Heavenly Wolf Valley! The two met and fell in love in the Solitary Void Sealed World. Later, they married, but her husband had died while saving her. Ling Yin Qin cherished his memories to this day.
The high-level Spirit Purifying Array she lent to Yang Kai at that time was bought by her husband at a high price and was the last memento she possessed of him. Because of this, after the Spirit Purifying Array was damaged, Yang Kai took great pains to ask Sang De to repair it, which led to many other affairs afterwards.
When Ling Yin Qin came out of the Solitary Void Sealed World, she had decided to bring her husband’s ashes back to Heavenly Wolf Valley where he could rest in peace.
Lan He kept sighing after learning about the matters of Ling Yin Qin and her husband before speaking, “Then Sister Ling must be a woman of deep and unwavering sentiment.”
If she wasn’t such a woman, why would she go all the way from the Northern Territory to the Eastern Territory just to send her husband’s ashes back to his Sect? It should be known that this road was not only long, but also dangerous. A moment of carelessness could result in death.
“Big Sister Ling is kind and compassionate,” Yang Kai solemnly said.
“What was her husband’s name? If he was really a Heavenly Wolf Valley disciple, perhaps I’ve heard of him,” asked Lan He.
Yang Kai shook his head. “Big Sister Ling never mentioned it.”
“Good, when I meet Big Sister Ling, I’ll just ask her,” Lan He didn’t probe deep into this.
Yang Kai stated, “Big Sister Ling is still deeply tied with her husband, so I think even after she has sent his ashes back, she might not want to leave his side. It is just that Big Sister Ling isn’t a Heavenly Wolf Valley disciple, so Heavenly Wolf Valley might not let her stay for a long time. This Yang wants to request from Sister Lan that if you meet Big Sister Ling in the future, please take care of her. If she could join Heavenly Wolf Valley, become a Heavenly Wolf Valley disciple, that would be even better. If that doesn’t work, please let Big Sister Ling mourn her husband from time to time, so as to soothe the longing in her heart.”
“Since Brother Yang has entrusted this to me, there will naturally be no problem,” Lan He was also very easy-going and agreed at once.
Yang Kai was overjoyed as he said, “With Sister Lan’s promise, I will not have to worry.”
Lan He was the Eldest Senior Sister of Heavenly Wolf Valley, so her status was definitely incomparable to an ordinary disciple. Since she had agreed, she would definitely follow through. Although her appearance was stunted, she had a heroic spirit.
“Then what’s Big Sister Ling’s current cultivation?”
“Third-Order Dao Source Realm. Although her strength might not be at the top, it’s definitely not bad,” Yang Kai gave a pertinent assessment.
“Third-Order Dao Source Realm?” Lan He’s eyes lit up after hearing this. She clapped and assured, “It will really not be a problem for her to join our Heavenly Wolf Valley. If it was someone of unknown origin, we might have to test him or her thoroughly, but since it’s someone mentioned by Brother Yang, this test can be waived. I will tell the Sect Master after I go back.
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai couldn’t help but heave a sigh in relief. Although he didn’t have much friendship with Ling Yin Qin, no matter what, they had come out of the Solitary Void Sealed World together.
With her cultivation, joining Ice Heart Valley would not have been a problem; moreover, Bing Yun also wanted to keep her, but she was determined to go to Heavenly Wolf Valley, so everyone respected her wishes.
If she could join Heavenly Wolf Valley, it could be regarded as a good place for her to stay. This way, she would not only have the support of a powerful Sect, but she could also be with her husband day and night. Yang Kai believed that Ling Yin Qin would also not refuse this.
While the two were talking, Yang Kai suddenly stopped, with Lan He coming to a halt as well.
Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense and scanned the surroundings before speaking, “It’s here. I will tear space so Sister Lan He can leave without any worries. There will be no danger.”
“Good,” Lan He nodded before she cupped her fist and stated, “Brother Yang must also be careful. If there is a chance, you have to come to Heavenly Wolf Valley as a guest.”
“Sure, sure!” Yang Kai replied.
After speaking, his face turned serious as he stretched his hand ahead, piercing into space.
As he kept manipulating the local Space Principles, the Void distorted and instantly became unstable.
Lan He’s face slightly changed as she held her breath, not daring to cause any interference.
“Open!” Yang Kai shouted as his hands suddenly moved to the sides. Under Lan He’s shocked gaze, the space in the front was ripped apart like a piece of silk, opening a slit.
And with Yang Kai’s movements, the gap grew bigger and bigger.
Lan He’s eyes trembled slightly, looking at the sight before her in surprise.
Tearing space with one’s bare hands was a skill she had heard of in legends, but never had a chance to witness with her own eyes.
But now, this shocking sight was clearly presented before her.
From the Void Crack, Lan He clearly saw the dilapidated scene of the Shattered Star Sea and she immediately understood that she would be able to return there through this opening.
“Go!” Yang Kai shouted in a low voice.
Lan He didn’t dare to hesitate. Her figure flickered as she rushed into the crack and in a flash, she had arrived on the opposite side. When she turned around to look, the crack was quickly closing. Yang Kai was standing in the Void, waving at her with a smile.
“Brother Yang, take care!” Lan He shouted, but the crack had already closed. Who knows whether Yang Kai had heard her or not.
After standing on the spot in a daze for a while, Lan He sighed and looked toward the depths of the Shattered Star Sea.
Her contact with Yang Kai was short, but it seemed to have opened a new door in front of her, allowing her to see just how powerful a Dao Source Realm cultivator could be. The elite disciples of the top Sects she had encountered before were like ants to him.
She asked herself whether she could cultivate to such a level, but the answer she got was a firm no. If she wanted to become stronger, the only choice she had left was to break through to the Emperor Realm!
An urgent notion rose from the depths of her heart, to advance as soon as possible and obtain greater strength!
Yang Kai was treading through the Void like he was walking on the ground, completely ignoring the ubiquitous turbulence.
This place might be dangerous to others, but to Yang Kai, it was like a walk in his own backyard. When he first began cultivating the Dao of Space, he had entered this place countless times to sense the mysteries of Space Force, experiencing its mystical nature, so he was extremely familiar with the characteristics of this place.
Less than an hour after having separated from Lan He, Yang Kai suddenly felt a slightly hot sensation coming from the back of his hand. Naturally, it was the induction between Star Seals. His expression immediately changed as he rushed in a certain direction.
His current Star Seal was six-pointed, which could be considered a very high level, so it could sense the position of most other cultivators from far away.
After a short while, Yang Kai arrived at a certain location, but when he looked around, the subsequent sight made him frown.
Because a bloody picture was before him; countless mutilated limbs and gory pieces of flesh were floating. There was no living being in sight.
But in that place, there were eight ownerless Star Seals floating quietly.
Eight Star Seals meant that eight people had lost their lives here. They weren’t killed by anyone. Rather because they fell into the Void Crack and were either swallowed by the Void Turbulence or were slivered by the chaotic Space Principles here.
When Yang Kai came over, those ownerless Star Seals seemed to receive some kind of pull as they shot straight toward the back of his hand, transforming into specks of starlight before entering inside the Star Seal on the back of his hand. Immediately, his six-pointed Star Seal grew brighter and hotter.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but be a little worried.
Everyone was pulled in when space collapsed, their futures quite uncertain. He didn’t care about the life and death of others, the only one he was worried about was Yin Le Sheng. He shouldn’t die before Yang Kai found him, for if he did, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to extract any information from him.
He was still getting a little response from the front.
Yang Kai didn’t stay longer and continued ahead.
The farther he went, the more dead bodies Yang Kai encountered, leaving only Star Seals in their place.
Without doing anything at all, Yang Kai had already collected more than twenty Star Seals along the way.
In other words, out of forty or so Dao Source Realm cultivators who were pulled in, about half of them had already died. And judging by what Yang Kai had observed along the way, the survivors should have all rallied together, probably wanting to go in this direction to find a way out, but unfortunately for them, they didn’t understand Space Principles and couldn’t break the barrier of space to find an exit.
In light of this, they would die sooner or later.
Suddenly, Yang Kai heard a faint shout. His eyes lit up as he quickly flew towards the source of the sound.
After a while, he came to the front of a surging Void Turbulence.
Apparently, the person, who had shouted before, seemed to have sensed Yang Kai’s arrival and hurriedly shouted, “Friend, save me, don’t leave me, please save me!”
Yang Kai remained indifferent. When he had scanned with his Divine Sense, he had already recognized who this guy was. Yang Kai also knew that the opposite party was already trapped in the Void Turbulence and would be devoured after a short while.
“Where is Yin Le Sheng?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
The opposite party was slightly startled after hearing Yang Kai’s voice, he then asked in a low voice, “Yang Kai!?”
Obviously, he had also heard Yang Kai’s voice.
“Where is Yin Le Sheng?” Yang Kai asked again.
That man bitterly smiled and stated, “Brother Yang, please save me first, the rest we can talk about later.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted and stated, “Zhang Hao didn’t rescue you, why should I then?”
Surprisingly, this guy was none other than Brahma Holy Land’s Zhang Xian. He and Zhang Hao were the Holy Sons of Brahma Holy Land. Their cultivations were both impressive, but no matter how powerful they were, they were still just Dao Source Realm cultivators. Only death was waiting for Zhang Xian after falling in the Void Turbulence, and the more he struggled, the faster he would die. However, there was no sign of Zhang Hao here, so it seemed that Zhang Hao had abandoned him.
“Zhang Hao!” The mere mention of Zhang Hao’s name seemed to have touched Zhang Xian’s nerves and he gritted his teeth all of a sudden, snarling, “Don’t mention that scumbag’s name before me! I will kill him sooner or later!”
Who knows what happened between the two Holy Sons, but Zhang Xian seemed to hold deep hatred towards Zhang Hao.
Yang Kai didn’t care to get to the bottom of this either and just sneered, “First you have to get out of here.”
Zhang Xian’s anger suddenly hit the rock bottom as he begged, crying, “Brother Yang, someone as great and generous as you doesn’t need to care about this lowly me. If you rescue me from here, I, Zhang Xian, will always remember this gratitude and surely repay you in the future.”
“Tell me first, where did Yin Le Sheng go!” Yang Kai indifferently looked at him.
Zhang Xian asked, “If I tell you, will you save me?”
Yang Kai countered, “What do you think?”
Zhang Xian became enraged and shouted, “Then why should I tell you!?” Just as he said this, he suddenly realized that he didn’t have the room to get angry at this moment and hurriedly corrected himself, “Brother Yang, don’t be angry. I, Zhang Xian, just put a foot in my mouth.”
Yang Kai stated with a snort, “I don’t want to save you, so I won’t save you. No matter what you say, it’s useless!”
Zhang Xian flustered and the flames of fury in his heart burned hotter, but he didn’t dare to show it. His mouth was filled with bitterness as if he had eaten a bitter gourd.
“Although I won’t save you, I can avenge you!” Yang Kai sneered, “Zhang Hao and Yin Le Sheng are together, am I right? If you tell me where they went, I will help you kill Zhang Hao.”
“Kill Zhang Hao…” Zhang Xian was momentarily stunned, pondering for a long while before finally breaking into madness-filled laughter.
Yang Kai didn’t urge him and just coldly glanced at him from the side.
After a moment, Zhang Xian stopped laughing as he replied with a ferocious look on his face, “If you find Zhang Hao, rip his corpse into ten thousand pieces for me!”
“I can do that. I promise you!” Yang Kai nodded, thinking that there must be some unknown vendetta between the two Holy Sons, otherwise Zhang Xian would not hate Zhang Hao this deeply.
“They went in that direction,” Zhang Xian pointed.
Yang Kai turned to look, then nodded. He then slightly moved his hand as a Moon Blade shot straight toward Zhang Xian.
Zhang Xian was shocked. Although he felt the energy fluctuations approaching him, he was trapped in a Void Turbulence; even if he wanted to escape, he couldn’t, all he could do was ask in a shock, “What are you doing?”
With a soft squish, Zhang Xian felt a slight pain coming from his arm.
Yang Kai coldly stated, “I am taking your Star Seal. It’s the interest for previously attacking me. As for what happens next, I will leave it to luck.” While speaking, he reached out and collected the Star Seal on Zhang Xian’s severed arm before flying towards the direction Zhang Xian had previously pointed at.
“Bastard, bastard!” Zhang Xian covered the wound with his other hand as he angrily roared, a hideous look covering his face.
But Yang Kai had long disappeared.
After continuing forward for about half a day, Yang Kai finally sensed the location of other people, but most of them were already dead, pulled into the Void Turbulence. The corpses were mutilated and in pieces. Only their Star Seals remained that flew towards Yang Kai, one after another.
Another day later, Yang Kai had already collected the Star Seals of almost all of over forty cultivators.
After the six-pointed Star Seal on the back of his hand had absorbed thirty or so Star Seals, it finally changed and became a seven-pointed Star Seal, allowing him to sense others from a greater distance.
Rumour had it that if a Star Seal could be upgraded to the most advanced nine-pointed Star Seal, one could find the inheritance of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. Who knows whether this was true or false, but Yang Kai wasn’t interested in that inheritance at all; therefore, he didn’t try to pursue it.
At some point, Yang Kai suddenly noticed the fluctuations of several Star Seals in front of him. After a little thought, Yang Kai knew that the Masters of these Star Seals were the last ones alive.
And that Yin Le Sheng must be there, because Yang Kai had found the corpses of the other two Netherworld Sect disciples, but he hadn’t found Yin Le Sheng’s.
[This guy’s life is pretty hard, he actually made it this far in the Void. How did he do it?]
Yang Kai didn’t hesitate any longer, his figure flickering as he shot towards that direction.
After the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, Yang Kai arrived at the place where these survivors were.
Scanning with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found that only four people were still alive. Yin Le Sheng and Zhang Hao were impressively among them while the other two seemed to be the top Dao Source Realm Masters, but Yang Kai didn’t recognize them.
And it was not just those who were here. Even the Mountains and Rivers Bell that had disappeared into the Void was also here.
This exotic artifact from the Wild Lands had given rise to a Great Emperor, witnessed the war between Great Emperors, and after tens of thousands of years of silence, was now quietly lying somewhere lost in the Void. All its radiance was completely converged and it didn’t have the slightest bit of spirituality, as if it was broken. It seemed to be waiting for the arrival of its new master.
“You’re still alive!” When Yang Kai arrived, Yin Le Sheng fiercely turned around and looked at him in shock.
Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, and Yin Le Sheng was well aware of this. When the two had fought in the Starlight Corridor, Yang Kai had used his mastery of Space Force to shatter the Starlight Corridor.
Yin Le Sheng was surprised by the fact that Yang Kai withstood the shock wave from the Mountains and Rivers Bell at such a close distance. Furthermore, it appeared that not only had he survived, but he was still brimming with energy.
Yang Kai pursed his lips and stated, “Since you are still alive, why should Brother Yin be so surprised that I am too.”
Yin Le Sheng’s eyes lit up instead as he nodded and gratefully said, “Great, awesome, it’s good that you’re alive.”
He looked like he was happy for Yang Kai, but who knows what he was really happy about.
Yang Kai suspiciously looked at him and stated, “Brother Yin, your tone might very easily cause misunderstandings. Everyone will think that we have a very good relationship.”
Yin Le Sheng burst into laughter, “No matter what the relationship between us is, it’s still great that you are alive.”
Yang Kai’s face turned cold as he stated, “I’m alive, but you will definitely die.”
Yin Le Sheng remained calm and composed as he spoke, “There is no true grievance between you and me. How about we forget our past enmity and become friends?”
Yang Kai’s eyes widened as he snapped, “This, am I… hearing it right? Brother Yin, you actually want to forget the past enmity and be friends with me? Is there something wrong with your head?”
Zhang Hao and the other two also had a weird look on their faces; after all, they had personally witnessed the clash and grievance between Yang Kai and Yin Le Sheng. Both of them couldn’t wait to kill each other, so why had Yin Le Sheng’s attitude changed so drastically in the blink of an eye?
Yin Le Sheng replied with a smile, “There is nothing wrong with my head, rather I am thinking quite clearly right now, because I know that if I want to leave this place, Brother Yang’s help is indispensable.”
Yang Kai raised his brow and asked, laughing, “I understand what Brother Yin means, but… why do you think I will take you out?”
Yin Le Sheng quickly asked, “Didn’t you want to inquire about the puppet of yours? Isn’t that puppet very useful to you?”
Hearing him mention Xiao Xiao, Yang Kai’s face immediately sank as he shouted, “Where is he!?”
Yin Le Sheng smiled as he spoke in a calm and composed manner, “Brother Yang really values it very much. Since Brother Yang has something he wants, and I have something I want, why don’t we make a deal?”
Yang Kai ground his teeth. Although he couldn’t wait to beat the shit out of Yin Le Sheng and force him to give up the information on Xiao Xiao’s location, brute force couldn’t solve the problem at this moment. As long as Yin Le Sheng didn’t tell him about Xiao Xiao, Yang Kai would be at the end of his wits, and even if Yin Le Sheng did tell him something, Yang Kai couldn’t say for sure whether he was speaking the truth or lying.
Compared to killing Yin Le Sheng, Yang Kai would rather learn about Xiao Xiao’s situation. After pondering for a while, he agreed with a nod, “How should we trade? Let’s hear it.”
Yin Le Sheng replied, “You take me out of this damned place and I will truthfully tell you about the whereabouts of the puppet.”
Yang Kai sneered, “How do I know you’ll tell me the truth? Maybe you don’t even know where Xiao Xiao is.”
“I do know!” Yin Le Sheng’s face turned serious, “There is no harm in telling you a bit. Your puppet did fall into the Eastern Territory with me back then, but I couldn’t subdue it with my strength at that time, so I simply followed after it, looking for an opportunity, but unfortunately, I failed at the last moment. Now, as to where it went in the end, only I know. No one else in this world knows. Brother Yang, you’d best think this through. If we pulled out all our cards and fought here, we both would be defeated and wounded. On the other hand, the deal I’m proposing is very fair; we both get what we need.”
Yang Kai’s face turned colder as he stated, “Tell me first and I will immediately send you out. I promise that I will not do anything to you!”
Yin Le Sheng denied with a chuckle, “Do you think I’m a three-year-old child?”
“What do you think we should do then?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but glower.
The two of them endlessly quarrelled with each other while the others watched in surprise. They didn’t know what Yang Kai and Yin Le Sheng were arguing about, but they managed to glean some clues after listening for a while.
Zhang Hao suddenly asked, “Brother Yin, can he take us out of here?”
Yin Le Sheng replied, glancing at him, “If he can’t, then no one can.”
“Why?” Zhang Hao asked in surprise, “This is the Void, if we can’t break through the barriers of space, there’s no way to leave. So many of us tried breaking it together, but it didn’t work, so why can he do it alone?”
Yin Le Sheng furrowed his brow as he explained, “Because Brother Yang is proficient in the Dao of Space.”
“Proficient in the Dao of Space!?” Zhang Kai was shocked and delighted when he heard this, turning to stare at Yang Kai with a blazing gaze, as if he had found hope of survival.
The other two were also extremely excited and they secretly licked their lips,
“This Young Master is indeed proficient in the Dao of Space, but what does that have to do with you lot?” Yang Kai glared at the three, feeling disgruntled.
Zhang Hao said, wearing a smiling face, “Hehe, Brother Yang, we can be considered friends after a fight. Now only a few of us are alive, so if you can really leave this place, why not take us out with you? Rest assured, we will definitely repay you generously in the future for this favour.”
“Yes, yes, we will etch Brother Yang’s kindness into our hearts and will definitely return the gesture to you in the future!”
“Brother Yang, it’s always better to have many friends, if you come to my Western Territory, this Sun will definitely welcome you with open arms!”
The two started yelling along with Zhang Hao, pleadingly looking at Yang Kai.
“Fuck off!” Yang Kai impatiently lashed out.
Zhang Hao’s face turned colder after hearing this and he glared at Yang Kai, “Yang Kai, don’t be too stubborn. We might not be at our peaks right now, but if we team up, you won’t be able to defeat us. Don’t force us to take a hard stance against you.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “This Young Master wasn’t afraid when there were forty of you, so what can just the four of you do to me now? If you want to die, you are welcome to give it a try.”
Zhang Hao’s face turned stiff all of a sudden because he knew that Yang Kai was stating the truth. Before, forty of them were unable to do anything to Yang Kai, so now that there were just four of them, the chances of them being able to defeat him weren’t high. Not to mention, a cultivator proficient in the Dao of Space was harder to deal with than ordinary opponents. If Yang Kai ever found he was at a disadvantage in a frontal conflict, he could simply run away and no one would be able to stop him.
Yang Kai ignored Zhang Hao and the other two and turned to Yin Le Sheng and stated in a cold voice, “Since you want to make a deal with me, then come up with something that will convince us both, otherwise, you will die today. At worst, I will go to the Eastern Territory and slowly look for Xiao Xiao.”
Yin Le Sheng’s face sank as he asked, “Brother Yang, how can you be sure that you can kill me?”
Yang Kai pursed his lips and stated, “In this place, I can make you die without a burial with a wave of my hand. Tell me, do you still think I can’t kill you?”
Saying so, Yang Kai really just waved his hand and immediately, the surrounding Void Turbulence seemed to have received some kind of order and began sweeping towards Yin Le Sheng like a long river.
Yin Le Sheng jumped back in fright and quickly avoided it.
After regaining his footing, his face turned extremely pale.
He originally believed that, with his remaining trump cards, he didn’t need to be afraid of Yang Kai, but now it seemed that this special environment not only didn’t restrain Yang Kai, but it even invisibly increased his strength. If they really fought, Yin Le Sheng estimated he didn’t have even a twenty percent chance of winning!
[I must quickly leave here, lest some mishap occurs!]
Realizing this, Yin Le Sheng quickly said, “Brother Yang, look at this!”
Saying so, he casually tossed something to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai wasn’t afraid that he would play petty tricks at this moment, so he reached out and caught this object, scanning it with his Divine Sense before speaking in surprise, “Oh? A Soul Contract?”
Yin Le Sheng raised his brow, “Since Brother Yang recognizes it, nothing more need be said.”
A Soul Contract was a product made by the Palace Master of the Eastern Territory’s Serene Soul Palace, Serene Soul Great Emperor, when he was bored and had ample time on his hands. It was almost equivalent to a contract that mortals would use, but the ones who signed it, did so with their Souls. Because of a peculiar power that was used to refine Soul Contracts, neither of the parties that signed one could violate the content of the contract.
Soul Contracts were extremely rare, and Yang Kai had only seen one in the past, but that was enough to recognize this for what it was and what it meant. As long as the two parties signing the contract swore with their Souls, they could not lie or violate the terms unless they wanted to court death.
Because Soul Contracts were made by the Serene Soul Great Emperor, and the Serene Soul Great Emperor’s Serene Soul Palace was in the Eastern Territory, Eastern Territory’s Netherworld Sect’s disciples had greater access to Soul Contracts.
“Is this enough to show my sincerity?” Yin Le Sheng looked at Yang Kai with a grim look on his face.
Yang Kai agreed with a nod, “Of course, there is no problem with this Soul Contract here.”
Yin Le Sheng stated, “Good, then you will send me out of here, and I will tell you the location of that puppet.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and agreed, nodding, “No problem.”
Zhang Hao anxiously cried, “Brother Yin, take me too, my Brahma Holy Land and your Netherworld Sect are allies. You can’t sit back and watch me die!”
Yin Le Sheng frowned before glancing at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stated with a snort, “Zhang Hao’s fate has already been decided by another. He must die here.”
Zhang Hao’s eyes bulged as he angrily asked, “Who? Who wants my life!?”
Yang Kai coldly looked at him and replied with a snort, “The one you abandoned and left behind naturally wants you dead!”
Zhang Hao was dumbfounded as he absentmindedly muttered, “Zhang Xian?”
He then angrily shouted, “Impudence! I am the Senior Brother, and he actually wants to kill me! That ingrate!”
Yang Kai shook his head and ignored him altogether, turning back to Yin Le Sheng and saying, “Brother Yin, swear!”
“Good!” Yin Le Sheng nodded and immediately swore with his Soul that if Yang Kai was willing to safely send him out, he would definitely inform Yang Kai of Xiao Xiao’s location.
Immediately afterwards, Yang Kai also swore on his Soul.
When they poured in their Spiritual Energy, the Soul Contract suddenly started glowing as it split into two, before it shot straight into Yang Kai and Yin Le Sheng’s bodies, making the two softly grunt. Mysteriously, they felt bound by an invisible shackle.
Both of them knew that this was the effect of the Soul Contract.
“Where is Xiao Xiao?” Yang Kai squinted his eyes at Yin Le Sheng.
Yin Le Sheng smiled before his lips moved, transmitting his voice directly to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s face changed as he confirmed in amazement, “There?”
Yin Le Sheng asked in surprise, “Oh? So Brother Yang actually knows that place?”
Yang Kai’s face turned ashen as he responded, “I heard someone mention it not long ago. Are you sure it went there?”
Yin Le Sheng replied, “I saw it with my own eyes, how can I not be certain? Naturally, at the beginning, I didn’t know what that was, but after having lived in the Eastern Territory for a while, I learned about the dangers of that place. Fortunately, I didn’t go in at that time, otherwise I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to meet Brother Yang today.”
Yang Kai’s face turned ugly. Now, he was even more worried about Xiao Xiao compared to when he knew nothing about his whereabouts.
Yin Le Sheng had already signed a Soul Contract with him, and was bound by its power, so he couldn’t have lied. But if Xiao Xiao was really in ‘that place’, then it might really be disastrous for him.
Yin Le Sheng, on the other hand, was all smiles as he spoke, “Okay then, this Yin has truthfully told Brother Yang everything he wanted to know, now it’s about time you fulfil your end of the agreement.”
Yang Kai angrily glanced at him before he stretched his hands out, inserting it into the Void.
Yin Le Sheng intently watched, and after seeing a Void Crack truly get torn open by Yang Kai, a look of surprise and happiness appeared on his face as he praised, “Brother Yang is really impressive. If you manage to break through to the Emperor Realm, your achievements will be second only to Senior Li Wu Yi.”
“Get out!” Yang Kai lashed out with a cold snort.
Yin Le Sheng burst into laughter, “Then this Yin will take his leave. Until we meet again!”
“The day we meet again will be the day you die!” Yang Kai stated, grinding his teeth angrily.
Yin Le Sheng didn’t care about this threat. His figure flickered as he rushed into the Void Crack, instantly appearing on the opposite side.
When Zhang Hao and the others saw this, they also eagerly followed, using all means at their disposal to reach the Void Crack and escape from this place.
Yang Kai just coldly looked at them, but didn’t bother to stop them.
Zhang Hao and the others were overjoyed, thinking that Yang Kai had acquiesced. Their movements immediately became more rapid, but just as the three passed through the Void Crack, Yang Kai suddenly clenched his hand.
Immediately, the wide-open Void Crack closed up as quickly as a flash of lightning.
Caught by surprise, the bodies of the two unknown cultivators were severed in half, their blood and internal organs spilling out of their bodies as their auras rapidly disappeared. The entire picture was too ghastly to even look at.
On the other hand, Zhang Hao reacted the quickest and withdrew at the critical moment, escaping from this lethal blow.
After regaining his footing, Zhang Hao took a sidelong glance with a lingering fear. Only then did he turn back to Yang Kai and say, “You, you really want to kill us!”
Yang Kai calmly glanced at him before stating, “No one who has ever provoked this Young Master has had a good end!”
“Don’t be too arrogant! I, Zhang Hao, am a Holy Son of Brahma Holy Land! Don’t think that I’m afraid of you!” Zhang Hao roared, putting up a brave front.
Yang Kai indifferently looked at him, “Are you done?”
Zhang Hao was startled as he asked in shock, “What are you going to do?”
“Since you’re done, then you can be on your way!” Saying so, Yang Kai waved his hand and the surrounding Void Turbulence started surging towards Zhang Hao, trying to envelop him. In an instant, he was completely surrounded and unable to move.
Zhang Hao’s expression drastically changed as he desperately circulated his Source Qi to struggle free, but he couldn’t get rid of the strange currents. On the contrary, the more he struggled, the deeper he fell. Suddenly, his face paled as he looked at Yang Kai and begged in a trembling voice, “Let me go, I’m willing to pay any price. I’ll even hand you my Soul Brand.”
Handing his Soul Brand over meant he would be at Yang Kai’s beck and call in the future. He would become Yang Kai’s slave. If he was putting forward this condition as the Holy Son of Brahma Holy Land, it was quite evident how pressured he was.
But at this critical moment of life and death, Zhang Hao just wanted to survive, so how could he care about other things?
“Your strength is too low, what’s the use of keeping you?” Yang Kai slightly lifted his hand causing the local Space Principles to fluctuate. Suddenly, countless tiny Void Cracks appeared around Zhang Hao. They were densely packed and too numerous to count.
“Strength is too low…” Zhang Hao looked dumbfounded. It was the greatest insult of his life. Yang Kai, too, was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, their cultivations the same, yet he was disdained as too weak to matter.
Having become angry out of shame, Zhang Hao hysterically shouted, “I’ll fight it out with you!”
Saying so, his face flushed red as his Source Qi chaotically started circulating and an extremely dangerous aura immediately emanated from him.
Yang Kai’s expression sank at the sight of this. He coldly snorted and declared, “You want to self-destruct? Not a chance!”
*Xiu Xiu Xiu…*
One after another, the countless tiny Void Cracks flew towards Zhang Hao as if they had been bestowed with life.
After the dense and continuous slicing sounds, Zhang Hao froze in place. There was a dull look on his face as his vitality rapidly dissipated. Also, the dangerous aura which had been emanating from him died down.
After a short while, Zhang Hao’s entire figure fell into countless pieces with a soft bang, scattering about the void before being swallowed up by the surging turbulence.
As Zhang Xian had asked before, Zhang Hao was really torn into ten thousand pieces.
A six-pointed Star Seal flew out from where he once stood and rushed straight into the back of Yang Kai’s hand. The next moment, it turned into specks of starlight as it was absorbed by the seven-pointed Star Seal.
After Zhang Hao was killed, Yang Kai finally breathed out in relief. His depressed mood was slightly lifted.
He stood in his spot as a deep furrow appeared on his forehead, thinking about the information Yin Le Sheng had given to him.
Xiao Xiao actually went to that place! The notion had never even crossed his mind.
However, there were pros and cons of going there. Yang Kai was always worried that Xiao Xiao would be chased and attacked by other cultivators, but if he went there, that worry became irrelevant as it was rare for cultivators to set foot into that place.
However, that place was fraught with dangers, so it was uncertain if Xiao Xiao was still safe.
[It seems I still have to make a trip to the Eastern Territory.]
Yang Kai secretly decided that after he was done with the affairs of the Shattered Star Sea, he would set out to search for Xiao Xiao.
After having made up his mind, Yang Kai adjusted his mood and turned his head, blazingly looking at the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
When the Mountains and Rivers Bell had first appeared, several dozen cultivators were eyeing it and had eventually chased it to this place. But now, there is only one left, leaving Yang Kai with ample time to refine the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Qi Hai said that the Mountains and Rivers Bell was an Ancient Exotic Artifact, which was brought out by the Yuan Ding Great Emperor from the Ancient Wild Lands. If Yang Kai could refine it, this trip to the Shattered Star Sea would have been worthwhile.
However, refining such an artifact wasn’t as simple as it looked.
Yang Kai didn’t even know how to refine it, so he could only try the method mentioned by Qi Hai.
The Yuan Ding Great Emperor had survived eighty-one knells from this bell in order to gain the Artifact Spirit’s approval, allowing him to bring it out from the Ancient Wild Lands. Yang Kai had no choice but to imitate him.
Considering this, Yang Kai took a deep breath then adjusted his state to his best before walking towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell step by step.
For some unknown reason, the Mountains and Rivers Bell’s radiance was restrained, and even the dense and mysterious runes which once flowed across its surface were no longer visible. It looked no different from an ordinary broken bell now, to the point that if one threw it into the crowd, no one would even bother to take a glance at it.
But it still gave Yang Kai the feeling of a sleeping dragon that would let out a Heaven-shaking roar once it was disturbed.
After a short while, Yang Kai came to the front of the Mountains and Rivers Bell. To his surprise, the Mountains and Rivers Bell didn’t show any movement.
Holding his breath and focusing his entire attention, Yang Kai carefully reached out and stroked the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
The moment Yang Kai’s palm came into contact with the Mountains and Rivers Bell, though, it shook as a Heaven-shaking and earth-shattering toll rang in Yang Kai’s mind. This ring was filled with an ancient and desolate aura that made Yang Kai dizzy in a flash. He felt as if he had been brought to a savage pre-history era by the torrent of time.
In his mind, inexplicable scenes appeared one after another.
In those images, there were scenes of the Heavens and Earth collapsing, astral winds whipping about, and tsunamis sweeping over the seas. It was as if the end of the world had come.
There were strong and burly naked giants so tall that their heads reached the sky. They proudly walked the land, and wherever they went, every living being would retreat.
There were early cultivators, who could move the mountains and shift the seas. They could fly through the sky and move through the earth. They used their powerful Divine Abilities to fight against the surrounding disasters as they sought for a slim chance of survival.
Countless Ancient Divine Spirits fought with each other, seizing others’ territories, dying the ground red. When they fought, the worlds shattered, and universes were flipped upside down.
The world was changing all the time, and in a flash, it seemed like millions of years had passed.
Yang Kai let out a grunt as he felt as if he was struck by a mountain. Spurting a mouthful of blood, he was sent flying back over ten thousand metres through the Void before he regained his footing. His face was pale as a ghost and his aura was in turmoil.
After finally stabilizing himself, Yang Kai finally sat down cross-legged and silently healed his wounds.
The pain in his head was simply unbearable; clearly his Soul had suffered injuries. Had it been someone else, they would have been unable to recover from such injuries. All they could do was wait for their Soul to dry up and for death to take them.
Even for Yang Kai, who had the Soul Warming Lotus, recovering from these injuries wasn’t an easy task.
Not only this, Yang Kai also noticed that a strange energy had seeped into his body following the shockwave from the Mountains and Rivers Bell. This energy was vague and mysterious, but it didn’t seem to do him any harm. It was just that it gave him a strange, obscure feeling.
It took Yang Kai ten days to finally recover from the injuries to his Soul and for him to refine the wisp of strange energy. Somehow, he seemed to have gained something, but it was extremely vague; he couldn’t put his fingers on it.
After opening his eyes, Yang Kai pondered for a moment before he got up and walked towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
After a short while, Yang Kai was sent flying by the Mountains and Rivers Bell just like the last time. He kept spurting blood, losing half of his life right away. After standing up from being knocked down, he hurriedly healed himself.
Over the following days, Yang Kai kept repeating this process. Getting knocked down, healing, and then continuing trying to refine and subdue the Mountains and Rivers Bell…
What was most fortunate for him was that he had a strong physique and Soul, and also possessed a supreme treasure like the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus. If Yang Kai had been short of any one of these, he wouldn’t have been able to carry on with this process. Even if he wasn’t shaken to death, it might have left a hidden sequela. But his strong physique and Soul, and the Soul Warming Lotus, were enough to completely restore him each time.
And with the passage of time, the time it took to recover became shorter and shorter while the injuries he suffered gradually became lighter and lighter.
As that wisp of strange energy kept accumulating, Yang Kai gradually realized what it was.
Two months later, Yang Kai was finally able to withstand a blow from the Mountains and Rivers Bell unharmed, but he was sent flying from the next toll.
After three months, he was able to withstand five consecutive shockwaves.
After six months, twenty times.
After one year, sixty times! His progress was amazing.
One day, after a year and a half, Yang Kai was filled with an aura of vicissitudes. His clothes were tattered and his hair unkempt. What little scraps he was wearing were covered in dark, dried-up blood. He was an extremely sorry sight, but his aura was stronger and deeper than before.
Yang Kai closed his eyes and put both his hands on the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
At this moment, the Ancient Exotic Artifact had once again regained the same appearance that Yang Kai had witnessed. Its entire body was brightly shining and countless profound runes were swimming across its surface like fish, shuttling back and forth, emanating a rich and ancient aura.
One after another, reverberating knells rang in Yang Kai’s mind. Every ring was enough for a cultivator at the peak Dao Source Realm to retreat, coughing blood.
But Yang Kai was quite content even in adversity. Not only did he not feel any pain, but he also found it rewarding.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Ten rings, twenty rings, thirty rings… Yang Kai didn’t move.
Fifty rings, sixty rings, seventy rings… His expression finally became solemn. But the situation was still under his control.
It wasn’t until the seventieth ring that his Knowledge Sea began to churn, causing his face to pale. His blood and Qi began to riot, as if he couldn’t carry on anymore.
But Yang Kai still didn’t move as he endured the violent shocks of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
It wasn’t until the eightieth ring that Yang Kai suddenly let out a groan as blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth. The next moment, his figure slightly shook; he was almost sent flying.
At this last juncture, Yang Kai braced himself and managed to remain in place.
*Hong…*
The eighty-first ring came as scheduled and the subsequent violent impact almost tore him into pieces. The corresponding pain reached the depths of his Soul, making him cry like a wounded beast. Blood gushed from his seven orifices, turning his entire face into an appalling sight.
Fierce, wild energy ran amok through his body as sounds of bones cracking continuously rang out.
Yang Kai felt like he was about to die, and the aura of death made his entire body grow cold while his limbs went numb.
He loudly shouted as he pushed his Source Qi madly, desperate to endure.
A single breath felt like hundreds of thousands of years to Yang Kai, but when the aftermath of the shock disappeared, Yang Kai’s eyes bloomed with a brilliant gleam.
He had done it! After a year and a half, he finally withstood eighty-one tolls from the Mountains and Rivers Bell without withdrawing. He might have looked a little miserable, but he still managed to endure.
If Qi Hai’s statement was true, then all his hard work and tenacity would be recognized by the Mountains and Rivers Bell’s Artifact Spirit and he would become the new owner of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Thinking so, Yang Kai raised his head and stared at the Mountains and Rivers Bell with high expectations.
But what entered his sight dumbfounded him.
Because the surface of the Mountains and Rivers Bell lit up again, turning Yang Kai’s face pale with shock.
He had witnessed this situation countless times over this year and a half. Every time the surface of the Mountains and Rivers Bell shined, it meant that it was about to toll.
[Again!?]
Yang Kai was suddenly struck with a sense of despair and powerlessness. With his current strength, it took everything he had and more to reach the eighty-first ring; that was already the limit of his limits. If he took another, he would be unable to hold on and might very well lose his life.
The very first thought that crossed his mind was to pull back and save his life first.
Whether the method mentioned by Qi Hai was invalid or it was recorded wrongly in the ancient books, Yang Kai had already tried his best. He had no regrets even if he failed.
Then again, a sliver of unwillingness rose from his heart.
He had already worked so hard, and if he gave up now, wouldn’t all his previous efforts have been for nought?
Suddenly, a gush of hot blood flooded his chest as Yang Kai let out a war cry. Instead of backing away, he stood firm and pushed his Source Qi madly towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
But what happened next took him by surprise. His Source Qi smoothly poured into the Mountains and Rivers Bell, something that had never happened before. Over the past year and a half, Yang Kai has tried this every once in a while, but each time, the result was that his Source Qi was bounced back, making him suffer even more damage instead.
But this time, his Source Qi was accepted by the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Yang Kai was momentarily stunned, but immediately after, he turned ecstatic.
The next moment, a shockwave from the depths of his heart and Soul blasted out and everything went black before his eyes as his mind went blank and he passed out.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell, on the other hand, continued shining brightly, streaks of brilliance shooting out from the bell’s surface and shrouding Yang Kai, wrapping him up tightly. A desolate aura permeated into the void as all this occurred, but as time passed by, this phenomenon gradually disappeared. The Mountains and Rivers Bell also slowly shrank, reducing to the size of just a palm before falling beside Yang Kai.
After some unknown amount of time, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes. From head to toe, there was no part on his body that was not in pain. Even just a flash of thought brought a world of pain to his head and caused him to groan.
He clearly remembered what had transpired before he fell into a coma, so the very moment he woke, he wanted to check the situation of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
He wanted to know whether he had succeeded in subduing this Ancient Exotic Treasure or not.
But when he looked up, the towering Mountains and Rivers Bell that should have been right there was nowhere to be found. Yang Kai had no idea where the Ancient Exotic Artifact had gone.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened, thinking that the Mountains and Rivers Bell had broken through the void and disappeared. He was immediately struck with a sense of loss. He had worked long and hard in the chaotic Void to get the Mountains and Rivers Bell, but in the end, he gained nothing.
No one could easily accept this.
But soon, Yang Kai noticed that something was wrong.
Because he felt something contacting him through a strange mental connection, making him involuntarily look to one side.
There, a small, plain, and unremarkable bell the size of a palm was quietly floating beside him.
“Mountains and Rivers Bell!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
The Ancient Exotic Artifact might have shrunk countless times, but Yang Kai recognized it at a glance.
Pleasantly surprised, he stretched his hand out and the Mountains and Rivers Bell flew up to his palm. The moment Yang Kai’s hand touched the bell, the vague communication he had been feeling all of sudden became clear.
Yang Kai wore an indifferent expression for a moment, but his stoic face soon curled into a grin.
Qi Hai had told him the correct method. As long as he could withstand eighty-one tolls from this Ancient Exotic Artifact, he would gain its recognition and become its owner. In the past, the Yuan Ding Great Emperor had succeeded in subduing it, and now, so had Yang Kai.
However, the Yuan Ding Great Emperor subdued it when he was a Third-Order Emperor, after which he was able to spy on a higher Martial Dao, helping him advance to the Great Emperor Realm.
Yang Kai on the other hand was still just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior, incomparable to the Yuan Ding Great Emperor in cultivation, so it took him a year and a half to succeed.
Although it took him a long time, Yang Kai was filled with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
He put the Mountains and Rivers Bell on his palm and played with it a bit. After confirming that he had indeed subdued it, he finally put it away, extremely pleased with himself.
But much to Yang Kai’s surprise, he couldn’t withdraw this bell into his body. Yang Kai grew suspicious as he tried to circulate Source Qi to refine the bell, but strangely, he couldn’t.
In other words, although the Mountains and Rivers Bell was owned by him now, and he could control its might, he couldn’t refine it and neither could he withdraw it into his body.
[Is this a characteristic of Ancient Exotic Artifacts? After all, such artifacts are born from the world itself, not artificially refined. It’s reasonable to say that it is a little different from the artifacts used today.]
However, Yang Kai didn’t think too deeply about this. Right now, he was still heavily injured, so it wasn’t the right time to study the Mountains and Rivers Bell. He could slowly familiarize himself with it in the future.
After putting away the Mountains and Rivers Bell, Yang Kai finally began to tend his wounds.
After five days, he returned to peak condition.
Compared to a year and a half ago, Yang Kai’s aura was deeper and more profound. In the process of conquering the Mountains and Rivers Bell, he wasn’t without growth. Instead, every time he withstood the shock of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, his Spiritual Energy became stronger. Not only this, but he had also obtained some nourishment from the wild force that emanated from the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
This was a truly ancient force that could make all living beings surrender to it, a complex and mysterious energy.
It was hard to imagine just how strong the Yuan Ding Great Emperor, who was the owner of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, was back in his time.
But even such a powerful figure was still no match for Heaven Devouring Great Emperor! During the battle of Emperors, a total of four Great Emperors were killed by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
Throughout the ages, he deserved the title of strongest in the Star Boundary’s history!
This reminded Yang Kai of the One-Eyed Great Demon. The One-Eyed Great Demon was also a powerhouse from ancient times, one filled with murderous rage. Countless ancient Masters besieged it, but even then, it had killed countless enemies before finally being killed. Still, even after it died, its giant eye could not be destroyed and, ultimately, it was sealed below Maplewood City by the surviving ancient Masters.
Whether it was the One-Eyed Great Demon or the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, both were cruel characters. They regarded all living beings as grass, and the lives of others meant nothing to them. Such wanton slaughter, however, contradicted the Heavenly Way, which eventually brought catastrophe down upon them.
Suddenly, a flash of enlightenment struck Yang Kai’s mind, and his future path seemed much clearer to him. The next moment, some mysterious changes started happening to the Source Qi in his body.
Emperor Qi transformation!
Yang Kai was gleeful as he realized that he had taken another big step towards the Emperor Realm.
From the Dao Source Realm to the Emperor Realm, the energy in one’s body would undergo an earth-shaking transformation. Dao Source Realm cultivators cultivated Source Qi, while Emperors cultivated Emperor Qi. There was a huge gap in quality between these two Qis.
Generally speaking, before a cultivator broke through to the Emperor Realm, the Source Qi in their body had to transform into Emperor Qi, just like when one advanced from the Origin King Realm to the Dao Source Ream. This transformation was a long process.
But unlike the Dao Source Realm, where one could take Source Condensing Pills to speed up this transformation process, there was no shortcut to Emperor Qi transformation. Only pure cultivation and accumulation over time could reliably complete this process.
Qiu Ze of Sky Illumination Palace, the Emperor Realm Master that Yang Kai had previously killed, had just advanced to the Emperor Realm and his realm hadn’t been consolidated, so his Emperor Qi was still relatively chaotic and unfamiliar to him, making it impossible for him to bring out his full strength. This was a major reason why Yang Kai was able to kill him so easily.
Had it been someone like Gao Xue Ting, Yang Kai might not have been able to defeat him with his strength at that time.
Gao Xue Ting had broken through to the Emperor Realm many years ago, and her Emperor Qi was rich and pure, incomparable to Qiu Ze’s.
And now, the Source Qi in Yang Kai’s body was converting to Emperor Qi, which was the most obvious sign of someone on the verge of breaking through to the Emperor Realm.
Perhaps it was a matter of opportunity, or perhaps it was just a matter of time for him to finally get a glimpse of the mysteries of the Emperor Realm.
After subduing the Mountains and Rivers Bell, hitting the threshold of the Emperor Realm, and collecting so much Source Strength, along with obtaining a supreme treasure like the Phoenix True Fire, Yang Kai realized that this trip to the Shattered Star Sea was more than worthwhile. He didn’t know how others had fared, but it was really a worthwhile trip for him.
For a while, he was very happy and relaxed. He then turned and looked around before he reached out and tore open space to leave the Void after a year and a half.
What entered his sight was still the dilapidated, cold, and depressing Shattered Star Sea.
But this place was no longer the same place that he was at when he entered the Void. Yang Kai had no idea where he was in the Shattered Star Sea.
There was no one in sight, but the seven-pointed Star Seal on the back of his hand could vaguely sense some energy fluctuations coming from the distance.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before his figure flew towards the source of the energy fluctuations.
Since someone was there, it meant that there should be something of value too.
Yang Kai wasn’t interested in snatching other people’s treasures, but he did need information, so these people would be his best choice.
About two hours later, Yang Kai arrived a short distance from a shattered cultivation star. The Star Seal fluctuations were coming from this star.
Before Yang Kai could approach the Star, a wave of Emperor Aura suddenly spread out from it.
Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as he cried in surprise, “Another Emperor Artifact?”
Before the Mountains and Rivers Bell appeared, he had sensed similar energy fluctuations. Now, he had just subdued the Mountains and Rivers Bell, and he had encountered a similar situation again, making him feel that there were indeed many treasures in the Shattered Star Sea.
But soon, Yang Kai realized that something was different.
The Emperor Aura fluctuations didn’t have a trace of the appearance of an Emperor Artifact, because the situation at the Star was completely different from the situation when the Mountains and Rivers Bell appeared. Not only that, lightning and thunder could be seen and heard, while a terrifying World Energy seemed to be gathering towards the Star, highlighting the awe-inspiring Heavenly Way!
“A breakthrough!” Yang Kai’s pupil shrank upon realizing that someone was about to break through to the Emperor Realm.
He was stupidly gawking at the Heavenly Manifestation on the Star that had just begun to take shape and his blood immediately started to boil. Although he had long known that the cultivators could break their shackles and advance to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, it had only been two to three years since they entered, so Yang Kai hadn’t seen anyone achieve this yet.
At this moment, someone who was about to accomplish this feat was not too far away from him!
The Emperor Realm was the summit of the Star Boundary’s Martial Dao, the ultimate pursuit of all cultivators. This realm was the symbol of great strength and extremely high status.
So, even though he had no idea who the person breakinging through was, Yang Kai was still a little excited after seeing the Heavenly Manifestation.
Perhaps, if he could secretly observe this situation, he might be able to see the birth of an Emperor. Yang Kai only wished to view from a distance, not cause trouble, so he didn’t have any psychological burden.
Considering all this, he no longer hesitated. His figure jolted as he flew towards the source of the movement.
Not long after, he arrived at a shattered Star.
Just as he came to a stop, before he could even approach the Star, three figures suddenly appeared and surrounded him.
The three figures had been concealed very well, and because all of Yang Kai’s attention was focused on the Heavenly Manifestation, he didn’t notice them at first, only regaining his wits when they had rushed out.
The moment these three appeared, they all resorted to lethal attacks, showing no mercy. Amid the flashes of swords, an icy domain immediately spread about, freezing the surrounding space in an instant.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but shudder as a cold gleam immediately flashed past his eyes. Raising his hands, he counterattacked, filling the sky with palms.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
After their fierce clash, Yang Kai remained still, while the three sneak-attackers all cried in shock and were thrown back.
“Form rank!” One of them seemed to have realized Yang Kai’s strength, and fear and shock filled her eyes as she promptly shouted.
Obviously, the other two belonged to the same Sect and had cooperated countless times. The moment they heard this, they flew to her side and began activating some kind of Secret Technique, merging their three auras into one.
“Hm?” Until now, Yang Kai hadn’t had the time to take a good look at his three would-be attackers, but once he did, he hurriedly raised his hand and spoke, “Wait!”
The battle-ready trio coldly glared at Yang Kai, not showing any intention of speaking or backing down, instead pushing their icy sword auras even harder.
“Are you from Ice Heart Valley?” Yang Kai shouted again.
He had snuck into Ice Heart Valley before, so he was quite familiar with the uniforms its disciples wore. The three girls before him were clearly wearing the robes of Ice Heart Valley.
He hadn’t expected to suddenly be attacked by Ice Heart Valley disciples.
[I’m afraid there is some misunderstanding here.] Yang Kai’s thinking immediately changed. [These three must be guarding the one breaking through, and my arrival must have put them on alert, which was why they attacked me without any explanation.]
Yang Kai’s question didn’t make them halt their movements. Seeing the three still preparing to attack, Yang Kai couldn’t help but be taken aback by that surging energy fluctuations.
He had no choice but to report his name, “My name is Yang Kai. I wonder if you have heard of me.”
As soon as he said this, it really had an effect. The three girls immediately stopped whatever Secret Technique they were casting and looked at Yang Kai in amazement, their icy domain slowly dissipating.
The young woman seemingly leading the trio asked in astonishment, “Are you really Senior Brother Yang Kai?”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that the three had heard of him. This wasn’t a surprise though after all the events in Ice Moon City.
“He does look a bit like him, both his profile and figure are similar to the image shown by Eldest Senior Sister…”
“But he’s too dirty. I can’t even see his face…”
“His clothes are also in tatters.”
The three girls gathered around and whispered for a while, constantly glancing at Yang Kai, seemingly trying to confirm his identity.
Although the three were whispering to one another, Yang Kai heard them loud and clear and he couldn’t help but smack his head in embarrassment.
He had been in The Void for a year and a half, during which time he had been trying to subdue the Mountains and Rivers Bell. As a result, he was injured again and again, resulting in his figure looking quite dishevelled. After he had subdued the Mountains and Rivers Bell, he had been so excited that he totally forgot how ragged and filthy he was.
Had it not been for the Ice Heart Valley disciples’ reminder, he might not have realized at all.
Realizing this, Yang Kai pushed his Source Qi, shaking off all the scabs on his body, while at the same time, he stretched his hand out and condensed some Water Sword Qi from his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi to create a ball of water.
Scrubbing his face a few times, he raised his head and said with a bright, friendly smile, “Please take a closer look.”
“Ah, it is Senior Brother Yang!”
“That’s right, it’s Senior Brother Yang!”
After confirming that it was Yang Kai without a doubt, the three young women immediately cheered and relaxed their stances before approaching Yang Kai with an apologetic look on their faces.
The leading disciple embarrassingly cupped her fists and apologized, “Senior Brother Yang, please don’t blame us. We sisters thought that you were an enemy chasing us, so we immediately attacked you. I hope Senior Brother Yang can be magnanimous and not haggle over our indiscretion.”
“It’s alright,” Yang Kai waved his hand before asking, “Is someone chasing you?”
The girl replied with a nod, “En! He has been chasing us for many days.”
“Who?”
The young woman’s face sank as she ground her teeth in anger, “Who else could it be other than Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master?”
“Feng Xi?” Yang Kai raised his brow before asking in surprise, “Feng Xi’s strength might be good, but yours aren’t bad either. Why are you afraid of him?”
The young woman sighed as she replied, “If it was in the past, I would naturally not be too scared of him, but a few days ago, Eldest Senior Sister’s energy became unsteady. Obviously, she was on the verge of breaking through, so we didn’t dare to rashly confront Feng Xi, lest Eldest Senior Sister miss this opportunity.”
“Eldest Senior Sister…” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he glanced at the location where the Heavenly Manifestation was converging before asking, pleasantly surprised, “So to say, it’s Sister Zi Yu who is breaking through to the Emperor Realm?”
“En. When we ran here, Eldest Senior Sister could no longer suppress her breakthrough and had no choice but to begin. We three Sisters are responsible for guarding her. When Senior Brother Yang arrived, we thought that you were a Seeking Passion Sect disciple. So, we…” When she spoke about the last part, her face flushed red; after all, they had indeed acted a little rashly when they attacked Yang Kai without any explanation.
Yang Kai smiled lightly and stated, “Sister Zi Yu is a true genius, my congratulations!”
He didn’t expect that the person who was breaking through to the Emperor Realm here would be Ice Heart Valley’s Zi Yu. He had some dealings with Zi Yu before, and although he wasn’t well acquainted with her, Yang Kai knew that she was the most outstanding disciple of Ice Heart Valley.
And today, she had really lived up to everyone’s expectations. Just two and a half years after entering the Shattered Star Sea, she had seized an opportunity to break through.
The lead Ice Heart Valley disciple stated, “Eldest Senior Sister said that Senior Brother Yang is the greatest genius she has ever seen, and she rarely praises anyone. She didn’t even attach any importance to Feng Xi of the Seeking Passion Sect, but she deeply respects Senior Brother Yang. Therefore, after we met in the Shattered Star Sea, she especially showed us your image, telling us to treat you with courtesy if we meet you.”
“Yes, we have all heard of what Senior Brother Yang did in Ice Moon City. Senior Brother Yang is really amazing.”
Yang Kai responded with a chuckle, “Sister Zi Yu is not worse than anyone. She just said that to give me a face. Can’t you see that I am still wandering about in the Dao Source Realm while she is now breaking through to the Emperor Realm?”
After hearing his words, the three Ice Heart Valley disciples finally remembered that Yang Kai was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator while their Eldest Senior Sister was already breaking through to the Emperor Realm.
Regardless of whether Zi Yu succeeded or not, she was a step ahead of Yang Kai in this regard at least, so in the eyes of the trio, their Eldest Senior Sister was indeed no worse than Yang Kai, maybe even better.
Yang Kai’s face turned serious as he warned, “Breaking through to the Emperor Realm is fraught with crises. Countless geniuses have fallen at this juncture. Zi Yu has rushed to make a breakthrough. How confident is she in succeeding?”
One of the Ice Heart Valley disciples replied, “Eldest Senior Sister said that she is only about sixty percent sure.”
The other two also looked worried.
“Sixty percent…” Yang Kai furrowed his brow. This wasn’t a particular high estimate. If Zi Yu failed in her breakthrough, it would not be surprising for her to die under the World Energy Baptism.
“Moreover, those Seeking Passion Sect disciples are still chasing us and we don’t know if they will find this place or not.”
Yang Kai assured them, “Don’t worry, since I’m here, then I will remain here with you. If anyone from Seeking Passion Sect really comes, then I’ll ensure none of them leave!” While speaking, Yang Kai’s face was laced with murderous intent.
He still had some old accounts to settle with Feng Xi. Feng Xi’s Emperor Authority Bead had caused him a lot of pain that day, and if not for his timely retreat and extraordinary strength, Yang Kai might have died then and there.
Emperor Authority Beads had always been rare, so even if Feng Xi was the Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, it was next to impossible for him to have a second one. Right now, Feng Xi was nothing but a stray dog, so Yang Kai basically didn’t put any importance on him.
Before entering the Shattered Star Sea, he could easily crush a cultivator in the same realm and could be considered invincible in the Dao Source Realm. In the Shattered Star Sea, Yang Kai had comprehended the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Divine Ability and subdued the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Additionally, his Spiritual Energy and Source Qi had grown noticeably.
Yang Kai believed that if he were to now face Feng Xi’s Emperor Authority Bead, he would not be in as precarious a situation as he was before.
“Senior Brother Yang, you must not be careless. Feng Xi is no longer what he used to be…” Seeing Yang Kai not caring one bit about Feng Xi, the Ice Heart Valley disciples quickly warned him.
But she could finish her words, Yang Kai suddenly raised his head, gazing towards the depth of the void in a certain direction before shouting, “They are coming!”
“They’re coming?” The three Ice Heart Valley disciples were stunned after hearing this and immediately looked in the direction Yang Kai was looking, but even if they spread their Divine Senses, they couldn’t detect anyone.
Yang Kai explained with a smile, “My Star Seal is seven-pointed, so the distance I can sense them approaching from is much farther than yours.”
“Feng Xi also has the seven-pointed Star Seal!” One of the Ice Heart Valley disciples’ pretty faces turned pale, “Since Senior Brother Yang can sense them, Feng Xi can definitely sense us too. How many are they?”
Yang Kai replied, “I sense two, so there should be three!”
If Feng Xi had a seven-pointed Star Seal, Yang Kai would naturally be unable to sense his existence; however, what made him puzzled was that Feng Xi had a seven-pointed Star Seal. How did he achieve that?
Yang Kai had only obtained a seven-pointed Star Seal after collecting several dozen Star Seals left by the dead cultivators in The Void. How could Feng Xi kill several dozen people all on his own? Although he was quite strong, his strength wasn’t that exaggerated, right? All the cultivators in the Shattered Star Sea weren’t good to provoke.
While he was feeling uncertain, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense had already caught three auras that were approaching rather quickly, and he found one of them to be quite familiar; it was none other than Feng Xi.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as he muttered in shock, “When did Feng Xi advance to the Emperor Realm?”
He had clearly noticed a distinct Emperor Aura lingering around Feng Xi, and although this aura was unstable, there was no doubt that Feng Xi had already reached the Emperor Realm.
This discovery shocked Yang Kai more than when he learned that it was Zi Yu who was making the breakthrough here.
He had only spent a year and a half in the Void, yet so many things had happened outside?
First, Zi Yu was on the verge of a breakthrough, and now, Feng Xi had already been broken through to the Emperor Realm. What about geniuses of the other Sects? Were they also advancing at a similar pace?
“It’s all because Feng Xi reached the Emperor Realm that we sisters aren’t his opponent anymore and could only flee. Fortunately, his realm hasn’t been consolidated yet, otherwise we wouldn’t have even been able to escape,” an Ice Heart Valley disciple added with a wry smile.
Yang Kai quickly regained his calm and finally understood why this young woman had said that Feng Xi was no longer what he used to be.
Although there was only a difference of one step between the Third-Order Dao Source Realm and First-Order Emperor Realm, the gap in strength was worlds apart.
“Senior Brother Yang, you’d best flee!” The Ice Heart Valley disciples anxiously stated, “Feng Xi has enmity towards you. If he sees you, he won’t let you go.”
“What would you do if I leave?” Yang Kai glanced at her.
The lead young woman replied, “Feng Xi has been chasing us all this time, not because he wants to kill us, but because he wants to force Eldest Senior Sister to submit. So, we don’t actually have to worry about our lives.”
Yang Kai added, “Even if Feng Xi has no intention of killing you, do you think he will just sit back and watch while Zi Yu breaks through?”
The Seeking Passion Sect cultivated the Dao of Passion, so in order to truly make Zi Yu his, Feng Xi had to possess absolute strength to suppress her. As such, there was no way Feng Xi would allow Zi Yu to succeed in her breakthrough; he would definitely interfere because once Zi Yu advanced, his advantage would disappear.
But at this critical juncture, how could they let anyone interfere with Zi Yu?
If Feng Xi properly controlled his strength, it should still be possible for him to make Zi Yu fail without killing her, but if he didn’t, Zi Yu might very well die under the World Energy Baptism.
No matter what the result was, it wouldn’t be acceptable to Zi Yu.
The three Ice Heart Valley disciples had obviously thought of this, so despite asking Yang Kai to leave, all three of them looked incredibly anxious and worried.
“Perhaps, we can replace Eldest Senior Sister and make Feng Xi give up?” One of them agonizingly suggested.
The other two turned pale, but they remained silent.
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “It’s not that I am disdaining you, nor is it that you aren’t beautiful, but think about how many wives and concubines Feng Xi has and what kind of beauties he hasn’t seen? Since he has taken a liking to Zi Yu, naturally he won’t easily give up. It could be said that Sister Zi Yu’s existence is a kind of heart demon to him already, one he needs to overcome in order to continue his Martial Dao. The three of you can’t replace Zi Yu.”
“What should we do then? Should we fight?”
Yang Kai grinned viciously as he indifferently stated, “Don’t worry, if they dare to come, none of them will escape alive.”
Once he proclaimed this, the three young women looked at Yang Kai in astonishment, their faces filled with surprise.
Yang Kai’s earlier statement could be blamed on him having outdated intelligence, not knowing Feng Xi had already broken through to the Emperor Realm, but now when he still dared to say the same after learning about Feng Xi’s true strength, he seemed arrogant and overconfident.
[No matter how strong Senior Brother Yang is supposed to be, he is still just a Dao Source Realm cultivator, right?]
[How can a Dao Source Realm be an opponent of an Emperor Realm? The two are basically not on the same level. If it really came to a fight, Senior Brother Yang would miserably die for sure.]
Noticing the strange looks on their faces, Yang Kai knew what was going through their minds, but he didn’t bother to explain himself. Instead, he turned serious as he stated, “An Emperor Realm Master’s attacks are all extremely powerful, and Sister Zi Yu is at the critical point in her breakthrough. She cannot be disturbed, not even the slightest bit, so I will find a way to distract Feng Xi, while the three of you guard Sister Zi Yu to the best of your abilities.”
“Senior Brother Yang, are you planning to…” An Ice Heart Valley disciple suddenly covered her charming red lips, looking at Yang Kai with gratitude and surprise; she had clearly understood his intentions.
He was clearly planning to disregard his own safety to give Zi Yu time and space to break through.
Suddenly, her face turned determined as she declared, “Senior Brother Yang, I will join you!”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, asking, “What do you think you can do?”
She bit her lips and replied, “I can do whatever Senior Brother Yang can do.”
She seemed to have decided to ignore her life or death.
Yang Kai failed to stop himself from laughing as he refused, “No, I’ll be fine alone.”
After having said so, he didn’t haggle with her anymore and flew directly towards the approaching enemies, leaving just one sentence, “Watch over Zi Yu. If you can comprehend anything from her breakthrough to the Emperor Realm, it will also be greatly beneficial to you. Don’t miss this good opportunity!”
And with that, he disappeared from their sight, leaving the three Ice Heart Valley disciples anxiously gazing in the direction he disappeared towards, wondering whether they should chase after him.
But it was also true that right now Zi Yu needed someone to stand guard here. As such, they didn’t dare to act rashly despite feeling as anxious as ants on a hot wok.
Somewhere in the void, three Seeking Passion Sect disciples, who were rushing towards the Ice Heart Valley disciples, all wore excited looks, and their leader was none other than Young Sect Master Feng Xi.
Ever since Feng Xi broke through to the Emperor Realm half a year ago, the three of them have been all but invincible in the Shattered Star Sea. Thanks to Feng Xi, the two disciples with him had also upgraded their Star Seals to six-pointed ones.
Feng Xi even had a seven-pointed Star Seal! One could imagine how many they had killed during this time in order to rob them of their Star Seals and treasures.
The might of the Emperor Realm had filled Feng Xi with confidence, making him feel as if no one was his opponent anymore.
As he rushed forward, Feng Xi suddenly furrowed his brow and his figure came to stop as he narrowed his eyes and scanned the scene before him.
“Young Sect Master, what happened?” Seeing this, the other two disciples hurriedly stopped and turned to him curiously.
Feng Xi indifferently replied, “Someone is coming towards us.”
A yellow-faced youth turned angry after hearing this and coldly snorted, “Who is so stupid that he dares to challenge Young Sect Master?”
Another middle-aged man, who was dressed like a scholar, added, “Probably some blind fool just begging for death!”
Feng Xi agreed with a nod, “Naturally we should kill this newcomer, but why does this aura… feel so familiar? It’s like I’ve met him somewhere before.”
While speaking, Feng Xi suddenly felt extremely uneasy and his heart started beating wildly, making him restless. This reaction surprised him as, ever since he had broken through to the Emperor Realm, such a sensation had never plagued him no matter how many enemies he had to face. He believed he had already reached a point where his emotions could always remain as tranquil as an ancient well, but now, his anxiety was running wild.
[Who is it?] Feng Xi suddenly became a little concerned as he narrowed his eyes and stared ahead.
After a short while, a streak of light shot over from the distance and stopped not too far away from the Seeking Passion Sect trio. When the light dissipated, a face that Feng Xi was familiar with and hated deeply appeared before him.
“How is that possible!?” Feng Xi’s face distorted horribly as he stared at Yang Kai in disbelief.
Two and a half years ago, when he had first entered the Shattered Star Sea, he and Yang Kai had been teleported close to one another, and knowing that he wasn’t Yang Kai’s opponent, Feng Xi had decisively used his Emperor Authority Bead. After that attack, Yang Kai’s aura had completely disappeared, so Feng Xi believed that Yang Kai had died.
It became a fact after he had not encountered Yang Kai over these years nor heard any news of him.
The terror that was Yang Kai had all but disappeared from Feng Xi’s memories.
But now, this nightmare had appeared in front of him like a ghost. Furthermore, he was perfectly alive and well.
But how was that possible? How could a Dao Source Realm cultivator not die even after taking a hit from an Emperor Authority Bead head-on? Feng Xi’s mind was in turmoil and he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you a man or a ghost?”
Yang Kai pursed his lips and grinned widely, “Young Sect Master is still as besotted as ever after these two years. How can you ask such a direct question when I have just arrived? How would you like me to answer?”
Feng Xi became gloomy and confused. His Divine Sense kept scanning Yang Kai’s figure over and over. All the humiliation he had suffered in the past suddenly flashed across his mind, making Feng Xi’s aura suddenly unsteady and volatile.
More than two years ago, he wasn’t Yang Kai’s opponent, which forced him to use the Emperor Authority Bead, but today, the situation was completely different.
[I have become an Emperor, but this bastard is still a Dao Source Realm trash. There is a huge gap in our strength!]
Considering this, Feng Xi regained his calm and he coldly smiled at Yang Kai and replied, “Whether you are a man or a ghost, since you have met this Young Master today, your end will be miserable! Today, you will die!”
“Aiya, Young Sect Master is so scary!” Yang Kai teasingly looked at him and asked, “But I am curious about one thing. How did Young Sect Master manage to break through to the Emperor Realm?”
Feng Xi replied with a proud smile, “This Young Master is a genius. Ordinary men like you can only look up to me!”
Yang Kai countered, “Yes yes, but according to your Seeking Passion Sect’s Secret Art’s peculiarities, shouldn’t the existence of this Yang be a heart demon for you? If the heart demon isn’t removed, how can your Emperor Realm cultivation be stable? Or could it be…” Yang Kai pursed his lips and stated, revealing an evil grin, “Young Sect Master thought that this Yang was dead, allowing you to break through to the Emperor Realm in peace? If that was what you believed, it seems you might now have a slight problem!”
As soon as he said this, Feng Xi’s face drastically changed and under Yang Kai’s teasing gaze, his body slightly stumbled as he retreated two steps, as if he was struck by a giant hammer.
A soft cracking sound suddenly echoed, one that came from the depths of Feng Xi’s Soul. Feng Xi’s face abruptly turned pale as he felt something begin to break inside his body.
It was his Dao Heart! Unexpectedly, his Dao Heart had cracked! And the cause of this was just a single sentence from Yang Kai, that’s all.
As early as in Ice Moon City, Yang Kai’s existence had become a kind of heart demon for Feng Xi, one that if not removed should have made it all but impossible for his cultivation to advance.
Feng Xi had believed that he had already killed Yang Kai, so his heart demon had naturally been dispersed and he was able to break through to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea. But the facts proved that Yang Kai, his heart demon, didn’t die, rather he had appeared in front of him again.
Yang Kai’s words had directly stimulated this heart demon, which Feng Xi believed had been cut off, affecting his Dao Heart and causing it to crack.
Blood immediately drained from Feng Xi’s face as he grit his teeth and angrily shouted, “Die, die, die! I want you dead!”
He seemed to have gone mad as a berserk aura radiated from him. Raising his hands, he fired off blasts of Emperor Qi randomly. Just the resulting shockwave from these attacks sent the two Seeking Passion Sect disciples standing next to him flying. It took these two some time to stabilize their figures before turning to Feng Xi in amazement.
The two had never seen Feng Xi in such a wild state. They knew that Feng Xi’s heart demon was surging at this moment, and he was showing signs of cultivation dissonance. This sudden calamity frightened them to no end and they hurriedly called out to him, wanting to pull Feng Xi back from the edge.
Watching all this, Yang Kai just laughed loudly, easily avoiding Feng Xi’s fierce, but haphazard attacks. He then contemptuously looked at Feng Xi and beckoned to him, continuing with his provocations, “Young Sect Master, if you want to kill me, come and catch me, or I’ll escape!”
Saying so, he turned around and rushed straight towards the depths of the void.
Feng Xi’s eyes turned red as he repeatedly roared in anger before chasing after Yang Kai.
The yellow-face young man and the scholar glanced at each other before anxiously chasing after Feng Xi. Both of them cursed Yang Kai as despicable and shameless; after all, he had deliberately targeted the weaknesses in their Young Sect Master’s mind, causing him to lose control. If Feng Xi wasn’t able to regain his composure, he might really fall into cultivation dissonance.
Feng Xi had only just broken through to the Emperor Realm, and his cultivation was still unstable, so now that his heart demon had been stirred up by Yang Kai, the situation was critical.
But at this moment, the two of them couldn’t do anything. They couldn’t help Feng Xi at all and could only pray that Feng Xi could rid himself of his anger on his own.
After the four flew off, they soon left the nearby space of that shattered Star where Zi Yu and the others were.
The reason Yang Kai had acted this way was that he was afraid that the fallout of a battle would interfere with Zi Yu’s breakthrough. What he hadn’t expected was for Feng Xi to be so easily provoked.
It seemed that this guy had not tempered his mental fortitude enough, or he simply hated him too much.
An hour later, when Yang figured he was far enough from Zi Yu and the others, he came to a stop and turned to stare coldly at the three Seeking Passion Sect disciples who were hot on his tail.
But the next thing that entered his eyes surprised him slightly.
Because during this hour-long chase, Feng Xi had actually managed to calm his raging emotions, returning from his berserk state.
At this moment, Feng Xi had some clarity despite his rage.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but be a little surprised by this. It seemed this Young Sect Master had some skill after all. It turns out he was not just a fool and his breakthrough to the Emperor Realm was not just a fluke.
Feng Xi stood a thousand metres away from Yang Kai. The yellow-faced youth and the scholar soon arrived and lined up beside him. Seeing Feng Xi’s improved state, both of them secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The scholar whispered, “Young Sect Master, no matter what he says later, you must not allow him to rattle you again.”
“This Young Master knows that already!” Feng Xi impatiently lashed out before he turned a cold glare at Yang Kai and asked, “Was your objective to lead this Young Master away so Zi Yu could break through in peace?”
Yang Kai raised his brow, praising, “Young Sect Master seems to have some intelligence, you are correct.”
Feng Xi rebuked with a cold snort, “It was blatantly obvious! But your efforts are meaningless!”
Yang Kai curiously asked, “How can it be meaningless? Perhaps Zi Yu has already broken through to the Emperor Realm!?”
Feng Xi just sneered, “Do you think breaking through to the Emperor Realm is mere children’s play? It will certainly take her some time to break through, but it will only take a wave of this Young Master’s hand to kill you. It won’t be too late to go look for her after this Young Master kills you.”
Yang Kai said with a stoic face, “Young Sect Master, you are making me sad by saying this!” Then he pursed his lips as he sarcastically added, “Your Emperor Authority Bead couldn’t kill me last time, so what makes you think you can?”
Feng Xi turned furious after hearing this and was going to snap back, but he suddenly took a deep breath and calmed his raging anger before flatly declaring, “Last time, the only reason you managed to keep your dog life was that this Young Master was too negligent, but now are different…” His face turned grim as he coldly emphasized, “This Young Master will personally tear you to pieces this time!”
Yang Kai coldly retorted, “Young Sect Master, don’t be a braggart. Be careful lest you can’t follow through on your promise!”
“Haha!” Feng Xi grinned and stated, “In fact, this Young Master should thank you. If you hadn’t appeared before this Young Master now, I’m afraid I would have always thought you had died long ago. If so, I would have kept cultivating this way until one day I learned the news that you were still alive. When that happened, perhaps this Young Master would have directly fallen into cultivation dissonance and burned himself to death. But now, this Young Master only needs to kill you to supplement my Dao Heart and perfect my cultivation, perhaps even strengthening it!”
At this point, his eyes shone brightly like stars.
Yang Kai turned solemn as he stated, “I didn’t expect to be so useful to Young Sect Master. How will Young Sect Master thank me?”
Feng Xi proudly replied, “Make your move, otherwise don’t blame this Young Master for not giving you a chance!”
Yang Kai broke into laughter, “Since Young Sect Master is being so sincere, then this Yang will not be polite!”
Next, Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned the Myriads Sword into it. Pushing his Source Qi madly, he lifted the broadsword and slashed it out fiercely.
An enormous horizontal Sword Wave suddenly appeared, seemingly splitting space apart as it flew forward.
The Sword Wave sent out by Yang Kai was extraordinarily strong; far in excess of what a Dao Source Realm cultivator should be capable of displaying.
The yellow-face youth and the scholar standing beside Feng Xi were astonished and they couldn’t help going limp as they faced this unstoppable Sword Wave.
“As expected, you indeed have some skills!” Feng Xi, on the other hand, wasn’t afraid. Rather he mocked, “But how can the glow of a firefly outside the moon!”
As he spoke, he summoned a sword into his hand and with a flick of his wrist, thrust it out, causing the enormous Sword Wave before him to shatter and fall apart in the blink of an eye.
The yellow-faced youth and scholar were overjoyed at the sight of this and immediately cheered.
“Scram aside!” After Feng Xi had dealt with Yang Kai’s attack with one move, his spirits had lifted and he shouted at the nuisance duo, who he only perceived as a burden now.
The two didn’t dare to be disobedient and quickly fled away to spectate from the distance.
“Yang Kai, you really aren’t an ordinary Dao Source Realm! If we were still back in the Ice Moon City arena, this Young Master would definitely not be your opponent, but in this world, one great force can surpass ten Masters. This Young Master’s cultivation is a realm higher than yours, so how can you be my opponent!?” He kept talking, but he didn’t stop attacking, swinging his sword while releasing a dense net of Sword Qi that enveloped Yang Kai.
Not only that, whenever Feng Xi swung his sword, an indescribable aura filled the surroundings.
Yang Kai was affected by this aura which made him feel extremely restless. This aura seemed capable of dampening his fighting spirit by distracting his focus, forcing him to recall various memories of Su Yang, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, and Xue Yu.
Yang Kai was surprised, realizing that this was some kind of strange Divine Ability of the Seeking Passion Supreme Art, one that could directly affect his emotions and desires; it really couldn’t be underestimated.
Biting the tip of his tongue, Yang Kai dispelled all the discomfort in his mind and immediately after, the Myriads Sword moved back and forth as Sword Waves shot out one after another, meeting Feng Xi’s attack head-on.
Feng Xi’s eyes flickered with a strange glow as he quickly formed a seal with his free hand before running his finger along his sword. “You are an ant, what’s the point in struggling? Why don’t you just die for me!?”
*Hong…*
A Heaven-shaking Sword Qi shot straight toward Yang Kai in the next moment as fast as a bolt of lightning.
Yang Kai’s face drastically changed as he found that he could not avoid this blow. With no other choice, he used his Nihility Secret Technique to push his form into the Void.
His figure suddenly faded as the Sword Qi pierce straight through him and shot off towards the empty void.
After a short while, Yang Kai’s body phased back from the Void; however, his face was pale and he couldn’t help but cough up blood.
Although he had used Nihility to deal with Feng Xi’s attack, he was still hit by the shockwave.
Feng Xi, on the other hand, didn’t let up; taking advantage of Yang Kai’s momentary weakness, he flew up, Sword Qi surrounding his body as his figure shot straight towards Yang Kai with an unparalleled momentum, leaving a long luminous trail behind him.
Immediately, Emperor Pressure spread into the surrounding area, pressing down on Yang Kai, causing him to retreat again and again. A look of panic appeared on Yang Kai’s face.
“So boring! This Young Master hasn’t even warmed up yet, but you already can’t take it anymore! In the next life, remember to give this Young Master the respect he deserves!”
While speaking, the rainbow-like Sword Qi cut straight towards Yang Kai.
But right at that moment, an inexplicable foreboding feeling gripped his heart, making Feng Xi’s face, which had been filled with confidence, turn dark and uncertain.
When Yang Kai looked up again, there was no panic on his face, rather a smile of mockery had appeared.
[What happened!? This bastard is just a Dao Source Realm trash, so why is he showing such a strange smile when he is about to die? Could it be that he still has some ace up his sleeve?]
As such thoughts flashed across his mind, Feng Xi grit his teeth and followed his instincts, kicking the void as he retreated.
And as soon as he retreated, an enormous Moon Blade cut through the location where Feng Xi’s feet were last standing. More importantly, the resulting Void Crack was emitting an extremely dangerous aura.
“Si…” Feng Xi gasped as he stared at the Moon Blade with widened eyes; a look of disbelief covering his face.
This attack was well concealed and struck silently. More importantly, it was extremely lethal. Feng Xi believed that if he hadn’t dodged right then, this attack alone would have caused serious injuries.
[What kind of power is this?] Feng Xi’s face sank all of a sudden. He believed that while Yang Kai’s strength was outstanding for his realm, it was only that, but after this brief exchange, he realized that he hadn’t yet seen the depths of Yang Kai’s abilities.
“Oh? Young Sect Master reacted quite well,” Yang Kai also looked at Feng Xi with surprise.
Had it been two years ago, Feng Xi would have definitely fallen dead from an attack like this, but now that he was an Emperor, it seemed his senses were far sharper. Moreover, Yang Kai felt that Feng Xi’s Emperor Realm strength was a little stronger than Qiu Ze’s, who he had killed back in the past.
This was to be expected, though, from the disciple of a top Sect. Feng Xi’s foundation was far better than that of a mere Qiu Ze.
Although Qiu Ze was the Palace Master of Sky Illumination Palace, Sky Illumination Palace was just a second-class Sect in the Southern Territory. How could it be compared with a behemoth like the Seeking Passion Sect that had been founded long ago by the Seeking Passion Great Emperor?
“You hid your strength?” Feng Xi ground his teeth, staring at Yang Kai unhappily, writhing in humiliation.
Thinking that he was an Emperor already, Feng Xi believed that he could finish Yang Kai off with ease, but instead, he was almost successfully sneak attacked by Yang Kai. How could Feng Xi not be irritated? Especially when his two Junior Brothers were watching from the sidelines; leaving no way out of this embarrassing situation for him.
Yang Kai grinned and stated, “Young Sect Master’s words are really interesting. You have made progress in this Shattered Star Sea, so why would you believe others would remain the same?”
Feng Xi had broken through to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, gaining a leap in strength, but Yang Kai hadn’t been idle either. His strength had also greatly improved over the past year and a half while he was subduing the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Both his Source Qi and Spiritual Energy were now far more refined.
“No wonder Lord Father said to never underestimate any opponent, regardless of their cultivation. Today, this Young Master has experienced this first hand. Yang Kai, you have taught this Young Master a valuable lesson,” Feng Xi coldly snorted. “I wanted to quickly take your life, but since you are stubbornly resisting, don’t blame this Young Master for torturing you to death instead.”
Yang Kai retorted with a snort, “Does Young Sect Master still think that he can defeat me?”
“Could it be that you think that I can’t kill you?” Feng Xi’s eyes widened as if he had heard a big joke.
“You can give it a try!” Yang Kai calmly looked at him.
“As you wish!” Feng Xi shouted. Next, he withdrew the long sword in his hand and took out a different one.
This sword was light blue and exuded an extremely cold aura. As soon as it appeared, the surrounding space seemed to have frozen as wisps of white mist rose from the sword.
“Emperor Artifact!” Yang Kai raised his brow as he gazed at the icy blue sword, pursing his lips as he stated, “I suppose this is to be expected! Young Sect Master’s identity is noble, so it makes sense for you to possess an Emperor Artifact!”
Yang Kai hadn’t seen Feng Xi use an Emperor Artifact before, a fact he found a little strange. Only now did he realize that Feng Xi did have an Emperor Artifact, he just hadn’t used it.
Now that he took out the Emperor Artifact, Feng Xi seemed to have resolved himself to go all out.
“Satisfied now? I will make you pay the price for this!” Feng Xi contemptuously glanced at Yang Kai and in the next moment, his long sword shook as a biting-cold wave spread outwards, “Heavenly Snow Seeking Passion Sword!”
Suddenly, dazzling sword flowers bloomed before turning into murderous intent visible to the naked eye and shooting towards Yang Kai in waves.
Yang Kai’s entire body turned cold as he couldn’t help but shudder. He promptly motivated the surrounding Space Principles as he stretched out his hand and clasped it hard, shouting, “Solidify!”
*Weng…*
A reverberating thrum suddenly rang out as the place where Feng Xi stood and the surrounding thousand-metre radius space suddenly solidified and became extremely viscous.
The supreme Sword Technique he had displayed was also frozen in place at this moment.
Feng Xi’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“This, this, this…”
“What happened!?”
The yellow-faced youth and the scholarly man, who were watching nearby, were also taken aback. They couldn’t understand what was going on. All they saw was Yang Kai stretch his hand out, and their Young Sect Master’s Sword Wave was directly suppressed.
“Break!” Yang Kai shouted again.
*Hualala…*
With a crisp sound, those blossomed sword flowers that Feng Xi had congealed, exhausting himself, shattered like glass while the ice-cold aura surrounding them immediately disappeared.
Not only that, with Feng Xi as the centre, Void Cracks as tiny as an ox’s hairs opened and began densely swarming around him.
In an instant, the space became extremely unstable, as if it was on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
Yang Kai raised his hands and condensed two enormous Moon Blades, gripping them as if they were tangible objects. Then, with a smile, he turned to Feng Xi and said, “Young Sect Master, your cultivation is still lacking!”
“The Dao of Space!” Even if Feng Xi wasn’t the most learned individual, he could still tell what this ability of Yang Kai’s was, and that caused him to become flustered and blurt out in shock.
He looked at the countless Void Cracks around him, and then at the two giant Moon Blades in Yang Kai’s hands; his face turning pale.
Yang Kai’s face turned colder as he stated, “This Young Master has killed more than one Emperor Realm Master. If Young Sect Master believed that he could trample me just because he had advanced to the Emperor Realm, he made a grave miscalculation. Since you have made such a mistake, you need to be disciplined. Young Sect Master, this Young Master will discipline you on behalf of your father, do you have any problem with that?”
Feng Xi coughed up blood in anger as his face burned with fury. He wanted nothing more than to curse Yang Kai’s shamelessness, but he had no idea where to start.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had already swung his hands, sending out the two enormous Moon Blades.
Feng Xi was taken aback as he stared at the Moon Blades coming closer and closer. How was this ‘disciplining’? Yang Kai was clearly planning on reaping his life!
In horror, Feng Xi’s face suddenly became solemn and he lifted his Emperor Artifact sword up high as he released an intense Sword Intent.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up seeing this. He might not have any idea what Feng Xi was planning on doing, but it seemed that he wasn’t planning to sit idly by and wait for his death.
That wasn’t strange though. Feng Xi had finally broken through to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, and the days ahead of him were bright, so how could he be willing to die here?
A solemn aura suddenly spread from Feng Xi as he slowly swung his sword down. His entire essence seemed to have undergone a great change at this moment, like he had turned into a different person, his eyes clear but also cold and emotionless.
“There is no love without hatred as there is no Dao without the Heavenly Way!” A reverberating shout resounded.
Suddenly, the sword dazzlingly gleamed as Sword Qi flew out from the sword, creating a marvellous aura.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes in shock as he hadn’t expected Feng Xi to unleash such an attack. This move was just like one only a true Master could display as it conformed to the movements of the Heavenly Way!
If Feng Xi lived past today, he would certainly make a name for himself.
Yang Kai’s face slightly darkened as he clenched his fists and fiercely punched out.
“Exile!”
Suddenly, a pitch-black hole formed before Feng Xi and an awe-inspiring chaotic vacuum radiated from it.
The Sword Technique Feng Xi had just used was disturbed as minute flaws appeared one after another.
Right then, the two Moon Blades arrived while at the same time, the tiny Void Cracks shot towards Feng Xi under Yang Kai’s control.
“Ahhh!” A miserable scream resounded as the aura that was as stable as a mountain became chaotic. All of a sudden, Feng Xi’s figure was surrounded by swirling Void Cracks and streaks of blood spurted out from his body, turning the entire scene into a horrifying sight.
“Young Sect Master!”
The yellow-faced youth and the scholar were panic-stricken and couldn’t help but shout.
They believed that Feng Xi could deal with Yang Kai as easily as snapping his figures, so they never expected that a mere Dao Source Realm cultivator could completely suppress their Young Sect Master. [How is this possible!? How could this happen?]
If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would have never believed it.
But they didn’t dare to rush to Feng Xi’s rescue. So, even though they shouted out loud, they just stood still, their eyes moving about erratically; seemingly preparing to escape at a moment’s notice.
If their Young Sect Master died here, they would certainly not be able to escape Yang Kai’s sinister hands.
Yang Kai didn’t stop after just this though. Rather, he swung the Myriads Sword and released a Sword Wave that could cover the Heavens and Earth towards Feng Xi.
*Chi Chi Chi…*
Slicing sounds rang out, and only after the Sword Wave had disappeared completely did the surrounding space finally regain its peace.
Yang Kai took a slight breath of relief while before him, a bloody and mutilated Feng Xi stood floating in the void, looking extremely miserable, his life or death uncertain.
*Gudong…*
The yellow-faced man and the scholar nervously gulped as their faces turned extremely pale, staring at the floating Feng Xi in a daze. They promptly scanned him with their Divine Senses and discovered that Feng Xi was actually gasping for breath. Obviously, he had suffered critical injuries.
Run! They had to run now or it would be too late!
Just when the yellow-faced youth and the middle-aged scholar thought this, Yang Kai turned his head and coldly glared at them.
Both of them suddenly gasped. Under Yang Kai’s cold and frigid gaze, their limbs went limp and they couldn’t summon the slightest bit of their strength.
“Are you going to kill yourselves or do I need to come over and do it myself?” Yang Kai stood holding his sword in a nonchalant and relaxed manner. His clothes were neat and tidy still, as if the previous battle hadn’t cost him anything.
This gave the impression that Feng Xi was the Dao Source Realm, whereas he was in the high and mighty Emperor Realm. This contrasting scene was completely out of their imagination and they couldn’t accept it.
Monster! The yellow-faced youth and the middle-aged scholar grit their teeth hard as they continued to rattle, unable to speak a word in horror.
“I guess you are choosing the latter,” Yang Kai coldly snorted as he moved towards the pair.
The yellow-faced youth and the middle-aged scholar suddenly stopped breathing. They wanted to escape but their bodies weren’t listening to them. A sense of despair instantly drowned them.
However, the next moment, Yang Kai frowned as he looked towards a certain direction.
The next thing that entered his sight caused his eyes to bulge in shock.
Because Feng Xi, who was supposed to be floating there limply, waiting for his death, slowly stood up at this moment. However, his state seemed extremely strange, as if he did not have his own consciousness, his eyes shut tight and his movements stiff, like a puppet.
Also, the Emperor Qi in his body was circulating madly while an aura that left Yang Kai shivering seemed to slowly be awakening from Feng Xi.
Very soon, Feng Xi stood up straight again and his eyes flashed open.
Those eyes were filled with frigid-cold chill, but also shone brightly like stars.
Yang Kai was taken aback!
The moment Feng Xi opened his eyes, that strange aura coming from his body soared and a powerful Emperor Pressure suddenly broke out from him, causing Yang Kai’s breath to stagnate for a moment and his blood to stop flowing smoothly.
“What happened?” Yang Kai frowned as he muttered. At this moment, Feng Xi gave him an extremely dangerous feeling, and when they met eyes, Yang Kai actually had the illusion of being stared at by an ominous beast. It was very uncomfortable.
Feng Xi had undergone an earth-shaking change. His previous Young Sect Master’s bearing was nowhere to be found, rather a graceful and noble temperament had replaced it. Also, his eyes were filled with disdain for everyone, as if he was the ruler of the world.
Yang Kai’s heart pounded crazily as he found this feeling a little familiar. He had felt something similar from Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters like Yao Chang Jun, Chi Ri, and Bing Yun.
However, Feng Xi had just advanced to the Emperor Realm, so how could he stand shoulder to shoulder with such peak level Masters?
[Is this one of Seeking Passion Sect’s Forbidden Techniques?] Yang Kai was filled with doubt as he fiercely swung his hands, releasing two Moon Blades that formed a cross-shaped cut that flew towards Feng Xi. This cross reached Feng Xi in the blink of an eye, leaving no time for him to dodge.
Looking at the cross-shaped Moon Blade, Feng Xi’s eyes glimmered with surprise, as if he was seeing Yang Kai using his Space Divine Ability for the first time, but the calm and composed look on his face never changed, nor did he show any intention of dodging. Rather he just slowly pointed his finger.
This finger poke struck right at the centre of the cross, without the slightest bit of deviation.
Immediately, the two Moon Blades collapsed under the might of this finger while Feng Xi hadn’t suffered the slightest bit of damage.
“What!?” Yang Kai was shocked. He was naturally clearer than anyone else about the weakness of the Secret Technique he had just displayed. Although this was the first time he had used this cross-shaped Moon Blade, he had simulated it countless times in his mind, so the effect it displayed should have been extraordinary nonetheless.
As for the weakness of this Secret Technique, it was exactly where Feng Xi had poked.
How did he see through it though? Yang Kai’s face was filled with uncertainty.
If Feng Xi had such insight and ability, why had he been beaten so badly just now? Some earth-shattering change must have happened to him in that short period when he was unconscious and woke up.
“Who is Your Excellency?” Yang Kai suddenly recalled a certain Secret Technique and his heart skipped a beat as he asked with a shout.
‘Feng Xi’ coldly gazed at Yang Kai and replied lightly, “Junior, you are really something. This Old Master thought that you were simply extraordinary, but now it seems that this Old Master’s vision still fell somewhat short.”
“Sii…” Yang Kai gasped in horror as he involuntarily retreated a few steps.
Feng Xi’s sudden way of taking pride in his seniority confirmed Yang Kai’s guess even more so.
He nervously gulped before muttering, “Soul Descent! You’re Feng Xuan!”
Yang Kai had long heard some top Masters would leave a wisp of their Spiritual Energy on their heirs or Disciples in order to protect them should they encounter life-threatening danger. Normally this technique wouldn’t be triggered, but in the moment of a life or death crisis, this wisp of Spiritual Energy could be used to create a Soul connection and possession, allowing the Master to confront the danger in their descendant’s stead.
However, the price for using this Secret Technique was very high. Once it was used, the damage to their heir or Disciple wouldn’t be small, so few Masters were willing to do this. Even for those who did use this technique, it was a measure of absolute last resort only.
But now, this technique had appeared in Feng Xi, which meant that Feng Xi was at the edge of death.
“Little brat, you’re pretty knowledgeable. It is this King indeed!” Feng Xi shouted.
“What!?”
“Sect Master!?”
The yellow-faced man and the middle-aged scholar were also taken aback, but soon, the two became ecstatic and immediately rushed to Feng Xi’s side and knelt down, tremblingly greeting, “Disciple greets Sect Master!”
Feng Xuan indifferently glanced at the two before reprimanding them with a cold snort, “Two wastes who can’t even protect their Young Sect Master, forcing this King to appear in person. What use are you!”
The expressions of the two drastically changed, but they didn’t dare to give any excuses.
In their minds, however, they were thinking, [Young Sect Master is already an Emperor Realm Master, far stronger than us, yet he was still so severely injured and fell unconscious after just two to three moves from this Yang Kai, what were we supposed to have done? Wouldn’t we have been killed with just one finger flick?]
Although they were cursing to themselves, the two of them didn’t dare to really say what they were thinking, simply lowering their heads as cold sweat dripped down their faces.
Feng Xi ordered with a snort, “Take your Young Sect Master to a safe place to heal once this is over. If you can’t even bring your Young Sect Master back to the Sect safe and sound, don’t bother returning at all.”
Since the two could enter the Shattered Star Sea, they were undoubtedly elite disciples of the Seeking Passion Sect, but in Feng Xuan’s eyes, they weren’t worth even a single strand of his son’s hair.
And judging by Feng Xuan’s tone, it was obvious that Yang Kai would very soon be dealt with.
The two disciples quickly nodded, as if they were given amnesty, “Yes, Sect Master!”
Feng Xi turned his head to look at Yang Kai again, letting out a cold snort and asking, “Junior, are Xi’er injuries your handiwork?”
Yang Kai replied with a dull face, “If I said no, would you believe me?”
Feng Xi countered, “What do you think?”
Yang Kai angrily rebuked, “Then why bother asking?”
Feng Xi’s face sank as he stated, “Junior, you’re quite bold to even dare to yell at this King! I wanted to give you a quick and painless death, but since you are so arrogant, don’t blame this King for being impolite!”
Yang Kai flashed a mocking smile as he quipped, “Feng Xi also said this before, but he was beaten black and blue by this Young Master. Sect Master Feng, be careful, or you might follow your son’s footsteps!”
Feng Xi frowned, “You dare to look down on this King?”
Yang Kai lazily stated, “If Sect Master Feng was here in person, Junior would naturally not be your opponent and would immediately flee as far as possible, but… Sect Master Feng, you have borrowed your son’s body to manifest your Soul, so just how much of your strength can you display?”
“Enough to take your life!”
Yang Kai broke into laughter, “How willful! Sect Master Feng, be careful not to lose all your face today!”
“Silence!” Feng Xi angrily shouted, “This King will take your dog life, Seeking Passion Finger!”
While shouting, he pointed towards Yang Kai’s location.
An unimaginable force suddenly shot out. This force was completely traceless and invisible, but it still seemed capable of tearing space apart wherever it passed, a terrifying display of power.
This finger thrust wasn’t as powerful as the Emperor Authority Bead that Feng Xi had used before, but it wasn’t significantly weaker either.
The reason why it wasn’t comparable wasn’t because Feng Xuan’s strength had declined over the years. When he had refined that Emperor Authority Bead, Feng Xuan had just broken through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm. After so many years, his cultivation had definitely made great progress.
If he really performed this Secret Technique in person, its might would be far greater.
But at this moment, he had used a Soul Descent, so the strength he could exert depended entirely on what Feng Xi’s body could withstand.
Therefore, the might of this Seeking Passion Finger had greatly reduced.
Nevertheless, it was still not something Yang Kai wanted to take head-on.
He hurriedly tried to teleport, but the might of this finger had actually disrupted the local space, causing Yang Kai to stagger and get hit.
Yang Kai felt like he had been struck by a mountain and he groaned as he spurted a mouthful of blood and flew out. All of his bones creaked while many of them broke. His body was torn and battered, bleeding all over.
Yang Kai was injured with just one move, proving just how amazing Feng Xuan’s strength was.
Before he could regain his footing, Feng Xuan swung the sword in his hand, shouting, “Seeking Passion Sword!”
The fan-shaped peerless Sword Wave crossed a distance of over a thousand meters in the blink of an eye, reaching Yang Kai.
Yang Kai couldn’t dodge again.
The yellow-faced young man and the middle-aged scholar couldn’t help but rejoice at the sight of this. They were excited about their Sect Master’s strength. No matter how strong Yang Kai was, he was still completely vulnerable before their Sect Master’s Soul Descent.
After the last attack, Feng Xi’s body’s aura declined greatly. It seemed Feng Xuan had paid a great price to unleash these two moves and was now slightly panting for breath.
But this was sufficient. Feng Xuan was confident that Yang Kai couldn’t handle these moves with only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm’s strength and would soon be split asunder.
Feng Xuan put away his sword and stood straight, coldly looking ahead, waiting for the moment when Yang Kai died.
But right then, Feng Xuan’s heart clenched as a sense of anxiety assailed his heart and Soul. It was an intuitive response, one that only became more accurate as one’s cultivation increased.
He looked at Yang Kai with widened eyes, and noticed a solemn look on the other party’s face while he quickly formed some strange hand seals. An inexplicable aura began to spread from Yang Kai, it was so profound and mysterious that it even shocked Feng Xuan. He couldn’t help but want to immerse himself in this domain and try to comprehend it.
[What Secret Technique is this?] Feng Xuan was anxious and doubtful. Although he instinctively felt that something was wrong, he still couldn’t restrain his curiosity and he stared forward with widened eyes, trying to understand what was happening.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had already finished forming his seals and a mysterious seal floated before him which then flew out with a push of his palms.
“Times Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!” Yang Kai’s reverberating voice resounded in Feng Xuan ear like the calling of death from the deepest depths of Hell.
Feng Xi’s face drastically changed as he shouted in shock, “Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Divine Ability, Time Flies Seal!”
Unlike an ordinary cultivator, Feng Xuan was a Third-Order Emperor, the Sect Master of the Seeking Passion Sect, and a descendant of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor.
As such, his knowledge and experience were extremely rich. As soon as Yang Kai made this move, Feng Xuan recognized it as the famed Divine Ability of Flowing Time Great Emperor. Feng Xuan’s heart beat wildly as his face was covered in shock, his eyes filled with incomparable excitement.
The Flowing Time Great Emperor was the only Master in the Star Boundary’s history to have comprehended the Dao of Time. In hundreds of thousands or even millions of years of history of the Star Boundary, there had been no other.
Throughout the ages, countless Masters had tried to comprehend the Dao of Time, but none even entered the threshold. This alone was proof of the profoundness of this Dao. Feng Xuan believed that with the fall of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, no one in this world would ever comprehend the Dao of Time again.
But now, he actually saw the unique Divine Ability of the Flowing Time Great Emperor on Yang Kai.
Did that mean Yang Kai obtained the inheritance of the Flowing Time Great Emperor? If that wasn’t the case, how could he use the Time Flies Seal!?
For a moment, Feng Xuan was filled with envy and jealousy, but also some slight astonishment. His mood was extremely complicated.
As soon as the Time Flies Seal appeared, Feng Xuan knew that he had underestimated Yang Kai’s strength as he was affected by the strange Principle Strength. Feng Xuan actually felt everything around him slow down.
He knew that this was just an illusion; a misconception born under the effect of the Dao of Time.
Shocked and horrified, Feng Xuan summoned his sword again and poured Emperor Qi into it. Immediately, Sword Qi emerged from the pale blue long sword and Sword Intent soared. There was a solemn look on Feng Xi’s face as the six desires in his eyes vanished and the seven emotions receded.
“Seeking Love Without Indulging in it, just like Seeking Heavenly Way Without Dao! Daoless Emotionless Cut!”
The same Secret Technique, cast by the same body, but with profound differences between them. When Feng Xi displayed this Secret Technique, it was easily broken by Yang Kai’s Space Divine Ability, but when it was displayed by Feng Xuan’s Soul Descend, it literally shook the world.
The horizontal Daoless Emotionless Cut flew across and crashed into the Time Flies Seal, seemingly leaping across the barrier of time and space.
Two completely different Principle Strengths clashed with one another, shattering the space around them.
Deafening rumbles resounded as the shockwave from the impact propagated outwards.
Whether it was Feng Xuan or Yang Kai, both were like lone boats sailing in the sea during a storm, their figures rocking left and right as if they would be toppled at any moment.
The nearby yellow-faced youngster and the middle-aged scholar weren’t fairing any better. Under the corrosion of the two Principle Strengths, their eyes had lost their lustre and their minds grew dull. At the same time, their figures quickly withered and even their hair had turned grey. Everything happened in an instant, but for these two it seemed as if thousands of years had passed.
*Hong hong hong!*
Deafening explosions rang out to no end, but soon Yang Kai was sent flying. In this clash, he actually fell into a disadvantage.
It wasn’t that the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Divine Ability was worse than the Seeking Passion Sect’s Secret Technique. Rather, it was Yang Kai who was weaker than Feng Xuan.
Seeing this, Feng Xuan’s eyes narrowed as a ferocious look filled his face. His figure jolted as he prepared to use another lethal technique with the remaining energy in his host body.
Although he wanted to capture Yang Kai alive and extract the inheritance and Secret Techniques of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, Feng Xi’s current condition did not allow him to do so.
After hosting a Soul Descent, the damage Feng Xi would suffer would naturally be enormous. Feng Xuan had also forcibly used the Daoless Emotionless Cut. If Feng Xuan continued to entangle with Yang Kai, Feng Xi’s body would fall apart even if he were to triumph.
Feng Xuan was currently feeling remorseful and angry.
Had he disregarded his face and made a move on Yang Kai that day in Ice Moon City, he might not be facing this kind of trouble today. Perhaps he might even have been able to capture Yang Kai and obtain the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s inheritance.
Feng Xuan would then possess the inheritances of two Great Emperors for himself and his goal of ruling the entire Northern Territory would be just around the corner.
“How can you seek love without emotions? How can you pursue Martial Dao without Dao!?” When Yang Kai was pushed back, he suddenly shouted with a hideous look on his face, “Your Seeking Passion Sect is only deceiving itself, hahaha!” He started laughing crazily.
Feng Xuan angrily rebuked, “What does a short-sighted Junior like you know? Die!”
Just as he said this, he swung the sword straight down at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai furiously roared, “You think you can kill this Young Master? You aren’t worthy! Mountains and Rivers Bell, suppress him!”
With a wave of his hand, a bell-shaped artifact the size of a palm suddenly flew out. It was the Mountains and Rivers Bell that Yang Kai had subdued just recently.
Even the Time Flies Seal couldn’t defeat Feng Xuan, so Yang Kai was now only left with the Mountains and Rivers Bell. If even the Mountains and Rivers Bell couldn’t suppress Feng Xuan, Yang Kai would immediately flee.
He believed that even if did suffer heavy injuries, Feng Xuan would still have a difficult time killing him with his mastery of the Dao of Space.
As soon as the Mountains and Rivers Bell appeared, Yang Kai immediately felt his Source Qi and Spiritual Energy being drained rapidly. In a flash, his reserves were completely empty.
Yang Kai was horrified and his face turned pale as his head felt like it was splitting.
This was the first time he had used the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so he was unaware of the hefty price he had to pay.
In the past, when his cultivation was meagre, he had experienced something similar when he had used the Annihilation Thunder Bead, but compared to what he was feeling at the moment, that experience paled in comparison.
At this moment, Yang Kai clearly felt his death approaching.
[Instead of damaging the enemy, this Ancient Exotic Artifact starts aiming for my life. Who knows what it would finally do?]
He braced his spirit and stared at Feng Xi with bloodshot eyes.
Feng Xi’s face drastically changed as he involuntarily blurted out in alarm, “Mountains and Rivers Bell? The Yuan Divine Great Emperor’s Natal Artifact!?”
He was thoroughly shocked this time. He was already amazed when Yang Kai had used his Space Secret Techniques; after all, not everyone could comprehend and cultivate the Dao of Space. Afterwards, Yang Kai had displayed the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Divine Ability, much to Feng Xuan’s shock. Feng Xuan couldn’t fathom what kind of opportunities Yang Kai had encountered to actually obtain all these treasures that many Masters would trade their lives just to catch a glimpse of.
But at this moment, Yang Kai even summoned the Natal Artifact of the Yuan Divine Great Emperor. Feng Xuan almost bit off his tongue in shock.
[Fake, this must be a fake!]
Feng Xuan screamed in his heart, but his gaze was completely locked onto the tiny bell. The Mountains and Rivers Bell suddenly grew bigger as it rang out. Its knell reached straight into the depths of the Soul, making anyone who listened to it restless. Also, many mysterious patterns and runes began glowing on the surface of the ancient bell while an ancient and desolate aura leaked from it and pervaded the surroundings, giving Feng Xuan a sense of suffocation.
It was really the Mountains and Rivers Bell! This ancient aura could not be imitated!
Feng Xuan’s face instantly turned pale as paper.
Without wasting any more time on thinking, he turned and fled from here.
However, a mystical force suppressed the nearby region, sealing space, so, much to Feng Xuan’s shock and dismay, he was actually unable to move even a bit. Even the Emperor Qi in Feng Xi’s body seemed to be locked inside his meridians, unable to circulate it.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell’s ring could suppress worlds!
When the knells tolled, the suppression began, and no one could escape from it. Even someone proficient in the Dao of Space like Yang Kai would be frozen in place by the Mountains and Rivers Bell, not to mention Feng Xuan.
If this wasn’t the case, this bell would not have been able to suppress the Phoenix True Fire for tens of thousands of years.
As the Mountains and Rivers Bell came down on him, Feng Xuan felt his Soul tremble and he shouted desperately, “Junior, stop! If you dare to kill my son, this King will chase you down to the ends of the world and rip you into ten thousand pieces!”
“Fuck you!” Yang Kai cussed, coughing a mouthful of blood.
*Hong…*
Without any surprise, Feng Xi was directly suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell, completely vanishing from the sigh.
“Ah…”
The yellow-faced youngster and the middle-aged scholar, who were now both old, feeble men, stood trembling in place, their eyes bulging and ready to pop out at any moment in shock.
Yang Kai was just a Dao Source Realm cultivator, but he had actually suppressed their Sect Master’s Soul Descent…
Could a Dao Source Realm really do this? Both of them felt a chill gripping their hearts as they shivered from head to toe.
“Young Sect Master, is he… is he dead?” The yellow-faced old man opened his mouth to speak, but his teeth fell out as he did, making his words muffled.
The same went for the old scholar.
Although the two weren’t hit by the Time Flies Seal directly, they were affected by the Dao of Time and were now far past their prime.
“Cough cough…” Yang Kai kept coughing, looking extremely miserable, but he still managed to slightly flick his finger, shooting a burst of Source Qi into the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
*Hong…*
The bell rang once again, releasing a terrifying shockwave.
“No!” The yellow-faced youngster and the middle-aged scholar screamed. They wanted to escape, but the sound wave directly struck them. Their voices drowned out, and the two vomited blood, mixed with their internal organs, in unison. In the blink of an eye, no one was breathing.
Afterwards, Yang Kai stretched out his hand. The enlarged Mountains and Rivers Bell flew back into it, shrinking back to be palmed sized as it returned.
Over where the Mountains and Rivers Bell was, there was a pool of flesh and blood. Feng Xi’s end had been extremely miserable.
Three different beans of light shot up from the three corpses, and merged to the back of Yang Kai’s hand one after another.
These three Star Seals are all of high grade, one was seven-pointed while the other two were six-pointed. Acquiring these Star Seals had made Yang Kai’s ability to sense other Star Seals improve by leaps and bounds.
But Yang Kai was not in the mood to check on it at all. He didn’t even have the strength to take the three space rings floating about. The exhaustion from using the Mountains and Rivers Bell swept through him in an instant. His body felt heavy, and he gradually lost strength to even move. Eventually, he passed out.
Anyways, if you find issues like this, inform me on Discord and state the chapter.
Northern Territory, Seeking Passion Sect.
As one of the top Sects in Northern Territory, Seeking Passion Sect occupied a vast area of land with countless disciples. They had magnificent and extraordinary palaces everywhere, and the World Energy there was extremely rich.
Suddenly, an earth-shaking roar came out from an inconspicuous building. In an instant, the entire Seeking Passion Sect trembled, and all of the disciples looked towards that building in shock.
Everyone recognized that it was the voice of their Sect Master, but they did not know why their Sect Master was all of a sudden infuriated.
Feng Xuan was already a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master whose mood always remained as tranquil as the water in an ancient well. If it wasn’t something completely beyond his ability to accept, Feng Xuan would never have such an outburst.
But what could irritate a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master to this extent?
A person rushed into the building with a pale face, opened the door and knelt down trembling, “Bad news, Sect Master. This subordinate has just received a message that the Soul Lamp of Young Sect Master… “
Before that person finished speaking, Feng Xuan gave him a slap.
Although that person had a powerful Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, he still could not resist the power of a Master like Feng Xuan, and was swiftly reduced to a bloody splat on a nearby wall.
“Yang Kai!” Feng Xuan bellowed a name in his cultivation room as his face turned pale but looked violent, his eyes burning with anger.
His Soul Descent was cast on Feng Xi, so he could more or less sense the happenings in Shattered Star Sea even though his body was in the Seeking Passion Sect, and he clearly felt Feng Xi die.
It was a shame to the Seeking Passion Sect and to himself that his son, who had finally broken through to the Emperor Realm in Shattered Star Sea, had died despite Feng Xuan using his Soul Descent to protect him. Worse yet, the one who killed Feng Xi was none other than a mere Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior.
If he could enter the Shattered Star Sea now, Feng Xuan would have set off to take revenge on Yang Kai right away.
The murder of one’s son was unforgivable, and Feng Xuan’s heart was filled with rage. He abruptly got up, turned into a stream of light, and rushed out of the Seeking Passion Sect towards a certain direction.
Looking at the direction he was heading, it seemed to be the location of Ice Heart Valley.
He could not go after Yang Kai now, so he could only travel to Ice Heart Valley and look for Bing Yun first. In any case, Yang Kai’s life must end, and finding Bing Yun was the only way to inquire about the details and whereabouts of Yang Kai.
Feng Xi’s death had maddened him and he no longer cared about maintaining the delicate balance between the two Sects. If Bing Yun could not give him a reasonable explanation, Feng Xuan was prepared to drown Ice Heart Valley in blood!
…
In a wave of dizziness, Yang Kai felt that someone was calling him. He struggled for a long time before he finally opened his eyes and regained his consciousness.
“You’re finally awake!” A voice seemed to be calling into his ear.
With a single thought, Yang Kai knew that the voice was not from someone beside him, but rather his Embodiment.
He had a kind of Soul connection with the Embodiment, so the Embodiment could contact him any time even though he was in the Sealed World Bead.
Previously, when Yang Kai had passed out, the Embodiment did not dare to pull him into the Sealed World Bead to heal his injuries as that would expose it to the void.
There were numerous Masters in the Shattered Star Sea right now, and it would be another source of trouble if someone noticed the Sealed World Bead.
Therefore, the Embodiment just left Yang Kai drifting in space while trying to wake him up.
“How long has it been?” Yang Kai started to communicate with the Embodiment, barely straightening his body.
“Not too long, just a few hours.”
“That’s good,” Yang Kai sighed in relief before he examined his current condition. His injuries weren’t too serious but his figure had still been bloodied by Feng Xuan’s attacks.
The biggest problem now was that he was very weak at the moment. He consumed all his power to use the Mountains and Rivers Bell, which caused him to be unable to recover within a mere few hours, and he even had a headache from activating his Divine Sense just now. As such, if he were to encounter any danger at this time, he could only quickly hide inside the Sealed World Bead.
After pondering for a while, Yang Kai summoned his flying boat and allowed it to drift forward as he sat cross-legged on it. He took out some Spirit Pills that were meant for recovery and stuffed them into his mouth before closing his eyes to adjust his breathing.
In the desolate Shattered Star Sea, Yang Kai’s figure was just like a grain of dust, unremarkable, drifting along without any special goal.
Two days later, he exhaled softly and stood up again, with crackling sounds emitting from all over his body.
Although he had not completely recovered yet, his condition was not serious anymore.
Yang Kai lifted his head to look around, but saw nothing, even his seven-pointed Star Seal could not sense the existence of another human being.
It had been two to three years since he entered this Shattered Star Sea, and he felt his harvest had been quite good. That was, until he met Feng Xi and the disciples from Ice Heart Valley; only then did he realize he had fallen behind slightly.
Even Feng Xi had broken through to the Emperor Realm, while Zi Yu was at the critical moment of breaking through. Perhaps she too had made that last step and reached the Emperor Realm by now. But what about Yang Kai? He did not even sense the shackles loosening for the next breakthrough.
The Phoenix True Fire and Mountains and Rivers Bell were indeed not bad prizes, since they both once belonged to Great Emperors; however, the base of a cultivator’s strength had always been their own cultivation, while external aids were just bonuses.
Without great personal strength, no matter how wondrous the treasures one had were, they could not be used to their fullest. Yang Kai believed that if he was in the Emperor Realm, he would not have struggled using Mountains and Rivers Bell just now.
Zi Yu and Feng Xi were already ahead of him, so what about the other rising stars he knew?
Yang Kai suddenly felt an urgent sense of crisis.
Falling behind in terms of cultivation was a true detriment, and even if he continued to find more treasures in the Shattered Star Sea, they would not be helpful to his growth.
While thinking about it, Yang Kai sped up his boat in search of opportunities in this Shattered Star Sea.
For several days in a row, Yang Kai did not even meet a single person, nor did he sense the aura of Source Strength, which made him feel a little strange about this abnormal phenomenon, for he had never experienced such a thing during all this time in the Shattered Star Sea.
Another few days later, Yang Kai still sensed nothing.
He could not help becoming a little suspicious, wondering what happened in Shattered Star Sea.
Only on the tenth day did Yang Kai abruptly feel a trace of heat on the back of his hand.
His mind instantly became alert as he realized that the Star Seal had detected the existence of other cultivators, and the warm feeling on the back of his hand was hastily getting hotter and hotter.
Yang Kai raised his brows and hurriedly rushed in that direction.
As Yang Kai approached, he was surprised by the presence of many cultivators’ auras, not just that but also the extremely rich Source Strength ahead.
All of this resonated with the Star Seal on the back of his hand.
[What’s the situation over there?] Yang Kai was curious, and he accelerated towards his destination.
After half a day, Yang Kai was slightly dumbfounded by the scene captured in his eyes.
In the Starry Sky about ten thousand kilometres in front of him lay a large irregular oval-shaped blue halo, like a vast ocean.
Although the ocean did not seem very big now, Yang Kai knew that this was only because he was too far away from it. If he really stood before this ocean, he would definitely feel its magnificence.
[What the hell is that?] Yang Kai whispered in his heart.
A few hours later, Yang Kai reached the border of this strange place.
After examining the situation, Yang Kai took a deep breath and he muttered with shock, “So much Source Strength?”
He clearly felt the rich Source Strength coming from this faint blue ocean. Those scattered Source Strengths hidden in this faint-blue halo seemed like fishes swimming in the sea.
Upon closer inspection, Yang Kai saw that this place really was like a vast endless ocean with azure sea waves and light surging tides, a peculiar sight to behold.
Through the Star Seal on the back of his hand, Yang Kai unmistakably sensed numerous cultivators scattered inside this huge faint blue light, and he wondered if they were there to absorb and refine the abundant Source Strength.
However… how could there be so much Source Strength here? With so much Source Strength, how much benefit could a person gain if they absorbed and refined it all? Yang Kai dared not to think about it anymore.
Because Yang Kai’s thought was actually impossible, as no cultivator was capable of refining this much Source Strength alone.
No wonder he had not seen anyone or sensed any Source Strength aura all the way here for more than ten days, everyone had already gathered here.
Yang Kai felt excitement bubbling up inside him and even though he wanted to grab the Source Strength in front of him right now, he controlled his impulses and began cautiously examining the situation of the faint blue light.
To his surprise, his Divine Sense was not hindered in any way, nor did he notice the slightest danger, as if the faint blue light was really seawater that happened to contain rich Source Strength.
Yang Kai smiled happily and jumped into the light.
“Hahaha, another idiot!” A ridiculing voice was heard not far away. This person had obviously been observing Yang Kai and laughed at him as soon he rushed into the faint blue light, “Another fool dares to jump into the Source Sea? Doesn’t he know how to write the word ‘death’?”
Just as he finished speaking, a figure abruptly leapt out from the location where Yang Kai had rushed in.
The man who laughed fixed his eyes on the figure and saw that it was Yang Kai.
His eyes widened in astonishment, “How can this be? You’re still alive?”
At this moment, Yang Kai grimaced in pain as his whole body was aching. Sizzling sounds could be heard coming from all over his body and in the blink of an eye, his clothes were melted completely, revealing his robust body.
It was a terrifying scene. His skin seemed to have been scalded by hot water and countless pustules appeared on his figure, staining his body with blood.
However, despite his miserable appearance, Yang Kai was very much alive and was now pushing his Source Qi to expel the corrosive power that invaded his body.
After a long time, Yang Kai breathed out slowly and changed into a clean set of clothing. The corroded wounds on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the scabs quickly fell, revealing brand new skin.
*Gudong!*
The man who had been mocking him just now couldn’t help but gulp in shock.
Yang Kai turned to the man, and with a flicker appeared in front of him.
This person was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, slightly weaker than the average person in this place, neither high nor low in strength. He had a very quaint appearance, his features suggested he was cunning and ruthless. A person unworthy of trust.
He was startled by Yang Kai’s sudden appearance and stumbled back two steps, asking in astonishment, “What… what do you want?”
Yang Kai looked at him in displeasure, and snorted coldly, “Did you just say that this is the Source Sea?”
“Yes, yes! This is the Source Sea!” The man seemed to be tongue-tied as he replied frantically.
“What is the Source Sea? Explain it to me clearly.”
The man looked bitter, “It is what it is, the Source Sea… There is a large amount of Source Strength gathered here. Also, it looks like an ocean, so everyone calls it the Source Sea. There’s nothing special to the name.”
“How did you find this place? Why are there so many people here?” Yang Kai gazed at him coldly.
“I came with a Senior Brother from the same Sect, that Senior Brother was summoned by someone once we arrived… Friend, what do you really want to ask?” The man relaxed after seeing that Yang Kai did not seem to have any malicious intent and questioned him curiously.
“Tell me more about the Source Sea. Tell me everything you know.”
The man immediately asked in doubt, “Friend, have you never heard of the Source Sea?”
Yang Kai slapped him angrily, “Would I still ask you if I already knew about it?”
The man withdrew his head after getting slapped, hiding his annoyance as he replied with some surprise, “How can that be… with your cultivation, how could you possibly never have heard of the Source Sea? This place should be included in the ancient books of every big Sect.”
“This is a well-documented place?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“Yes, the Source Sea is a very famous place in the Shattered Star Sea due to the large amount of Source Strength here for us to absorb and refine. As long as we find this place, we won’t need to search for those Shattered Star Sources. However, the Source Sea does not always appear and its location always changes. On average, it manifests once every three openings of the Shattered Star Sea, but each time it does it becomes a Cultivation Paradise for us cultivators!”
“Is there only Source Strength here? What is the faint blue halo then? Why does it have such a strong corrosive power?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice. He just suffered from the effects of the faint blue halo that looked like seawater because his Divine Sense had not detected the slightest danger from it. However, the moment he jumped inside, the extremely strong corrosive force rapidly melted his clothes and skin. Had Yang Kai had not retreated quickly, he would have suffered more serious injuries.
“No one knows what this faint blue halo is exactly. It has always existed together with the Source Sea and is extremely dangerous. Anyone who dives into it will die for sure…” At this point, he suddenly remembered that Yang Kai was still alive, and immediately smiled in embarrassment, “Friend, you must be quite powerful to be able to escape from there.”
“Many thanks for your praise!” Yang Kai chuckled eerily.
This man had just watched Yang Kai dive into danger from afar without warning him. Although they were not acquainted, it was still a bit much to have just stood by and watched.
Other weaker cultivators would have lost their lives rushing in like how Yang Kai did; however, he could not blame this man, as he had no obligation to help strangers.
The man could not help but smile awkwardly as he sensed that Yang Kai was blaming him.
“Keep going!” Yang Kai snapped.
The man quickly cleared his throat and continued, “There are a lot of benefits that can be obtained from the Source Sea. The people who find this place generally choose to stay here to absorb Source Strength and refine it until the Shattered Star Sea closes. Friend, you have seen it too, this Source Sea is as vast as a real sea, so even if there are many people here, it is impossible to deplete the Source Strength. And… there are rumours that not only scattered Source Strength is present in this Source Sea, some people even claim to have found complete Star Sources, or even Five Element Sources!”
“Complete Sources?” Yang Kai’s expression changed.
He was a Star Master himself, and was well aware of the huge gap between the shattered Source Strength and a complete Star Source. A complete Star Source could greatly help one sense the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao while shattered Source Strength only provided some slight assistance in this regard.
Yang Kai did not expect that there were not only complete Star Sources in this Source Sea, but also Five Elements Sources.
Although the Phoenix True Fire he obtained before was also a Fire Attribute Source, it’s true form was the remnant essence of an Ancient Divine Spirit, not really a Five Elements Source. There was still a difference between the two.
The incompleteness of World Principles inside Yang Kai’s Sealed World Bead was the reason why nobody could break through Great Realms inside it. Source Strength was indispensable to perfect these World Principles.
If Yang Kai could find a complete Star Source here and have the Sealed World Bead absorb it, perhaps the World Principles of the Small Sealed World would become complete, allowing breakthroughs to occur inside without any disturbances.
As such, the information of complete Star Sources in the Source Sea caught his attention.
Soon, his face darkened again, “The Source Sea is so dangerous, so how can we absorb Source Strength and refine it safely? Are you lying to me?”
“I wouldn’t dare to,” the man shouted with a pleading expression on his face, “Friend, you have never entered the Source Sea before, so you wouldn’t know the situation inside. There are many small islands inside the Source Sea for people to refine Source Strength atop without being corroded by the Source Sea’s power.”
“Oh? There is such a thing?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. He had not really gone deep enough into the interior earlier when he tried to rush in the Source Sea, so he had not seen any of these islands.
However, from his manner of speech, this man did not seem to be lying.
“Friend, you will see when you take a look from above. Everything will be fine as long as you don’t rush into the thing that looks like seawater anymore.” The man seemed to be giving him a friendly warning, and then looked at Yang obsequiously “I’ve told you everything I know, you see… “
“Hmph!” Yang Kai continued to question sternly, “Since this Source Sea has so many benefits, why are you still waiting outside? Is there any other danger?”
“I’m waiting for my fellow disciples,” he responded hurriedly, “My Eldest Senior Brother told me to wait here. Why else do you think I would stay here? I also want to go in to absorb and refine that Source Strength.”
He had an aggrieved expression on his face, probably scolding his Eldest Senior Brother in his heart.
Yang Kai nodded, turned around, and flew over to the Source Sea.
The man shouted at his back, “Be careful, there are several Emperor Realm Masters in the Source Sea now, and no one can save you if you provoked them.”
Yang Kai’s heart sank as he heard it, realizing that things were as he had thought. Zi Yu and Feng Xi were not alone; many had already broken through to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea.
This was just the situation in the Source Sea, so what about the other Masters scattered around the Shattered Star Sea?
Perhaps, there are more than a few who have broken through to the Emperor Realm.
The Shattered Star Sea was indeed an incredible Sealed World.
Yang Kai’s expression became dignified as he flew over the Source Sea and looked down, suddenly feeling strangely out of place.
At this moment, he felt like he was soaring over a vast ocean with azure sea waves and surging tides. On the sea, there were indeed islands of various sizes. The small ones could only fit one standing person, while the big ones permitted up to four to five individuals to sit comfortably.
All of these islands were occupied by cultivators sitting cross-legged, absorbing and refining the Source Strength released by the seawater.
The surface of the sea was unpredictable, the tides were sometimes violent, sometimes calm and peaceful.
In such a scenario, cultivators couldn’t refine the Source Strength on the sea peacefully.
It seemed that a shelter was necessary. Yang Kai had suffered from the seawater before, and he knew how lethal it was. He would not be able to refine the Source Strength here at all if he could not settle on an island.
Yang Kai thought of this as his eyes swept over the sea beneath him, looking for a suitable location.
There were a lot of cultivators looking for a place to settle on just like him. They were all flying in the air, but none of them showed hostility towards him. The Source Strength here was incredibly strong and would definitely be greatly beneficial if one could absorb it steadily. There was no point in fighting here unless it was a fight for territory.
And some fights for land were indeed taking place. Yang Kai saw at least a dozen groups of people in battle as he soared through the air. Corpses of cultivators were constantly dropping down into the sea below without a sound, not even creating a single wave when they landed.
After wandering above the Source Sea for an hour, Yang Kai still could not find a place to land as every place seemed to already be occupied.
This made him feel helpless.
He was not the type to seize a spot from others for no reason, so he could only search patiently. Fortunately, the Source Sea was vast, and there were still places he had not explored.
He believed that he should be able to find a good spot.
Looking up ahead, the sky was dark and explosions rang out as a group of people were fighting for territory.
Yang Kai wanted to go around to avoid the battlefield, but at this moment, he suddenly heard a low groan.
“Earth Sword… Falling Thunder!”
The voice rang out, together with a burst of crackling sounds as a blue lightning bolt suddenly pierced the sky and struck towards a certain place.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he quickly looked over in the direction the voice had come from.
Earth Sword Falling Thunder was a Secret Technique that was used by someone Yang Kai knew.
This Secret Technique was one of a set of three, Mortal Sword Swirling Destruction, Earth Sword Falling Thunder and Heaven Sword Shattering Star, each skill stronger than the previous, and the combination of three skills was even more powerful.
The one who cultivated this Secret Technique was Xiao Bai Yi of Azure Sun Temple. Previously, in the Flowing Time Temple of Four Seasons Realm, Yang Kai fought with Xiao Bai Yi and learned first hand of the profoundness of this Secret Technique, so it was still quite fresh in his mind.
At this moment, seeing someone in the Source Sea performing this Secret Technique immediately grabbed Yang Kai’s attention.
When he turned his head to look, he saw a figure in a chaotic battlefield, his white clothes flapping in the wind. If it was not Xiao Bai Yi, who else could it be?
This guy was always wearing white clothes, and he always looked elegant and cold since the day he met Yang Kai; however, he seemed to be in a bad situation right now, his white robes dotted with red blood, looking quite miserable.
Next to him was another figure that Yang Kai was familiar with.
It was Murong Xiao Xiao!
These two elite disciples of Azure Sun Temple were standing back-to-back on top of a small island, each performing Secret Techniques to resist the attacks coming at them from all directions. The small island they were on was not big, just enough for them to settle down.
Both of them were the elites among the elites, and after not seeing them for a few years, both of them had clearly reached the peak of the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, but they were outnumbered now and stuck in a difficult situation. Blood spurted out of Xiao Bai Yi’s body from time to time, while Murong Xiao Xiao’s hair looked messy, her clothes soaked in sweat, attaching tightly to her tender body.
When Yang Kai saw this scene, he realized that those who besieged them had not completely sealed off their path of escape. In other words, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao still had a chance to withdraw.
It was just that the two of them did not have the intention to run away. One looked cold and determined, while the other looked furious and sorrowful. Both of them stood their ground and kept unleashing their strength.
This was a territory war!
Yang Kai noticed it at a glance. The island occupied by Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao was obviously favoured by their attackers. These people probably wanted to overwhelm the Azure Sun Temple pair with numbers and force them to give way, but after initiating the battle, they came to realize that Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were not easy to be dealt with.
The gap that they opened deliberately was intended for Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao to leave. This was the reason why they did not completely surround them while besieging them. They did not want to fight them to death, and hoped that they could force them away.
Unfortunately, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao did not plan to escape, causing the battle to intensify moment by moment.
Yang Kai hurriedly turned around and rushed towards them.
He was still regarded as an in-name disciple of Azure Sun Temple, and Wen Zi Shan and Gao Xue Ting had taken great care of him in the past. Furthermore, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were his friends, so how could he just stand idly by in this situation?
Seemingly oblivious to Yang Kai’s movement, a long-faced old man who was besieging Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao warned, “We will give you one last chance, will you leave or not!?”
Murong Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth and shouted, “Don’t you dream of stealing our location unless you kill us!”
Xiao Bai Yi did not say a word, but the sword on his hand blossomed with many sword flowers, and his murderous intent answered for himself.
“Good, there was a path to the Heavens, but you refused to take it and chose the door to Hell instead. Since that’s the case, don’t blame us for being ruthless!” Saying so, the long-faced old man signalled the rest of his group and put on a ferocious expression. It was obvious that he did not want to delay any longer and intended to end the fight quickly.
The others understood his intentions and their actions changed, becoming more decisive and brutal.
The faces of Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao darkened, feeling heavily pressured.
The long-faced old man seemed to sense Yang Kai at that moment and with a flicker, turned to greet him with cupped fists, “Friend, Western Territory Pointed Star Sect is dealing with some matters here. Please don’t interfere with us and make a detour!”
“Oh? Are you guys from the Pointed Star Sect?” Yang Kai did not stop his pace, but accelerated with a joyful face.
“Indeed, who is Your Excellency?” From Yang Kai’s words, the long-faced old man thought that Yang Kai was also a cultivator from Western Territory and he could not help looking at him suspiciously, wondering which Sect he came from.
Yang Kai replied with a proud face, “I’m from King of Hell’s Palace!”
“King of Hell’s Palace?” The long-faced old man wore a bewildered expression as he could not recall any Sect in the Western Territory named after the King of Hell’s Palace, but soon, he reacted with a darkened expression, “Is Your Excellency teasing this Old Master?”
None of the Sects would use a name like ‘King of Hell’s Palace’ that could easily gain public hatred, so it was obvious that Yang Kai was making things up.
Yang Kai grinned, “Why would I? I really belong to the King of Hell’s Palace…” At this point, his face abruptly turned solemn and continued with a deep voice, “The King of Hell sent me to deliver your life to him!”
The long-faced old man’s face changed drastically and he bellowed, “Little brat, you court death!”
The Source Qi in his body surged as he hastily performed a mysterious hand seal before stretching his claws out to grab Yang Kai, seemingly wanting to show Yang Kai a bit of his superiority.
But what horrified him was that Yang Kai suddenly disappeared before his eyes.
This strange scene surprised the old man because he could not figure out how Yang Kai disappeared at all.
In the next instant, the old man felt a chill shoot up his spine, making him wonder if he had encountered a ghost.
Before he could finish his thoughts though, Yang Kai’s face reappeared in front of his, so close he could feel the other party’s breath.
The long-faced old man gasped and immediately retreated, pushing his Source Qi madly to form a visible shield around his body as protection.
Yang Kai revealed a sly smile on his face and a white lotus bud appeared in his left eye before shooting out in a flash.
Blossoming Lotus!
Yang Kai’s Soul had strengthened greatly over the past year and a half while he was subduing the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Now, he felt more and more proficient in using this Soul Secret Technique, and the power it could display was also far higher than before.
The white lotus bud instantly turned into a magical power that tore through the old man’s protection and rushed into his Knowledge Sea.
Just when the horrified old man was retreating, he suddenly stiffened in his place, with his eyes frozen as a pained look appeared on his face.
There was now only a white lotus bud left in his vision, blooming hastily, its radiance seemingly devouring his entire body and mind.
Yang Kai immediately sent out a punch, and under a blast of the violent power, the long-faced old man exploded into a mist of blood, leaving not even bones as his remains scattered across the Source Sea below.
“Ah!”
A scream was heard as the people who were besieging Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao stared in shock at this scene.
Although the long-faced old man was a bit aged, his strength was definitely not low. He could easily be ranked among the top three Dao Source Realm cultivators in Western Territory’s Pointed Star Sect; however, such a strong Master had actually been helpless before a single punch from this strange young man who had come out of nowhere.
The old man had just ordered his people to decide the battle quickly, but now he himself had been killed in the blink of an eye.
The one who killed him, could it be an Emperor Realm Master?
Even though there were not many Emperor Realm Masters in Shattered Star Sea, there were definitely not a few either.
The bloody death scene of the old man scared the few disciples of Pointed Star Sect to death as they thought an Emperor had appeared. Seeing Yang Kai rushing towards them unceasingly with a cold smile on his face, they dared not remain.
They left Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao and escaped one after another. At this time, they did not even dare to avenge the old man, only caring for their own lives.
“Solidify!” Yang Kai reached out his hand and grasped towards the void, causing a surge of Space Principles that froze the surrounding space.
The few people who were fleeing widened their eyes in panic, realizing that they were now moving as slow as turtles, sweat beading on their foreheads as chills filled their bodies.
Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were overjoyed seeing this situation. They did not know who was helping them as they did not have the time to check the appearance of this stranger, but regardless, at this moment, they could finally let out all the anger that was accumulated due to the actions of the Pointed Star Sect disciples before.
“Mortal Sword, Swirling Destruction!”
“Earth Sword, Falling Thunder!”
“Heaven Sword, Shattering Star!”
The three sword skills of Xiao Bai Yi’s Secret Technique were sent in sequence through his longsword. The ferocious power of the combination of three sword skills caused the world to shake.
Although Murong Xiao Xiao was a woman who always gave Yang Kai the impression that she was gentle and elegant, she revealed her merciless side at this moment, summoning a pair of Heavenly Feather Rings that instantly divided into two, then four, then eight and so on, swiftly enveloping the Pointed Star Sect disciples layer by layer.
Screams were heard one after another as the several Pointed Star Sect disciples, who lost their fighting spirit and intended to run away, could not resist the incoming attacks as their bodies were being restrained by Yang Kai.
The two elite disciples of Azure Sun Temple unleashed their strikes, and these people collapsed like straws.
At that moment, the sky filled with blood and flesh, with severed limbs flying this way and that.
Within not more than ten breaths of time, the few remaining Pointed Star Sect disciples were killed on the spot, and their corpses fell into the Source Sea below.
Star Seals shot out from the backs of these people’s hands one after another towards Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao, who quickly divided them between them.
“Many thanks to this Senior Brother for his assistance… Ah! It’s Senior Brother Yang!” Murong Xiao Xiao immediately recognized Yang Kai and exclaimed with joy when she turned around to thank him.
Previously, she was still wondering who would actually help her and Xiao Bai Yi in this situation, not having expected it to be Yang Kai.
Xiao Bai Yi remained silent, but turned to Yang Kai with a look of saying ‘I knew it was you’, staying aloof as usual.
After all, Yang Kai had used the Space Principles during their battle in the Flowing Time Temple, so Xiao Bai Yi knew it was Yang Kai who had come once he felt the familiar fluctuations.
Now that he had turned to look, he was indeed correct.
“Sister Murong, I haven’t seen you in a few years but you have become far more beautiful!” Yang Kai flew over in front of them with a smile and greeted Murong Xiao Xiao.
Murong Xiao Xiao blushed and stomped her foot, “Senior Brother Yang is making fun of me.”
“I’m not making fun of you. I’m just speaking the truth!” Yang Kai responded solemnly.
Murong Xiao Xiao blushed even deeper.
Xiao Bai Yi suddenly snorted coldly, “How dare you harass my Junior Sister in front of me? Do you think I’m deaf… or blind?”
Yang Kai turned his head with a smile, “Xiao Bai, long time no see.”
Xiao Bai Yi’s face darkened, “I told you, my name is Xiao Bai Yi, Xiao! Bai! Yi! Not Xiao Bai!” The vein on his forehead was pulsing, obviously very annoyed by the name Xiao Bai.
After a pause though, he calmed down, “I heard that you are now a temple disciple. Although you are late to enter the Sect, according to the laws of the Martial Dao, whoever is stronger is Senior, regardless of age. If you don’t want to address me by my full name, it’s fine for you to call me Junior Brother Xiao, but I don’t want to hear the words ‘Xiao Bai’ anymore!”
“I see, Junior Brother Xiao Bai!” Yang Kai grinned.
Xiao Bai Yi’s face went white with fury.
Murong Xiao Xiao giggled, “Senior Brother Yang, did you come here to help when you received our message?”
“Message?” Yang Kai frowned and looked at her curiously.
Murong Xiao Xiao asked quizzically, “Senior Brother Yang didn’t see it?”
“How am I supposed to receive any message when I don’t have your Communication Bead or communication artifact…”
Having said that, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something and quickly took it out of his Space Ring.
It was a golden token, the Azure Sun Golden Token that Gao Xue Ting handed to him in Maplewood City. Only Core Disciples of Azure Sun Temple would have this Azure Sun Golden Token.
Ever since Yang Kai received the Azure Sun Golden Token, he had never used it for anything.
He investigated the token with his Divine Sense before understanding what Murong Xiao Xiao meant.
This Azure Sun Golden Token actually had the function of a communication artifact, allowing disciples to send messages to one another. At this moment, Yang Kai saw a message waiting in the token, a request for assistance sent by Murong Xiao Xiao not long ago.
Murong Xiao Xiao observed him, and realizing that it was the first time he heard about this, she pursed her lips in a smile, “Senior Brother Yang should check the Azure Sun Golden Token for information more often in the future, we won’t know when any of our fellow Junior Brothers or Junior Sisters might leave a message.”
“Noted.” Yang Kai nodded and put away the Azure Sun Golden Token.
Although he did not receive the message from Murong Xiao Xiao in time, he did manage to save her and Xiao Bai Yi by accident.
“What about Xia Sheng? Why don’t I see him?” Yang Kai glanced around, asking suspiciously.
Since Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were together, it did not make sense that Xia Sheng was not here, but there indeed was no trace of him.
Xiao Bai Yi replied, “Eldest Senior Brother separated from us two months ago. He said he wanted to look for a place to make a breakthrough.”
Yang Kai raised his brows, “Oh? Is Xia Sheng going to break through to the Emperor Realm?”
Murong Xiao Xiao answered with a worried look, “En, Eldest Senior Brother’s cultivation has reached the peak of the Dao Source Realm a long time ago, but he never had the opportunity to break through. Now that he felt his shackles loosening after coming to the Shattered Star Sea, he hurriedly went to prepare.”
“Then why didn’t you follow?” Yang Kai frowned.
Since Xia Sheng wanted to break through to the Emperor Realm, he would need someone guarding him, otherwise he would not be able to resist any kind of outside influence.
“He wouldn’t allow us. We followed him quietly for a few days, but he managed to throw us off with his Golden Cicada Shell Shedding technique,” Xiao Bai Yi sighed.
“Threw you off…” Yang Kai was exasperated, but figured that Xia Sheng could do such a thing based on his character.
From this point of view, it seemed that Xia Sheng was not very confident he could break through to the Emperor Realm! If he really was confident, he would not have left his Junior Brother and Junior Sister behind and snuck off secretly.
It was precisely because of his lack of confidence and the possibility that he would fall under the World Energy Baptism that he did not want Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao to witness it, lest they become traumatized from the experience.
Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were both Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, and if a shadow was left in their hearts because of Xia Sheng’s failure, it was very likely that they would never be able to break through in the future.
If Yang Kai figured this out, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao undoubtedly had as well, so both of them looked anxious and uneasy.
Seeing this, Yang Kai consoled them quickly, “Xia Sheng has a firm foundation, so a breakthrough shouldn’t be a big problem to him. I have already met others who have successfully taken that step, so if others can break through, Xia Sheng can too, don’t worry.”
“I hope so,” Xiao Bai Yi knew that there was nothing to be done except to pray for Xia Sheng’s good fortune.
“Senior Brother Yang, are you here to find a place to refine Source Strength?” Murong Xiao Xiao asked.
“En, I just happened to pass by and noticed something strange here, so I came to have a look.”
Murong Xiao Xiao smiled, “This is the famous Source Sea, so you don’t need to go anywhere else to look for Source Strength once you’re here. Senior Brother Yang, stay here and absorb the Source Strength with Senior Brother Xiao. This spot is big enough for two people.”
“What about you?”
The island was not big, just enough to accommodate two people, so if Yang Kai stayed, Murong Xiao Xiao would definitely have no place to sit.
“I will stand guard for you,” Murong Xiao Xiao smiled gently.
“The three of us can take turns. It’s good to have someone to stand guard, to prevent any unexpected attacks,” Xiao Bai Yi added.
Yang Kai pondered for a while before he shook his head, “I’ll have to refuse. This is a rare opportunity, so the two of you should continue to refine and absorb the Source Strength here. I will look for another place. If anybody is stupid enough to cause you trouble, just send me a message and I will rush over as soon as possible.”
Murong Xiao Xiao objected hurriedly, “But there is no other available place, that’s why many people are fighting for territory.”
“No more places?” Yang Kai’s face darkened.
“There is basically no free space left. We had to search for a long time to find this place, and we were targeted by those people before we could even sit down,” Xiao Bai Yi reported, “It will be in vain to look for another spot, unless…”
“Unless what?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously.
Murong Xiao Xiao bit her red lips and mumbled, “Unless Senior Brother Yang has an Emperor Realm cultivation.”
“Why would I need an Emperor Realm cultivation?” Yang Kai showed a puzzled look.
“The depths of the Source Sea are where the strongest Source Strength is located and it is easier to absorb and refine it there. As such, the deeper one goes, the higher the average cultivation of the cultivators there will be. Didn’t you realize that on your way here, all the cultivators in these outskirts don’t have very high cultivation?” Xiao Bai Yi explained.
Yang Kai recalled carefully and realized it was exactly as he said, but he still probed in confusion, “What does this have to do with being in the Emperor Realm?”
“Because several Emperor Realm Masters are occupying a large area in the deepest place, where the Source Strength is strongest. No one except for other Emperor Realm Masters are allowed to approach. Many people accidentally rushed in there and were killed,” Xiao Bai Yi revealed.
“What blatant bullying!” Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn.
Murong Xiao Xiao continued, “Although there are wide spaces to settle down there and the Source Strength is far richer, no one dares to go there. Senior Brother Yang, you must not go there, otherwise, your life will be in danger.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded without explaining too much.
He was not afraid of the newly promoted Emperor Realm Masters in this place. Even Feng Xuan’s Soul Descent had been killed by him, so how could these new Emperors in the Shattered Star Sea threaten him?
“I still want to look for a place, and if I can’t find one…” Yang Kai muttered, grinning with a sinister smile, “I can just take one.”
Murong Xiao Xiao and Xiao Bai Yi were about to object, but when they recalled the strength that Yang Kai showed just now, their worries faded.
Yang Kai’s strength seemed to have surpassed the Dao Source Realm, otherwise, he would not have been able to destroy the long-faced Pointed Star Sect old man with one punch.
“Be careful anyway!” Xiao Bai Yi exhorted, knowing that Yang Kai could not be dissuaded.
“You have to be careful too, remember to send me a message if there is any trouble,” Yang Kai responded, cupping his fists towards the two before turning around and flying towards the deepest part of the Source Sea.
Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao watched his back, which was moving further and further away in silence. After a long time, Xiao Bai Yi urged her, “We should hurry up and begin, we can’t miss this opportunity.”
Murong Xiao Xiao nodded, and the two sat down cross-legged.
While flying, Yang Kai took out his Azure Sun Golden Token from his Space Ring and kept it on him.
This way, he would be able to immediately receive notifications of messages rather than having to periodically check the token in his Space Ring.
As he flew deeper, the Source Strength gradually thickened.
Yang Kai did not know how far he had flown, only that along the way he saw a lot of Dao Source Realm cultivators sitting cross-legged on vacant islands, refining and absorbing Source Strength.
But after a while, there was no one to be seen anymore. No one was occupying the islands. Instead, there were extremely grotesque looking dead bodies lying on the vacant islands, serving as a warning to the latecomers.
Yang Kai guessed that this should be the work of the Emperor Realm Masters who occupied the best position. Although it was a bloody method, it was extremely effective because the dead bodies all belonged to top Dao Source Realm cultivators from the Star Boundary. Seeing this, any straggler would have to weigh their own abilities before proceeding.
Other cultivators might have turned around and left immediately after witnessing such a sight, but Yang Kai turned a blind eye to it and continued to move forward, without any intention of hiding.
At a certain moment, an Emperor Pressure suddenly surged up from somewhere down below. Although the Emperor Pressure wasn’t very pure, nor very powerful, it was still Emperor Pressure that harmonized with the Heavenly Way. Yang Kai’s body jerked slightly while in flight and his breathing became slightly difficult.
“How dare a Dao Source Realm trash come here! It seems that you don’t know how to write the word ‘death’.” A low voice snarled, and immediately from somewhere on the Source Sea, a huge bloody palm shot towards Yang Kai.
This palm was not only gigantic, but also emitted a strong stench of blood, as if it was formed from the accumulation of fresh blood, making it both nauseating and terrifying.
Seeing the bloody palm coming towards him, Yang Kai immediately raised his hand and pushed the Source Qi in his body, sending out a gigantic palm of his own.
*Hong long long… *
There was an explosion, and the clouds and wind changed drastically, energy overflowing in all directions. A breath later, the two palm-strikes cancelled each other out, as if they had never existed before.
Yang Kai stood firm like a mountain while quietly holding his ground.
A soft call of surprise echoed from somewhere below.
A pure Divine Sense came and scanned Yang Kai up and down, probably to check if he had hidden his cultivation, only to find that Yang Kai really was just a Dao Source Realm.
The Emperor Realm Master who attacked Yang Kai could not help feeling amazed.
He had not met a Dao Source Realm cultivator who could take a palm from him like this. Although he had only broken through to the Emperor Realm not long ago, there were already seven to eight Dao Source Realm cultivators who had died at his hands in the depths of the Source Sea, as the strength of the Emperor Realm was a world apart from the strength of the Dao Source Realm.
But it did not work on Yang Kai.
Not only did he fail to kill Yang Kai, but it also seemed he hadn’t caused any damage or even forced him back.
This person secretly felt shocked in his heart, wondering what kind of monster Yang Kai was to possess such terrifying power, even thinking to himself that he had not been this strong when he was still a Dao Source Realm.
Yang Kai grinned, “This one is just passing by and hoping to find a place to stop and cultivate, this friend doesn’t have to be so hostile.”
He scanned the Emperor Realm Master who made a threat against him with his Divine Sense. This young man had red hair, as if it was dipped in blood, and was exuding an extremely violent and bloody aura. Yang Kai had no idea which Sect he came from or what kind of Secret Art he cultivated.
Yang Kai was not afraid of him, and since there was no resentment between them, Yang Kai would have preferred not to start a fight.
The red-haired young man looked up to the place where Yang Kai was, and after a short silence, he said, “You can go, but don’t stop within a thousand kilometres of here.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai chuckled, cupping his fists towards the red-haired young man before immediately moving off.
But after listening to this young man, Yang Kai also understood why just a few Emperor Realm Masters could occupy all the region of the Source Sea with the richest Source Strength. This young man alone already occupied a position with a radius of a thousand kilometres, so how could the others have such a wide territory?
However, no one would talk about justice or fairness in this world. Whoever was strong enough could act however they pleased.
Any Dao Source Realm cultivator who dared to challenge the Masters here would end up like the corpses on those previous islands.
After an hour, Yang Kai already left the red-haired young man more than two thousand kilometres behind, but he still could not find a stopover as he discovered some of the small islands that originally existed this deep had been bombarded to pieces by the Emperor Realm Masters who arrived first.
They obviously did not want to leave a place for latecomers to absorb the Source Strength here, so they carried out such a tyrannical act.
A world-breaking spear of light suddenly blasted from below, penetrating through the void and the barriers of space, striking towards Yang Kai’s face in the blink of an eye, causing some pain on his skin due to the chilling power.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly, acknowledging the power of this spear, and dared not to be careless. Summoning his Myriads Sword, he slashed towards the approaching spear.
The dazzling sword light shot out and collided with the spear light, causing a shocking explosion.
“Hm? A trivial Dao Source Realm cultivator can actually take a blow from this Young Master? How strange.” A voice came from below. The man seemed to be a little surprised too, similar to the previous red-haired young man.
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “Why do all of you Emperor Realm Masters who have already occupied such a large area still need to stab at everyone who passes by you? Don’t you feel ashamed?”
The man burst out into laughter, “If you dare to come here without the necessary strength, you have chosen death.” He paused for a while, then asked, “Since you made it here, I suppose you passed through Chi Gui’s test?”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched, “You mean the red-head?”
“En.”
“Like you, he tried to sneak attack me, but I managed to block his attack and he just let me go.” Yang Kai snorted with a displeased face.
“No wonder…” The man nodded lightly, after a while waving his hand, “You may go. Since Chi Gui already let you pass, it means that you are also a man of great potential. I won’t do anything more to you.”
Yang Kai curled his lip in disgust, because the man talked big like he was being so gracious for letting him pass, even shamelessly claiming that he was also a man of great potential.
“How many more Emperor Realm Masters are there? Are you all going to act against me?” Yang Kai asked unhappily.
If it was the case, he would not hide his strength anymore and just fight all the way there to avoid troubles.
Unexpectedly, the man changed his expression faster than flipping a page and replied coldly, “Little brat, you talk too much. Since I’ve allowed you to pass, then you should just pass. If you don’t want to, I’ll just make you stay here forever.”
Yang Kai snorted and did not bother to pester this man anymore, simply changing directions and flying deeper.
However, this time he abandoned his usual low-key attitude, pushing his Source Qi madly, making himself very eye-catching, believing that the Emperor Realm Masters would sense him far away as long as they were not overly focused on absorbing Source Strength.
Maybe it was due to Yang Kai’s self-confidence and high-profile actions, but even though he sensed the aura of two other Emperor Realm Masters’ along the way, they did not try to act against him and simply ignored his presence after scanning him with their Divine Senses.
Yang Kai was delighted with this development.
After an hour, his eyes lit up and he flew down to somewhere below.
There was a temporary stopover here. The area of this island was extremely big, about a thousand meters in radius.
Such an island was rare in the Source Sea. Small islands could be found anywhere and weren’t real islands, simply pieces of land that had formed through some strange coincidence. These tiny pieces of land weren’t few in number, but they were also very small in size.
However, the island that Yang Kai found was definitely able to accommodate more than a hundred people.
After Yang Kai landed on the ground, he looked around and felt very satisfied with the place. He wanted to ask Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao to come over, but soon he gave up his thought as he recalled the previous actions of the Emperor Realm Masters.
Unless Yang Kai went to pick them up, it would be impossible for Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao to pass through the territorial Emperor Realm Masters with their current strength.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and attempted to absorb a little of the Source Strength here. Soon, he raised his brow in happiness, because the Source Strength here was purer and richer than other places, and it also seemed to be easier to absorb as well.
This was a Cultivation Paradise.
Yang Kai did not rush to refine and absorb the Source Strength here though and instead released his Divine Sense to check his surroundings.
No one was within a thousand kilometres.
With a wave of his hand, a behemoth appeared beside him. It was so gigantic that its height reached to the sky, and the moment it stepped on the ground, the island seemed to sink down a little.
Embodiment!
Yang Kai usually would not simply summon the Embodiment out of the Sealed World Bead, because the huge body of the Embodiment made its movement inconvenient and it required too much of his Divine Sense to summon.
But now, it was a perfect time to summon him out.
Yang Kai did not need to worry that the strange existence of the Embodiment would be discovered, as there was no one around here. Moreover, there was so much Source Strength here that Yang Kai could not absorb it all by himself, so he figured he should share the benefits with the Embodiment.
The Embodiment told him earlier that his cultivation seemed to have reached a bottleneck, which might be due to a flaw in the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that he was cultivating. So now, if he could absorb and refine the Source Strength here, there might be a chance that he could break through the bottleneck.
Without the need to communicate, the Embodiment immediately understood Yang Kai’s intention as soon as he came out and carefully sat down cross-legged, activating his Secret Art.
The Embodiment also knew the Star Refining Art. Back then, he had used this Secret Art to refine the Source Strength of the floating continent, which resulted in him merging with it and obtaining his current gigantic body.
Star Refining Art was a Secret Art specialized in refining Star Sources, while the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could devour everything. With the combined use of these two Heaven-defying Secret Arts, Yang Kai really looked forward to what kind of spark the Embodiment could set off here.
After releasing the Embodiment, Yang Kai did not stop but performed a few hand seals and patted the Sealed World Bead, opening a rift in its barrier to allow it to absorb the Source Strength of this place as well.
He wanted to perfect the World Principles of the Sealed World Bead, and the Source Strength here was an essential component for that hope.
After observing silently for a while, Yang Kai confirmed that the Source Strength in the Source Sea was being madly devoured by the Sealed World Bead and turned his attention back to himself, closing his eyes and circulating the Star Refining Art to refine the Source Strength here for himself.
In an instant, this vast island seemed to become a vortex that devoured all the surrounding Source Strength.
The Embodiment used both Heaven-defying Secret Arts, the Star Refining Art and Heaven Devouring Battle Law, together, and his gigantic body instantly became like a bottomless pit that was able to refine and absorb all the Source Strength that flowed into it.
As for the Sealed World Bead, the rate at which it could suck up Source Strength was even more terrifying compared to the Embodiment.
In comparison, Yang Kai’s absorbing capability paled, but with his Star Refining Art, his speed was still far faster than that of ordinary cultivators.
With time, the activity here was getting more and more conspicuous and more and more terrifying as rumbling sounds were constantly heard. The Source Strength in the Source Sea was attracted to this island like ten thousand rivers flowing into the sea, gradually disappearing.
The vast Source Sea was now actually being driven by this magical force, slowly flowing towards the island where Yang Kai sat.
The activity here seemed to have affected the entire Source Sea, but Yang Kai, the initiator, did not notice anything.
Slowly, the cultivators who were absorbing and refining at the edge of Source Sea realized that something was wrong, as they were surprised to see that the Source Sea seemed to be getting smaller. Initially, they were still a good distance from the edge, but gradually, the distance became shorter and shorter until the Source Sea seemed to drain out from beneath them.
It looked like the entire Source Sea was at low tide, making their small islands in the sea turn into beaches, even if they did not move in the slightest.
This discovery startled many cultivators as they did not understand why this was happening.
The reduction in size of the Source Sea caused many cultivators to fight to regain territory. In no time, the scene at the edge of Source Sea turned chaotic.
Although this situation had not spread to the inner depths yet, as time went by, those cultivators who were originally in the deeper part of the Source Sea would definitely encounter similar situations, unable to avoid the inevitable.
At the same time, on a Shattered Star located far away from the Source Sea.
It seemed that a great battle had broken out here, and the frigid Star was filled with chaotic energy fluctuations of turbulent power that refused to subside even after a long time.
A man and a woman laid on the ground, bound by an unknown Secret Technique. Although they were not dead, they were immobilised and both of them were staring at a middle-aged man standing not far in front of them.
The middle-aged man was burly and had a daunting look, with an extremely discomforting aura permeating from his body, his eyes filled with a shuddering shimmer.
There were also some deep wounds on his body where his flesh had been carved out, revealing white pearly bones underneath. Blood gushed from these wounds, giving him an added degree of menace.
However, the middle-aged man did not seem to feel any pain at all. Not only that, he even seemed to enjoy this sensation very much, with a grin plastered on his face.
“Who… who are you?” The man lying on the ground exclaimed, his face white with panic.
The middle-aged man glanced sideways at him and muttered, “Why would a dying person want to know so much?”
“You, you want to kill us?” The man was shocked when he heard this, then refuted angrily, “My Junior Sister and I have no grievances against you. Why do you want to do this?”
The two of them were absorbing Source Strength here quietly and did not expect this middle-aged man to suddenly fall from the sky and attack them without saying a word.
As the middle-aged man was outnumbered, the two were confident in their victory and met his challenge head-on.
But to their great shock, this lone man was not an enemy they could match.
Although this middle-aged man only had a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation and had not broken through to the Emperor Realm, his strength had long exceeded the level of the Dao Source Realm. He knocked them down to the ground easily. The Senior Brother was still rattled by the strange Secret Technique this man used, which completely immobilised him and his Junior Sister.
“You misunderstand!” The middle-aged man smiled cunningly, making the hairs on their bodies stand on end, “This King is not going to ‘kill’ you!”
“Not going to kill us…” The pretty woman relaxed when she heard him, forcing a smile onto her face as she pleaded phonily, “This Sir, as long as you don’t kill us, we will be willing to compromise anything.”
Her companion’s eyeballs bulged when he heard her words, and looked at her in shock, muttering, “Junior Sister, you… “
It seemed like he had seen his Junior Sister’s true colours for the first time and a sharp pain pricked his heart; he had never thought that she would say such a thing to a complete stranger.
“Willing to compromise…” The middle-aged man smiled faintly while his eyes slightly shifted to the woman.
The woman forced a smile, “Sir, as long as you don’t kill me, I am willing to do anything!”
The Senior Brother who was listening to the side almost spat a mouthful of blood in rage, though he dared not say a word.
The middle-aged man gave a wicked smile, “What if I want to eat you?”
The Senior Brother’s face paled upon hearing this. This middle-aged man simply had no bottom line, but neither of them were in a position to bargain. The only choice here was to bow down. It was not unacceptable if his Junior Sister could save the both of them by selling her body and looks; after all, their lives were the most important, and everything would be meaningless if they died.
Thinking so, the Senior Brother grit his teeth, closed his eyes, and blocked out his senses from the scene which he had no control over.
“Eat me…” A hint of shame appeared on the woman’s face, and she stuttered, “Please be gentle.”
A light glimmered in the middle-aged man’s eyes as he became extremely excited, and nodded, “Don’t worry, this King may not look like it, but this King is a gentle person.”
He stepped towards the woman as he spoke.
Seeing this, the woman hurriedly stopped him, “Please not here… Can we go to a more private place?”
Although she was willing to sacrifice herself to survive, she still felt embarrassed to commit such an act in front of her Senior Brother, and therefore requested for the middle-aged man to take her somewhere secluded to conclude their deal.
The middle-aged man only chuckled in reply, “It’s the same everywhere.”
He seemed to have some perverted fetish that the following had to be done in front of the Senior Brother. The woman understood, and could not help but glance at her Senior Brother worriedly, only to find that he had turned his head to a side with his eyes closed, his body shaking in fury.
The woman knew that her Senior Brother was deeply distressed, but their lives were at stake, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and submit.
The middle-aged man walked up to her and looked down condescendingly, without hiding his fiery gaze in the slightest, as if he wanted to melt the woman with his gaze.
The woman was trembling, knowing that by now, it was useless to say anything.
“Close your eyes, child, don’t look.” The middle-aged man ordered faintly.
The woman let out a breath and closed her eyes obediently, but she felt odd in her heart. Although she looked young, she was not a child anymore, and she understood the affairs between men and women well. This man really did seem to have some strange fetishes.
The middle-aged man stretched out his hand and drew her in, wrapping his arms around her tender waist and hugging her tightly.
The woman struggled to breathe for a moment and could not help moaning.
She clearly felt the middle-aged man’s increasingly rapid breathing. His hot breath on her neck caused her to feel weak and her cheeks flushed.
But at that moment, she suddenly heard a voice that horrified her.
“Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
In an instant, she felt a sudden pain on her neck, as if she had been bitten by a beast. The woman’s beautiful face turned pale as she quickly opened her eyes and turned her head to look.
Quite contrary to what she had been expecting, the middle-aged man’s eyes had turned red and he had bitten into her neck, gulping mouthfuls of her blood.
Not only that, the middle-aged man seemed to have used a mysterious Secret Art that was rapidly draining away her vitality and cultivation.
“Ah!” The woman yelled in fright, realizing that the middle-aged man did not mean to eat her metaphorically.
He meant to eat her literally!
“Senior Brother, save me!” She screamed in panic.
The Senior Brother, who had his eyes closed to endure the humiliation in his heart, noticed the abnormality and was horrified when he quickly turned his head to look.
The middle-aged man’s mouth was smeared with blood as he bit down on his Junior Sister’s long and white neck, his throat gulping rapidly while devouring her blood.
The Junior Sister’s graceful face aged so rapidly that it was visible to the naked eye, even her hair began turning grey.
“Senior Brother… help me!” The woman pleaded again.
The Senior Brother laid stiffened and shocked on the ground, unable to respond. He stared at the horrible scene in befuddlement, chills running all over his body.
“Senior… brother!” In the span of only five breaths, the woman was now looking haggard, wilted, and surrounded by Death Qi. After spitting out these last two words with difficulty, her eyes turned cloudy, and all traces of vitality slipped away.
She died.
With a wave of his hand, the middle-aged man pushed her corpse aside and lifted his hand to wipe the corners of his mouth. He took a deep breath, revealing a satisfied look.
The horrifying wounds on his body healed almost instantly and in the blink of an eye, his skin had become as smooth as a newborn baby’s.
“This, this…” The Senior Brother was stunned by the scene, still baffled by what he just saw.
He panicked when he noticed the middle-aged man had cast his gaze on him again, “Sir, please spare my life, please I beg you!”
The sight of his Junior Sister’s tragic death kept flashing before his eyes, and he knew he did not want to follow in her footsteps.
The middle-aged man snorted coldly and stretched out a hand from a distance as he bellowed, “Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
A terrifying suction originated from his palm as he operated this wicked art. As if struck by lightning, the Senior Brother who was lying on the ground could not help shrieking loudly. The vitality and essence in his body escaped from his control and rushed towards the middle-aged man who was absorbing all of it.
“If you kill me, my Eldest Senior Brother won’t let you go! My Eldest Senior Brother has already broken through to the Emperor Realm!” The man lying on the ground yelled in an attempt to save himself, hoping this news would cause this monster to back down.
But the middle-aged man simply sneered, “An Emperor? So what? This King hasn’t eaten anyone in the Emperor Realm yet, but if your Eldest Senior Brother really comes to avenge you, this King won’t mind sending him to meet you.”
“You… madman! Madman I say! You will die a miserable death!” The man, looking grief-stricken as if bereft of both of his parents, gritted his teeth and cursed impertinently, but his voice gradually weakened as his fate mirrored that of his Junior Sister.
Two Star Seals flew out from the two corpses, imprinting on the back of the middle-aged man’s hand.
The middle-aged man possessed the same seven-pointed Star Seal as Yang Kai. In fact, its light was even brighter than that of Yang Kai’s, seemingly on the verge of being promoted to an eight-pointed Star Seal. It could be seen from this that this man had killed many people in the Shattered Star Sea.
After killing these two, the middle-aged man stood in silence and savoured the moment. Suddenly though, his expression was filled with hostility, raising his arms as he screamed towards the Heavens. Rather than joy, he was now filled with madness after the bloodlust.
The howling finally subsided after a long time but his face remained gloomy as he clenched his teeth and cursed, “This damn bottleneck! Why can’t this King break through to the Emperor Realm yet!? Seven hundred years! This King has been working hard for seven hundred years, so why can’t he break through!? The Heavens are so unfair, I refuse to accept this!”
He cursed for a while, but then suddenly rebuked angrily, “A bunch of trash, none could withstand the backlash of this Secret Art, none of you ever managed to use the Heaven defying gift this King gave you! Wastes!”
He slipped into a frenzy in his screams, wielding his strength recklessly as he destroyed everything around him.
At a certain moment, the middle-aged man suddenly turned around and stared into the distance with bulged eyes, as if he just noticed something astonishing, his anger quickly calming and being replaced with trembles of excitement.
“Hahahaha!” He burst into laughter, “The seed is ripe! Finally, the seed is ripe! Who!? Who is it!?”
He yelled like a madman as he flailed about in uncontrollable excitement. Soon, he summoned a ship like artifact and flew off towards the depths of the Shattered Star Sea. If one were to observe from the outside, one would notice that he was flying towards the Source Sea.
…..
Time continued to pass.
Although Yang Kai left a portion of his attention to monitor his surroundings and planned to put away the Embodiment and Sealed World Bead as soon as he found someone approaching him, his rate of absorption and refinement of Source Strength was not delayed at all.
The Sealed World Bead and Embodiment were also absorbing Source Strength more and more furiously, to the extent that it even frightened Yang Kai.
One day, two days, five days, ten days…
The size of the Source Sea had been greatly reduced from its original size. Not only that, the Source Strength in the remaining Source Sea was countless times thinner than it had been at the beginning.
Now, not just the cultivators at the edge of the Source Sea realized this problem, even the cultivators in the deeper parts found something was wrong.
In the deepest part of the Source Sea, in the territories occupied by Emperor Realm Masters, the red-haired young man who attacked Yang Kai first suddenly frowned and looked up into the sky at a person who was standing there staring at him coldly.
The red-haired young man grinned and looked back at the person dauntlessly.
“Is this one of your tricks?” The visitor asked flatly after examining the red-haired young man for a while.
The red-haired young man pondered for a while and replied, “I, too, want to know who is playing tricks!”
Both of them exchanged glares before simultaneously turning their eyes in the same direction.
The red-haired young man continued, “Source Strength seems to be continuously flowing towards there.”
The visitor agreed with a nod and responded solemnly, “That direction is where Yao Si is!”
“Yao Si!” The red-haired young man narrowed his eyes after hearing this name and a trace of fear flashed across his face, as if this Yao Si had an enormous background that even he, an Emperor Realm Master, dared not take lightly.
“Are you going to take a look?” The visitor asked.
The red-haired young man smiled with contempt, “So, this is the reason that you came for me. Why are the cultivators of the Southern Territory all cowards?”
The visitor snorted faintly without denying, “Yao Si is the descendant of a Great Emperor after all!”
The red-haired young man sneered, “Doesn’t the Southern Territory also have a descendant of a Great Emperor here? Why didn’t you find her instead of this Young Master?”
The visitor snorted, “She hasn’t broken through to the Emperor Realm yet, it’s useless to look for her. If you’re scared, I’ll check the situation alone.”
“Who said I’m scared?!” The red-haired young man snarled and stood up in anger before continuing fiercely, “I don’t care if it’s a descendant of a Great Emperor, whoever dares to snatch Source Strength from this Young Master will have to spit it out for me.”
He immediately flew straight in the direction of Yao Si, followed by the other newcomer hurriedly.
After a moment, the two discovered an abnormal situation somewhere not too far away; three newly promoted Emperor Realm Masters were gathered on a single island that covered a vast area, and Yao Si, who they were looking for, was among them.
Standing in front of these three Emperors was surprisingly a Third-Order Dao Source Realm young man.
The pair had no idea what these four people were doing at the moment, as they were just staring at each other without taking any action. What amazed them the most was that the young man with only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation was actually facing three Emperors without the slightest fear on his face.
“It’s him!”
The red-haired young man could not help shouting.
The other person asked in astonishment, “Do you know him?”
The red-haired young man’s face darkened as he replied, “That guy passed by where this Young Master was half a month ago and took a blow from me without receiving any damage.”
Hearing this, the face of the other person changed slightly, as if it was hard for him to believe.
The red-haired young man continued, “This Young Master did not hold back his strength at that time. This guy is quite interesting, if he can break through to the Emperor Realm one day, his future will surely be limitless. I don’t know where he is from, but he’s definitely not from my Eastern Territory.”
The other person did not give any response, being overwhelmed in shock and unable to calm down in a short time, his eyes fixing on the Dao Source Realm cultivator.
“Let’s go down and take a look,” the red-haired young man proposed and flew towards the island first.
On the island, Yang Kai looked displeased.
Previously, while he was enjoying absorbing the Source Strength here, he suddenly felt that someone was approaching him and hurriedly put away the Sealed World Bead and the Embodiment. Before he could recover from the fluster, three Emperor Realm Masters already arrived in front of him, all of them glaring at him with a gloomy face, as if they were about to eat him.
These three Emperors had undoubtedly just broken through in the Shattered Star Sea as their auras were still a bit unstable; however, they were still Emperors in the end, each one extremely powerful.
Yang Kai could guess the reason these three were here. They were obviously alarmed by the tremendous amount of Source Strength that was flowing towards and disappearing here.
This was inevitable though. Yang Kai did not expect that the Sealed World Bead and the Embodiment would raise such a fuss. Them being able to continue for half a month was already beyond his expectations.
Over the past half a month, whether it was the Embodiment, the Sealed World Bead, or Yang Kai himself, they had received indescribable benefits.
The total amount of Source Strength absorbed by the cultivators in the entire Source Sea might not be as much as Yang Kai had absorbed.
And at this moment, the Source Strength contained in Source Sea had noticeably tinned.
Another pair of people flew over, they landed together with the other Emperors.
Yang Kai glanced at these newcomers and his eyes instantly lit up as he greeted one of them, “Hey, Brother Wu Chang, long time no see.”
Of the red-haired young man, Yang Kai still had some impression; after all, half a month ago, he was once attacked by this red-haired young man who seemed to be named Chi Gui! As for the man who followed Chi Gui here, it was actually Wu Chang of Heavenly Martial Holy Land, one of the top rising stars in the Southern Territory.
It was not a surprise to Yang Kai that Wu Chang had broken through to the Emperor Realm, but meeting him here was a bit of a shock.
When Chi Gui heard this, he immediately turned to Wu Chang and asked, “You know this little brat?”
“I don’t know him, I have never seen him before, don’t ask me!” Wu Chang answered with a cold face.
Although he did not have any grudges with Yang Kai, they were not friends either. At this point, Yang Kai seemed to have agitated everyone and Wu Chang did not want to get caught in the crossfire.
Yang Kai was exasperated, “Why is Brother Wu Chang acting so heartless? Remember how we worked so well together, resulting in a happy ending in the Four Seasons Realm for both of us? Even if Brother Wu Chang doesn’t miss our old memories, you don’t need to be so cold to me!”
Wu Chang snapped back indignantly, “What cooperation? It was nothing more than a trade between you and me. Stop exaggerating.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Our trade was a very important cooperation though. Didn’t Brother Wu Chang benefit greatly from it? Shouldn’t you give me some credit for you being able to break through to the Emperor Realm so quickly? Even Xia Sheng is still working hard on making a breakthrough now.”
He looked at Wu Chang with a meaningful grin and twinkle in his eyes.
Wu Chang naturally knew that Yang Kai was talking about the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, and immediately snorted coldly, “A trade is a trade. The goods were delivered and the bill was cleared, we have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
“Brother Wu Chang, why don’t you just change your name to ‘Heartless’!?” Yang Kai sighed in disappointment.
Chi Gui questioned in surprise from the side, “Little brat, speak clearly. What kind of trade did you two do that could help someone break through to the Emperor Realm?”
The other three Emperors who came earlier also showed an interested look. Even though they had just recently broken through and naturally did not need such a mysterious thing anymore, any treasure that could help one reach the Emperor Realm was not ordinary and if they could gain some of it, it would be of great benefit to their Sects.
All of these new Emperors were heirs or descendants of top Masters, and certainly had great forces supporting them from behind.
“What little brat!?” Yang Kai’s face darkened and he glared at Chi Gui, “You, red-haired punk, can you not speak any polite words?!”
“You… you dare call me a ‘red-haired punk!?” Chi Gui was so mad that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
The others were shocked again as they stared at Yang Kai with puzzled expressions.
Among the six people here, only Yang Kai was a Dao Source Realm cultivator, while the rest were all Emperor Realm Masters; however, Yang Kai did not show any fear towards them at all, even daring to speak impolitely to Chi Gui.
They could not believe this was happening.
One of the three Emperors with a muscular body suddenly laughed, “Chi Gui, you’re being underestimated.”
Chi Gui stared at Yang Kai with a grumpy face, and snorted, “It’s not that this Young Master is being underestimated, but rather that he does not underestimate himself!”
When they heard this, they immediately understood what Chi Gui meant. Yang Kai did not feel that he was inferior to them despite his lower cultivation, so he did not have scruples when speaking.
“I heard that he took a blow from you before?” The brawny young man spoke again.
Chi Gui snorted, “That’s right. This Young Master landed a blow using seventy percent of his strength, but he completely dispersed it.”
“Oh?” Another young man, whose whole body was lingering with black Qi, raised his brow and inspected Yang Kai again, as if he needed to re-evaluate him.
Taking seventy percent of Chi Gui’s strength was not something an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator could do. Even an outstanding Dao Source Realm genius should have suffered severe injuries from such an attack, but Chi Gui actually said Yang Kai was able to completely disperse his strike.
“Haha, looks like you people from Ahan Temple are nothing much,” the brawny youth laughed again.
Chi Gui felt annoyed and he unhesitantly reprimanded, “As if you can do something to him, don’t tell me that this little brat didn’t pass through your territory before.”
The brawny young man snorted disdainfully right away.
This brawny young man was the Emperor Realm Master who used a spear of light to attack Yang Kai, one of the only two people who had tried to block his path.
Chi Gui waved his hand, “Let’s not get entangled with trivial matters. What I wanted to know is, what are you guys doing here?”
The last Emperor Realm Master, who looked chubby and naïve, responded, “Didn’t you all realize something abnormal about this Source Sea?”
This man had an extremely fat figure, his face stretched so wide that his eyes were barely visible. He was not tall, so if someone saw him from a far distance, they would think that he was just a giant winter melon.
However, despite his funny appearance, this man was also an authentic Emperor Realm Master.
Chi Gui replied to the fat man, “It was because I noticed the abnormality that I came over to see the situation.”
The fat man revealed, “It’s the same for us!”
Chi Gui was stunned. He glanced at the Emperor’s Realm Master surrounded by Black Qi, asking, “Could it be you, Yao Si, who did this?”
This made Yao Si, the aforementioned Emperor Realm Master, snort coldly, “Why do you think it was me?”
“I just guessed…” Chi Gui sniffed.
The burly young man said in a deep voice, “It’s not Brother Yao Si’s problem. The Source Strength in the Source Sea flowed in this direction. This island seems to be the source of the problem.”
As soon as this statement came out, five pairs of eyes looked at Yang Kai together.
“Why are you looking at me? I don’t even know what you are talking about. What happened? Why are you not absorbing and refining the Source Strength at your own place, but came here to me?” Yang Kai’s face darkened.
The brawny young man frowned, “The Source Strength in the Source Sea has been greatly reduced over the past half a month, and the flow of Source Strength pointed to this place. What do you think we are here for?”
Yang Kai’s eyes widened, revealing a harmless expression as he asked in shock, “Really? No way?!”
He sounded quite insincere. The reduction and flow of Source Strength was undeniable, and despite Yang Kai just being a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, even someone with lower cultivation should have been able to sense this. However, it was too obvious from his look of bewilderment that he was putting on an act. Though from his expression, he did not seem to be lying, especially the look in his eyes which was clear and bright, without a hint of deception.
The five people began to doubt themselves, wondering if they were wrong about Yang Kai.
Strangely, the flow and reduction of Source Qi did stop just now.
“Does this really have nothing to do with you?” Chi Gui frowned.
“I am just a Dao Source Realm, how could I have done such a thing right under all of your noses? If the Source Strength reduction here was caused by something, it has nothing to do with me, it’s definitely one of you. One of you did it and tried to blame it on me! You can’t be so mean! Whoever did this should reveal himself!” Yang Kai refuted.
The doubt in their hearts was strengthened by the justification and solemnity in his tone. It was agreed that the source of the problem was on this island, but Yang Kai was right. How could he, a Dao Source Realm cultivator, do such a thing?
The brawny young man said thoughtfully, “The abnormality of the Source Sea began half a month ago. It wasn’t very obvious at first, but it became more apparent after this boy arrived here.”
Hearing what he had said, the other four looked at Yang Kai with suspicious expressions again.
After all, the timing was too coincidental.
“You can eat anything you want, but you cannot say anything you please!” Yang Kai glared at him, “If this friend speaks nonsense again, I’ll not be polite to you.”
“You will not be polite to me?” The brawny young man’s eyes widened into circles, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world and grinned, “I am interested to see how you are going to be impolite to me.”
He was also an Emperor Realm Master. Although Yang Kai took his blow rather well earlier, he really did not think Yang Kai was a match for him.
If there was really a battle to the death here, he believed that he would be able to take Yang Kai down in three moves.
“That’s enough. Since the problem is not from here, there must be some unusual change in the Source Sea.” For some reason, Wu Chang stood up and put an end to the dispute, which was a relief for Yang Kai.
Yang Kai glanced at him with distrust, but Wu Chang ignored it and continued, “Instead of getting entangled here without any proof, it is better to go back and continue absorbing and refining. Although the Source Sea has been reduced a lot, it hasn’t completely disappeared yet, I believe it’s still enough to meet everyone’s needs.”
The fat man nodded, “En, that’s right.”
The brawny young man and Chi Gui could not think of a better idea, but Yao Si, the son of a Great Emperor, had other ideas, “Boy, whether or not the changes in the Source Sea were caused by you, you must leave this place now. This is the territory for Emperor Realm Masters. You are not qualified to set foot in this place with your current strength!”
Yang Kai turned to glance at him before sneering softly, “Who are you to say that I’m not qualified? Have you asked for my opinion?”
Yang Kai naturally would not leave cooperatively as Yao Si wanted. Although he had scraped a lot of Source Strength from the Source Sea already, there was still a lot left. The World Principles in his Sealed World Bead had not been perfect yet, the Embodiment showed no signs of breaking through to the Emperor Realm, and he did not even sense the opportunity of a breakthrough himself. Wouldn’t it be a failure to leave at this time?
Yao Si narrowed his eyes and glowered coldly, “Either leave or die! I’ll give you three breaths to pick!”
“You can try!” Yang Kai looked sideways at him.
Everyone was flabbergasted, looking at Yang Kai with amazement.
Such an attitude would still make sense if it were another newly-promoted Emperor Realm Master, but Yang Kai was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so while he seemed to have exceedingly high strength and amazing potential, who was Yao Si? He was the son of a Great Emperor!
The descendant of the Serene Soul Great Emperor from the Eastern Territory!
All the Emperor Realm Masters present were afraid of him and had to give him face. Although they would not be timid in front of him, no one dared to talk back to him like this.
But Yang Kai openly challenged him!
This boy had the confidence to talk back to the son of a Great Emperor in such a tone.
That brawny young man realised that this brat was an idiot and couldn’t help feeling baffled at how he himself wanted to engage in a fight with this fool just now. He shook his head slowly, thinking that Yang Kai was bound to die this time. If he was the one Yang Kai offended, Yang Kai would not end up dead. At best, he would just give Yang Kai a severe lesson, but if he offended Yao Si, he would definitely end up dead.
Wu Chang’s expression also changed slightly, but he didn’t say much. He had just spoken out to help Yang Kai get out of trouble, because they were both from the Southern Territory. He could compete with Yang Kai as much as he wanted in the Southern Territory, as that would be considered an internal struggle, and they could even fight to the death if they wished, but in front of the Masters of the other three territories in the Shattered Star Sea, he could not sit back and watch Yang Kai getting bullied.
But now he discovered that Yang Kai was simply unreasonable. What good could come out of it for provoking the son of a Great Emperor like this?
An unbending tree is easily broken; this little brat was simply too young and aggressive.
Suddenly, the air became stagnant and even the void began to fill with a frigid murderous intent.
Yao Si looked at Yang Kai faintly, his eyes cold, as if he was looking at a dead person, but to his surprise, Yang Kai showed no fear and met his gaze head-on.
Yao Si’s face darkened as he prepared to strike Yang Kai, but at the critical moment, a streak of light flew over from the distance and arrived above everyone’s head.
Everyone squinted up into the sky, wondering who this rude newcomer was.
The flash of light dissipated, revealing a burly middle-aged man.
He stared down with wide, glowing eyes, his expression extremely eager, as if he were a starving beast that had finally seen its prey after countless years.
But soon, he trembled, his face stiffened, and he gulped hard.
The six people below glared up at him, and five of them were Emperor Realm Masters!
He had rushed over here feeling extremely excited, but had never anticipated such a scene to be waiting for him; he almost turned around and escaped in fear at the mere sight.
Although he was not too concerned about an ordinary Emperor Realm cultivator, there were five of them here, so if they really fought, he would definitely not be their match.
“Hm?” Yang Kai muttered in surprise as he saw this newcomer, but soon a joyful look filled his face.
Shockingly, he knew the person who came. He had planned to look for this person after the Shattered Star Sea closed, but now he had actually shown up here.
It was Wu Meng Chuan!
The Sect Master of Blue Feather Sect, a descendant of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor!
Wu Meng Chuan was the one who passed the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to Yang Kai, but Yang Kai never dared to cultivate it and instead handed it over to the Embodiment, who accepted it delightedly, resulting in his rapidly improving cultivation.
However, the Embodiment had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, probably due to some flaw in the Secret Art. Perhaps the Heaven Devouring Battle Law passed down to Yang Kai by Wu Meng Chuan back then was incomplete.
The reason Yang Kai planned to seek for Wu Meng Chuan was to inquire about the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and to get the complete Secret Art from him, otherwise, the cultivation of the Embodiment would most likely remain stagnant.
Back then, Yang Kai only had a Third-Order Origin King cultivation and was no match for Wu Meng Chuan, but now, he was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so there was no need to fear him anymore.
The two of them had different thoughts, but both were extremely surprised to encounter each other here.
“Well what do we have here,” the brawny young man spat disdainfully at the discovery that Wu Meng Chuan was also a Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
Previously, he only permitted Yang Kai to come in because he took his blow without suffering a loss. Now, he did not want to waste time and energy on Yang Kai as he was eager to absorb and refine the remaining Source Strength here; however, before he could do so, another Dao Source Realm cultivator had invaded the territory of the Emperor Realm Masters.
“Just kill him!” Chi Gui snorted coldly.
Wu Meng Chuan was appalled. Although he did not know what these six people were doing there, the extremely hostile look in the eyes of the five Emperors was evident. Quickly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Wu Meng Chuan apologized, “Sorry, sorry, this one has broken into the precious land by mistake. This one will retreat, please calm your anger.”
He glanced at Yang Kai involuntarily as he spoke before turning around and trying to leave with a strange expression on his face.
He recognized Yang Kai, and he still remembered teaching Yang Kai the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in the Bone Prison back then, but upon examining him up close, he could not detect any traces of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law from Yang Kai.
This greatly puzzled Wu Meng Chuan.
He sensed the wave of the matured seed emanating from here, but when he hurried to the place, the wave disappeared, and he encountered Yang Kai instead.
He was at a loss of what happened.
“Big Cousin, don’t leave. Since you’re already here, why do you have to leave in such a hurry?” Yang Kai suddenly shouted at Wu Meng Chuan enthusiastically.
Wu Meng Chuan staggered at his words and almost fell from the air.
He hurriedly wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and reprimanded, “Who is your Big Cousin!?”
Yang Kai responded solemnly, “Big Cousin, you’re so bad. You pretended to not recognize your Little Cousin here. I’ll tell your mother, be careful when she beats you.”
Wu Meng Chuan was annoyed, “Little brat, stop all your gibberish!”
“He is your Big Cousin?” The brawny young man looked at Yang Kai with a weird look, and continued, “But he doesn’t look like it.”
Yang Kai responded, “He is like this!” While speaking, he looked up to Wu Meng Chuan, “Big Cousin, there are people here who are going to bully your Little Cousin, shouldn’t you stand up for me?”
Wu Meng Chuan’s face darkened, “Little brat, if you dare to speak nonsense again, don’t blame me for treating you impolitely!”
Yang Kai was immediately infuriated, “Everyone wants to treat me poorly, is this Young Master so much fun to bully? Do you believe that I will come up and beat you up until your mother doesn’t recognize you!?”
Wu Meng Chuan was steaming with anger at Yang Kai’s incessant mention of his mother. However, there were five Emperor Realm Masters here, so he dared not to act recklessly, only sneering, “If you have guts, come over here. Let’s see who will be the one getting beaten!”
“Just you wait!” Yang Kai immediately flew up after he spoke, throwing a series of punches towards Wu Meng Chuan air.
“Little brat, how dare you!” Wu Meng Chuan was maddened. Even though he feared the five Emperor Realm Masters here, it did not mean that he was afraid of Yang Kai. Seeing Yang Kai come up with his unceremonious punches, Wu Meng Chuan did not hesitate to fight back.
He was not sure about the relationship between Yang Kai and the other five, so he dared not to land a fatal blow, only using half of his strength in attacking.
In an instant, the sky was full of rumbling sounds as the pair exchanged punches and kicks furiously. Although the scene looked extraordinarily boisterous, in fact, no one was using any real strength.
In the meantime, Yang Kai gave Wu Meng Chuan a secret signal with a wink.
Although Wu Meng Chuan did not fully understand what Yang Kai meant, for a person who had lived for so long, he was smart enough to understand the meaning. At this point, he seemed to be fighting fiercely with Yang Kai, but actually, he was cooperating with Yang Kai, quickly shifting their battlefield out of this dangerous place.
In no time, the two of them were out of the five Emperor Realm Masters’ sight, and after a while, even their Divine Senses could not find them anymore.
“Hmph!” Yao Si snorted coldly, turned around, and flew back to his original location with an indifferent look.
Although Yang Kai irritated him earlier, the situation was inconvenient for him to intervene, so Yao Si just ignored him.
Chi Gui looked at the direction in which Yang Kai disappeared, and faintly smiled, “That little brat found himself a good excuse.”
The brawny young man nodded, “I’m afraid that person is his helper and they put on this play together in order to get him out of this place.”
Wu Chang remained silent, but he felt the same way too. Regardless of Yang Kai’s unyielding attitude just now, as if he did not put anyone in his eyes, he was still a Dao Source Realm cultivator. There was definitely no way for him to stay alive if Yao Si targeted him.
The situation now favoured Yang Kai, fleeing while fighting with his so-called ‘Big Cousin’, even Yao Si with an extraordinary identity could do nothing about him.
Yang Kai was just… so scheming, the others could not help but look down on him.
Soon, the five Emperor Realm Masters dispersed back to their places and they felt strange that they did not experience a drastic reduction in Source Strength anymore in the next few days.
This convinced them even more that Yang Kai was the culprit behind the previous anomaly.
……
Two people stood on a shattered Star in the sky a few tens of thousands of kilometres away from the Source Sea, staring at one another.
One of them had a burly and sturdy figure, eyes scorching like a hungry wolf that had found its prey.
The other stood stoically, his clothes flapping in the wind, eyes shining bright like stars.
They were Wu Meng Chuan and Yang Kai. They retreated all the way from the Source Sea without having to exchange a word of explanation and arrived together on this uninhabited Star.
“I did not expect you to cultivate until the Third-Order Dao Source Realm in such a short time!” Wu Meng Chuan looked at Yang Kai in surprise, with a little excitement, “The Secret Art that this King passed on to you is not bad right?”
He thought that the reason Yang Kai was able to possess this kind of cultivation in such a short time was due to the contribution of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, as it was a Heaven-defying Secret Art. As long as he could withstand the backlash of this Secret Art, strengthening his cultivation would be an extremely easy task.
“It’s all because this Young Master is talented and intelligent. It has nothing to do with your half-assed Secret Art,” Yang Kai curled his lip.
Wu Meng Chuan chuckled, “Is this how you talk to this King who was your Sect Master and saved your life before?
Yang Kai replied with a darkened face, “If I’m not mistaken, it was this Young Master who saved you first.”
Wu Meng Chuan questioned again, “Even if it was, this King still passed on a Secret Art to you, do you want to deny it?”
Yang Kai rebuked after hearing it, “You want to bring that up? I do have a few questions about your damned Secret Art.”
“What?” Wu Meng Chuan raised his brows.
“The Secret Art that you passed on to me, is it incomplete?”
Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes lit up instantly, and he bellowed with a shortness of breath, “You really cultivated the Secret Art!?”
He looked like a pervert who saw a naked woman, his eyes gleaming, causing Yang Kai to get goosebumps all over his body.
Yang Kai reprimanded impatiently, “It’s none of your business whether or not I cultivated it.”
Wu Meng Chuan faintly smiled, “If you didn’t cultivate it, how could you find out this problem?”
Yang Kai was exasperated, “So, that Secret Art is indeed incomplete. You are so wicked. This Young Master risked grave danger to release you from the Bone Prison and return your freedom. It’s fine that you don’t feel grateful about it, but how can you teach me this incomplete Secret Art? Where is your conscience? Where is the justice? Damn it, this Young Master could only blame himself for believing a scoundrel like you!”
He cursed bitterly, beating his own chest and stomping his feet, showing a remorseful face.
Wu Meng Chuan’s face was filled with a cheerful smile, however, as he waited for Yang Kai to finish throwing his fit before saying, “The Secret Art this King passed on to you is actually a complete Secret Art!”
“Bullshit!” Yang Kai spat at Wu Meng Chuan when he continued to deny.
Wu Meng Chuan dodged this easily and advised him calmly, “Little brat, don’t be so rude. Didn’t your father teach you to respect the old and love the young?”
“Sorry, I was born like this!” Yang Kai revealed a stubborn look on his face.
Wu Meng Chuan snorted, “This King doesn’t want to argue with you. About the Secret Art, do you want this King to explain it to you?”
“Speak!” Yang Kai looked at him coldly.
Wu Meng Chuan did not mind his bad attitude and explained indifferently, “Back then, Ancestor created an extraordinary Secret Art, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, and used it to reach the Great Emperor Realm. He alone dominated the world, and no one was his equal! Unfortunately, destruction pursues the great. The other Great Emperors feared and envied him, and joined forces to kill him. The Heavens must have been jealous of such a talented person and turned a blind eye to his plight!”
Yang Kai sneered, “How come the version I heard was different from what you said.”
Wu Meng Chuan glared at him, “Do you still want to listen or not? If not, this King won’t talk about it.”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders and made a gesture of zipping his mouth, motioning him to keep going.
Wu Meng Chuan snorted in annoyance and continued, “When Ancestor created the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he already noticed a huge flaw in it. Can you guess what it is?”
Yang Kai pointed to his mouth and only made a few muffled sounds but didn’t speak.
Wu Meng Chuan felt helpless and answered himself, “Although this Secret Art is Heaven-defying, it slowly corrupts one’s mind, body, and Soul, resulting in an extremely strong backlash. Only a person with great perseverance can cultivate this Secret Art and withstand the backlash, otherwise, it would not take long for there to be dissonance in his cultivation and for death to find them.”
Yang Kai had a sudden realization when he heard it and understood that Wu Meng Chuan’s words were true.
Because the Embodiment once mentioned this, but also due to the Embodiment’s Stone Puppet body, he was born able to refine and expel various impurities, so the downsides of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law did not have any impact on him.
“Besides, when the Secret Art is cultivated to a certain limit, there will be a bottleneck. Without breaking through this bottleneck, you will never be able to advance further!” Wu Meng Chuan’s face turned solemn at this point, looking at Yang Kai intently, “And this bottleneck is the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, which is why you and I cannot break through to the Emperor Realm!”
Yang Kai knew that it was not the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that hindered his breakthrough, but he was still interested in listening because he felt that Wu Meng Chuan was going to tell him the solution to this problem next.
This guy seemed to feel that he had gotten Yang Kai in his hand, so now he was a little chatty and revealed everything to him.
Indeed, Wu Meng Chuan carried on, “In order to solve this problem, Ancestor came up with an ingenious solution involving another person cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. When this person cultivated to the bottleneck of the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, one just needed to devour him and use the combined essence to break through the bottleneck in one swoop, arriving at the Emperor Realm!” His tone gradually became excited, his face turning ruddy as he exclaimed, “Ancestor is truly an unparalleled genius, I could never be as good as him!”
Yang Kai responded with a shocked look, “So… the ultimate goal of you passing on the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to me was to devour me?”
Wu Meng Chuan grinned and snarled with his white fangs, “Of course, why else do you think this King, as the descendant of the strongest Great Emperor, would easily give out his Secret Art?”
“Despicable! Shameless!” Yang Kai rebuked.
Wu Meng Chuan snorted coldly, “You are not the only person who has obtained this Secret Art from this King. Over the past few hundred years, this King discovered over a hundred gifted cultivators and passed them the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, but the only one who cultivated until the Third-Order Dao Source Realm is you! As for the others… they all died.”
He paused for a while, then continued, “The Secret Art that this King passed on to you is not incomplete, but it is a copy.”
“A copy?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Yes, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that was created by Ancestor is divided into two types, original and copy. This King cultivated the original Secret Art, while the one that passed on to you is just a copy!”
“You’ve played quite the elaborate game!” Yang Kai was slightly shocked. He did not expect Wu Meng Chuan to pass the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to many people, and for all those who cultivated it to have been killed by the backlash.
After all, not everyone had a body like the Embodiment.
Yang Kai rejoiced secretly that he had resisted the temptation to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law back then, otherwise, he would not even have known how he had died.
Although he had a great deal of perseverance, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was too overbearing. It seemed that Wu Meng Chuan did not manage to reach the Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation by just being strong in perseverance. Perhaps the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor passed down some cultivation experience for him to use as reference.
“It is nothing to wait for a few hundred years if I could revive the glory of Ancestor!” Wu Meng Chuan shook his body and shouted loudly.
With an ugly face, Yang Kai pressed on, “I want to ask, what is the difference between the original Secret Art and the copy?”
“Heh heh, basically the two are the same, but naturally there are some slight differences. The cultivator who cultivates the copy is just a seed. Once he reaches the top of the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, the seed is mature and can be consumed by the cultivator of the original technique. If the seed is swallowed, then you can break through to the Emperor Realm! Moreover, if the seed matures, the person who cultivates the original can sense it from a far distance,” Wu Meng Chuan explained in gradual excitement.
“No wonder you could find me in the Shattered Star Sea, you were able to detect me all along,” Yang Kai remarked.
He had released the Embodiment earlier in the Source Sea, so Wu Meng Chuan must have sensed his presence at that time.
Wu Meng Chuan raised his arms and wailed, “This King has waited for hundreds of years for this day, and the day has finally come!”
Yang Kai nodded; he had obtained answers to all his doubts.
The reason why the Embodiment had reached a bottleneck and was unable to break through turned out to be because of the Secret Art; not because it was incomplete, but because it was meant to be like that.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before asking, “What if the person who has cultivated the copy swallows the person who has cultivated the original?”
Wu Meng Chuan was taken aback by Yang Kai’s question, but soon understood what Yang Kai meant and grinned meaningfully, “Young people are indeed very ambitious, very good, very good! With your aptitude, if you did not cultivate that Secret Art, you would surely have reached a grand stage in the future. It’s a pity… now you’re just a stepping stone for this King’s promotion.”
“You haven’t answered my question!” Yang Kai looked at him with a darkened face.
Wu Meng Chuan answered, “If you can really swallow this King, naturally you would break through. What is there to ask about?”
“I see…” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction, “That would be for the best.”
“Little brat, what else do you want to ask?” Wu Meng Chuan snarled, “Ask now as it is your last chance. This King is quite impatient and can barely restrain himself.”
“I have no more questions!” Yang Kai grinned at him.
His sly smile startled Wu Meng Chuan, who gritted his teeth and barked, “Trying to be all mysterious!”
While talking, Source Qi suddenly surged and he prepared to attack Yang Kai.
“Wait!” Yang Kai suddenly raised his hand.
“What else!?” Wu Meng Chuan complained impatiently.
Yang Kai smiled at him weirdly, and asked, “Why didn’t you ask why can’t you sense the mature seed now?”
Flabbergasted, Wu Meng Chuan had completely forgotten the odd phenomenon he had noticed earlier when Yang Kai distracted him with a string of questions, and only remembered when Yang Kai reminded him.
He queried hastily, “Why?”
“Heh heh…” Yang Kai grinned, spreading his hands and revealing, “Because, this Young Master never cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
“What?” Wu Meng Chuan was dumbfounded, “Didn’t cultivate it? Impossible!”
If Yang Kai did not cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, how did he reach the Third-Order Dao Source Realm in such a short period of time? By his looks and aura, Yang Kai seemed to have broken through quite some time ago and had an extremely solid foundation.
If Yang Kai did not cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, how could the indication of the seed he had sensed earlier be explained?
He obviously travelled so far after sensing that fluctuation and encountered Yang Kai because of that.
Yang Kai added in a low voice, “The one who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was someone else!”
“Who!?” Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes narrowed.
Yang Kai waved his hand, and a behemoth suddenly materialised. The huge figure obscured all the light from the sky, casting a shadow that covered a large area on the ground which shook slightly when it landed.
Wu Meng Chuan’s jaw dropped as he looked up at the hill-like existence, feeling a wave of suffocating pressure, making it difficult for him to even breathe smoothly.
The signal the seed emitted that had disappeared earlier reappeared when this hill-like existence materialised.
This time, Wu Meng Chuan clearly felt that the fluctuation was not from Yang Kai, but from the monster in front of him.
Taking a closer look, Wu Meng Chuan could not help drawing a deep breath.
The huge monster had four limbs, a face, and was covered in thick rock armour. It looked like a huge stone man; however, this stone man had a pair of shrewd eyes that were constantly darting around as well as a black War Hammer held in its hand which exuded an extremely uncomfortable aura.
[A Demonic Artifact!] Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes widened, ogling the War Hammer blankly in shock. He could not believe his eyes. This was a Demonic Artifact, a real Demonic Artifact.
Did Demonic Artifacts still exist in the world today? Shouldn’t such things have been destroyed aeons ago? Hadn’t the Ancient Demons gone extinct?
“Did you hear what this guy said just now?” Yang Kai pointed to Wu Meng Chuan and asked.
The Embodiment waved the Demonic War Hammer in his hand and said in a booming voice, “I heard it clearly.”
“Devour him, and you will be able to break through the bottleneck,” Yang Kai laughed lightly.
The Embodiment chortled with him, “I can’t wait.”
As he spoke, he took a step forward.
*Hong long long… *
The ground boomed when the Embodiment stomped, leaving a gigantic footprint on the solid ground.
“What the hell is this?” Wu Meng Chuan finally recovered from his befuddlement and could not help exclaiming, “Where did you obtain this thing from?”
Such a huge monster couldn’t be taken out of a Space Ring, but Wu Meng Chuan only saw it emerge after Yang Kai waved his arm.
It was also hard to tell if this thing was a living creature. It could talk and communicate like a living thing, but it did not exude any signs of vitality.
Having lived for so many years, Wu Meng Chuan never expected that he could still be so surprised.
“You don’t need to worry about where I got it from, you just need to die obediently. If you don’t resist, I can still give you a painless death, but if you resist, heh heh!” Yang Kai stood aside and sneered.
“You’re asking this King to die?” Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes turned perverse as he barked, “Little brat, you don’t seem to know the situation you’re in! How dare anyone be presumptuous in front of this King!?” He suddenly motioned his hand at the Embodiment and growled, “Heaven Devouring Battle Law, devour it for me!”
A magical power spread out all of a sudden, covering the Embodiment as if it was trying to swallow him whole.
The huge body of the Embodiment staggered and fell to his knees all of a sudden, pain spread across his face as he let out a loud wail.
Yang Kai’s face changed drastically, and he whispered, “What’s going on?”
He knew exactly how strong the Embodiment was. The Stone Puppet clan was born with immense innate strength, and over the years, the Embodiment had refined countless treasures and ores, and now even possessed the Demonic War Hammer; he could even compete against an ordinary Emperor Realm Master. If it was not because he was too large and it was inconvenient for him to move around, Yang Kai would not have kept him hidden so often.
Yang Kai was flabbergasted that his powerful Embodiment was brought to his knees by Wu Meng Chuan in just the blink of an eye, powerless to fight back.
[Is this old thing really so strong?] Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
“I’m dying, I’m dying, I’m dying…” the Embodiment wailed and moaned in pain, “My power is being drained… “
“Hahahaha!” Wu Meng Chuan laughed frantically with frenzied eyes as he roared madly, “How dare you be arrogant in front of this King, watch this King devour you completely!”
Visible to the naked eye, a stream of pure energy was pulled from the Embodiment into Wu Meng Chuan, who turned ruddy from head to toe, as if he had received immense nourishment.
“It’s the suppression from the Secret Art!” Yang Kai’s face sank when realization dawned on him. He immediately sent the Embodiment back into the Sealed World Bead with another wave of his hand, not daring to let him out anymore.
Wu Meng Chuan looked around when the source of power that he was happily devouring suddenly disappeared, together with the gigantic Embodiment who vanished without a trace.
His face suddenly darkened and he gritted his teeth, “Where did that thing go? Release it quickly, or else this King will make you beg for death!”
Yang Kai looked at him coldly and snapped, “You sly old dog, is there a natural suppression between the original and the copy of the Secret Art?”
Wu Meng Chuan answered with a sullen face, “So what if there is?”
Yang Kai snorted, “If so, no matter how strong the cultivator that cultivates the copy becomes, he is just a meal waiting to be consumed by you.”
“Little brat, you’re too long-winded, let the thing out quickly, after this King breaks through to the Emperor Realm, this King could give you a hand or two in the future,” Wu Meng Chuan bellowed impatiently. The opportunity to reach the Emperor Realm was right in front of him, yet Yang Kai had taken it away. How could Wu Meng Chuan not be anxious?
He did not even know how Yang Kai hid that thing away. If he had known, he would not have wasted time negotiating with Yang Kai and attacked him right away.
Yang Kai snorted, “How inhumane was Heaven Devouring Great Emperor? He slaughtered millions of souls, swallowed countless Stars, collapsed whole Star Fields, angered the Heavens and everyone who lived below them, and was finally killed by several Great Emperors. Wu Meng Chuan, so what if you can break through to the Emperor Realm? You’ll just be following in the footsteps of your Ancestor.”
“Nonsense!” Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes went bloodshot as he shouted angrily, “The Great Emperors were narrow-minded people, jealous of the strength Ancestor possessed, and set up a trap for him, but unfortunately, they still lost their gamble! How could a person as strong as my Ancestor die so easily…”
As he finished these words, Wu Meng Chuan suddenly shut his mouth, his initial excitement seemingly having died down.
Yang Kai looked at him in surprise, his eyes almost popping out from their sockets as he asked in a trembling voice, “What… What did you say? Did you just say that Senior… is not dead yet?”
Wu Meng Chuan realized that he accidentally leaked a secret he shouldn’t have due to his overexcitement, and he now stared at Yang Kai coldly with murderous intent.
A chill suddenly crept from the soles of the feet to the top of his head, causing Yang Kai to shiver.
Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was a legend, but that legend was killed by the other Great Emperors in the Shattered Star Sea tens of thousands of years ago, his very Soul exterminated, yet now, Wu Meng Chuan had revealed an unbelievable truth.
Yang Kai may not have taken this information seriously if it was from someone else, but Wu Meng Chuan was the descendant of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, so what he said must have had a basis.
If Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was not dead, it would truly be pandemonium.
What’s more, after several tens of thousands of years of dormancy and forbearance, what had Heaven Devouring Great Emperor been doing? And what was he planning to do next?
Yang Kai gulped hard.
“You possessed great potential, so this King did not want to kill you, but now it seems that you must die!” Wu Meng Chuan bellowed in a deep voice, clenched his fist and threw a punch towards Yang Kai. The punch seemed to crush space as it flew forward, carrying with it seemingly infinite power.
His eagerness to kill Yang Kai to keep his mouth shut made the latter feel even more uneasy, wondering if his guess was correct.
Yang Kai could not help being shocked by Wu Meng Chuan’s actions.
This madman’s strength was far greater than what an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator should be able to display. It could even be said that he had exceeded the Dao Source Realm entirely.
Even those outstanding rising stars like Wu Chang and Xia Sheng may not necessarily have such impressive capability like Wu Meng Chuan.
The descendant of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was no joke. Although he had been cultivating in anonymity all by himself all these years, he did not seem to be worse than other top elites.
However, even though Wu Meng Chuan was outstanding, Yang Kai was not weak. He did not dodge the punch, but returned one of his own instead.
*Hong long long… *
There was a loud explosion and chaotic energy flew everywhere between the two, colliding with each other.
“Hm?” Wu Meng Chuan was taken aback, for he did not expect Yang Kai to be so strong.
He knew his own strength; Ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivators were no match to him, otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to kill so many cultivators in the Shattered Star Sea, robbing their Star Seals in order to upgrade his own to a seven-pointed one.
But because of this, Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes lit up and he bellowed, “Young man, what kind of opportunities have you had these past few years? It really amazes this King that you could progress to this level so quickly from the Origin King Realm.”
He did not know what kind of adventures Yang Kai had been through, but it was certain he was blessed with enormous fortuitous encounters to have such rapid growth and great strength. However, no matter what opportunities Yang Kai had, as long as he killed him, it would all belong to him.
As Wu Meng Chuan spoke, he rushed to Yang Kai’s face and rained down punches on him. Despite his apparent madness, his eyes still showed a hint of clarity.
Yang Kai looked solemn as he silently pushed his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, surrounding himself with the force of Five Elements while he confronted Wu Meng Chuan dauntlessly.
Previously, on the Source Sea, their battle was just for show and both of them did not use their full strength, so neither of them knew the other’s limits yet.
But now, neither side was holding back; this was a true life or death battle.
In an instant, the two exchanged hundreds of punches and kicks, resulting in a chain of rumblings.
Yang Kai was undoubtedly superior to Wu Meng Chuan in terms of physique. Furthermore, with the addition of his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, which was a profound Body Tempering Secret Art, Wu Meng Chuan instantly fell into a disadvantage in this hand-to-hand match up, and was constantly being beaten back by Yang Kai in humiliation.
Wu Meng Chuan was startled as he realized that he had greatly underestimated Yang Kai’s ability.
In the span of not more than thirty breaths of time, Wu Meng Chuan already had blood splattered all over his body, looking dreadfully pitiful.
But his eyes were still extremely bright.
Yang Kai faintly noticed something wrong, because if it was someone else who was beaten up by him like this, their aura would have weakened significantly; however, Wu Meng Chuan did not show any signs of his aura fading. Instead, his momentum only seemed to be increasing.
In contrast, Yang Kai’s own aura had decreased…
As realization dawned, Yang Kai squinted his eyes and growled in a low voice, “Old Dog, how dare you devour my strength!”
Under his careful observation, Yang Kai finally discovered some clues. He found that a part of the strength he used every time to hit Wu Meng Chuan would strangely disappear, and this part of his power was obviously being swallowed and absorbed by Wu Meng Chuan.
Wu Meng Chuan burst into laughter, “This King has cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, so no one is his equal! Unless you can kill this King in one hit, just wait to die obediently!”
Killing Wu Meng Chuan in one hit was absolutely impossible even for an ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master; only a powerhouse at the Second-Order Emperor Realm would be capable of this.
Yang Kai sensed that the situation was not favouring him, and he hurriedly pulled back.
But Wu Meng Chuan roared violently, “You can’t just come and go in front of this King! Heaven Devouring Domain, open up for me!”
*Hong… *
A formless domain expanded in a loud crash, directly wrapping Yang Kai in it. In this domain, Yang Kai found that the power in his body was uncontrollably leaking out of his pores and flowing towards Wu Meng Chuan.
Not only that, his vitality also showed signs of being devoured.
The rate at which this drain was occurring also seemed to be getting faster and faster.
Yang Kai turned pale with fright as he learned the true terror of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Although the Embodiment also cultivated this Heaven-defying Secret Art, his capabilities were naturally far weaker compared to Wu Meng Chuan’s. Therefore, he could not summon such a domain that was able to devour the strength of everything and everyone trapped within it.
Everything in this domain became a source of power for Wu Meng Chuan and it was inevitable to be devoured by him. If someone fought with him in this domain, the loss of their strength would turn into a gain for Wu Meng Chuan; Wu Meng Chuan would easily win the battle and eventually kill his opponent as long as he survived.
Yang Kai was stuck in this awkward situation now.
“What rich vitality! What pure Source Qi!” Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes gleamed. While fighting with Yang Kai at full tilt, he shouted in amazement, “Little brat, you tempered your body to such an extent? Good, good, good! Now when this King breaks through to the Emperor Realm, he will also have an amazing supplement like you!”
Yang Kai snorted, “Do you really want to devour me so much? Be careful not to choke to death!”
Saying so, he pushed the local Space Principles, causing the surrounding space to become fragile and unstable.
Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes widened in surprise, “This, this, this is… Space Principles!”
He seemed to be seeing a ghost in broad daylight, and could not feel any more shocked.
But the next moment, he was overjoyed, “You are actually proficient in the Dao of Space as well!?”
Seeing this situation, Yang Kai’s heart sank as he secretly wondered if this guy could…
Before he could finish his thought, Yang Kai sensed something was wrong and was terrified, “Bastard, you can even devour Principle Strength!?”
A look of ecstasy was revealed on the face of Wu Meng Chuan as he spread his arms wide and allowed his mind and body to freely devour everything around him, all while loudly praising, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Space Principles turn out to be so mysterious, no wonder not many people can cultivate them!”
By devouring Yang Kai’s Space Principles, Wu Meng Chuan was comprehending the mysteries of the Dao of Space.
If it continued for a long time like this and he was able to comprehend these mysteries, Wu Meng Chuan would certainly be able to cultivate the Dao of Space and obtain all of Yang Kai’s Space Divine Abilities.
Yang Kai truly realized the terror of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law now.
This Secret Art was indeed a marvellous ability, there was nothing it could not devour!
No matter how incredible Principle Strength was, once it was used by others, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law cultivator could comprehend it by devouring it, then cultivating it as his own. This was blatant robbery, and the victim could not do anything about it.
No wonder during the War of Emperors in the Shattered Star Sea in the past, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was able to take four top Masters with him to the afterlife. With the Heaven Devouring Battle Law being so Heaven-defying, no one in this world could be his opponent.
This was simply cheating.
“This King is a little reluctant to kill you now,” Wu Meng Chuan looked at Yang Kai in euphoria and shouted, “Little brat, this King is going to give you another chance; stop resisting, open your Knowledge Sea, and allow this King to brand his Soul Imprint onto it. When this King rules the Star Boundary in the future and revives the glory of his Ancestor, this King will allow you to reign over the world too. What do you think?”
“Is there such a good offer?” Yang Kai stared at him with his teeth gritted, waving his hands as he sent out two gigantic Moon Blades towards Wu Meng Chuan.
Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes brighten up again, fixing his eyes on the Moon Blades, as if he had seen something novel.
He rapidly turned to avoid them when the Moon Blades almost slashed him and licked his lips while revealing an avaricious look, “This King really likes your Space Principles. As long as you can assist this King to cultivate and comprehend the Dao of Space, this King will not treat you badly.”
“Good, I will give you whatever you want! But I need one thing from you first!” Yang Kai sneered.
Wu Meng Chuan responded with a sullen face, “If it’s this King’s life, we are done with the conversation.”
Yang Kai replied, “You’re quite smart, are your parents proud of you?”
Wu Meng Chuan reprimanded, “My parents are long dead, this has nothing to do with them! Flame!”
While Wu Meng Chuan yelled in anger, he waved his hand and a ball of flames instantly condensed and charged towards Yang Kai. This flame contained pure Fire Principles and seemed capable of burning everything in existence.
Yang Kai grimaced seeing this as he knew that the Fire Principles contained in this attack were not cultivated and comprehended by Wu Meng Chuan himself, but should be the Principle Strength of others who he devoured through the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Even so, this Divine Ability could not be underestimated.
“Exile!” Yang Kai stretched his hand out and opened a black hole before him, using it to directly engulf the fireball.
“You never learn!” Wu Meng Chuan’s face turned red as his hands suddenly spread out, releasing two completely different waves of Principles; the left hand burned with fire, the right hand froze with ice. The Principles of Fire and Ice were unleashed together. Surprisingly they did not cancel each other out, but instead perfectly merged into one as Wu Meng Chuan roared, “Have a taste of the original creation of this King, Nine Heavens Ice Fire!”
*Pa… *
He clapped his hands together in front of him, and in an instant, the power of fire and ice burst out violently, rolling up the void and crumbling the world around him.
The violent power rolled over, and Yang Kai, the first to be affected, was swamped in it all of a sudden.
*Hong long long… *
The Nine Heavens Ice Fire rioted for a time before it gradually dissipated and dispersed.
Wu Meng Chuan stood his ground, staring ahead, dignified.
When the dust settled, Yang Kai stood in the void, his clothes tattered. Although he was dishevelled, he was still very much alive and now wore a sombre expression as he formed a set of profound hand seals.
A mysterious aura permeated the air around him.
Wu Meng Chuan suddenly felt extremely uneasy. His heart jumped, and for some reason, he had a feeling that time around him was slowing down, like his own perception was suppressed and everything around him was growing stagnant. Only Yang Kai’s movements remained as fast as lightning.
Yang Kai quickly finished his set of complex hand seals and pushed his palms forward, growling in a low voice, “Time Flies!”
Wu Meng Chuan was appalled, instinctively aware of the dangers of the incoming attack; but he could not avoid it at all, even his thoughts seemed to be frozen at this moment.
Even the Heaven Devouring Battle Law failed to be of any help.
A strange seal quickly shot towards Wu Meng Chuan.
At the critical moment, Wu Meng Chuan bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of Blood Essence, flipping his wrist and summoning a blood-red bottle. This bottle was not big, only about a forearm’s length, but it exuded a very rich bloody aura.
Suddenly, a scarlet light as strong and thick as a physical substance was emitted from the bottle. The air was filled with a pungent blood stench that turned into a bright red light that shrouded anything in front of it.
The void was swiftly filled with what seemed to be a sea of blood.
*Hong hong hong… *
The Time Flies Seal crashed into the Blood Sea, setting off a huge shockwave. The Blood Sea rolled and tumbled, and Wu Meng Chuan groaned once more, stumbling as he was forced to retreat.
Although he summoned this peculiar artifact in time, his face still began rapidly ageing as he was still affected by the Divine Ability of the Flowing Time Great Emperor. It seemed that he was quite badly injured at this moment, but his expression remained calm contrary to his previous panic.
He snarled at Yang Kai in a low voice, “I didn’t expect you to have such a Divine Ability!”
Yang Kai looked around with a frown.
It had only been a span of three breaths since Wu Meng Chuan summoned the blood-red bottle, but the surrounding environment had changed drastically.
The surrounding area was filled with a strong smell of blood arising from the bubbling Blood Sea below that vaguely emitted faint cries and howls.
The surrounding space seemed to be isolated by the Blood Sea, and even though Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, he could not sense any connection with the area outside of the Blood Sea. It seemed that this place was converted into an isolated space, similar to the Sealed World Bead, completely cut off from the outside.
[What the hell is that?] Yang Kai was puzzled, the only thing he was certain of was that the blood-red bottle was a powerful Emperor Artifact!
It was very likely that it was an Emperor Artifact passed down from Heaven Devouring Great Emperor; after all, Wu Meng Chuan was not an Emperor yet, so it was next to impossible for him to request someone else to refine an Emperor Artifact for him.
Yang Kai frowned deeply. If this was really an Emperor Artifact that belonged to Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, things would be quite troublesome.
“Little brat, just what Divine Ability is this? It’s completely different from your Space Principles earlier!” Wu Meng Chuan hollered again.
Yang Kai glanced at him coldly and snorted, “Why would a dying person ask so many questions?”
Wu Meng Chuan was taken aback before he immediately cackled, “You are truly bold! You should be proud that you were able to force this King to use the Blood Spirit Bottle!”
“Blood Spirit Bottle?” Yang Kai raised his brow, learning the name of this Emperor Artifact.
“Indeed!” Wu Meng Chuan imparted triumphantly, “This is the Emperor Artifact I inherited from my great Ancestor! Only descendants with the Wu Family bloodline can use it. Others would not be able to operate it. Although the Blood Spirit Bottle is not the pinnacle of my great Ancestor’s creations, it is more than enough to handle you.”
[This thing really is an Emperor Artifact passed down by Heaven Devouring Great Emperor to his descendants.] Yang Kai was baffled.
Wu Meng Chuan continued, “Don’t even think of escaping in this King’s Blood Spirit Bottle even if you are proficient in the Dao of Space. Today you will either submit to this King or die here!”
Yang Kai sneered, “You should take care of yourself first. Having taken this Young Master’s Divine Ability, how long can you live?”
Although Yang Kai failed to achieve the desired effect with his Time Flies Seal, Wu Meng Chuan was still injured by it, his ageing face the best proof of that. What’s more, the Flowing Time Force that invaded his body would not be easily dispersed. The Flowing Time Force would continue to consume Wu Meng Chuan’s vitality and he would eventually die of old age.
“A trivial Secret Technique, what can it do to me?” Wu Meng Chuan snorted coldly and stretched out his hand to make a move. The bloody water below him streamed towards him like a thousand rivers flowing back to the sea, and with the influx of bloody water, Wu Meng Chuan’s old face quickly regained its brilliance, and it seemed that it was no longer corroded by the flow of time.
But Yang Kai did not miss the frown which formed on Wu Meng Chuan’s face or the look of shock that soon followed.
Because his restored face was quickly ageing again.
“What kind of power is this!?” Wu Meng Chuan was finally triggered and he asked in shock.
His method of using blood to restore his vitality actually only worked temporarily rather than permanently. Unless he kept absorbing the blood from this place, he would soon die. After realizing this, Wu Meng Chuan was terrified.
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “Can’t you devour everything? Just try devouring it yourself and you’ll know!” He chimed sarcastically.
“Little brat, you court death! I had wanted to keep your life for my use, but now it seems that I must kill you!” Wu Meng Chuan was furious and waved his hands madly. The Blood Sea suddenly ferociously rioted, and a giant blood dragon emerged from its surface. The blood dragon looked as vivid as an actual dragon, and stared around with its house-sized eyes. It snapped its jaws and swung its claws as it threw itself at Yang Kai.
To Wu Meng Chuan’s surprise, Yang Kai just stood still and sneered gently at the ferocious attack.
[What the hell is he up to now?] Wu Meng Chuan worried in his heart, unsure of what Yang Kai was planning. To avoid accidents, he struck again, condensing several more blood dragons from the Blood Sea, surrounding Yang Kai in all directions.
Yang Kai snorted, “Wu Meng Chuan, your strength is also beyond this Young Master’s expectations; you should be proud you were able to force me to use this treasure!”
He actually returned Wu Meng Chuan’s words from earlier.
Unable to contain his anger, Wu Meng Chuan raged, “How dare a little brat like you be so arrogant? Within this King’s Blood Spirit Bottle’s Blood Sea, what other tricks do you have? Just die!”
“It’s you who is going to die!” Yang Kai responded sharply.
When the words fell, he stretched out his hand, summoning the Mountains and Rivers Bell and pouring his Source Qi and Spiritual Energy into it madly.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell grew rapidly; the magnificent drawings and runes on its surface came to life as it began releasing an ancient and desolate aura.
“This is…” Wu Meng Chuan’s eyes widened suddenly, staring at the Mountains and Rivers Bell in amazement, almost biting his tongue off in shock.
As a descendant of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, he was naturally more aware of everything in the past and present that happened in the Shattered Star Sea than others. He knew every Great Emperor that had fallen here and what kind of treasures they left behind.
Therefore, he immediately recognized the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
“That’s impossible!” Wu Meng Chuan exclaimed.
No matter what, he could not believe that Yang Kai actually conquered the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
This was the Natal Emperor Artifact of the Yuan Ding Great Emperor! It was a primitive relic brought out by the Yuan Ding Great Emperor from the Ancient Wild Lands.
But hadn’t the Mountains and Rivers Bell escaped into The Void to suppress the Phoenix True Fire? Why was it in Yang Kai’s hands?
If the Mountains and Rivers Bell was here, then where was the Phoenix True Fire?
If this was truly the Mountains and Rivers Bell… Wu Meng Chuan was in grave danger!
*Dong… *
With a melodious chime of a bell, a shock wave visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions. The sound wave was seemingly mixed with a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power that had an almost irresistible suppressive power to it.
The blood dragons that rushed to attack Yang Kai fell apart in an instant and splashed into pools of blood once more.
Wu Meng Chuan trembled as he could not help retreating several steps back, blood now oozing out of his ears and nose as he stumbled.
This was the true Mountains and Rivers Bell!
Everything turned white within Wu Meng Chuan’s vision, his head buzzing wildly as his mind was blinded by the shock.
Having personally endured the impact of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, he no longer doubted.
Wu Meng Chuan stiffened even more at the presence of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, immobilised in place by an invisible force. Even the bloody water that was bubbling below had suddenly become still without a single ripple.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell’s toll could suppress Worlds and invert the Heavens and Earth.
If there was nothing the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could not devour, then there was nothing the Mountains and Rivers Bell could not suppress.
*Pu… *
Finally, Wu Meng Chuan could not withhold any longer and spat a mouthful of blood, his face ageing drastically all of a sudden.
Yang Kai snorted coldly, “Wu Meng Chuan, this place will be your deathbed, now obediently die for me!”
He roared and slammed his hand down, sending the Mountains and Rivers Bell plummeting into the Blood Sea, causing it to vanish.
But in the next moment, the entire Blood Sea bubbled madly, followed by crackling sounds from all directions.
Wu Meng Chuan was appalled and exclaimed sharply, “Stop! Stop or you will ruin this King’s Blood Spirit Bottle!”
The local space had been isolated by the Blood Spirit Bottle, integrating with it in a sense, but the Mountains and Rivers Bell was now shattering through the bounds of this space, creating a force that was impossible for the Blood Spirit Bottle to bear. The Emperor Artifact passed down by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor would surely be damaged greatly if this suppressive pressure continued much longer.
Yang Kai sneered, “Still worrying about the bottle when you’re about to lose your life!”
Yang Kai would not have chosen to act this way if the Blood Spirit Bottle could be of use for him; after all, it was a treasure passed down by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, so its value was surely immeasurable. However, since Wu Meng Chuan explained that only the descendants with the Wu Family bloodline could control it, it was useless even if Yang Kai captured it.
Therefore, he showed no mercy.
*Kacha… *
A more intense sound shook the ground.
Wu Meng Chuan paled, and shouted, “Stop! I have something to say.”
Yang Kai replied coldly, “I’m not listening to a single word you have to say!”
*Huala… *
The world that was enveloped by the Blood Sea broke with a loud crack, and the constrictive power that sealed the surroundings disappeared in an instant.
The Blood Sea in the void collapsed, and the crimson covering the sky dispersed.
In the blink of an eye, the red blood that filled the world disappeared.
Wu Meng Chuan stood not far away, pale and battered out of his senses.
The Blood Spirit Bottle was destroyed, and he received a huge backlash from its destruction. In addition, he had been hit by Yang Kai’s Time Flies Seal before, so at this moment, he had one foot in the grave already. Coughing up blood unceasingly, he was too feeble to even stand steadily.
Yang Kai was not much better, however.
This was the second time he had summoned the Mountains and Rivers Bell, and after using it once, his vision became blurry and his head was spinning, a buzzing noise still ringing in his ears as his heart pumped madly like a drum.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth as he felt the veins on his forehead throb. Lifting up the Myriads Sword, he threw it towards Wu Meng Chuan like a bolt of lightning.
Followed by a soft thud, the Myriads Sword pierced through Wu Meng Chuan’s abdomen, nailing him firmly to the ground and instantly staining it with his blood.
Wu Meng Chuan struggled hard, but he was unable to break free.
The next moment, Yang Kai waved his hand to release the Embodiment again, and ordered in an exhausted manner, “I’ll leave it to you!”
Although the Embodiment had not participated in this battle, he had still clearly seen the happenings outside the Sealed World Bead, so as soon as he was summoned, he immediately went forward to Wu Meng Chuan and slammed his palm down on him.
*Honglong… *
The earth shook as the place where Wu Meng Chuan was had been completely covered by a gigantic palm.
The Embodiment’s eyes burst with light and he bellowed in excitement, “Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
With the activation of the Secret Art, the extremely pure energy of Wu Meng Chuan flowed out of his withering body and was inhaled into the body of the Embodiment.
Not long after that, the Embodiment cried out oddly. The cry was a mixture of joy and excitement; mysterious power was building up in his gigantic body.
Seeing this, Yang Kai knew that the Embodiment was about to break through his bottleneck.
Wu Meng Chuan was right; if the Embodiment could devour him, he could break through with ease. This had nothing to do with who cultivated the original Secret Art or who cultivated the copy.
Wu Meng Chuan had schemed for hundreds of years to reach this point, but in the end, all his best-laid plans profited others at his expense. If he had known that it would end up like this, he probably would never have passed the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to Yang Kai back then.
But then again, how many people in this world would have an Embodiment like Yang Kai’s, who could cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law without suffering from its backlash? Also, how many cultivators could actually beat Wu Meng Chuan while still in the Dao Source Realm?
The Blood Spirit Bottle alone was enough to overwhelm ninety-nine percent of all Dao Source Realm cultivators.
As for the others who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle, they would be just a piece of cake to Wu Meng Chuan if they ever met.
Excessive exhaustion struck as Yang Kai’s nerves finally loosened. Somehow managing to not pass out, Yang Kai slowly sat down cross-legged, stuffed a bunch of Spirit Pills into his mouth, and started to adjust his breathing with his eyes closed.
On the other side, the Embodiment continuously let out weird yet excited screams that were as loud as thunder.
Wu Meng Chuan’s aura was growing weaker and weaker as the Embodiment continued to devour his strength, and it seemed that he would die very soon.
All of a sudden, the Embodiment let out a cry of surprise, as if he discovered something. With his palm further pressing into the ground, accompanied by a cracking sound, Wu Meng Chuan’s whole body exploded like a popped melon, so badly mutilated that he could not be more dead.
The Embodiment carried on his devouring.
After a while, the Embodiment stopped and straightened his body, with his shrewd eyes hinting that he was deep in thought, quietly standing there for a long period of time.
His eyes became brighter and brighter as the light of enlightenment flashed across their depths. Soon, the Embodiment sat down cross-legged as well and performed a hand seal before turning motionless again.
There was no World Energy baptism or convergence of World Energy to accompany this breakthrough, the Embodiment simply seemed to fall into a certain state of deep sleep.
Time passed slowly and Yang Kai gradually opened his eyes after a full two days. Even though his body was still a little weakened, it did not hinder him from moving anymore.
He retrieved the Mountains and River Bell and the Myriads Sword first, then looked at the Embodiment.
Although he was focusing on his own recovery earlier, Yang Kai was still paying attention to the Embodiment, so he knew exactly what happened over there.
After watching for a while, Yang Kai could not help frowning.
Not only was the Embodiment’s aura waning, but Yang Kai could also sense that his Spiritual Energy seemed to be fading as well, as if he had really fallen into a kind of deep sleep.
However, Yang Kai did not dare to disturb him impetuously.
After all, the Embodiment did not have a physical body, and his promotion was very different from that of ordinary cultivators. Yang Kai was not sure if this situation was normal, as there was no appearance of a World Energy baptism.
The only thing Yang Kai could do now was to provide the Embodiment with some Source Crystals, so that he would have enough energy.
Thinking about this, he hurriedly took out a hill of Source Crystals from his Space Ring and piled them up next to the Embodiment.
But as soon as these Source Crystals were taken out, a magical force swallowed up all their internal energy, transforming them into a pile of useless dust.
Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat after seeing this as he had taken out at least thirty million Source Crystals just now, but they were all gone now. This kind of consumption was a little too terrifying.
Fortunately, he did not lack Source Crystals, so he quickly replenished them.
The cycle repeated and repeated.
After hundreds of millions of Source Crystals from Low-Rank to High-Rank were thrown out, the devouring of Source Crystals by the Embodiment had finally slowed down.
In the following days, Yang Kai paid close attention to the condition of the Embodiment. Once the Source Crystals were consumed, he would take out some more.
More than half of the wealth that Yang Kai had acquired over the years was used up in this short period of time.
After a full month, the Embodiment finally stopped absorbing the World Energy from the Source Crystals. At this time, no matter how many Source Crystals Yang Kai placed beside him, he did not devour them anymore.
Yang Kai guessed that he must have reached a certain critical limit.
Perhaps… either success or failure was laid on one last stroke.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai, who was paying close attention to the movement of the Embodiment, suddenly heard a cracking noise.
He was slightly startled and had no idea what was going on, so he quickly released his Divine Sense to investigate it silently.
In the next moment, a scene in front of Yang Kai took him aback.
A crack had appeared on the body of the Embodiment, as if a wall that had not been repaired for many years could no longer handle the overwhelming load and was about to shatter.
This discovery made Yang Kai feel unsure. In theory, the Embodiment had devoured Wu Meng Chuan so he should be able to break through his bottleneck and rise in strength.
However, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was supposed to be cultivated by humans, and no one knew what would be the result if a Stone Puppet cultivated it.
Just when Yang Kai was still in doubt, he heard the sound again, and this time it was persistent.
More cracks appeared on the Embodiment, crisscrossing with each other.
*Hualala…*
After a while, large pieces of rubble fell down from the Embodiment.
Yang Kai’s eyes twitched as he was extremely worried.
After all these years of cultivation, the body of the Embodiment had basically gotten to the point that every part was as tough as an Emperor Artifact, and an ordinary attack would be impossible to harm him.
But now, the surface of his body was cracking and falling off.
[Is there something wrong?] Yang Kai was anxious, but he was powerless to help as he did not know what he could do now.
The situation persisted for not more than ten breaths of time, and a circle of rubble had been piled up around the Embodiment. This rubble was quite strange in that it rapidly disintegrated after falling down, as if it was not hard at all.
A while later, Yang Kai suddenly revealed a bewildered look and stared at the Embodiment in a daze.
He realized that after stripping off a surface of rubble on his body, the Embodiment actually shrunk in size.
Although his previous gigantic size was terrifying, his movements were restricted. Now after shrinking quite substantially, the Embodiment should be far more flexible.
[Is this a good sign?]
The Embodiment, or rather the Stone Puppet Clan, was considered a special existence, but since it could exist in this world, it must be permitted by natural law. His growth and evolution should inevitably develop towards a more beneficial route.
This present situation might be the process of his evolution.
*Kacha… *
Another crisp sound was heard, and Yang Kai noticed the cracks happened again on the surface of the, now smaller, body of the Embodiment.
With the previous experience, Yang Kai was not as nervous this time and instead just quietly observed the changes of the Embodiment.
Unsurprisingly, after the cracks appeared to a certain extent, a surface layer of the Embodiment peeled off again, and he shrunk for the second time.
This situation continued for several days and the Embodiment underwent six reductions in size during this time.
It was not until the end of the sixth shedding that it finally settled down.
The waves of aura from the Embodiment’s body began to rise again, ultimately reaching a degree that frightened even Yang Kai.
That was definitely the aura that could only be possessed by an Emperor Realm Master.
Although there was no Earth-shaking promotion process or World Energy baptism, the Embodiment now certainly had a power comparable to that of Emperor Realm Masters.
Together with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and the Demonic War Hammer, the Embodiment, who was already a special type of existence, could definitely exert incredible power.
Finally, the Embodiment opened his bright eyes that now glowed with vigour and showed a satisfied look on his face.
“How is it?” Even though Yang Kai had witnessed the process and outcome, he still could not help stepping forward and asking about it.
The Embodiment slowly straightened his body.
Although he had shrunk six times, the Embodiment was still about three times the height of a regular man when he stood up. His huge body was as polished as a rock washed by the sea for countless years, which even Yang Kai felt a sense of oppression from.
“Feels good!” The Embodiment grinned, but his inherited angular-featured face of the Stone Puppet clan actually made his smile look silly.
After a pause, he continued, “Although I feel many times stronger than before… I need to get more comfortable with my new body!”
He stretched out his hand and clenched his fist while speaking.
His body shape had gone through tremendous changes so the Embodiment was not used to it yet, and he unquestionably had to go through a period of adjustment to move about freely.
Yang Kai nodded, “Take your time getting used to it.”
Saying so, he stretched out his hand, preparing to collect the Embodiment back into the Sealed World Bead.
“Take a look at this. I took it from Wu Meng Chuan. He tried to destroy it before he died. I’m not sure if there’re any secrets hidden inside.” The Embodiment tossed something to Yang Kai right before he entered the Sealed World Bead.
Yang Kai took a closer look at the object in his hand. It was a jade slip. At a glance, it appeared to have been worn through the years and seemed to have been passed down for a number of generations.
Moreover, many seals were placed on this jade slip. Yang Kai tried to crack them, but didn’t have any success.
The techniques employed in these seals were extremely old and complicated. Yang Kai studied it for a while, but did not learn anything.
According to the Embodiment, he had taken the jade slip from Wu Meng Chuan, who tried to destroy it just before he died. It seemed that the jade slip had a lot of history and secrets that needed to be kept hidden and Wu Meng Chuan did not want Yang Kai to uncover them.
But what secrets were so valuable that Wu Meng Chuan felt the need to destroy them before he died so no one could ever discover them?
Wu Meng Chuan was the descendant of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and this Shattered Star Sea happened to be the burial place of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. Yang Kai had a deduction that this jade slip was related to Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
He kept the jade slip solemnly and left the Shattered Star.
After his death, Yang Kai obtained Wu Meng Chuan’s seven-pointed Star Seal, as well as his Space Ring. However, there was nothing valuable in this Space Ring. The Blood Spirit Bottle, the only inheritance the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had passed down to Wu Meng Chuan, was indeed a priceless treasure, but unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Yang Kai’s Star Seal still showed no signs of upgrading even after devouring Wu Meng Chuan’s seven-pointed Star Seal.
It was rumoured that if one could obtain the highest nine-pointed Star Seal, the inheritance of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor could be found.
Yang Kai guessed that this was most likely not true considering how many people would need to be killed to upgrade a Star Seal to the peak nine-points, and the fact that not everyone was compatible with the inheritance of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. After all, Yang Kai had already experienced the power and horrors of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and even if someone obtained it here, it may not be a blessing but rather a curse.
Therefore, Yang Kai was not too concerned about this matter from the beginning, and he assumed that no one could ever reach the highest tier of Star Seal.
Yang Kai returned to the Source Sea after a day.
Yang Kai only left the Source Sea because he was too eager to inquire about information regarding the Heaven Devouring Battle Law from Wu Meng Chuan, but now that the Embodiment had broken through his bottleneck, he naturally returned.
There was still a lot of Source Strength in the Source Sea that he had not absorbed and refined, so how could Yang Kai just miss out on such a good opportunity?
When Yang Kai arrived at the Source Sea, he discovered that it was vastly different from before.
He looked around and found that the size of the Source Sea had been greatly reduced while the number of cultivators present had multiplied. Yang Kai wondered what happened in the Source Sea this past month since he left.
Above the Source Sea, an endless number of battles of various sizes were taking place. Countless cultivators gathered and fought, with many dying and falling into the Source Sea, leaving behind no trace of their existence.
Compared to before, there were obviously many more clashes.
Yang Kai could not help frowning at the multitude of people who came to the Source Sea. Obviously, someone had spread the information that led to many cultivators gathering here in flocks.
This also proved that the Source Sea was indeed very beneficial to cultivators.
However, where there were many people, there would naturally be more disputes. In such a chaotic situation, it would be difficult to absorb and refine Source Strength in peace.
Yang Kai realized the situation was worse than what he had seen from afar when he flew closer.
Not only were there more battles between cultivators, the entire Source Sea was also exuding a very strange aura at this moment. Yang Kai could clearly sense that the Source Sea was slowly flowing towards a certain direction in a manner even more turbulent than the one he caused previously.
Did someone else possess a treasure similar to the Sealed World Bead? Otherwise, what could have caused the Source Sea to have such a phenomenon?
Yang Kai became extremely wary.
But he did not plan to linger outside for long. For now, his plan was to dive into the depths to investigate as he did last time. The Source Strength in the inner region was richer and purer, so absorbing and refining there for a day was comparable to a month on the outside.
Suddenly, Yang Kai felt something and instinctively looked in one direction.
A pair of bright eyes were staring at him from that direction.
The two pairs of eyes met each other and Yang Kai’s expression immediately brightened and he turned and dashed over.
Because the person looking at him was actually Liu Yan!
A year after entering the Shattered Star Sea, Yang Kai separated from Liu Yan and the others, even Sister Hua ventured out to seek for her own opportunities. Yang Kai had been alone since then and could not help feeling a bit lonesome from time to time.
He did not expect to meet again in the Source Sea at this moment.
Although it was a coincidence, it was also inevitable.
At this moment, the Source Sea had likely gathered seventy to eighty percent of the remaining cultivators in the entire Shattered Star Sea. Liu Yan and the others must have also heard the news of the Source Sea and joined the crowd.
The little girl from the Zhang Family stood gracefully beside Liu Yan with a healthy glow to her face.
Liu Yan nudged Zhang Ruo Xi quietly and whispered something as Yang Kai flew over. The next moment, Zhang Ruo Xi turned her head to look at Yang Kai and her eyes lit up.
She immediately shouted when Yang Kai stopped in front of them, “Sir!”
Perhaps because of meeting Yang Kai again, Zhang Ruo Xi’s little face flushed pink and her eyes smiled cheerfully, looking extremely happy.
Yang Kai smiled lightly and was about to speak when he suddenly gaped at Zhang Ruo Xi, scanning her up and down.
The little girl was flustered by Yang Kai’s ogle.
“Third-Order Dao Source Realm!” Yang Kai gasped, hardly believing his eyes. Zhang Ruo Xi had broken through from the First-Order Dao Source Realm to Third-Order Dao Source Realm in less than two years! To have such cultivation speed in an environment where World Energy was thin, such as the Shattered Star Sea, Yang Kai was astonished.
Yang Kai was already aware that Zhang Ruo Xi possessed a very special bloodline that very likely contained a shocking secret. As long as she had the resources, her cultivation speed would be unbelievably fast; however, he still looked at her in a completely different light from before.
On the contrary, Liu Yan did not seem to have much growth in strength. She was still a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, but her aura was undoubtedly more solid and pure.
They seemed to be holding up very well even without Yang Kai’s care during this period of time.
“I could only reach the Third-Order Dao Source Realm because Big Sister Liu Yan gave me all her cultivation resources!” Zhang Ruo Xi explained quietly, “It was all thanks to Big Sister Liu Yan!”
Liu Yan smiled softly but did not speak.
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement, “That would also require you to have the necessary talent.”
Without shocking aptitude, there was no way to reach such a height in such a short period of time, even with unlimited resources.
Yang Kai suddenly felt some anticipation thinking about the achievements this little girl from the Zhang Family would have in the future.
“Master, have you seen Sister Hua during this time?” Liu Yan asked abruptly.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I haven’t.”
Zhang Ruo Xi pressed on worriedly, “I don’t know how Sister Hua has been during this time.”
The three girls were often together in the Sealed World Bead, and had developed deep affection for one another. It was only natural for them to worry now that they had reunited with Yang Kai, but Hua Qing Si was still nowhere to be seen.
In less than two years without Yang Kai, Liu Yan and Zhang Ruo Xi had encountered countless distasteful scenes. They had relied on Liu Yan’s White Tiger Heaven Grade puppet countless times to escape from those troubles. At the same time, their innocence was worn away, especially Zhang Ruo Xi’s. She now gave off a faint sense of maturity.
“Don’t worry too much about Sister Hua,” although Yang Kai was worried too, he could only console them, “Sister Hua is different from you. She is experienced and a disciple of Star Soul Palace, she also has the Five-Coloured Spear. Most people are not her opponents.”
“But there are many people in the Shattered Star Sea who have broken through to the Emperor Realm,” Zhang Ruo Xi whispered.
“Yes, there are some, but not many. Sister Hua is not so unlucky. Moreover, the ones who broke through to the Emperor Realm are all elite disciples of top Sects who won’t bully others for no reason,” Yang Kai comforted them for a while before smartly changing topics, “What are you doing here? It’s very dangerous here. You should find a place to refine and absorb Source Strength instead of standing around!”
“Little Sister Xiao Qi is here!” Liu Yan expressed.
“Who?”
Liu Yan pointed in a certain direction.
Yang Kai’s eyes followed the direction and his eyes widened as he exclaimed, “Mo Xiao Qi!”
Over there, a woman involved in an intense battle was none other than Mo Xiao Qi! The butterfly-shaped birthmark on her face was still as vivid as when Yang Kai had first met her, so it was easy to recognize her.
Yang Kai only made two friends when he first arrived in Maplewood City. One was Spirit Pill Plaza’s shopkeeper Kang Si Ran, and the other was this mischievous little girl, Mo Xiao Qi.
It was a pity when Kang Si Ran was transferred away by Violet Source Chamber of Commerce after he broke through to the Dao Source Realm, while Mo Xiao Qi had disappeared without a trace, leaving only the inexplicable message that, ‘Aunty Feng caught me, I need to leave first!’
Yang Kai had met the so-called Aunty Feng.
She had smashed Yang Kai’s wooden ship Artifact to pieces without hurting him with a single palm and her powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation.
The boat he was currently using was given as compensation by Aunty Feng.
That was also the first time Yang Kai had seen the power of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Facing such a Master, Yang Kai felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Fortunately, Aunty Feng had no malice against him, otherwise, Yang Kai would already be dead.
Regarding the origins of Mo Xiao Qi, Yang Kai was clueless about it at the time and only knew that her background was extraordinary. However, Yang Kai also had a rough idea of her true identity after having travelled the Star Boundary over the years and gradually becoming more informed.
She was the daughter of Eastern Territory Spirit Beast Island’s Master, Martial Beast Great Emperor!
There were two mysterious islands in the Eastern Territory, one was Spirit Beast Island, the retreat of one of the Ten Great Emperors, the Martial Beast Great Emperor. Although it was not a Sect per se, it was famous throughout the Star Boundary, a place that no one did not know.
The second one was the legendary Dragon Island! It was rumoured that many True Dragons were living on that island, but almost no one knew where it was located, or even if it really existed.
Nonetheless, the name of Dragon Island left a deep impression on any who heard it.
The Martial Beast Great Emperor was one of the current Ten Great Emperors. He tamed ten thousand beasts, possessed superb strength, and was exceptionally crafty.
It was just that he was a relatively low-key person, so his deeds were rarely known, and he did not build a grand Sect like the Bright Moon Great Emperor or the Serene Soul Great Emperor, instead choosing to live a life of seclusion on Spirit Beast Island.
Mo Xiao Qi had an extraordinary identity, the daughter of the Martial Beast Great Emperor. No one dared to fight with her here as no one could bear the consequences of doing so.
Even a guy like Feng Xuan could use Soul Descent on his own son, so no one would risk putting Mo Xiao Qi’s life at stake as it might anger Martial Beast Great Emperor and cause him to perform Soul Descent too. No one could stand against the rage of a Great Emperor.
Therefore, Yang Kai was anxious seeing Mo Xiao Qi fighting with someone, and asked in a distressed tone, “Why don’t you go up and help?”
Liu Yan replied faintly, “I can’t help.”
Yang Kai was stunned. Turning back though, he finally saw clearly who was fighting with Mo Xiao Qi.
It was a young, extremely beautiful woman who was fighting blow for blow with Mo Xiao Qi in an intense battle.
Yang Kai knew this woman too.
She was the daughter of the Bright Moon Great Emperor of the Southern Territory’s Star Soul Palace, Princess Lan Xun!
Yang Kai was speechless.
Both of them had similarly high-profile identities, both were daughters of Great Emperors, only they would dare fight one another.
“Why did they start fighting?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“No idea, they just started fighting after their eyes met,” Liu Yan answered.
“Such a thing occurred?” Yang Kai broke out in a cold sweat.
However, that meant these two women recognized each other and knew each other’s identity. Perhaps due to their youthfulness and desire to excel, the two women, who had not much of a gap between their status, decided to compete for the title of superiority.
But even if they wanted to compete, they should look for a more proper time and place. This was the Shattered Star Sea, not a place to settle petty grievances.
After not seeing them for a few years, both Mo Xiao Qi and Lan Xun had reached the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. The aptitude of two daughters of Great Emperors was obviously unquestionable seeing how they could obtain such a great achievement in such a short time. Yang Kai knew that Lan Xun inherited the Bright Moon Ethereal Body of the Bright Moon Great Emperor, while even though Mo Xiao Qi did not have any Special Constitution, she was born able to control various Monster Beasts to fight for her, and as the daughter of the Martial Beast Great Emperor, she had learned extremely profound and mysterious Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities since childhood.
At this moment, the two women were fighting a heated battle. In comparison with Lan Xun’s elegance and calmness, Mo Xiao Qi was much feistier. She seemed to have performed some kind of Secret Technique and now her whole body was agile like a leopard, with traces of beast markings apparent on her face, giving her an extremely wild aura.
Neither of them used their artifacts and were just competing with their honed techniques.
With just a few glances, Yang Kai knew that the two of them were equal. Lan Xun’s Bright Moon Ethereal Body somehow made her figure shift strangely and unpredictably so Mo Xiao Qi could not break through her defences with her frenzied attacks. When Mo Xiao Qi was exhausted and switched from offence to defence, Lan Xun would take the opportunity to strike back, and so this cycle went round and round.
Somewhere not too far away was a man watching nervously, yelling from time to time, “Princess, be careful! Don’t get yourself hurt!”
Xiao Chen!
As a loyal admirer of Princess Lan Xun, this guy would definitely appear wherever Lan Xun was.
His anxiety made him break out in a cold sweat. If others dared to attack Lan Xun, he would have gone up to teach them a severe lesson without hesitation, but Mo Xiao Qi was no ordinary person, so even though Xiao Chen had broken through to the Emperor Realm, he still could not interfere and could only watch from the side.
Just when Xiao Chen was worried, he sensed someone flying towards him. He turned his head and saw Yang Kai faintly smiling in front of him.
He swept his eyes over Yang Kai and snorted coldly, “It’s you!”
He obviously remembered Yang Kai. During the time in the Four Seasons Realm, Yang Kai refined the Extraordinary Treasure Pill which caused a great storm. Xiao Chen would certainly have a deep impression of such a person.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Brother Xiao, I haven’t seen you for many years. Congratulations on breaking through to the Emperor Realm.”
Xiao Chen replied proudly, “It’s nothing worth being congratulated for. With the gifted aptitude of this Young Master, breaking through to the Emperor Realm was only a matter of time.”
Yang Kai was exasperated at his shameless boast.
However, despite his arrogant attitude, Xiao Chen was indeed talented, otherwise, it would not have been possible for him to reach the Emperor Realm so quickly.
Xiao Chen continued, “I remember that you consumed an Extraordinary Treasure Pill in the Four Seasons Realm back then, so why are you still in Dao Source Realm? Tsk tsk, looks like your aptitude is inadequate, what a waste of such a good pill!”
Yang Kai smiled indifferently, “Yes, if the Extraordinary Treasure Pill was given to Brother Xiao back then, perhaps Brother Xiao would have broken through to the Emperor Realm sooner.”
“Naturally!” Xiao Chen was flattered, but soon he questioned suspiciously, “Why are you looking for me?”
Yang Kai’s face turned solemn as he looked over towards the battlefield of the two women and said, “Brother Xiao, why are you just standing here? How can Princess Lan Xun, with such honourable status, be allowed to fight with someone here? If this news reached the ears of the Bright Moon Emperor. I believe that Sir would not forgive you easily, and it would be even more serious if something happened to her. It would be best to hurry up and separate them.”
Xiao Chen revealed a bitter face as his previous pride and arrogance vanished at once as he complained, “I would have separated them if I could without you telling me. Do you know who that woman battling with the princess is?”
“Who?” Yang Kai turned and asked innocently.
“What a bumpkin, you don’t even know her background?” Xiao Chen curled his lip in disdain, “But it also makes sense that a mediocre person doesn’t know about the identity of that girl. Fine, today this Young Master will open your eyes. Listen, that girl is the daughter of the Martial Beast Great Emperor!”
“Martial Beast Great Emperor?” Yang Kai showed a surprised face.
Xiao Chen snorted, “Are you scared now? Now you know why this Young Master can only watch, but not intervene. These two are basically both Princesses, whoever offends one of them would definitely suffer… It’s really hard to be a man…”
He sighed deeply with a miserable expression.
Yang Kai persuaded, “But we also can’t just let them fight like this anymore. Even though the two of them seem to be exchanging pointers right now, once a fire has been sparked, it can quickly grow out of control, and the consequences will be unimaginable! You know that women are always more competitive when faced with other women, so if neither side backs down, this may even turn into a battle to the death!”
Xiao Chen shuddered with his face turning pale, as if he could foresee such a horrible scene and he nervously asked, “Will it really end up like that? Don’t make it seem worse than it is.”
Yang Kai sternly answered, “Anything is possible, it’s important to separate them now.”
Xiao Chen gulped, “How can I do so? The Princess doesn’t even listen to me. Unless I go up and intervene directly… “
“Then just go up and intervene directly to separate them!” Yang Kai responded solemnly, “Brother Xiao, you are an Emperor Realm Master now, how hard could it be for you to separate two little girls?”
“I guess so…” Xiao Chen muttered, staring at Yang Kai with a meaningful glare, “But why do I feel like… you are trying to get me into trouble. Boy, are you jealous of me being more handsome than you?”
“Why would I!?” Yang Kai responded with a strong sense of righteousness, “I’m just considering the safety of the Princess. I’m also a cultivator from the Southern Territory and I do not wish to see the Princess get hurt. Any harm to such a perfect being is blasphemy!”
Xiao Chen nodded in agreement and replied with a fiery look in his eyes, “You are right. Her Highness cannot be allowed to get hurt! They must be separated immediately!”
“Brother Xiao, go forth!” Yang Kai urged.
But Xiao Chen suddenly grabbed Yang Kai’s arm and said, “Since you are so enthusiastic and loyal, then you join me. I will be in charge of stopping Princess Lan Xun, while you will be in charge of stopping the other Princess. Okay?”
Without waiting for Yang Kai’s affirmation, he dragged him forward at lightning speed.
Yang Kai looked completely stunned, secretly scolding Xiao Chen in his heart.
At first, he was planning to con Xiao Chen into interfering to cease this meaningless battle, but despite Xiao Chen’s wanton arrogance and stupid attitude, he was actually quite sharp-witted and dragged Yang Kai into the mud together with him.
But under the current circumstances, Yang Kai did not have the time to worry that much and could only cooperate with Xiao Chen.
When they got closer, Xiao Chen suddenly threw Yang Kai directly into the centre of the two women’s fight and shouted, “Princesses, please stop. Let’s talk about this, we don’t need to fight.”
[Xiao Chen, I hope all your Ancestors rot in hell!]
Yang Kai cursed Xiao Chen in his heart. He did not expect this guy to be so sinister and insidious, throwing him like a stone into the battlefield. Obviously, he was using him as a distraction, so that it would be easier for him to intervene in the fight.
While still flying through the air, Yang Kai forcibly adjusted his posture to stabilize his stance. He did not dare to make any rash moves and only pushed his Source Qi to protect himself.
He was then thrown into the middle of a disaster.
Several bangs were heard, followed by a groan from Yang Kai.
Both Lan Xun and Mo Xiao ceased their actions and withdrew a few dozen metres, staring at Yang Kai in a daze.
The two women were not mindless butchers who slaughtered the innocent, so they instantly stopped as soon as they noticed someone broke into their battlefield and was accidentally injured by them.
Mo Xiao Qi looked at the visitor anxiously and worried if his injuries would be fatal; however, her beautiful eyes lit up in the next moment and the beast patterns on her face faded rapidly.
“Big Brother Yang!” She called out to Yang Kai in surprise and joy.
Yang Kai grinned at her then rushed forward to keep her separated from Lan Xun with a hug.
On the other side, Xiao Chen, who followed after Yang Kai closely, could not help but gasp at this scene, secretly feeling amazed by the latter’s boldness.
He actually just wanted to sacrifice Yang Kai to help separate the two princesses, but he did not expect this little brat to actually go so far as to lay hands on Mo Xiao Qi.
[This, this, this little brat really has some nerve being rude to a Princess like her!]
Even Emperor Realm Masters had to pay respects to the daughter of the Martial Beast Great Emperor, but Yang Kai actually dared to reach out and hug her. If this matter reached the ears of the Martial Beast Great Emperor, Yang Kai would be chopped into pieces even if he escaped to the ends of the world.
Not to mention the Martial Beast Great Emperor, if any daughter of an Emperor Realm Master was to be molested by a man, how could it be easily let go?
[He’s dead!]
To his surprise though, Xiao Chen soon discovered that the little Princess did not have the slightest intention of resisting Yang Kai’s embrace. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Yang Kai’s neck, her tender body clinging close to him.
Xiao Chen’s eyes were burning from envy and jealousy.
Was there really such a good thing in this world?
Strangely, Xiao Chen grinned gently and quickly approached Lan Xun, stretching out his broad arms to embrace her too.
However, before he could do anything, Lan Xun suddenly turned around and a pink fist punched directly at him.
Xiao Chen, despite already being an Emperor Realm Master, did not dare to use any strength to avoid this punch, so it directly landed on his nose with a clean thud. He instantly saw stars in front of his eyes as his head spun.
“What are you doing?” Lan Xun asked coldly, looking extremely displeased.
“It’s nothing, nothing…” Xiao Chen stood in awkwardness, blood dripping from his nose comically.
On the other side, after Yang Kai separated Mo Xiao Qi a good distance away from Lan Xun, only then did he finally notice the amazingly soft and elastic sensation on his chest.
He could not help blushing as he patted Mo Xiao Qi who was still clinging on to him and said, “Alright, alright, get down first to avoid others gossiping, then we’ll talk.”
At his words, Mo Xiao Qi quickly jumped off Yang Kai. In realization of the inappropriateness of her actions, her face flushed, “Big Brother Yang, it’s really you!”
Yang Kai chuckled and examined her up and down, “I haven’t seen you for just a few years, but you’ve grown up a lot.”
Mo Xiao Qi’s nostrils flared and grumbled, “Rascal!”
Yang Kai wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, “I only said you’ve grown up, what were you thinking?”
Mo Xiao Qi then examined Yang Kai seriously and nodded, “Big Brother Yang has also become much stronger.”
Yang Kai was only a First-Order Dao Source Realm when she left Maplewood City, but now he was already in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. For a cultivator who had no Sect or family behind him, this kind of growth was amazing.
Mo Xiao Qi could only make such big progress because her identity was different from others.
The Martial Beast Great Emperor had personally guided her, and under her Aunty Feng’s supervision and with the inexhaustible cultivation resources of Spirit Beast Island, it would be strange if she had not grown rapidly.
While the two were talking, Liu Yan and Zhang Ruo Xi had flown over to join them.
Mo Xiao Qi smiled as she explained, “When I entered the Shattered Star Sea, I expected that I would be able to meet Big Brother Yang, but still hadn’t seen you for more than two years. I only had confirmation that you were really here after I met up with Big Sister Liu Yan.”
Liu Yan knew Mo Xiao Qi as the two girls had met in Maplewood City when Liu Yan was still just an Artifact Spirit. Although there was a huge difference in her compared to the last time they met, Liu Yan’s aura had not changed much, so Mo Xiao Qi recognised her easily when they bumped into each other.
Together, they went to the Source Sea, and Yang Kai knew what happened after that.
Yang Kai stole a glance at Lan Xun and asked, “Xiao Qi, why did you fight with Princess Lan Xun?”
Mo Xiao Qi glared over at her resentfully and snorted, “Just some old grievances.”
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “How old are you two? What old grievances could you have?”
Although both Mo Xiao Qi and Lan Xun had powerful Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivations, they were still very young, only in their early twenties. Only descendants of Great Emperors could achieve this kind of cultivation at their age.
“Why not? When she was a little kid, she robbed me of a beautiful dress when she visited Spirit Beast Island with Sir Bright Moon.”
“That’s it?” Yang Kai’s eyes widened.
“That was my favourite dress. Aunty Feng made it for me by hand. I cried for many days,” Mo Xiao Qi sobbed aggrievedly.
[It’s impossible to understand women.] Yang Kai thought helplessly.
While they were talking, Lan Xun and Xiao Chen approached them slowly. Keeping a short distance away from Mo Xiao Qi, Lan Xun asked, “Little Sister Xiao Qi, do you still want to fight?”
Mo Xiao Qi glared at her, “If you want to, I’m more than willing. Who’s afraid of you?”
Lan Xun’s beautiful eyes flashed as she smiled politely, “It looks like Little Sister is still up for a fight!”
Mo Xiao Qi snorted, “You’re talking as if you have won, how thick-skinned.”
Lan Xun responded, “Didn’t I? Elder Sister did have the upper hand in that battle…”
Mo Xiao Qi flushed red and gritted her teeth as she snarled, “That’s because you’re older. I will definitely not lose to you when I am your age!”
The smile on Lan Xun’s face faded suddenly and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop sharply, causing a chill to creep into everyone’s bones.
Yang Kai and Xiao Chen shuddered, both of them aware that something bad was about to happen.
Mo Xiao Qi and Lan Xun were basically the same age, with Lan Xun maybe being two or three years older. Two or three years was essentially no difference at all, but the word ‘older’ from Mo Xiao Qi undoubtedly touched a nerve.
The two girls who had just stopped fighting were at odds with each other once more, their enchanting eyes glaring at one another as sparks seemed to be flying between them, a new battle threatening to break out at any moment.
Yang Kai made eye contact with Xiao Chen hurriedly, signalling him for assistance.
But Xiao Chen just snorted and wiped the blood from his nose, turning his gaze away.
[Waste!] Yang Kai cursed inside. He could only brace himself and intervene with a smile, “Alright now, you already duelled, so stop acting so hostile. You two are childhood playmates, you have to appreciate this precious friendship. Come, shake hands and be good friends again.”
“Who would be good friends with her?!” The two young women ground their teeth and pointed bitterly.
Yang Kai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and continued his persuasion, “Even if you are not good friends, it’s not good to always settle matters with violence. A lady should be reserved and measured, it is highly improper to always be using force!”
Mo Xiao Qi pouted, looking extremely indignant.
Lan Xun’s eyes flashed as she turned her gaze to Yang Kai, smiling lightly in acknowledgement, “What Senior Brother Yang said is right, Lan Xun was wrong to be so petty with Little Sister. Little Sister Xiao Qi, don’t be angry, Elder Sister will apologize to you.”
“Hmph!” Mo Xiao Qi twisted her head aside, ignoring Lan Xun.
Lan Xun did not seem to be bothered, instead turning her attention to Yang Kai, “It’s surprising that Senior Brother Yang knows Little Sister Xiao Qi. Little Sister Xiao Qi lives in the Eastern Territory and I have only met her once when I was young. How did Senior Brother Yang get to know her?”
Unsure of the intention behind her queries, Yang Kai sensed a hint of malice so he laughed awkwardly and casually explained, “It was a coincidence, nothing special.”
Mo Xiao Qi glared at Lan Xun warily, “You old woman, is it possible that you are interested in my Big Brother Yang? Why do you want to know so much?”
As soon as this statement came out, Zhang Ruo Xi could not help but gasp, her little hands covering her own red lips. On the other side, Lan Xun also blushed slightly, her brow furrowing. Liu Yan, on the contrary, looked on with interest.
Lan Xun snapped, “This little girl doesn’t know how to think before she speaks.”
Mo Xiao Qi grimaced and retorted, “If you have a clean conscience, why are you so nervous?”
Lan Xun was furious. She was just curious about how Yang Kai could meet someone like Mo Xiao Qi and have such a close relationship, she did not expect to be teased by Mo Xiao Qi, incensing her.
Annoyed, she gritted her pristine teeth and shot back, “It’s true, Elder Sister is very interested in your Big Brother Yang and plans to bring him back and introduce him to Lord Father as a potential son-in-law. What do you think about that, Little Sister?”
It was Mo Xiao Qi’s turn to gasp dumbfounded this time. She looked at Lan Xun in amazement, and then at Yang Kai before she stomped her foot angrily, “You evil woman! Why do you have to snatch everything from me?” She fumed, “You snatched my clothes when we were children, and now you want to take away my Big Brother Yang!”
As she screamed, she hugged Yang Kai’s arm tightly, ignoring how her plump peaks deformed greatly from the force of her grip. She ground her teeth and declared resolutely, “I’ll fight you to the death if you dare to come for him!”
Lan Xun burst into laughter and rose to the challenge, “That will depend on which one of us your Big Brother Yang favours. Do you think he would prefer a little girl who’s so unreasonable like you, or a woman who’s knowledgeable and understanding like Elder Sister?”
While she was speaking, she exuded an extremely appealing elegance and grace using some unknown Secret Technique;
Xiao Chen gulped as he watched from the sidelines, his eyes peeled and glued on Lan Xun.
Mo Xiao Qi flushed anxiously, still clinging onto Yang Kai’s arm tightly, unwilling to let go, she glowered, “What’s so great about you? Aunty Feng is a million times more beautiful than you!”
“Senior Jiu Feng?” Lan Xun suddenly looked serious.
Mo Xiao Qi raised her head proudly, “Yes, can you compare to Aunty Feng?”
She snorted, then spoke to Yang Kai again, “Big Brother Yang, ignore this old woman. If you like to see beautiful women, come to Spirit Beast Island, and I will introduce Aunty Feng to you!”
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched, not sure of how to respond.
Lan Xun looked at Mo Xiao Qi in astonishment. She did not know whether to laugh or cry at what Mo Xiao Qi said. She knew that this girl must have lived on the Spirit Beast Island all year round and was extremely sheltered by her Seniors. As such, it was natural for her to not be well versed in the topics of men and women. The reason she cared so much about Yang Kai might just be an instinctive reaction to oppose Lan Xun.
Lan Xun suddenly felt dull and ridiculous for fighting with her and nodded, “Compared to Senior Jiu Feng, I am obviously inferior. Okay, Little Sister Xiao Qi, you win this time.”
When Mo Xiao Qi heard this, her face instantly lifted with joy, replying merrily, “You are also good, just a little bit inferior to me!”
Lan Xun shook her head and smiled wryly.
“Everyone, do you want to go deeper and have a look? The Source Strength inside is extremely rich and pure. It would be of great benefit to your cultivation if you could absorb and refine it there,” Yang Kai hurriedly proposed after seeing the tension in the atmosphere had eased slightly.
Lan Xun nodded, “I’m going to take a look. If Senior Brother Yang doesn’t mind, why don’t we travel together?”
Since she asked, Yang Kai did not reject and nodded, “It is my honour to be invited by the Princess.”
Lan Xun smiled faintly, “Senior Brother Yang can just address Lan Xun like how you address Little Sister Xiao Qi. You may omit the word ‘Princess’.”
The last time when she met Yang Kai in the Four Seasons Realm, she already felt that this person was extremely special, and now that seemed to be the case. Although Yang Kai had only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation and lagged behind Xiao Chen and other elites from their generation, Lan Xun had a feeling that Yang Kai’s future achievements would definitely be much greater than Xiao Chen’s.
Unlike the inexperienced Mo Xiao Qi, Lan Xun had keen insight and foresight.
Immediately, they departed towards the depths of Source Sea in a group.
Not long after their departure, there was a sudden exclamation from the front, followed closely by a bright glowing orb gradually rising from the Source Sea, like a radiant moon.
A clear wave of Source Strength spread out from this orb.
“Star Source!” Xiao Chen exclaimed.
Yang Kai also shouted with his eyes glowing, “A complete Star Source!”
Yang Kai had not seen a complete Star Source throughout his time in the Shattered Star Sea. Although he had absorbed and refined a lot of Source Strength during these past few years, all of that was from Shattered Star Sources. Even though this was still useful to him, it was undoubtedly incomparable to a complete Star Source.
When Yang Kai first came to the Source Sea, he heard that complete Star Sources could be found here.
But he did not expect to really see one.
Even the daughter of a Great Emperor like Lan Xun started to breathe rapidly at the appearance of this complete Star Source, revealing a look of excitement on her pretty face which showed just how attractive this thing was to cultivators.
Before Yang Kai and the others were able to react, countless cultivators flew past them from all directions, focusing on the complete Star Source, soon engaging in a tangled, bloody melee as they competed for this prize.
In just five breaths of time, more than twenty cultivators screamed and fell from the sky, dropping into the Source Sea.
In the span of five breaths, the complete Star Source abruptly disappeared and no one had any idea who snatched it. The remaining people were infuriated and started cursing.
“There really are complete Star Sources here,” Yang Kai witnessed the whole scene from the beginning to end and could not help sighing.
“The Source Sea is really an exceptional place. No one knows how it was formed or why it contains so much Source Strength; however, there has been a rumour about the Source Sea since long ago that only a few people know,” Lan Xun spoke with a solemn face.
“What rumour?” Yang Kai looked at her in surprise.
She was the daughter of the Bright Moon Great Emperor and should be knowledgeable about most of the things in this world. Yang Kai had always been puzzled by the existence of the Source Sea, so now that Lan Xun mentioned it, he could not help feeling excited to hear about it.
Xiao Chen gave Lan Xun an inquiring look too; obviously, he did not know about this rumour she spoke of.
Lan Xun did not answer right away, but turned to Mo Xiao Qi, “About this rumour, Little Sister Xiao Qi should have heard it from Sir Martial Beast, right?”
Mo Xiao Qi’s face turned unusually solemn as she nodded, “Before coming to the Shattered Star Sea, Lord Father did tell me one thing. He mentioned that the formation of the Source Sea has some direct relation to that fallen Sir who was besieged and killed here.”
“What?” Yang Kai and Xiao Chen were taken aback simultaneously.
Although Mo Xiao Qi did not directly name the fallen Sir, everyone knew who she was speaking of.
The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor!
Who else other than him?
Lan Xun further explained, “Back then, that Sir could not be restrained in the Star Boundary as no one could match him, so he acted unscrupulously. He even broke through the World Barrier and travelled to the Lower Star Fields. Wherever he passed, Star Fields were destroyed and Stars were shattered while all the Star Sources of those Cultivation Stars were devoured by him. The number of Star Fields that were devastated by his hands alone was no less than a dozen, so one can imagine how many Star Sources he consumed. After the War of Emperors in the Shattered Star Sea, he was killed and the Source Strength that he devoured remained here strangely after his death, forming this vast Source Sea.”
“Such a thing occurred?” Xiao Chen rounded his eyes, as if he could not believe it.
Yang Kai’s face also turned pale when he heard this and asked in astonishment, “So, the Source Sea is actually the resting place of that Sir?”
Lan Xun nodded her head, “It can be said so, but the location of the Source Sea is random, and it does not always appear when the Shattered Star Sea opens, so no one actually knows if this is really where that Sir fell. However, we do know that the formation of the Source Sea must be directly related to him.”
“No wonder there is so much Shattered Source Strength and even complete Star Sources here,” Yang Kai sighed, his doubts from all these days cleared up at once.
Previously he was still wondering how a broken place like the Shattered Star Sea could form such a peculiar existence like the Source Sea, but now he understood after listening to Lan Xun’s explanation.
The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor devoured untold amounts of Source Strength, but that Source Strength remained after his death and formed the Source Sea.
In other words, everyone was now enjoying the legacy of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
Lan Xun smiled slightly, “It is also precisely because of the wanton behaviour of that Sir back then that the passages to the Lower Star Fields were closed off by the remaining Great Emperors. Thus, Masters from the Star Boundary can no longer travel to the Star Fields freely. If it weren’t for this, Star Sources wouldn’t be so scarce nowadays, and everyone wouldn’t be so eager to obtain one.”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched, “So, why is it that I have heard of some Masters who can travel to those Lower Star Fields?”
Back then in Heng Luo Star Field, Yang Kai met a Master who had descended from Star Boundary. Fortunately, Yang Yan was there at that time and subdued the invader before he could do any real harm.
Lan Xun disclosed after a nod, “Although the primary corridors were shut down, it is still possible to go to Lower Star Fields through some special methods. Lord Father once said that every Star Field has its own Guardian, and these Guardians protect the Star Fields from the disturbance of powerful external forces. These guardians can enter and exit the Star Fields that they guard at will. If others intend to enter, they can only look for some tremendously dangerous passages, but these passages are extremely rare in the Star Boundary. Most of them are chaotic and unstable, so they cannot be transited safely. What’s more, if those people insist on descending to lower Star Fields, they need to seal or sacrifice their cultivations first.”
“Star Field Guardians!” The dusty memory of Yang Kai reappeared with Lan Xun’s words, as he heard Yang Yan mentioned this title before.
Yang Kai once thought about being the Guardian of Heng Luo Star Field when he got stronger.
He then hurriedly asked, “How can one become a Guardian of a Star Field?”
Lan Xun shook her head, “I don’t know, Lord Father didn’t tell me.” After a pause, she looked at Yang Kai suspiciously, “Did Senior Brother Yang come from one of those Star Fields?”
Lan Xun could not help but think of some possibilities when she saw Yang Kai being so enthusiastic about this matter.
“Junior Sister Lan is indeed beautiful and intelligent!” Yang Kai smiled faintly without denying it.
“Is Senior Brother Yang really a cultivator from the Lower Star Fields?” Lan Xun was slightly startled, and even Xiao Chen could not help but glance over at him.
It was rumoured that those cultivators who could come to Star Boundary from Lower Star Fields all had Heaven-defying aptitude and bright future prospects. They had always been the targets of competition for top Sects and great forces to recruit.
Although there were indeed many such people in the Star Boundary, compared to the number of native cultivators, it was still a tiny fraction.
Lan Xun had only heard about such people before, but never actually met one.
[No wonder Yang Kai’s cultivation speed can be so fast. It seems like the rumours are true.] She thought to herself.
While they were talking, their group arrived at the deeper part of the Source Sea.
There were obviously more people now than previously when it was only occupied by several Emperor Realm Masters.
Yang Kai led everyone to the island where he had landed before, but his face darkened when he found that the island was already crowded with people and there was no place left for them.
But at this moment, a clear wave of Source Strength suddenly transmitted from somewhere.
“Another complete Star Source!” Xiao Chen shouted.
Everyone turned towards a certain direction and saw a glowing orb gradually rise from the sea.
Before the Star Source completely emerged, numerous cultivators swarmed over.
Things did not end there though as after the emergence of a complete Star Source, another orb of light appeared in another place, followed closely by a third, then a fourth…
In the blink of an eye, the sea was densely packed with dazzling rising moons. With a rough count, there were at least a hundred of them, and many more were still emerging.
“So many!” Xiao Chen was utterly dumbfounded yet extremely excited.
However, Lan Xun frowned as she felt discomforted by this scene, “There is no fire without smoke! This situation has never happened in the Source Sea before.”
Yang Kai also felt a little uneasy, but who would not be tempted seeing so many complete Star Sources in front of them?
“Master!” Liu Yan whispered.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and replied, “Snatch first, worry later.”
While speaking, he gestured to Lan Xun, “Junior Sister Lan, let’s split up!”
Lan Xun nodded in agreement, “Senior Brother Yang, be careful.”
“You too!” Yang Kai nodded before he led the three young women, Mo Xiao Qi, Liu Yan, and Zhang Ruo Xi, rushing forward.
The situation was complete chaos above the Source Sea, with people falling from the sky constantly.
Up ahead, a group of five people, who seemingly belonged to different great forces, were competing for a Star Source. These people were completely focused on fighting one another and none were actually paying attention to the Star Source.
With a flicker, Yang Kai arrived in front of this Star Source, stretched out his hand, and sucked the Star Source directly into his hand with his Star Refining Art before swiftly depositing it into the Sealed World Bead.
Shattered Source Strength was already difficult to be refined and absorbed, not to mention a complete Star Source, so Yang Kai could only grab it first and deal with it when he had free time in the future.
After succeeding, Yang Kai immediately teleported and disappeared.
The few people who were fighting soon noticed the disappearance of the Star Source and became steaming mad when they found no trace of the culprit, cursing endlessly.
At this moment, the three girls, Liu Yan, Zhang Ruo Xi, and Mo Xiao Qi had already rushed towards another Star Source.
Mo Xiao Qi no longer kept her strength hidden. Previously when she was fighting with Lan Xun, she only used some Secret Techniques that she learnt, holding back at least half of her abilities. Now that she needed to compete for Star Sources, though, she directly summoned her army of Monster Beasts with a wave of her hand.
Silver Maned Linger, Heaven Escaping Bat, Red Fire Qilin, Blue Eyes Black Scale Flood Dragon…
All kinds of Monster Beasts surrounded her and these beasts roared ferociously as they rushed forward. The cultivators before this army were petrified and quickly gave way.
Liu Yan had also summoned her White Tiger Heaven Grade puppet, and even though there may be some gaps in strength compared to a genuine Emperor Realm Master, it was not something Dao Source Realm cultivators could contend with. The unique Emperor Aura terrified countless cultivators.
Although Zhang Ruo Xi did not have strong minions like Mo Xiao Qi and Liu Yan, her strength did not fall behind them. Using some unknown Secret Technique, she released an astonishing aura that inexplicably gave a strong sense of oppression to others, causing not only the nearby cultivators to retreat, but even Mo Xiao Qi’s Monster Beasts to shiver in fright.
Mo Xiao Qi glanced suspiciously at Zhang Ruo Xi, secretly amazed.
As the daughter of the Martial Beast Great Emperor, Mo Xiao Qi was born with an innate ability to communicate with Monster Beasts, so she could clearly feel the panic and fear in her pets at this moment.
The bloodline of her tamed Monster Beasts was exceptionally noble and pure, many of them direct descendants of variants of Ancient Divine Spirits, making them vastly superior to ordinary Monster Beasts. They were all personally selected for her by the Martial Beast Great Emperor.
These pets would go all out without the slightest fear even when facing Emperor Realm Masters.
But after Zhang Ruo Xi released her unique aura, these beasts all began trembling, as if they were naturally suppressed, some of them even whimpered at Zhang Ruo Xi.
Mo Xiao Qi was completely dumbfounded because this whimpering carried the meaning of flattery. Sometimes, when she was throwing a tantrum, and purposely ignored her beast pets, they would use this method to get her attention, making her feel sorry for them.
But now, these pets that were dauntless in front of Emperors were actually pitifully trying to appease this unknown little girl.
What was happening?
Mo Xiao Qi had not paid much attention to Zhang Ruo Xi before, because she was always quiet and low-key, keeping to herself and not trying to cause a scene; however, after such a disturbance, Mo Xiao Qi suddenly realized that Zhang Ruo Xi must have her own secrets, and these secrets were clearly related to Monster Beasts.
She was full of queries, but it was inconvenient to ask questions now, so Mo Xiao Qi just kept her doubts in her heart and vowed to look for answers later.
Although the skills of these three girls were quite varied, they were unstoppable when they joined forces. Wherever they went, everyone retreated.
With just some slight effort, they snatched a complete Star Source, and after some quick negotiations, Mo Xiao Qi happily put the Star Source into her Space Ring.
Yang Kai watched them from the side for a while and once he was convinced they did not need any help, he turned away and focused on fighting with the others.
The space above the Source Sea was raging now as many complete Star Sources constantly rose from below, causing countless cultivators to fight for them.
Yang Kai relied on his proficiency in the Dao of Space to move about erratically. With the further complement of the Star Refining Art, whenever a new Star Source emerged, he could rush to it immediately and snatched it away.
Those cultivators competing for Star Sources were still puzzled at how their prizes were mysteriously vanishing.
As time passed, Yang Kai continued to flicker here and there alone in the Source Sea, obtaining more and more Star Sources.
He had gained more than anyone else by a large margin.
Speed was the most important attribute when it comes to snatching benefits from others in such a chaotic place, so Yang Kai, who was proficient in the Dao of Space, being able to teleport freely, undoubtedly had the upper hand in this competition.
Half a day later, the emergence of Star Sources from below slowly decreased, and every time one did appear, hundreds of people would race towards it.
It was not easy to secretly compete in such a situation, even for Yang Kai, so after much effort, he finally snatched a Star Source from the crowd, leaving hundreds of people there accusing each other and devolving into a frenzied melee.
The sea gradually calmed down after another half day. Everyone waited for a long time but no new Star Sources could be seen.
It seemed that all the complete Star Sources had been taken.
Nevertheless, battles amongst cultivators were still ongoing. Those cultivators who once grabbed Star Sources became the targets of others and for a while, screams could be heard all over the Source Sea, with numerous bloodied cultivators falling, dying the Source Sea red with blood.
Yang Kai moved agilely above the nightmarish Source Sea and found Liu Yan and the others.
Perhaps everyone was afraid of the terrifying power shown by Liu Yan and the others, so no one targeted them and left the three of them in peace.
After seeing Yang Kai arrive, Mo Xiao Qi immediately greeted him with a smile and squealed, “Big Brother Yang, Big Brother Yang, we got a lot of Star Sources!”
Just when the words fell, countless fiery eyes turned to them from all directions.
The Source Sea had now gathered thousands of cultivators, so only a small number of people had obtained Star Sources, whilst most of the others had not even seen one up close.
As such, Mo Xiao Qi’s words had undoubtedly caught their attention.
Mo Xiao Qi immediately realized she had misspoken and playfully stuck out her tongue.
Yang Kai swept across the surroundings with his eyes and let out a cold snort before unreservedly releasing his aura, causing the surrounding space to shake.
Those cultivators who looked covetously at Mo Xiao Qi changed their faces drastically, and after weighing their own strengths against Yang Kai’s group, they unwillingly turned their gazes away.
Mo Xiao Qi whispered, “Each of us got two or three Star Sources.”
She revealed a face full of excitement, while the faces of Zhang Ruo Xi and Liu Yan were also flushed red, apparently very satisfied with their harvest.
“Not bad, not bad!” Yang Kai nodded with a smile.
Their group of three had apparently snatched at least seven or eight Star Sources in total. If they could find a time to refine this extremely rich harvest, it would be of huge help for their future growth.
However, Yang Kai gained a lot more compared to them.
Although he did not have a precise count, he alone snatched at least thirty Star Sources.
Every Cultivation Star would only give birth to one Star Source; therefore, thirty Cultivation Stars were needed to produce thirty Star Sources.
From what he had just witnessed, Yang Kai guessed that there were around three to four hundred Star Sources that had appeared from the Source Sea.
In other words, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor devoured at least three to four hundred Cultivation Stars in order to leave such a luxurious legacy after his death.
This kind of behaviour and practice was beyond the word ‘madness’.
“We can’t stay here any longer. Since there are no more Star Sources, it’s better for us to leave,” Yang Kai turned to look around with a frown on his face.
Mo Xiao Qi replied, “I will follow Big Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai gave a nod, but just as he was about to take them out of this war zone, something strange suddenly occurred below the Source Sea.
The red sea seemed to have received some kind of traction, and it started to swirl slowly. Not long after, the entire Source Sea began to rotate.
A subtle suction emerged and alarmed all the cultivators in the sky above the Source Sea.
They gasped and stared down at this phenomenon one after another.
A massive whirlpool gradually formed in the centre of the Source Sea, and as the Source Sea rotated, the red sea water continuously flowed into this vortex and disappeared without a trace.
The whirlpool seemed to be swallowing space itself, causing a chill to run up the spines of those who were watching the scene.
The influx of seawater was getting more rapid and violent, and in the span of just a few breaths’ time, the area of Source Sea had shrunk by more than half.
A while later, the entire Source Sea vanished, the vast sea that originally filled this region leaving only a small black hole behind at its former center.
Inside this black hole, however, a skeleton could be vaguely seen, sitting cross-legged, extremely pale white. It was obvious that this person had been dead for countless years, but the blurry image also showed that a Space Ring remained on one of its bone fingers.
Everyone was dumbstruck at this scene and stared at the Space Ring with their fiery eyes, as if they could not wait to bite it.
*Gudong… *
A series of gulping sounds was heard.
“What is this skeleton? Who died here?”
“By the looks of it, this person has been dead for at least a few ten thousand years.”
“A few ten thousand years… The War of Emperors also happened a few ten thousand years ago, and there were a total of five Great Emperors that fell during that war.”
“This is the skeleton of a Great Emperor! This ring… is the Space Ring of a Great Emperor!”
The cultivators continued to gather near the black hole from all directions. In an instant, the surroundings were crowded with people and it was buzzing with exciting discussion.
Most of them were guessing which Great Emperor the skeleton belonged to.
Yang Kai, however, just shuddered.
Because he had just heard from Lan Xun that the Source Sea was where the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had fallen, and now he happened to see a skeleton that had been left here a few tens of thousands of years ago. All these clues led to him concluding…
“Xiao Qi!” Yang Kai gently shouted, casting an inquiring look at her.
Mo Xiao Qi’s face was slightly pale as she affirmed nervously yet excitedly, “This is probably the skeleton of that Sir!”
Yang Kai’s eyes filled with excitement at Mo Xiao Qi’s statement, even though he knew that they should not stay any longer, he could not help but hesitate.
The benefits he gained from the Shattered Star Sea were more than enough, but when he heard that this skeleton might belong to the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, greed couldn’t help filling his mind.
If even Yang Kai was so interested, the other cultivators certainly could not help themselves.
The Space Ring worn on the skeleton’s finger had attracted everyone’s attention.
“Wastes, scram!” A deep voice thundered, followed by a long spear appearing in the sky, penetrating the void, and soaring towards the most crowded place.
A piercing power enveloped a vast area and as all the cultivators present sensed the spear’s power, their faces changed drastically and they hurried to retreat.
*Hong Hong Hong… *
The spear flew an erratic path, clearing a wide area on one side of the black hole.
Most cultivators ran away as soon as they saw how dangerous it was, but some who had slower reactions were struck by the spear and burst into a mist of blood without even time to let out a scream.
Yang Kai’s face slightly darkened as he looked around and saw a man standing majestically and sternly with a spear in his hand. This man had a burly figure and there was an extremely clear wave of Emperor Pressure lingering around his body.
[So, it’s him!]
Yang Kai recognized the man at once; it was the brawny young man with a spear that he met in the depths of the Source Sea last time.
“Liang Qiu, are you out of your mind!?”
“Damn you!”
“How dare you kill my Junior Brother? I’ll kill you!”
Those retreating cultivators reprimanded the brawny youth. Someone who knew him had already called out his name, while another person clamoured that he would take revenge for their Junior Brother, but all of them were just yelling and no one really dared to step forward.
The brawny young man was showing his Emperor Realm cultivation here, so it would be equivalent to courting death to challenge him.
Liang Qiu snorted coldly and rested his spear on his shoulder as he responded arrogantly, “What’s wrong? Are you upset? For those who are upset, you may roll over here and I’ll beat you until you are happy!”
He swept across the cultivators with his ferocious gaze, and those who met his eyes could not help but avert theirs. Liang Qiu then spat disdainfully, “A bunch of trash, how dare you covet the treasure of a Great Emperor!? Ridiculous! If you don’t want to die, quickly leave now.”
“Liang Qiu, don’t act too crazy! Although your Hundred Barbarian Mountain dominates in the Western Territory, it doesn’t mean that you can be so disrespectful in the Shattered Star Sea. Do you really think the whole world is afraid of you!?”
A berating voice came out from the crowd, echoing from place to place indistinctly, no one able to pinpoint its source. This person was obviously afraid of Liang Qiu and the Hundred Barbarian Mountain behind him, as such, he did not dare to openly rebuke him.
Liang Qiu sneered, “There are many heroes in the Shattered Star Sea, so naturally I cannot oppose all of them with just my Hundred Barbarian Mountain alone, but…” He snorted with his brows raised, “What if I’m with them?”
When his voice fell, eight people stood out from all directions and came together to Liang Qiu’s side.
*Sii…*
Everyone involuntarily gasped and took a few steps back in shock.
These eight people were all Emperor Realm Masters, and each was releasing a profound aura that was not to be trifled with.
Yang Kai frowned slightly as he swept his eyes across this group as he found that he recognized most of these eight Emperor Realm Masters.
Those who he had met in the Source Sea previously were all here, namely Chi Gui, Yao Si, Wu Chang, and the fat man he did not know the name of. Although Yang Kai did not know the rest, they were undoubtedly elite disciples of various top Sects of the Star Boundary who had obtained the opportunity in this Shattered Star Sea to break through to the Emperor Realm.
These people gathered in one place, even though they were not many in number, gave off a firm deterrent power as Emperors!
“You, all of you… such bullying!” Someone shouted angrily.
“Yes, treasures belong to those fated to obtain them! Who do you think you are to drive us away!?”
“We won’t leave, kill all of us if you dare!”
“Don’t be afraid of them, there are only a few of them while there are thousands of us!”
“The cultivators of our generation will sail against the wind and never back down!”
Shouts rose one after another as clearly many cultivators were unwilling to retreat just like this, even though they were facing nine Emperor Realm Masters here, they still insisted on staying, hoping for a chance to snatch the Space Ring from the skeleton.
If they were lucky enough to obtain that Space Ring, it was likely that they could turn over their situation and climb to the peak of success. Such an opportunity was rare and definitely worth some risks.
“Since you won’t retreat, then die!” Yao Si replied faintly. With his hand opened, streams of black Qi lashed out like living creatures from his body.
As soon as these wisps of black Qi left his body, they transformed into hideous, evil spirit-like creatures. They snapped their jaws and flashed their claws, charging towards the surrounding cultivators menacingly.
None of the cultivators here was weak, though, as they would need to have at least First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation to be able to enter the Shattered Star Sea and everyone had made further improvements after nearly three years of experience and training here.
So, seeing Yao Si make a move, they naturally would not just sit still and immediately rose to resist.
The lights of artifacts and Secret Technique shone brightly at once.
But it was strange that most of the attacks were ineffective against these evil spirits, and only a few of them with amazing cultivations and solid foundations could block the black Qi, while the rest of them were being possessed by the black Qi as soon as it reached their faces, turning them mad in the blink of an eye, drawing horrified screams from their lips as if they were witnessing something truly terrifying.
Not long after, the cultivators who were screaming slumped over, bleeding from all the seven orifices, their auras completely dispersed.
Yao Si instantly took about a hundred lives in just one move. From his appearance, it seemed that it was just a casual demonstration of his abilities and he still had ample strength to continue.
Everyone was dumbstruck.
If it was someone else, they would reprimand him and urge everyone to fight back; however, Yao Si was the son of the Serene Soul Great Emperor. Cursing him was equivalent to cursing the Serene Soul Great Emperor, and no one dared to do so, not to mention fighting back.
Everyone immediately took a few steps back in horror.
On the other side, Liang Qiu snorted coldly, “We already gave you a chance to leave, but you chose to suffer. Such fools!”
The faces of the cultivators turned ugly after being humiliated by Liang Qiu and anger boiled in their hearts, but they did not have the guts to talk back.
Yao Si’s action had forced everyone to step back several dozen meters, leaving only a few people around the black hole.
Chi Gui, who had long, fiery and unruly red hair, grinned, “Are there any more wise men who want to leave now? Don’t wait until the last moment!”
Liang Qiu snorted, “Only those confident in their own strength would dare to remain. Since that’s the case, they have no one to blame but themselves when they get killed.”
As he spoke, he swept his eyes around like a hawk, examining the surroundings with an unkind look, as if searching for someone to make an example of.
After a moment though, he was slightly annoyed and muttered under his breath, “Damn, they are indeed capable.”
He was depressed to find that the cultivators who remained were basically all Emperor Realm Masters, or had someone in that realm protecting them. Although he was strong, he was still unwilling to start a conflict easily with all the remaining Emperor Realm Masters; after all, his cultivation had yet to be consolidated and it might fall if he suffered too much damage.
Yang Kai took this opportunity to glance around too, and soon his eyes lit up when he looked in one direction.
Because he saw Xia Sheng from Azure Sun Temple over there.
More than a month ago, he was informed that Xia Sheng was attempting to break through to the Emperor Realm when he ran into Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao in the Source Sea, but they did not know where he had gone to do so.
Yang Kai was surprised to see Xia Sheng right now. A dense aura covered his body and proved he had successfully reached the Emperor Realm.
Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were standing beside Xia Sheng.
Yang Kai did not notice them earlier as there were a lot of people before, but now that most had retreated, Xia Sheng and the other two were extremely conspicuous.
Xia Sheng and the other two seemed to have sensed Yang Kai’s gaze and turned to him. When their eyes met, Xia Sheng grinned, revealing a mouthful of pristine, gleaming teeth.
Murong Xiao Xiao and Xiao Bai Yi also nodded slightly towards Yang Kai. Given the situation now, it was not convenient for them to give proper greetings.
Also from the Southern Territory’s side, besides the three Azure Sun Temple disciples, Xiao Chen and Princess Lan Xun were among the remaining cultivators.
Xiao Chen was also an Emperor Realm Master now, and Princess Lan Xun had an extraordinary identity, so both of them were not afraid of Yao Si and his group.
But Yang Kai did not see Zhuang Bu Fan of Orthodoxy Temple or Luo Yuan of Eight Paths Sect.
Both of these two were among the top elites of the Southern Territory and had exceptional performances in the Four Seasons Realm, so Yang Kai did not understand their absence from the Source Sea. However, with their aptitudes, their future achievements would not be low, even if they did not come to the Source Sea, especially Luo Yuan. Eight Paths Sect was just a mid-sized Sect in the Southern Territory, even inferior to Thousand Leaves Sect, but Luo Yuan was born with a Heaven-defying aptitude in this small place and that allowed him to equally match Wu Chang in the Four Seasons Realm back then.
Since Wu Chang was in the Emperor Realm now, Luo Yuan certainly would not fall behind.
There were not many other people remaining, just about a dozen or so. Some of them were alone, while some were in groups of two or three. Other than those from the Southern Territory, Yang Kai did not know the rest as he did not see Zi Yu of the Northern Territory’s Ice Heart Valley or Lan He of the Eastern Territory’s Heavenly Wolf Valley either.
“Big Brother Yang, Big Brother Yang!” Mo Xiao Qi suddenly pulled Yang Kai’s sleeve as he was investigating their surroundings and whispered, “Look, look, it’s that old swindler!”
“What?” Yang Kai was shocked and looked towards the direction she was pointing. The next moment, his eyes widened suddenly as he stared at a certain person in a daze, showing an unbelievable expression, “This… Am I seeing it right?”
He rubbed his eyes strenuously as he spoke.
“Big Brother Yang, don’t you remember this old swindler?” Mo Xiao Qi asked Yang Kai in a low voice after seeing his weird reaction.
“Of course I remember!” Yang Kai hurriedly nodded, and questioned in befuddlement, “But… how could he be here?”
There was only one person Mo Xiao Qi would call a swindler: The old man who scammed her Source Crystals in Maplewood City.
This old man wandered around in the black market all year round in Maplewood City, and his ability to deceive and defraud was superb. He had even sold his so-called Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pill to many cultivators when he entered Star Soul Palace’s Five Coloured Pagoda.
As an Emperor Grade Alchemist, Yang Kai had never heard of the Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pill.
After that, Yang Kai also had several encounters with this old swindler. The most recent one was when this old swindler begged for help from the nearby city during the time when Maplewood City was surrounded by Demon Qi.
The old man felt strange to Yang Kai, giving off an enigmatic aura.
Yang Kai had always felt that this old man was hiding many secrets, but the latter always came and went without a trace, his whereabouts always a mystery to everyone. As such, it was impossible for Yang Kai to find out any of his secrets.
Yang Kai had gradually forgotten about this old swindler as time passed, but now he had unexpectedly met him again in the Source Sea.
Only this time, the old swindler was very different from before. Back then, his clothes were ragged, his hair was yellow, and his teeth were crooked and rotting, the very picture of a wicked beggar.
The old swindler now donned fancy clothes and groomed his hair neatly. Wearing a black robe, complemented by his kind face and soft eyes, he radiated a saint-like charm.
Yang Kai’s eyeballs almost dropped out of their sockets.
He did not expect a person could have such a huge change of image and wondered how this old swindler could have made a fortune in the past few years.
What shocked Yang Kai the most was that this old swindler actually had a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, just like him.
Yang Kai could not believe this discovery.
This old man had only been an Origin King back then in Maplewood City, so how did he manage to acquire such a powerful cultivation in just a few years? Could his aptitude be so Heaven-defying? If that was the case, why did it suddenly surface when he was so old? If his aptitude was this superb, it should have manifested when he was young.
Yang Kai could not understand, and felt that this old man was more and more mysterious.
Yang Kai suddenly felt a chill as he thought more about it, and realized a problem he had overlooked.
He did not detect the man when he was scanning the surroundings until Mo Xiao Qi had informed him; or Yang Kai had seen him but did not recognise him.
Yang Kai thought it was impossible for such a thing to have happened.
Just when Yang Kai was still wracking his head over why he did not sense the old swindler, suddenly there was a loud shout from somewhere else, “It’s you again!”
Yang Kai turned his head and saw Liang Qiu from the Western Territory’s Hundred Barbarian Mountain glaring at him, smiling deviously, “Where is your Big Cousin? Didn’t he come with you?”
“Big Cousin already left earlier!” Yang Kai replied casually, “Are you looking for him?”
Liang Qiu snorted, “I have no matters with him, but I do have some matters with you!”
“What can I do for you?” Yang Kai asked quizzically
“Little brat, don’t assume that you can disrespect all the Masters in the world just because you have some capability. This Young Master was eager to refine and absorb the Source Strength earlier and decided not to waste time on dealing with you, but now you dare to appear here. Don’t blame this Young Master for being impolite!” Liang Qiu warned him.
As he spoke, his spear trembled and he pointed it directly at Yang Kai, releasing a strong malicious intent.
Yang Kai sneered in his heart, knowing that this guy could not choose a suitable person to take action against, so decided to target him as an example to others.
Yang Kai was not frightened at all, however, and just looked at Liang Qiu lightly, “What do you mean by pointing your spear at me? Are you going to attack me?”
Liang Qiu fumed, “What’s the point of asking when you already know? This Young Master knows that you have a good aptitude, but it still must not have been easy to reach such a cultivation, so I will give you a chance. Scram from here with your female companions now to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of them, otherwise don’t even think of raising your head in front of these beauties for the rest of your life.”
He cursed Yang Kai on the inside as he was yelling; after all, Yang Kai was surrounded by three different types of beauties, and there was even a little girl with him! Liang Qiu was envious and jealous!
“Are you going to bully the weak just because you have higher numbers?” Yang Kai snorted, “This Young Master is not afraid of you. If you have guts, we will fight and see who will be the one ashamed in the future!” Yang Kai did not back down from Liang Qiu’s intimidating tone and shouted awe-inspiringly, “Keep dreaming if you want this Young Master to leave! Cultivators of my generation would rather die standing than live kneeling!”
“Well said, this little brother, well said. We support you!”
“Little brother, don’t be afraid of him, if he dares to attack you, we will go up and fight him.”
“Yes, we are all your backups, don’t be afraid of him!”
The group of cultivators who were driven away to a distance started a commotion of a mixture of boos and cheers, but more of the latter. Regardless of Yang Kai’s background or abilities, his boldness to resist Liang Qiu’s despotic behaviour was naturally inspiring and extremely encouraging.
However, none of them really cared whether Yang Kai lived or died in the end.
Liang Qiu had a sullen face and his nose flared furiously. Barely concealing his anger in front of his audience, he shouted furiously, “Good, since you have such courage, this Young Master will grant you your wish!”
His spear trembled and light burst from it, enveloping his body as he charged towards Yang Kai like a flash of lightning, piercing through the void.
Over there, Xia Sheng’s face changed slightly. Now that he had broken through to the Emperor Realm, he could naturally feel the ferocity of Liang Qiu’s attack and was not even confident that he could take such a strike.
Could Yang Kai do any better being just a Dao Source Realm? Moreover, there were several female companions close to Yang Kai, so he could not simply dodge and would definitely wind up dead or injured by this attack.
Immediately, he tried to move to assist Yang Kai.
However, before he could do anything, Yang Kai actually flew forward to meet Liang Qiu’s attack head-on.
They quickly closed the distance between themselves, and a look of astonishment flashed across the eyes of the violently approaching Liang Qiu, wondering what Yang Kai was hiding up his sleeves.
“Big Brother Yang!” Mo Xiao Qi was taken aback, and hurriedly screamed, “Don’t be reckless!”
Zhang Ruo Xi turned pale and collapsed limply, forcing Liu Yan to catch her with her arms calmly.
She was the only one who was fully confident in Yang Kai. She did not think Yang Kai was inferior to any of the Emperor Realm Masters present, and since he was moving forward to meet this attack, he must be confident about his chances for victory.
Seeing that Yang Kai and Liang Qiu were about to crash into each other, Mo Xiao Qi screeched heartbreakingly, “Don’t you dare to hurt my Big Brother Yang! If you hurt him, I’ll ask my Lord Father to slaughter your entire Hundred Barbarian Mountain!”
An unimaginable hostility suddenly exploded out of Mo Xiao Qi, who had always been carefree and playful. Every inch of her exposed skin was covered in beast patterns in an instant and she looked extremely wild.
Liang Qiu cackled loudly, “Where are you from little girl? How dare you boast shamelessly when your hair is not even fully grown yet! So, what if this Young Master kills your Big Brother Yang today?”
As the chief disciple of Hundred Barbarian Mountain of the Western Territory, he was extremely self-confident. Among his peers, few were in the same league as him, so Mo Xiao Qi’s threat was like a tickle to his ear, nothing to concern himself over; instead, he became even more decisive in his attack.
The light that gathered at the tip of his spear was now piercing with murderous intent.
Yang Kai bellowed in fury, “Eat my Overlord Fist!”
He sent a hard punch directly at Liang Qiu’s spear as he shouted.
“Sii… Is this little brat crazy?”
“He dared to go up against Liang Qiu’s spear with just his physique? He’s courting death!”
“It’s finished, it’s finished, I’m afraid there won’t even be bits of him left.”
“Poor thing, he was overconfident and is destined to die miserably. Junior Brother, you have to remember that you can’t be like this wherever you travel the Star Boundary in the future. One must learn to bend and stretch according to the circumstances.”
“Junior Brother has noted it down, Senior Brother.”
The strong supportive cultivators who had previously yelled in encouragement for Yang Kai did not give any help, instead just sighing from where they were standing, concluding that Yang Kai was bound to die. Even the Emperor Realm Masters present believed that Yang Kai’s fate was sealed; after all, no matter how powerful one’s physique was, how could they compete head-on with an artifact?
Liang Qiu’s spear was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank artifact and had unmatched sharpness. With his strong cultivation in the Emperor Realm, he could shatter a mountain with just a single thrust, not to mention Yang Kai’s body.
Xia Sheng panicked, but there was no time for him to intervene as Yang Kai and Liang Qiu were moving too fast and he was too far.
“Ridiculous!” Yao Si snorted coldly and turned his eyes away. There was no need to pay attention to a dying person.
On the contrary, he squinted his eyes slightly at Mo Xiao Qi, who was in an abnormal state over there, a feeling of anxiety slowly welling up inside of him.
“You… you won’t die if you don’t court death!” Liang Qiu stared at Yang Kai, muttering quietly. Although he was aggravated by Mo Xiao Qi’s words and really wanted to kill Yang Kai, he could not help but rein in a bit of his strength at Yang Kai’s determined stance.
*Hong… *
A great explosion sounded followed by a brilliant flash of light which swallowed Yang Kai and Liang Qiu together, blinding the audience.
Liang Qiu, who had absolute confidence in his victory, suddenly widened his eyes in shock as his spear began spitting out sparks from this collision.
*Peng peng peng… *
A sky full of fists suddenly emerged and flew towards him at that moment.
“Damn!” Liang Qiu yelled, his face suddenly sullen as he desperately pushed his Emperor Qi, trying to resist the crushing force which was advancing towards him and pushing him back almost a hundred meters.
The other figure had retreated rapidly at the same time.
When the dust settled, everyone in the void widened their eyes.
The scene of Yang Kai being smashed into nothingness did not appear as they had expected, and instead, Yang Kai was standing there whole, and apart from a pair of bloody fists, he had no other injuries.
What injuries he did have were also healing at a rate that was visible to the naked eye!
The entire scene fell silent.
Everyone was so stunned that their jaws dropped uncontrollably as they could not believe that a young man in the Dao Source Realm could take such a fierce blow without suffering any injuries.
“Seriously? He blocked it?”
“I can’t believe my eyes!”
“Is he really just a Dao Source Realm? This guy must have hidden his cultivation, right?”
“Hahaha, what a shame to Liang Qiu!”
A cold shudder ran through Liang Qiu as his purlicue was numb and he felt lightheaded. He glanced down at his spear in a daze before turning back to look at Yang Kai, muttering with some difficulty, “Are you really human?”
There was some slight horror in his voice. He obviously could not believe that Yang Kai could actually fight him with just his fists. How was that even possible? He was just a Dao Source Realm cultivator after all.
“I don’t really like how you asked your question. If I’m not a human, what would I be? A ghost?” Yang Kai snorted coldly.
The surrounding Emperor Realm Masters were also re-evaluating Yang Kai, as if they wanted to dig up whatever secrets he was hiding.
They had never heard of a Dao Source Realm cultivator who could fight against an Emperor Realm Master evenly. Even if it was them before they broke through, they could not achieve what Yang Kai had just done in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
The physique of this brat was so powerful that it could actually withstand the strike of Liang Qiu’s spear, and the speed of his recovery… was simply too astonishing.
His fists that were badly mutilated before had completely recovered by the time they had recovered from their initial shock. What’s more, this boy’s blood wasn’t red, but light gold instead, and it seemed to contain an unbelievable amount of vitality!
Yao Si’s eyes narrowed slightly. As the son of a Great Emperor, he always felt that he was superior to the others and did not put the cultivators of his generation in his eyes, because regarding aptitude, strength, or background, no one could surpass him in this world.
Before Liang Qiu attacked, he also thought that Yang Kai was doomed to die and paid him no mind.
However, reality was far different from his expectations.
Perhaps there may not be people who had a better background than him, but in terms of aptitude and strength, he definitely could not just simply look down on others. This Dao Source Realm young man was a great example of that!
“You… are really strange!” Liang Qiu shook his head after seriously examining Yang Kai for a while.
Yang Kai snorted, “Do you want to come at me again? If so, this Young Master will accompany you until you’re satisfied!”
“No need!” Liang Qiu shook his head lightly, “You have the right to be here!”
The reason why he attacked Yang Kai was only that his cultivation did not reach the Emperor Realm. All the people who stayed were Emperor Realm Masters, or companions of Emperor Realm Masters, while only Yang Kai’s group was made up of Dao Source Realms, which stood out from the rest.
He naturally wanted to teach Yang Kai a lesson and make him an example to the people who were driven away, letting them know the serious consequences of staying here without adequate strength.
However, his plan failed, and he was astonished by Yang Kai instead.
If this fight went on and he won, others would just perceive he had only won due to his unfair advantage over Yang Kai; but if he lost, he would be too embarrassed to walk the Star Boundary anymore.
Yet, Liang Qiu did not have the confidence in beating Yang Kai.
“Good!” Yang Kai cupped his fists unabashedly.
At this moment, Liu Yan suddenly shouted, “Master, something’s wrong with Little Sister Xiao Qi!”
Yang Kai quickly turned to look, and saw Mo Xiao Qi’s beautiful eyes glowing with icy piercing light, her gaze looking incomparably sharp. An astonishing aura was now seeping out of her tender body, one which reminded Yang Kai of his Mountains and Rivers Bell, an ancient and desolate air that caused shivers to all who felt it.
The faces of all the people who felt the aura changed slightly.
Mo Xiao Qi was glaring at Liang Qiu with a murderous intent so strong it had manifested physically and was now warping space around her. Her sharp eyes abruptly turned emotionless and a kind of lofty look that seemed to ignore and despise everything in the world filled them, frightening everyone present.
At the same time, the butterfly mark on her cheek began to quiver, as if it was alive, fluttering awake from its slumber.
As the butterfly wings flapped, an extremely violent pressure spread out, causing everyone to gasp, as if their chests were being pressed down on by a huge mountain.
“What’s happening?” Yang Kai was no less panicked than anyone else.
He had no idea why Mo Xiao Qi suddenly entered such an abnormal state. There was no sign of something like this happening before he and Liang Qiu fought, and he only discovered it after Liu Yan alerted him.
“Not good!” Princess Lan Xun, who was standing not far away, exclaimed in fright, her beautiful face turning pale as she stared at Mo Xiao Qi with slightly trembling eyes.
“What’s wrong with her!” Liang Qiu immediately wiped the cold sweat on his head and asked anxiously, “Why is this little girl looking at me like she is going to eat me?”
Although he had broken through to the Emperor Realm, he couldn’t help trembling when he saw Mo Xiao Qi staring at him menacingly. A sense of impending death now lingered about him, making him feel extremely anxious.
“It’s all because of your actions against her Big Brother Yang!” Lan Xun snapped and gritted her teeth, “Xiao Qi must have thought Senior Brother Yang would be killed by you, so she became like this in panic.”
Liang Qiu gulped, “It’s not my fault! He was the one who rushed over here himself and no one should be blamed even if he died. Then again, who is this little girl and where did she come from? Just now, she blatantly threatened to slaughter my whole Hundred Barbarian Mountain. How ridiculous!”
Although he was smiling, his smile was forced and unnatural. He was obviously frightened by Mo Xiao Qi seemingly transforming into a completely different person all of sudden and exuding such astonishing pressure. It was obvious that she had a very strong background, but he had no idea what it was.
Lan Xun glared fiercely at him, answering solemnly word by word, “Her surname is Mo, from the Eastern Territory!”
“Mo… Eastern Territory…” Liang Qiu’s face scrunched slightly when he heard her answer, but after a brief moment, he came into a realization and exclaimed, “No way, she is that Sir’s… “
“Now you understand!” Lan Xun replied rudely. At this moment, she was also extremely anxious and there was sweat visible at the tip of her nose. She looked at Mo Xiao Qi worriedly while trying to console her softly, but it was all to no avail.
“Brother Yao Si, you’re too much!” Liang Qiu turned to Yao Si with a long face, “You are from the Eastern Territory too, so why didn’t you inform me about her?”
Yao Si was the son of the Serene Soul Great Emperor, while Mo Xiao Qi was the daughter of the Martial Beast Great Emperor. Both Great Emperors lived in the Eastern Territory, so Liang Qiu did not believe that Yao Si did not recognize Mo Xiao Qi, yet he had kept silent and let him openly mock her.
Liang Qiu recalled the humiliation he caused Mo Xiao Qi about her not-fully-grown hair and immediately broke out into a cold sweat.
If his words reached the ears of the Martial Beast Great Emperor, he would definitely peel off a layer of his skin.
Also, if he had known that Yang Kai had the daughter of the Martial Beast Great Emperor as his companion, how could he have dared to act so foolishly?
Yao Si responded faintly, “Even though we are both from the Eastern Territory, I have never met her before, so how could I possibly warn you?”
It seemed that he really did not recognize Mo Xiao Qi, but he did recognize Lan Xun, and he knew that it was impossible for someone of her status to lie about such an important matter.
After a while, Mo Xiao Qi was still unresponsive to Lan Xun’s callings and she could not help stomping her foot, “Liang Qiu, if anything happens to Xiao Qi, your whole Hundred Barbarian Mountain will definitely be slaughtered, and not even a chicken will be spared!”
Liang Qiu’s face changed as his mood rapidly sank to the bottom.
He ignored Mo Xiao Qi when she said the same words before, but now that Lan Xun declared them again, he had no choice but to take things seriously.
[This… this matter really has nothing to do with me…] Liang Qiu secretly felt a great sense of injustice.
“Junior Sister Lan, what’s wrong with Xiao Qi?” Yang Kai observed for a while, but still could not figure out what was happening to Mo Xiao Qi. He only saw that her aura was getting scarier by the moment, and the butterfly mark on her face became more and more lively. The butterfly mark even flew out of her cheek and was now fluttering around her tender body.
As time passed, the pitch-black butterfly enlarged rapidly, turning into the size of a person, which looked exceptionally odd.
Lan Xun disclosed, “Little Sister Xiao Qi released her Divine Soul Seal!”
“Divine Soul Seal?” The crowd turned to her curiously, wondering what was happening.
“In his early years, Sir Martial Beast met an Ancient Divine Spirit, the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly. The Heavenly Illusion Butterfly had lost its body, and only its Soul was preserved intact. After the vicissitudes of time, it had grown incredibly weak, so Sir Martial Beast signed a Soul Contract with it, and when Xiao Qi was three years old, the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly’s Soul was sealed into her body so it could protect her before she came of age. Naturally, it came with a price as the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly’s Soul would feed on some of Xiao Qi’s Spiritual Essence to survive! This is the nature of the Divine Soul Seal!”
“An Ancient Divine Spirit’s Soul!” Liang Qiu gasped.
The faces of the rest of the people present also changed drastically.
Ancient Divine Spirits had always been creatures of legend, and only a few people had seen a true Ancient Divine Spirit before.
But now, in this desolate void, an Ancient Divine Spirit’s Soul actually came into view, and it was actually sealed in a little girl’s body.
No one knew how strong this Soul was, but judging from the scene that it caused since its release, its strength could not be contended by anyone here.
How marvellous was the cultivation of the Martial Beast Great Emperor who sealed this Soul into his daughter’s body and allowed it to become Mo Xiao Qi’s protector?
“Only in the most dangerous of situations would Xiao Qi release this seal. This should be her first time, so she can’t control it properly,” Lan Xun pressed on and glared at Yang Kai briefly, seeming to blame him a bit.
She was also secretly amazed. Previously, she thought that the reason Mo Xiao Qi cared so much for Yang Kai was to oppose her; but now, she understood that Mo Xiao Qi truly cared for Yang Kai, otherwise she would not have released this seal.
She probably thought that Yang Kai was bound to die, so she had to release the seal to avenge him; however, Yang Kai was unscathed after the exchange while on the contrary, Mo Xiao Qi herself had lost consciousness and was being taken over by the Soul of the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly.
“What’s so powerful about this Heavenly Illusion Butterfly? Can we join forces to suppress it?” Liang Qiu asked, wiping his sweat nervously.
Lan Xun sneered, “Among all Ancient Divine Spirits, the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly’s attacks are considered the weakest, not even on par with a Tenth-Order Monster Beast!”
“Really?” Liang Qiu was overjoyed. If it was weaker than an average Tenth-Order Monster Beast, what was there to be afraid of? With so many Masters present, anyone could suppress it.
Lan Xun, however, continued, “But it is naturally proficient in illusions. When it appears in its entirety, it can convince its prey the universe is upside down the positions of the Heavens and Earth have swapped! Even a Great Emperor would find it hard to resist its illusionary techniques. None of the Ancient Divine Spirits can be underestimated!”
Liang Qiu’s face darkened, “I think… I should run away. This little girl keeps staring at me, making this Young Master feel uneasy.”
“Escape?” Lan Xun looked at him coldly, “Where can you escape? Xiao Qi has her eyes locked on you at this moment. Even if you escape to the ends of the world, you would still be dead!”
“Should I just wait to die then?” Liang Qiu retorted angrily.
Lan Xun responded, “If you don’t run away, you will be the only one who dies. If you escape, everyone present will suffer first!”
Everyone’s face changed after hearing this.
Xia Sheng questioned in surprise, “Princess Lan Xun, is this true?”
Lan Xun pressed on, “Don’t be fooled by the grace of the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly. Among the Ancient Divine Spirits, it is one of the most vicious and bloodthirsty.”
“Then what should we do now?” Yao Si asked. Although he was the son of a Great Emperor, he was not familiar with the Divine Soul Seal while Lan Xun seemed far more knowledgeable.
Lan Xun was silent for a while before she proposed, “There may be a way to stabilize the situation.” While she was speaking, she cast her beautiful eyes on Liang Qiu.
Liang Qiu frowned and replied defensively, “What are you looking at me for? It’s not entirely my fault that she became like this, right? Besides, I don’t have the ability to re-seal that Divine Spirit’s Soul!”
Lan Xun smiled faintly and went on, “You don’t need to re-seal it. Xiao Qi just wants you to die now. If you die… maybe she will be able to calm down by herself.”
“You want me to die?” Liang Qiu was horrified and fell back several steps, staring at Lan Xun as he choked, “You want me to die? What right do you have to ask me to die?!”
Lan Xun snorted, “This is the only way I can think of.”
“This is murder, murder I say! Women are indeed the most poisonous of all creatures!” Liang Qiu snarled.
It was obvious that Liang Qiu would not accept such a proposal from Lan Xun. He had just finally broken through to the Emperor Realm in this Shattered Star Sea, so he would naturally not be willing to give up his life.
“Little brat, you better watch your mouth!” Xiao Chen growled, “It is an honour for her Highness to ask for your life, don’t act ungrateful!”
Liang Qiu retorted, “Would you die if she asked you to die?”
Xiao Chen snorted, “The Princess has always been knowledgeable and considerate. She wouldn’t make such a request of me.”
“You’re just a coward evading the question, what right do you have to point fingers at this Young Master!?” Liang Qiu snapped contemptuously.
Xiao Chen was furious and he summoned a longsword into his hand, pointing it at Liang Qiu, “You’ll be dead today either way, so what’s the point of talking anymore idle nonsense!”
Liang Qiu was about to say something more, but Yao Si stepped in front of him and intervened, “Brother Liang is my friend, whoever wants his life will have to pass me first!”
Liang Qiu, who was standing behind him, did not expect Yao Si to stand up and speak for him in such a situation. Warmth welled up in him as he whispered, “Many thanks, Brother Yao Si, but this happened partly because of me. I’d better escape and lure this girl away. If I fail to do so, you should be careful too!”
Yao Si replied, “Although it was partly because of you, it was even more so because of the brat surnamed Yang.”
Liang Qiu was startled at first, but soon agreed, “Good, it was indeed because of that brat that this girl has become like this.” He then turned to yell at Yang Kai, “Boy, you can’t stay out of this!”
Yang Kai snorted, “Since when was I trying to stay out of this?”
Liang Qiu challenged, “Since this girl values you so much and even released that-whatever-Divine Soul Seal for you, why don’t you try to calm her down, maybe she can restore her consciousness!”
Liang Qiu had only suggested it casually, but Yang Kai’s expression changed and looked towards Lan Xun, “Junior Sister Lan, is it feasible?”
Lan Xun frowned slightly, “I don’t know. You can try, but it must be as soon as possible, the seal is about to be completely released.”
Yang Kai nodded and without any hesitation, darted towards Mo Xiao Qi.
In the void, countless pairs of eyes were looking nervously at Yang Kai. The buzz among the people here naturally passed into the ears of the surrounding Dao Source Realm cultivators, and although most did not understand the whole situation, they realized it was quite grave. Yang Kai’s initiative to approach Mo Xiao Qi to seek for a solution naturally aroused everyone’s attention.
As Yang Kai approached, he called out softly to Mo Xiao Qi, then yelled a few times without the slightest response. He immediately knew that Mo Xiao Qi had really lost all consciousness. He next tried using his Divine Sense to directly reach her consciousness, hoping she would notice him.
Soon, Yang Kai was near Mo Xiao Qi, reaching a hand out to touch her.
Everyone held their breaths in silence, the only sounds were the beating of the hearts of every person as they stared at Yang Kai, none of them willing to miss a single moment.
Just as Yang Kai’s hand was about to touch Mo Xiao Qi though, her tender body suddenly trembled and the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly fluttering around her spread its wings, spreading an invisible force.
Yang Kai instantly froze in place and his eyes lost focus.
“This is bad!” Lan Xun’s heart sank as at a glance, she knew that Yang Kai was hit by an illusion technique that he would not be able to pull himself out of.
“Waste! Looks like this Young Master still has to run!” Liang Qiu yelled with a disappointed expression on his face.
The next moment, however, Yang Kai’s dull eyes suddenly moved and he opened his mouth to spurt out a mouthful of blood before swiftly retreating, directly putting up a distance of a thousand meters between himself and Mo Xiao Qi. When he finally stopped, his face was white as a sheet, and his clothes were drenched in sweat.
“Fierce!” Yang Kai looked at Mo Xiao Qi with lingering fear. He had not felt anything at first, but the scenery in front of him had changed abruptly and his consciousness had been completely captured by the only object in his vision, a giant butterfly fluttering lightly in the void.
He knew it was the illusion of the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly, but he could not extricate himself from it.
If it were not for Soul Warming Lotus that played a role at the critical moment, giving him a trace of clarity, he would definitely have died.
Yang Kai’s Soul was extremely strong, even stronger than an ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master, but even he could not resist the illusion of the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly, so it was obvious that not a single person present would be able to compete against it. Furthermore, it seemed that Mo Xiao Qi’s seal was yet to be completely released, so the illusion he was struck with was still not at peak strength. Once this seal was undone though, just how many lives would be lost here?
If the elites from every corner of the Star Boundary perished here, the entire Star Boundary would not be able to restore itself for at least five hundred years.
“Junior Sister Lan, is there no other way to reseal it?” Yang Kai asked Lan Xun when he finally caught his breath.
Lan Xun looked desperate and shook her head slowly.
“Let’s run away quickly everyone, let destiny decide our fates…” Liang Qiu suggested with a darkened face. Among everyone, he was the one who wanted to escape the most; after all, Mo Xiao Qi had been staring at him since the beginning.
No one else had any better ideas, so they simply looked solemn after hearing these words and secretly began to gather their strength in preparation to flee at any time.
Right at that moment, a stranger’s voice suddenly called out, “If you don’t mind, shall this Old Master give it a try?”
His remark instantly attracted everyone’s attention, but their expressions changed weirdly when they discovered the owner of the voice.
Because the person was actually the old swindler.
In the present audience, except for Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi, both having several previous encounters with this old swindler, everyone was meeting him for the first time and didn’t know his saint-like charisma was nothing more than a facade.
If he had stood up and made such a statement with his previous image, he would undoubtedly be drowned in spit from all the curses hurled at him.
“You…” Lan Xun looked at the old swindler and a trace of doubt flashed across her beautiful eyes. She found something about him vaguely familiar, but her mind somehow went blank when she thought about it carefully.
Yao Si’s expression was solemn for a moment as well. Although he had different doubts from Lan Xun, he too, felt uneasy about this old swindler. He swept over the old man with his Divine Sense, but found he was unable to sense anything from him at all.
In other words, he could not detect the slightest existence of the old swindler with his Emperor Realm cultivation.
This discovery shocked him more than when Yang Kai had previously received Liang Qiu’s blow with just his physique.
“Where did you jump out from, old man? Why didn’t I see you earlier?” Liang Qiu’s eyes were bigger than eggs. If the old swindler did not take the initiative to speak out, Liang Qiu would never have noticed him.
“Haha, this old master has been here the whole time, but his insignificant cultivation must not have caught Young Master’s attention!” The old swindler smiled slightly.
“Strange! This is all just too strange!” Liang Qiu looked puzzled. Inexplicable events kept happening around him for some reason.
The old swindler was already making his way towards Mo Xiao Qi step by step as he spoke. It was admirable that even with Yang Kai’s unfortunate experience, he carried an undaunted look.
Yang Kai asked with a calm face, “Old man, don’t you sell Spirit Pills? How do you know about the Divine Soul Seal?”
Unlike the others, Yang Kai somewhat knew about this old swindler, and he was absolutely certain that he was a master of deception and cons. Who knew what trickery he had up his sleeves this time? It did not matter if he died, but it would be a big problem if it involved Mo Xiao Qi, or worse if it made her current condition worse.
The old man smiled slightly and assured him, “I have lived for a long time and am always learning new things. I know a little about everything. This Old Master is sold out of Spirit Pills at the moment, so he has to change careers.”
Yang Kai asked sceptically with a sullen face, “Now you have switched to studying sealing arts?”
“Do you know him?” Lan Xun glanced at Yang Kai in amazement and asked.
Yang Kai answered in a deep voice, “I have seen him a few times when he was active in Maplewood City before. Last time, during the opening of your Star Soul Palace’s Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, he was peddling a so-called Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pill, a kind of ancient pill that can bring someone back to life from the brink of death! He even scammed Xiao Qi for a few Source Crystals!”
“Such a thing happened?” Everyone was shocked.
Lan Xun’s face turned ugly, “Isn’t he a swindler then?”
Lan Xun had never heard of the Nine Revolutions Life Restoring Pill before, not to mention the effects of bringing someone back to life from the dead. Spirit Pills with such an effect usually would be precious treasures to everyone and would definitely be kept for themselves, who would be willing to sell them?
Initially, when the old man stood up confidently, Lan Xun thought that he might be some hidden Master, and got her hopes up a little, but after hearing from Yang Kai, her expectations rapidly sank to the bottom.
If he was the same person Yang Kai was describing, he obviously was incompetent and wagging his tongue irresponsibly. What if the situation turned worse if he got near Mo Xiao Qi?
Liang Qiu condemned, “Old thing, quickly roll away from this Young Master’s sight!”
Although it was not entirely his fault, he was still a little responsible for Mo Xiao Qi’s condition, and if something happened to her, the Martial Beast Great Emperor may not necessarily listen to his explanation, so when he saw this old swindler approaching Mo Xiao Qi, Liang Qiu hurriedly thrust his spear to force him back, lest he acted recklessly and worsen the situation.
Mo Xiao Qi was only releasing her seal now, which was not harmful to herself yet, but Liang Qiu dared not to take the risk of allowing someone to set her off and end up causing her to die.
An astonishing power exploded as the spear thrust out, as if it could penetrate the void, ignoring the barrier of space, reaching in front of the old swindler in an instant.
Although Liang Qiu’s spear attack was fierce, there was no murderous intent behind it as he only meant to force the old swindler to withdraw.
However, the old swindler actually remained calm and dauntless in the face of a strike from an Emperor Realm Master, as if he did not sense the incoming danger. Instead, his focus remained unblinkingly on Mo Xiao Qi as a bright light flashed across the depths of his eyes.
The old swindler merely swung his hand lightly when the spear was about to crash into him.
His hand moved casually with a relaxed expression, just like shooing a fly away.
But the following scene could not have been more shocking. With just a casual wave of his hand, the old swindler completely dispersed the power of Liang Qiu’s spear thrust, nullifying it without even a bit of fallout.
It seemed like Liang Qiu was not attacking an old man with only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, but a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. The gesture of the old swindler actually showed the demeanour of a senior expert, giving off an unfathomable feeling.
The sharp visual conflict flabbergasted everyone, and all gasped in shock.
Liang Qiu could not believe his eyes and after being stunned for a while had to rub them hard to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.
But over there, the old man clearly stood unscathed, not even a wrinkle on his clothes.
“What the hell!?” Liang Qiu exclaimed, taking a heavy beating to his pride and feeling quite depressed.
Previously, he wanted to rely on his Emperor Realm cultivation to teach Yang Kai a lesson, but Yang Kai repelled him with his bare fists; and now, his spear attack was easily dispelled by this old man.
Liang Qiu couldn’t believe such a scene was possible if it had not happened to him directly.
Were all Dao Source Realm cultivators so powerful nowadays that they can easily counter the strikes of an Emperor Realm Master? If so, why is everyone still trying so hard to reach the Emperor Realm? Why not just stay in the Dao Source Realm forever?
Or… was it just Liang Qiu himself? Had he not truly reached the Emperor Realm and everything was all in his head?
A look of defeat crept onto his face as countless thoughts flashed across Liang Qiu’s mind, causing him to lose spirit.
Yang Kai was bewildered too.
Although he managed to resist a blow from Liang Qiu before, he still could not deny that Liang Qiu was strong. If they really fought to the death, Yang Kai would not have an easy time defeating him; after all, Liang Qiu also had an extraordinary aptitude and was the top disciple of Hundred Barbarian Mountain, a peak Sect in the Western Territory. He was a one in a million kind of genius.
Yang Kai knew exactly how powerful that spear attack was, and even though it would not be too difficult for him to resolve such a strike, he would definitely not be able to do so as calmly and easily as the old swindler.
Who was this old man? Could he be some kind of Master who hid his cultivation?
However, that seemed impossible when Yang Kai thought more about it, because during the opening of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda of Star Soul Palace last time, only cultivators at the Origin King Realm were allowed to enter. Since the old man could enter, it meant that he was indeed an Origin King at that time.
In just a few years, breaking through to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm was already an astonishing feat, so the chances of this old swindler still hiding his cultivation was basically close to zero.
It was just that… Yang Kai did not understand how he had dispelled Liang Qiu’s blow.
Not only Yang Kai, everyone present did not understand either and still could not calm themselves down from the unbelievable scene.
But after this, no one dared to look down on this old swindler anymore.
Even if he was really a swindler, given that he could resolve an Emperor Realm Master’s attack in just a wave of his hand, he was undoubtedly a powerful swindler!
“Young man, don’t be so impulsive. This Old Master is not as vigorous as young people like you and cannot stand too much reckless fighting,” the old man responded lightly after resolving Liang Qiu’s attack.
Liang Qiu was exasperated at his words, feeling like the old man was mocking him for his incompetence.
“Senior…” Lan Xun looked at the old man and questioned with a trembling voice, “Are you sure that you have a way to solve Little Sister Xiao Qi’s problem?”
After witnessing the amazing skill of the old swindler, Lan Xun regained some confidence in him. There were always some mysterious old masters in this world that liked to hide, normally appearing inconspicuous and avoiding standing out, but when they were needed in some critical moment, they would bloom with astounding brilliance.
Perhaps this old man whom Yang Kai accused of being a swindler was one such Master.
Thrilled, Lan Xun changed her way of addressing him. Although they were both Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, she still called him Senior.
Unexpectedly, the old man accepted the title comfortably and replied with a faint smile, “I can give it a try.”
Lan Xun’s beautiful eyes lit up and immediately asked, “Does Senior know about the Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal? I once heard from Lord Father that the technique Sir Martial Beast used to seal the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly is the Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal, which is extremely mysterious and dreadfully complicated. But in this world, only the Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal is capable of sealing a Divine Spirit’s Soul.”
The old man shook his head, “The Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal is one of the Martial Beast Great Emperor’s best-kept Secret Techniques. This Old Master has not had the opportunity to study it.”
Lan Xun’s face darkened, “Then what should we do?”
She initially thought that this Senior was well versed in sealing techniques, but now listening to his words, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed again.
The Bright Moon Great Emperor did tell her that the Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal was the only way to seal a Divine Spirit’s Soul successfully, so how could this Senior re-seal the Divine Spirit’s Soul without knowing such a profound technique?
But it was also true that the Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal was an original creation of the Martial Beast Great Emperor, so even when her Lord Father asked him about it, he just changed the subject and was unwilling to reveal anything to him.
‘That old bastard Martial Beast is really too stingy!’ The criticism of the Bright Moon Great Emperor flashed vividly in Lan Xun’s mind.
“That bastard Martial Beast has always been stingy with his treasures, he doesn’t even share his good wines with his friends, so how could he be willing to pass out the Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal?” The old swindler muttered in complaint under his breath, and even though he spoke softly, the Emperor Realm Masters nearby were still able to hear his words clearly.
All of them almost fainted listening to his complaint.
The Martial Beast Great Emperor was one of the Ten Great Emperors. His cultivation was as high as the Heavens, and his status was transcendent. To the entire Star Boundary, his existence was akin to that of a god. Whenever his name was mentioned, everyone expressed admiration and worship, as he was the symbol of the Star Boundary’s supreme strength, but when this old man spoke, that same Martial Beast Great Emperor had become a ‘bastard’.
Such disrespect to the Great Emperor!
On the other hand, Lan Xun wore a look of ponderance on her face.
Because the way this old man spoke… Was exactly like how her father had.
The old man seemed to be aware of his flagrant words and hurriedly diverted attention by changing the topic, “This Old Master is not capable of re-sealing the Divine Spirit’s Soul.”
“What?” Yang Kai’s face darkened after hearing this and he snapped, “If you are not capable of doing so, why are you acting like you have a card up your sleeve? Do you enjoy toying with this Young Master’s feelings!?”
The old man grinned, “This Old Master is not capable, but someone else here is.”
“Ah?” Yang Kai furrowed his brows, his eyes immediately swept around and finally fixed on Yao Si.
If anyone here could re-seal the Divine Spirit’s Soul, it would be a descendant of a Great Emperor who had equal status to Mo Xiao Qi; Lan Xun was definitely incapable of this, so Yao Si was the only remaining hope.
Seeing Yang Kai looking at him, Yao Si simply stated, “Saving people is not my strength. My specialty is killing people. Do you want me to try?”
Yang Kai glared at him before turning back to the old man, “Don’t be so garrulous, quickly tell us who that person who can help is.”
The old man laughed gently, “Young people are really impatient. Don’t worry, it will still take some time for this seal to be completely released; after all, this is her first time unsealing it and the Divine Spirit’s Soul would need to fuse with this little girl first before it can move about freely.”
Noticing Yang Kai’s face that had turned uglier, the old man eventually stopped blabbering and lifted his head, turning a solemn look towards a certain individual and beckoning to her, “You, little girl, come and help this Old Master.”
Following the direction he gestured, everyone turned to look and saw a pale-faced young woman standing there, her Source Qi was fluctuating unstably due to some unknown reason.
Zhang Ruo Xi!
Yang Kai looked at her in befuddlement.
He did not expect that the person who the old man mentioned was actually Zhang Ruo Xi!
Now that he was paying attention though, it seemed that ever since Mo Xiao Qi began the unsealing process, Zhang Ruo Xi’s condition had turned a bit abnormal too. However, due to the seriousness of the Divine Soul Seal, Yang Kai had not paid attention to Zhang Ruo Xi and had only secretly ordered Liu Yan to take good care of her and only inform him if something went wrong.
At this moment, the old man was clearly beckoning to Zhang Ruo Xi, requesting her to help him.
[What does this old man want to do?] Yang Kai was utterly puzzled.
Zhang Ruo Xi was stunned for a while before realizing that the old swindler was calling her. She could not help feeling a little timid in front of everyone’s eyes and her face was getting paler while the fluctuation in her aura also became more violent as time passed.
She turned to look at Yang Kai with an inquiring gaze.
Yang Kai asked in a deep voice, “Old man, are you joking with me?”
The old swindler replied solemnly, “Why would this Old Master make a joke like this?”
“Then you better explain to me clearly how Ruo Xi can help you seal the Divine Spirit’s Soul!”
It was not only Yang Kai who held doubt, everyone was the same. Zhang Ruo Xi did not seem capable with her Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation. There were so many Emperor Realm Masters present here, so why would the old swindler ask her instead of them for help?
But the old swindler shook his head and replied, “I can’t tell you. If you believe in this Old Master, allow her to come over; if not, this Old Master can no longer help.”
Yang Kai fumed, “How can I believe you if you don’t tell me!?”
The old man spread his hands, “Then we have no choice. Just wait until her seal is completely released and maybe the Divine Spirit’s Soul would go back to sleep again after turning this Shattered Star Sea into a bloodbath. Good luck, everyone.”
Yang Kai’s face turned ugly. This old man was deliberately making things look unnecessarily mysterious, but he could not do anything about it, which really annoyed him.
At this moment, Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly spoke up, “Sir, I would like to give it a try. If I can, I want to help stabilize Little Sister Xiao Qi’s condition!”
“You should look at your own condition first…” Yang Kai frowned.
He did not understand what was wrong with Zhang Ruo Xi, but he felt uncomfortable with the strange aura surrounding her body. Although her condition was not as serious as Mo Xiao Qi’s, Yang Kai was still worried about her.
“I’m fine,” Zhang Ruo Xi bit her red lips, “Sir, please let me try.”
“If you hesitate any more, nothing can be done when her seal is completely released. And… I don’t mind telling you this, the conditions of these two little girls were ultimately triggered due to a chain reaction; if the seal is stopped, her problem would also be solved too.”
Yang Kai was puzzled, but he could not help believing the old swindler as he looked and spoke with such sincerity. He asked in a deep voice, “Does your plan include hurting Ruo Xi?”
“It’s not life-threatening. This Old Master just needs a drop of her Blood Essence!”
“Blood Essence…” Yang Kai looked startled, and started to believe that the old swindler was not just blabbering, because Zhang Ruo Xi had a peculiar Bloodline Power in her body that, up until now Yang Kai still had not fully understood. The old swindler obviously knew that Zhang Ruo Xi’s bloodline was extraordinary since he requested her Blood Essence. Therefore, he must have understood that the secret of her bloodline could assist him in sealing the Divine Spirit’s Soul.
But how did he notice?
“Good!” Yang Kai agreed and brought Zhang Ruo Xi over with him.
The two of them arrived in front of the old swindler in no time.
The old man faintly smiled at Zhang Ruo Xi and comforted her in a gentle voice, “Relax, young lady, this won’t hurt a bit.”
Zhang Ruo Xi nodded lightly, took a deep breath, and prepared herself.
Just before he started though, the old man suddenly glanced over Zhang Ruo Xi and questioned in surprise, “Your clothes… look quite good. Where did you get them from?”
Yang Kai was secretly taken aback by his question.
Because under Zhang Ruo Xi’s robes was the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe defensive Emperor Artifact!
The value of this Emperor Artifact was exceptionally high, and its defensive capability was extraordinary. Zhang Ruo Xi had been wearing it ever since she got it.
When the old man praised her clothing, he was certainly not referring to the dress she was wearing, but rather the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe hidden inside.
[What’s wrong with this old man? He could even notice this too?] Yang Kai could not help becoming alert.
On the contrary, Zhang Ruo Xi did not take precautions against the old man and answered softly, “A friend of mine gave it to me.”
“Friend… eh?” The corner of the old man’s mouth twitched before he let out a light laugh, “If you see your friend again next time, send this Old Master’s regards to him. Tell him that this Old Master misses him very much!”
Zhang Ruo Xi asked in astonishment, “Senior knows him?”
“It’s been a long time since we last met,” the old man replied kindly.
The two of them exchanged a few words peacefully, but on the other side, Yang Kai felt a storm of fright in his heart. His eyes went round, as if he was looking at a ghost in broad daylight.
He knew that this old man was definitely not the chatty type contrary to what his appearance would suggest. Rather, he was utterly mysterious and unfathomable.
Zhang Ruo Xi obtained the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe from the Four Seasons Realm, and according to her, this Emperor Artifact was given to her by an Ancient Divine Spirit, Qiong Qi!
Qiong Qi seemed to be the mount of the Flowing Time Great Emperor. After the fall of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, Qiong Qi had remained in a deep sleep inside the Four Seasons Realm, until the appearance of the Flowing Time Temple. After that, Qiong Qi left the Four Seasons Realm and went missing.
Qiong Qi was an Ominous Ancient Beast, and slaughter was a part of his nature. During the time when he came out of the Four Seasons Realm, Gao Xue Ting and the other Emperors who were guarding the exit were all taken aback. Fortunately, Qiong Qi was not set on causing trouble and was diverted away by the Bright Moon Great Emperor, otherwise Gao Xue Ting and the others would have unquestionably died.
But now, this old man was actually implying that he knew Qiong Qi.
[Who the hell is this old man!?] Yang Kai already felt that he was strange before, but now, he was even more undecipherable than mist.
[Why does such a hidden Master only have a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation?]
“Senior, how should I address you?” Zhang Ruo Xi and the old man seemed to be having a friendly chat, allowing her anxiety and tension to gradually relax.
Yang Kai hurriedly perked up his ear to listen.
The old man opened his mouth and uttered a few words.
Yang Kai looked at them with a blank face, because he could not hear what the old man said at all.
Zhang Ruo Xi dipped her head, “Junior understands. If I ever meet my friend again, I will send Senior’s regards. However, I don’t know where he is now, as he went missing after giving me this gift.”
While speaking, Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly shook slightly and almost collapsed.
Luckily, Yang Kai caught her with his quick reflexes.
“Alright, the Blood Essence has been collected, you can rest for a while,” the old man smiled.
Only at that moment did Yang Kai notice that there was a drop of red blood floating above the old man’s finger. The blood was like a living being, dancing on his fingertips, appearing exceedingly unstable and releasing an indescribable aura.
Yang Kai had no idea when the old swindler had collected the Blood Essence.
The reason why Zhang Ruo Xi shook all of a sudden was certainly because a drop of her Blood Essence was extracted. However, this was not a big deal and she would recover after a good period of rest.
After obtaining the drop of Blood Essence, the expression of the old man instantly turned extremely solemn. The Source Qi inside his body fluctuated as he wrapped it around the drop of blood before using lightning-quick movements to bring his finger towards Mo Xiao Qi’s forehead.
*Chi… *
The Heavenly Illusion Butterfly’s Soul became dreadfully restless all of a sudden, as if it had met its natural enemy, constantly flapping its wings and emitting illusionary waves.
Yang Kai had suffered a huge loss before and fully acknowledged the power of this illusion technique. He was about to retreat in a hurry, when he realized that the wave of illusions was completely suppressed after encountering Zhang Ruo Xi’s Blood Essence, not even able to form a tiny ripple.
Without any obstacles, the old man tapped the Blood Essence on Mo Xiao Qi’s forehead.
The Blood Essence burst at once, forming a red mark on Mo Xiao Qi’s forehead, then seeping into her body.
As the Blood Essence disappeared, the chaotic aura coming from Mo Xiao Qi’s body rapidly stabilized and the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly was gradually sucked by an inexplicable force of attraction into her body, returning to a butterfly mark again on her cheek.
After a soft moan, Mo Xiao Qi fell down limply, her eyes closed.
Yang Kai hurriedly stretched out his other hand and held her. He looked at her and saw that she was breathing normally, probably just passed out but otherwise fine.
A Heaven-shaking crisis that came inexplicably was also solved inexplicably. Everyone was terrified by the incident for quite a while, and only when it was finally settled did many realize that their backs were drenched with cold sweat.
“Sir, I feel so sleepy!” Zhang Ruo Xi cried out, following in Mo Xiao Qi’s footsteps as she passed out.
“Not bad, little brat, holding two beauties left and right. This Old Master is jealous,” the old man teased Yang Kai with a grin.
Yang Kai was speechless and replied, “Is it really okay for an old man to not behave with some dignity?”
“This Old Master was also once young, so it’s not a big deal,” the old man winked at Yang Kai as he responded, revealing a playful look.
Yang Kai remarked, “Old man, I’m not going to lie to you. Previously, I misunderstood you and thought you were a swindler. Only now do I know that you were hiding your light under a bushel.”
“Haha!” The old man laughed, “This Old Master is just a little better at deception than others. It’s not worth mentioning.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Old man, since you knew that Ruo Xi’s Blood Essence was able to suppress the Divine Spirit’s Soul, you must have known what kind of bloodline she has. Can you tell me?”
As soon as this question was asked, the old man’s expression immediately turned serious. He paused for a moment before answering solemnly, “I can’t tell you, but you will understand when she becomes stronger in the future. However, this Old Master does have some advice for you.”
“What?”
“Lead her onto the righteous path, for if she were to fall to the wicked path, the entire Star Boundary will suffer!” The old man advised solemnly.
Yang Kai squinted his eyes, “It’s that serious?”
The old man looked at the sleeping Zhang Ruo Xi, his eyes flashing a profound light as he continued, “When she grows to her peak, the power that she will wield will be even more horrifying than Wu Kuang’s!”
“Wu Kuang? Who is Wu Kuang?” Yang Kai asked with a frown.
The old man disclosed in a deep voice word by word, “Heaven… Devouring… Great… Emperor!”
*Gudong *
Yang Kai could not help gulping in fear, but he still pressed on, “Old man, you actually know the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s taboo name?”
If it were not for this old man, Yang Kai would not have known the real name of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. The two words ‘Heaven Devouring’ were just his title, not his name. Wu Meng Chuan claimed himself to be the descendant of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, so Yang Kai could have guessed that the surname of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was ‘Wu’.
But he did not expect that he would actually learn the real name of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor from this old man.
How did he know?
Suffering from morbid curiosity, Yang Kai could not help asking, “Old man, who the hell are you!?”
The old man could actually see that Zhang Ruo Xi’s Bloodline Power was extraordinary and her Blood Essence could be used to seal a Divine Spirit’s Soul. He also knew a powerful Monster Beast like Qiong Qi and spoke out about the true name of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. As such, Yang Kai could not believe that he was just an ordinary Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator.
“Well, I can’t tell you that!”
Yang Kai was infuriated and grumbled, “Then, what can you tell me?”
The old man thought for a while before patting Yang Kai’s shoulder and advising earnestly, “Cultivate well and quickly promote to the Emperor Realm as soon as possible. The future of Star Boundary depends on all of you.”
“Get lost!”
The old man did not feel annoyed at all at this rebuff and just glanced at Yang Kai with a gentle smile before turning around and announcing loudly with a solemn look, “Everyone, if you can hear this Old Master, please leave this place immediately. It is very dangerous here and if you continue to remain, your lives will be in danger.”
Liang Qiu responded with a laugh, “Old man, you are really interesting. I already know that it is dangerous here. I don’t need you to remind me.”
Even though he knew this old man was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, after his spear attack was easily dispelled by him, he dared not to look down on the old man as his strength was unfathomable. If it was another Dao Source Realm cultivator who said these words, Liang Qiu would have already stabbed him with his spear.
“You seem to be very knowledgeable. Why don’t you tell us which Great Emperor left this skeleton behind?” Liang Qiu brought up the topic of the skeleton in the black hole again.
Previously, due to the release of Mo Xiao Qi’s Divine Soul Seal, everyone’s attention was drawn to it out of fear, while the Great Emperor’s skeleton and the Space Ring were temporarily forgotten.
But now that the crisis of Divine Soul Seal had been resolved, it was natural that everyone would turn their attention back to this Space Ring.
Liang Qiu’s question was undoubtedly on point, and everyone looked at the old man curiously, waiting for him to give an explanation.
The old man looked stern when he answered, “It doesn’t matter anymore which Great Emperor left this behind. The past War of Great Emperors was a disaster that shattered worlds. Besides a few useless leftovers, most of the artifacts used back then were destroyed, so it is impossible for there to be anything worthwhile left in that Space Ring. Everyone would be better off not thinking about it anymore.”
“Do you think I will believe you?” Liang Qiu snorted coldly.
“I believe!” Lan Xun abruptly stood up and declared.
Liang Qiu glanced at her, pursing his lips. Since Lan Xun, the daughter of the Bright Moon Great Emperor, also stood up for this old man, he could not go up against him anymore.
Lan Xun continued, “Senior, if it’s convenient, can you please tell us why this place is dangerous?”
The old man frowned, “Your lives are in danger. Lady Lan, please quickly take your people and leave.”
Lan Xun pondered a while after hearing him, then nodded in agreement, “Since Senior said so, then Junior will leave now. Take care, Senior.”
While speaking, she looked at Yang Kai, and seeing his indifferent face, she did not try to persuade him. Instead, she turned to the surrounding cultivators and shouted, “Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters from the Southern Territory, if you trust me, Lan Xun, please leave here now!”
After calling out, she immediately rushed away. Although Xiao Chen was a little unwilling, as a qualified worshipper, he definitely would not leave Lan Xun alone and quickly followed after her.
As soon as she left, many of the elites from the Southern Territory among the crowd summoned their artifacts and left one after another.
It could be seen that Star Soul Palace still had a huge amount of influence over the Southern Territory, as no one else could achieve such an effect.
Those thousands from the Southern Territory were reduced to a few hundred.
Xia Sheng exchanged whispers with Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao for a while, seeming to think that the old man’s warning was not a joke, and secretly sent Yang Kai a message before also turning and leaving.
If he was alone, Xia Sheng might have chosen to remain, since he was also an Emperor Realm Master; however, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were with him at the moment, so he had to consider their safety and dared not risk their lives.
“Yao Si, you leave too!” This old man turned to Yao Si and ordered.
Yao Si raised his brows and replied indifferently, “This Young Master loves to be wherever he wants, no one can command me!”
As the son of a Great Emperor, he was naturally extremely arrogant. Although the performance of the old man was amazing, it was still not enough for him to try to boss Yao Si around.
The old man sighed and suddenly waved his hand, sending out a stream of light towards Yao Si as fast as lightning.
Yao Si’s face changed and he hurriedly pushed his Emperor Qi while retreating rapidly at the same time, trying to dodge the blow.
But what appalled him was that the stream of light was travelling at an unreasonable speed, which was impossible for him to dodge, and even his Emperor Qi protection could not help him at all.
The stream of light directly hit him.
Yao Si could not help taking a few steps back, his face pale.
“Old man, how dare you launch a sneak attack!” Liang Qiu rebuked angrily yet also with some fear.
He was angry because this old man was shameless to attack before giving notice; but he was also frightened because Yao Si could not withstand this sneak attack as the old man’s strength was too terrifying.
The faces of Chi Gui, Wu Chang, and the rest of the Emperor Realm Masters also turned ugly.
They all broke through to the Emperor Realm in this Shattered Star Sea and thought that they could act freely in the Star Boundary from now on, but their pride had been ground down greatly by an unknown old man before they even left the Shattered Star Sea.
If this old man could launch a successful sneak attack on Yao Si so casually, wouldn’t it be even easier for him to launch a sneak attack against them?
It seemed like they could not underestimate any Dao Source Realm cultivator anymore, otherwise, they might not even know how they ended up dying.
Liang Qiu gripped his spear tightly, as if he was ready to fight all out with the old man. Previously, Liang Qiu was deeply moved when Yao Si stood up for him and addressed him as his friend, so now that Yao Si was in danger, he naturally could not just stand by and watch.
Before he could do anything though, Yao Si immediately stretched out his hand to stop him and shouted, “I’m fine, don’t be impulsive!”
Liang Qiu turned to him in astonishment.
With a solemn expression, Yao Si looked down at his palm and his body started shaking. He looked back at the old man in horror and exclaimed, “You are…”
The old man put a finger to his own lips and shushed softly.
Yao Si understood his meaning and hurriedly swallowed the words he was about to blurt out, cupping his fist formally in the next moment and bowing his head, “Yao Si did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth before and was extremely rude with his words. Please forgive this Junior, Sir!”
His words caused uproar in the crowd. Everyone could not be more shocked as they stared at Yao Si in disbelief.
Yao Si was the son of the Serene Soul Great Emperor, and with his extraordinary aptitude and cultivation, it could be said that, besides a select few who could make him submit, no one else could draw such respectful words from his mouth in the entirety of the Star Boundary, even if their strength was greater than his.
But now, facing this old man, he greeted him in a respectful tone and expression, even sounding a bit… subservient!
The son of a Great Emperor acting humble in front of a Third-Order Dao Source Realm old man and addressing himself as a Junior, just what the hell was going on?
However, everyone did understand one thing; the previous attack of the old man was not really a sneak attack, but some kind of message to Yao Si. It was through this message that Yao Si learnt of the old man’s true identity and became courteous.
The old man chuckled, “I have no choice. Young Lord Yao Si, please don’t mind the reckless action of this old man.”
Yao Si responded in a deep voice, “Of course not, Senior!”
The old man nodded, “Good, take them with you and leave now.”
Yao Si nodded, “Junior will obey Sir’s order!”
Saying so, he lifted his head and swept his eyes at his surroundings, commanding lightly, “If you don’t want to die, follow me!”
Liang Qiu whined reluctantly, “Do we really have to leave? That Space Ring… “
Before he finished his sentence, he found Yao Si staring at him emotionlessly with a pair of bone-chilling cold eyes, which made Liang Qiu’s heart involuntarily skip a beat.
Only then did he give in, the corner of his mouth twitching, “Fine fine, let’s go.”
Yao Si drew back his gaze and quickly rushed far away with a flicker.
Chi Gui and the rest had to follow even though they were still in doubt. If they continued to stay here, they would be disrespecting Yao Si. Chi Gui’s Ahan Temple was located in the Eastern Territory, so if he offended Yao Si now, he would definitely not have any good days in the future.
After a while of hustle and bustle, almost all the Emperor Realm Masters disappeared. Wu Chang pondered for quite a long time, but still decided to leave in the end.
After all, even the descendants of the two Great Emperors, Lan Xun and Yao Si, were persuaded to leave by this old man, and judging from Yao Si’s exaggerated reaction just now, it was clear that this old man was not as simple as he looked.
Someone in Yao Si’s position did not need to rely on falsehoods or deception, so staying here might really be a life-threatening option.
Not only the Emperor Realm Masters, but even a large portion of the remaining Dao Source Realm cultivations left.
In the blink of an eye, less than a thousand Dao Source Realm cultivators remained. Perhaps these Dao Source Realm cultivators did not get many benefits in the Shattered Star Sea yet, so despite the insinuation and persuasion of the old man, they did not want to leave.
They were inextricably attracted to the skeleton of the Great Emperor and the Space Ring inside the black hole.
“You won’t leave?” The old man frowned when he saw Yang Kai still standing still in his spot.
Yang Kai responded in a deep voice, “Tell me about Ruo Xi’s bloodline and I will leave immediately!”
The old man replied, “You will find out in the future.”
“I will keep following you if you don’t tell me,” Yang Kai grinned fearlessly.
The old man swept his eyes over him and snorted, “Little brat, you’re really thick-skinned. How did Wen Zi Shan accept a disciple like you?”
Yang Kai was bewildered, he asked, “How did you know that I am from Azure Sun Temple?”
He had never disclosed this information to anyone since he came here.
The old man laughed softly and pointed his finger at a certain spot of Yang Kai’s body.
Realization dawned on Yang Kai as the Azure Sun Golden Token that he kept close to him was hanging there, revealing this secret. Previously Yang Kai had taken out the Azure Sun Golden Token from his Space Ring in order to easily sense if a message came from Xiao Bai Yi, Murong Xiao Xiao, or any of the others. He did not expect this old man to be able to detect such a small thing on him though.
The old man shook his head, “A fish rots from the head down. If this Old Master ever runs into Wen Zi Shan in the future, he will definitely ask him to expel you!”
The old man boasted as if even Wen Zi Shan had to obey his orders.
Yang Kai snorted, “You speak as if you were the Bustling World Great Emperor!”
It seemed that Temple Master Wen Zi Shan was brought up by the Bustling World Great Emperor, so if anyone in this world could order him around at will, it would undoubtedly be that Great Emperor. However, the Bustling World Great Emperor was a man who was always wandering around the world, living a wilful life of leisure. He came and went without a trace, with no fixed place to stay, so no one knew where to find him, and any news regarding his whereabouts had been absent in the Star Boundary for a long time.
The old man widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Oh? How did you know?”
Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “It was sarcasm.”
Undoubtedly, the old swindler might be some hidden Master, since he knew so many secrets and so many people, even Yao Si, were respectful to him. He was by no means an ordinary person.
But Yang Kai would never believe that he was the Bustling World Great Emperor.
Because this place was the Shattered Star Sea!
The Shattered Star Sea was a place that only Dao Source Realm cultivators could enter, not Emperor Realm Masters. It was impossible for the Bustling World Great Emperor, who had a terrifying cultivation, to come here. If he forcefully broke through the world barriers to enter this place, the Shattered Star Sea would become unstable and collapse.
The old man smiled faintly, no longer paying attention to Yang Kai, instead turning to look at the remaining Dao Source Realm cultivators and sighing lightly, “Men die for wealth, birds die for food.”
The reason these cultivators had not left was obviously that they were hoping to get some benefits, especially now with the absence of strong competitors like the Emperor Realm Masters, they became more excited and eager to try.
After muttering for a while, the old man shouted loudly, “Since you all want the Space Ring so much… this Old Master will grant your wish.”
Everyone looked at him suspiciously after hearing this as they did not understand what he really meant.
Ignoring their confused looks, the old swindler strode over to the front of the black hole and formed a set of profound seals. In the next moment, his hand glowed brightly as it was about to make contact with the black hole.
“What is this old man… doing?”
“Is he planning to take out the Space Ring?”
“Is he really so strong? Sii… look! He is reaching out his hand.”
“What’s happening inside!? Ah… the light is too dazzling, I can’t see what’s happening!”
The area was buzzing with excitement as everyone’s eyes went round, staring at the old man’s actions.
Yang Kai was particularly dumbstruck.
Ever since the formation of the black hole, he had clearly felt fluctuating Space Principles from it. In other words, there was another bizarre space inside the black hole; however, this space was extremely unstable, and even someone like him, who was proficient in the Dao of Space, dared not simply break in.
Yang Kai never thought that this old man could plunge his hand into that space.
Was he proficient in the Dao of Space too? Yang Kai tried to sense what was happening, but he could not detect any kind of Space Principle fluctuations coming from the old swindler, causing his face to fill with confusion.
A while later, the old man suddenly bellowed and retracted his hand.
As the bright light dissipated, an archaic Space Ring was seen in his hand.
Everyone was in an uproar, staring at the ring with bloodshot eyes, the sounds of gulping echoing one after another.
When they looked back at the black hole, they saw nothing on the skeleton’s finger anymore.
“He really took out the ring!”
“Can this kind of thing be done?”
“It’s amazing! What’s in the ring?”
“Old man, hand over the Space Ring now and we can still spare your life!”
After the old man took out the Space Ring, the crowd boiled with excitement and everyone began to push their Source Qi while shouting, preparing to snatch the Space Ring at any time.
Yang Kai wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, and remarked, “Old man, you have created a problem for yourself. Let’s see how you handle this situation!”
Although the old man was strong and unfathomable, Yang Kai did not believe that he was capable enough to face a thousand Dao Source Realm cultivators. If they pounced on him together, the only thing he could do was to run.
The old man responded with a light smile, “They only have their eyes on this ring. If that’s the case, I will just give it to them.”
“Give it to them?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Before he could react, the old man swung his hand and tossed the Space Ring somewhere into the void as he shouted, “If you want it, grab it yourself!”
The old man must have used some unknown technique at that instant because the Space Ring burst into light and flew far away like a bolt of lightning.
“Old man, are you courting death? How dare you throw the ring away!?”
“Just you wait! This Young Master will settle this with you later after getting that Space Ring!”
“Don’t be so long-winded, quickly chase it! You’ll cultivate for a lifetime with ease if you get that ring!”
*Shua shua shua…*
The area radiated with streams of light as all the cultivators turned to chase after the Space Ring. In the blink of an eye, the thousand cultivators were all gone.
The old man looked at their receding figures and sighed, “This Old Master should have done this earlier.”
Next, he put on an annoyed look and turned to Yang Kai to ask, “Little brat, why didn’t you chase after it too? That’s a Great Emperor’s Space Ring. Surely countless Emperor Artifacts and precious treasures were inside of it. If you can obtain it, you will be able to break through to Emperor Realm in no time.”
He tried to persuade Yang Kai with his bewitching words, obviously wanting him to leave.
Yang Kai sneered, “Old man, like you said before, most items of value were destroyed long ago and only a few were leftover from the War of Emperors, so why should I chase after a ring that has nothing good in it?” After a pause, he pressed on with a sly smile, “Furthermore, the Space Ring is still here, and the one that you tossed away is just a fake. Why would I chase after a fake?”
The old man stared at Yang Kai with his widened eyes, “Oh? How did you see through my trick? It should be impossible for you to see through this Old Master’s technique!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Old man’s skill is truly amazing, but… since you didn’t even reach your hand into that black hole, how could you possibly take out the ring? What’s more, even though the skeleton and the ring seemed to be nearby, they are actually a world away from us. How could it be possible to obtain that ring by just stretching out your hand? What seems to be in front of us is just an illusion caused by the superimposition of space.”
The old man was surprised by Yang Kai’s explanation and asked, “You have a good eye. So, are you staying here for the ring?”
Yang Kai answered, “I just want to know about Ruo Xi’s Bloodline!”
“I really can’t tell you about it. You will eventually understand in the future.”
Yang Kai had no idea why the old man would definitely avoid the topic every time he mentioned Zhang Ruo Xi’s Bloodline.
“This Old Master has something to do now, and it is truly dangerous here so you should leave quickly. Your life doesn’t matter, but the two little girls in your arms should not be harmed!”
“Something to do? Like what?” Yang Kai looked at him quizzically.
But the old man had already rushed towards the black hole with a serious expression. Yang Kai wondered if it was an illusion, because he actually saw a trace of determination and distress in the old man’s eyes, like he was preparing for a grand mission that would require him to make a great sacrifice.
When he reached the front of the black hole, the old man performed a series of hand seals rapidly before palming towards its surface.
A ripple undulated from the black hole, as if an invisible door had been opened, and the old man flew straight through the door, entering the black hole.
The skeleton disappeared strangely together with the old man, who also vanished after the ripples faded. Yang Kai looked around, and saw only the black hole remaining in place.
A wave of different power, which was quite familiar to Yang Kai, suddenly came out from the black hole.
With a single thought, he hurriedly took out a jade slip from his Space Ring.
This was the jade slip that the Embodiment snatched from Wu Meng Chuan before he died. According to the Embodiment, Wu Meng Chuan seemingly wanted to destroy this jade slip, as if he was afraid of revealing the secrets in it.
There were many mysterious seals on this jade slip that Yang Kai tried to crack before, but to no avail.
However, at this moment, Yang Kai was astonished to find that the fluctuations coming from the black hole were exactly the same as the ones pulsing from this jade slip. It seemed like it was left behind by the same person.
A light burst from the jade slip as soon as Yang Kai took it out, and subsequently, the barriers sealing it resonated amazingly with the fluctuations coming from the black hole.
An extremely powerful suction abruptly came out from the black hole, trying to pull everything around it inside.
Yang Kai was startled and his face changed drastically as he tried to escape.
But what terrified him was that no matter how hard he tried, he could not move at all.
The black hole was like an ancient beast’s great maw, attempting to swallow him with a single bite.
After resisting for a few breaths of time, Yang Kai could not withstand it any longer. Before he was devoured, he threw Zhang Ruo Xi and Mo Xiao Qi, who were still unconscious, together with Liu Yan into the Sealed World Bead.
Just as Yang Kai finished securing their safety, his vision turned black, as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss. There was no light around him, and there was no ground under his feet.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Kai suddenly felt pain all over his body, and he felt like his feet were finally stepping on an object. Landing on the ground with a slam, he found himself in an inexplicable world.
In this world, there were no sun, moon, or stars, even the World Energy was exceedingly thin here. The whole world was presented in a quaint red.
Yang Kai looked around and saw bright red blood flowing across the ground under his feet. The blood was extremely fresh, exuded a pungent stench, and like ten thousand rivers flowing into the sea, was gathering slowly in a certain direction.
Countless mutilated corpses and bloody pieces of flesh could be seen all around the ground, making for a horrifying scene.
“These are…” Yang Kai observed his surroundings as he mumbled to himself with a darkened face, “The cultivators who died in the Source Sea?”
The fresh blood and mutilated corpses that he had just seen were obviously from the cultivators who had recently died outside, as the corpses were still fresh and showed no signs of decomposition.
“They have all been sucked into this place!” Yang Kai’s face turned ugly in befuddlement.
Previously in the Source Sea, countless cultivators died fighting for Source Strength and Star Sources. All of these dead cultivators fell into the Source Sea and went missing.
But in fact, they were all gathered here.
The jade slip was gone too. Before Yang Kai was swallowed, he felt the jade slip exploding in his hand, turned into some form of energy that wrapped around him, as if it was protecting him.
After he entered this place, the energy barrier disappeared.
It was as though the function of the jade slip was to provide protection for the holder to enter this place. Without the jade slip, Yang Kai would have suffered unbearable consequences while being devoured and sent here.
Before Wu Meng Chuan died, he desperately wanted to destroy the jade slip, so it was obvious that he did not wish for it to fall into the hands of others, allowing them to enter this place. But what secrets could be hidden here?
Why did the old swindler come in here too?
Yang Kai looked startled and confused as he examined the surroundings but found nothing. He could not sense the old man’s aura even with his Divine Sense.
After pondering for a moment, he turned to look at the rivers of blood on the floor and followed the flow.
No matter what this place was and what secrets were hidden here, Yang Kai believed that the destination of the confluence of the blood rivers most probably held the answers he sought.
This peculiar world seemed to be enormous. Yang Kai travelled for more than two hours, but the scenery still remained the same, bleak. If it were not for his perseverance, he would have just stopped moving forward.
Another two hours later, Yang Kai suddenly twitched his brow and looked up in a certain direction.
He heard some explosions echoing from that side, and when he looked up, he saw that the place was shining vaguely, radiating formidable waves of power.
Someone was fighting over there!
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes in surprise because he saw the old swindler entering this place alone, so if people were battling over there, he must be one of them, but the question was, who was his opponent?
Judging from the waves of power, the strength of the one fighting with the old swindler seemed to be extremely high. Although Yang Kai still did not fully understand the capabilities of the old swindler, he was sure that an ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master was no match for him.
So, for a person who was able to put up such an intense fight with the old man, he or she must be someone extraordinary.
Was there another hidden Master in this damned place?
The more Yang Kai thought about it, the more confused he became. Out of pure curiosity, he sped in the direction of the fight, hiding his aura with his Nihility Secret Technique.
The closer he got there, the more obvious the fallout he felt from the battle.
In the span of a stick worth of incense, Yang Kai arrived at a small hill and hid behind it. He peeked out from the small hill and his face changed dramatically at the scene before his eyes.
The old man was indeed over there. He stood in the void with his clothes flapping and his black hair blowing in the wind. He seemed to have gone through many vicissitudes from the view of his back, looking aloof and indifferent to the changing world.
Not far in front of him was the skeleton that had been seen inside the black hole before, sitting cross-legged. It was a bit different from what everyone had seen earlier though, as some flesh was actually formed on its bones. The bright scarlet flesh was constantly forming from the absorption of the blood flowing from the surroundings.
The blood of the entire world seemed to be gathering towards the skeleton.
At this moment, there was not much flesh on the skeleton as it seemed that it had only just started to form, and even the bones were not completely covered yet, but this vision of the skeleton was already horrifying enough.
The hands of the skeleton were formed into a mysterious seal and a terrifying devouring power exploded out of the white bones, swallowing the incoming rivers of blood unceasingly.
The old swindler was constantly launching exceptionally ferocious attacks to interrupt the flow of blood, stopping the skeleton from devouring it.
The formidable impact of the attacks landed on the skeleton, but it remained still.
Yang Kai did not know how long this situation had carried on, as the old man continued to strike the confluence of blood with his power again and again, causing the blood to evaporate.
However, there was too much blood in this world, and even if the old man attempted to stop its flow, there was always more that gathered from all directions, pouring into the skeleton.
Yang Kai was forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart as his face turned pale.
Because he actually sensed a presence of life in the skeleton. Although it was quite weak, just like a candle that could be blown out by the wind at any time, it was indeed there.
In other words, the skeleton was still alive!
No one knew exactly which Great Emperor left this skeleton behind, but according to the clues Yang Kai gathered, the most likely candidate was the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
It was rumoured that the Soul of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was annihilated in the War of Emperors tens of thousands of years ago and he could not be more dead; however, given the situation now, it seemed that this rumour was false.
If this skeleton really belonged to the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, it could only mean that he was not dead yet and had instead fallen into a certain kind of deep sleep. The blood that gathered here could be the opportunity for him to wake up again!
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something Wu Meng Chuan said during their life or death battle that made him truly concerned.
He had said, ‘how can a person as strong as my Ancestor die so easily!’
If that was the case, Wu Meng Chuan seemed to know the inside story. After all, he was the descendant of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, so it was reasonable for him to know that his Ancestor was still alive.
He might even know that his Ancestor was hidden here, and was ready to use the jade slip to enter this place at the right time. Unfortunately, he was killed by Yang Kai in the end and attempted to destroy the jade slip before he died…
Various thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind; he could almost confirm that this skeleton belonged to Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and if he continued to regrow his flesh from the fresh blood here, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor might be resurrected!
Back then, four Great Emperors died here in order to kill him. If the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor were to be resurrected, the peace of the Star Boundary would be at stake.
Yang Kai broke out in a cold sweat considering all this.
Suddenly, a subtle aura rippled from up ahead. It was incredibly weak at first, but it gradually became stronger as time passed, as if a sleeping dragon was slowly rising from a deep slumber.
The old swindler, who was standing in the void, certainly noticed this aura too. With his face turned solemn as he sped up his hand movements, performing all kinds of indescribable yet powerful Secret Techniques, targeting the skeleton directly.
In a short time, the ground beneath the skeleton crumbled, and even space around it was about to collapse.
The old swindler squinted ahead, but after a long pause, he snorted coldly.
Dust flew everywhere, and an extremely thick wall of blood-red light emerged in front of the skeleton. There were cracks all over the wall, but it seemed to have successfully blocked all the attacks from the old swindler, leaving the skeleton unscathed.
A sharp gaze suddenly pierced from behind the wall of blood light, as if it travelled from ancient times, freezing the world.
“You’re awake!” The old man curled his lip unhappily.
The skeleton was staring at the old man with a pair of unformed eyes, faint ghost fires quivering in its sockets. As his upper and lower teeth collided with each other, he gave out a grating voice, “Duan Hong Chen?”
The old man burst into loud laughter and answered uninhibitedly, “That’s right, it is this Old Master. Wu Kuang, I can’t believe you still remember this Old Master after sleeping for so many years!”
The skeleton replied with a deep voice, “How could this King forget your cheeky face? How unfortunate that the first person that I see when I wake up is you!”
Duan Hong Chen smiled, “Disappointed? Then who did you want to see? Tell me, this Old Master can disguise himself as that person. As you know, the disguise skill of this Old Master is matchless in this world.”
The skeleton was indifferent. After being silent for a while, he asked, “How long did this King sleep?”
Duan Hong Chen’s face turned solemn, “This Old Master doesn’t really remember precisely how long it was, but it’s been at least a couple tens of thousands of years.”
The skeleton sighed, “It looks like it’s been a long time.”
The old man and the skeleton were chatting like old friends who had not seen each other for many years and there was no tension between them at all.
Yang Kai, who was still hiding behind the small hill far away, felt terror stabbing his heart.
Since the old man called the skeleton Wu Kuang, it confirmed that he was really the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor! The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had not died. He just used some mystical Secret Technique to put himself to sleep inside this strange space for tens of thousands of years, waiting for this moment of resurrection.
If news of this spread, the entire Star Boundary would be in an uproar.
However, what shocked Yang Kai even more was the name of the old man.
Duan Hong Chen!
Yang Kai had never heard of this name, but he was familiar with his title.
The Bustling World Great Emperor!
Wu Kuang, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor recognized this old swindler, which meant that they were people with the same status during the same period, and only that Great Emperor would be able to carry the name ‘Duan Hong Chen’.
[Is he really the Bustling World Great Emperor?]
Yang Kai was so shocked that he could hardly breathe. When the old man declared that he would ask Temple Master Wen to expel Yang Kai if he ever saw Wen Zi Shan again, Yang Kai had just made a sarcastic remark about his identity.
He would have never thought that his sarcastic remark would turn out to be true.
It was rumoured that the Bustling World Great Emperor led an unrestrained lifestyle and was always wandering around the world for pleasure. It somehow made sense to Yang Kai that this old man was the Bustling World Great Emperor as his behaviour really matched with the rumours.
The reason Yao Si obediently listened to the old man’s order and left, even showing a lowly expression in front of him, was probably because he knew his identity.
But what happened to his cultivation?
The strength of the Bustling World Great Emperor was supposed to be as high as the sky, so how could he possibly show up here with just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation now?
Wu Kuang was just as curious as Yang Kai about this phenomenon.
“Why did your cultivation drop so much?”
“This Old Master cut his own cultivation,” Duan Hong Chen smiled faintly, completely nonchalant.
“Cut your own cultivation!?” Wu Kuang’s eyes flashed as he asked in a deep voice, “Why? What made you go so far?”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”
Wu Kuang seemed to have comprehended something, he pressed on, “Did you cut your own cultivation so that you could enter this place to find me?”
Duan Hong Chen nodded, “Of course. As you are most likely aware, after your death, the world barrier surrounding this place became a little fragile, so Emperor Realm Masters could not pass through it from the outside without disrupting it. If this Old Master wanted to come here, this was the only way.”
“How noble of you!” Wu Kuang stared at Duan Hong Chen, “Impressive. Among all the Great Emperors back then, this King admired you the most. You never disappointed this King.”
Duan Hong Chen laughed heartily, “Same to you, you were also the one this Old Master admired the most.”
Wu Kuang sighed, “It must have been difficult for you to maintain a Dao Source Realm cultivation all these years!”
“You’re mistaken about that,” Duan Hong Chen shook his index finger slowly, “I didn’t stay in this cultivation realm all this time, I just kept cutting my own cultivation whenever it got too high! I’ve done it countless times at this point.”
“Countless times…” Wu Kuang exclaimed in tremendous shock, “You can actually regain your cultivation again every time? Why hasn’t your foundation been destroyed?”
“I’m just lucky,” Duan Hong Chen answered indifferently, “There were a few times things became dangerous, but I managed to pull through in the end. I remember there was one time that I lost all of my cultivation due to one wrong move and it took this Old Master two thousand years to finally regain his cultivation. It was really torturous.”
Duan Hong Chen vaguely revealed a look of fear, as if he was recalling some terrifying experience.
“Is it really… is it worth it for you to do all that?” Wu Kuang questioned emotionally.
Duan Hong Chen declared with a serious face, “Worth it! As long as this Old Master could enter the Shattered Star Sea to find you and destroy your Soul, everything is worth it!”
Wu Kuang’s eyes flickered with light as he responded with a deep voice, “It looks like you really hate this King.”
“It has nothing to do with hate anymore,” Duan Hong Chen smiled lightly. “Everyone has different ambitions, we simply can’t travel the same path because we don’t share the same ideals. However, if you don’t die, it would be too much of a shame for Cyan Lotus, Yuan Ding, Martial Flame and Azure Sea… who would have died for nothing.”
“You are seeking vengance for your old friends,” Wu Kuang nodded in acknowledgement.
Duan Hong Chen sighed lightly, “Revenge begets revenge, a never-ending cycle. This Old Master finds it incredibly troublesome. How about you just stay there quietly and let this Old Master end it by sending you to meet those old friends?”
Wu Kuang snorted coldly, “This King was almost annihilated by all of you that time. If this King didn’t play dead to escape at the critical moment, how could there be a moment of his awakening today? This King thought that everything was planned seamlessly, so how did you know that this King was still alive?”
Duan Hong Chen replied solemnly, “Your trick was indeed marvellous, and almost everyone was deceived by you at that time and believed that you were really dead. But have you forgotten that there is a person who has the ability to see through time, capable of seeing the past and foreseeing the future? He was the one who knew that you were not dead and warned this Old Master to watch out for you.”
“Heaven’s Revelations!” Wu Kuang yelled, his eyes glowing.
Duan Hong Chen nodded, “Yes, it was Heaven’s Revelations! Therefore, every time the Shattered Star Sea opened, this Old Master would come in and take a look. You had been quiet for the past few tens of thousands of years, but now, you finally couldn’t withstand the loneliness and tried to make a comeback.”
“It’s not that this King can’t stand the loneliness, but the opportunity has finally come!” Wu Kuang snorted coldly, “This King also possessed the ability to see through time, and was capable of catching glimpses of the past and foreseeing the future. What Heaven’s Revelation could see, this King can as well; what Heaven’s Revelations could not see, this King can still see. Since this King has chosen to awaken at this time, this King will naturally not repeat the same mistakes again!”
Duan Hong Chen challenged in a deep voice, “It depends on how good you are compared to the last time.”
Wu Kuang burst into laughter, “So what if I only have one percent of my strength left? Can you stop me in your current state?”
“One percent… Looks like Wu Kuang has learned to talk big after all his sleep. Given that your body has not taken shape yet, this Old Master is afraid that you can’t even unleash one percent of your strength. This Old Master doesn’t need to fight with you at all, I just need to block the blood supply and you will be prevented from coming back to life!”
“Duan Hong Chen, do you really want to make an enemy of this King!?” Wu Kuang fumed.
Duan Hong Chen remarked, “It’s you who has made an enemy of the world and its people. If you are reborn again, the Star Boundary will be thrown into chaos!”
“Since when did you start caring for the people? Just continue to have fun in your bustling world, Duan Hong Chen. If you dare to stop me, this place will be your graveyard!”
“When this Old Master decided to come in, he was prepared to never leave here!” Duan Hong Chen looked determined, suddenly performed a hand seal and shouted, “Break!”
In an instant, his aura immensely surged, and there were no signs of stopping as his energy fluctuations continued to rise higher and higher…
*Honglong… *
A layer of visible shockwaves exploded from where the Bustling World Great Emperor stood, sweeping across the surroundings. The flowing streams of blood trembled, while at the same time, the cultivation of Duan Hong Chen directly broke through from Third-Order Dao Source Realm to First-Order Emperor Realm.
The breakthrough seemed to be just as simple as piercing through a paper window and everything happened so fast that not even a World Energy Baptism was induced.
“Good! The higher your cultivation, the more useful it will be to this King after devouring you!” Seeing Duan Hong Chen’s breakthrough, Wu Kuang was excited instead of frightened. After a cry, a strange domain that could devour everything immediately permeated the air, instantly enveloping Duan Hong Chen in it.
The blood around him seemed to have received some kind of traction and gathered madly towards Wu Kuang’s skeleton.
[Heaven Devouring Domain!]
Yang Kai, who was watching from afar, recognized the Heaven Devouring Domain at a glance.
Wu Meng Chuan used the same skill during their previous battle. Everything in his Heaven Devouring Domain could be devoured, even the mysterious Principle Strength could not escape from it; however, the Heaven Devouring Domain that Wu Kuang released was different from the one that Wu Meng Chuan released, with the former dwarfing the latter by orders of magnitude, seemingly capable of devouring the entire world.
Duan Hong Chen’s aura reduced significantly after being wrapped in Wu Kuang’s Heaven Devouring Domain and his face changed drastically. He clapped his hands together and mumbled a few words, “Lofty Bustling World, Three Thousand Tribulations!”
A gigantic palm print struck down from above, and before the attack landed on the ground, the surrounding blood was turned into massive waves.
Wu Kuang narrowed his eyes and responded in a deep voice, “Not bad. It’s a bit like back then, but it’s still impossible to beat this King. Heaven Devouring Battle Law, devour it for me!”
When his words fell, his skeleton seemingly turned into a bottomless pit. On top of devouring the surrounding blood, it was also devouring Duan Hong Chen’s Secret Technique into his body.
Wu Kuang guffawed at Duan Hong Chen in disdain.
However, Duan Hong Chen’s face remained tranquil as an ancient well. He was trying his best to push his Emperor Qi to maintain his Secret Technique to counterbalance Wu Kuang’s power.
After a while, Wu Kuang’s body suddenly shook, and he stopped devouring the blood into his skeleton. Moreover, the newly grown flesh on his skeleton also fell to the ground and turned into a pool of waste. “Old thing, you cheated!” He rebuked.
Duan Hong Chen laughed loudly, “Keep on devouring, why did you stop? Didn’t you always boast that your Heaven Devouring Battle Law could devour everything in existence? Why do you stop now?”
Wu Kuang was maddened, “What kind of power is hidden in your Secret Technique that can secretly injure this King? Unforgivable!”
Duan Hong Chen snorted coldly, “Do you really think that this Old Master has been cutting his cultivation over the past tens of thousands of years just to enter the Shatter Star Sea to look for you? Since the title of this Old Master is ‘Bustling World’, it’s natural that I have gone through numerous hardships and comprehended the Dao of the Bustling World. This Old Master is no longer like last time!”
“Dao of the Bustling World… Will of the World… World Force?” A light flashed across Wu Kuang’s eyes, as if he figured something, and he barked, “So, you’ve managed to comprehend some portion of World Force! No wonder you are so confident!”
“Wu Kuang, you must die this time. Stop trying to resist!”
“Laughable! No one can kill this King in this world! This King is the Heavens! This King is the Earth! Whoever resists this King is against the will of Heavens and Earth, a mortal sin!”
Duan Hong Chen shook his head, “Wu Kuang, did you become mad from all that sleeping? All living beings are as tiny as ants before the World. The Heavenly Way will not forgive you if you dare to put yourself higher than it!”
“I am the Heaven Devourer. The Heavenly Way cannot contain me!”
Among these two Great Emperors, one had an unformed body, while the other had cut his cultivation. Although both of them were not at their peak, they did not hold back in their fight to the death in this strange world and even as they hurled insults at one another, they never stopped unleashing their earthshaking techniques.
Every word they spoke sounded ordinary, but actually contained a deep sense of truth that evoked traces of the Heavenly Way. When it reached Yang Kai’s ears, it caused his heart to beat wildly, and he felt the shackles on his body tremble.
This was the Dao!
This was the Heavenly Way that countless cultivators had been searching for throughout their lifetimes but always failed to grasp.
The two Great Emperors were fighting secretly with their respective Daos in order to suppress each other. In this kind of fight, whoever had more perseverance in seeking the Dao and deeper comprehension in Heavenly Way would undoubtedly gain the upper hand.
Yang Kai was immersed in their conversation and felt that what both of them said was enlightening, as every word they spoke was a priceless gem, and he benefited a lot by listening to all this invaluable advice.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s brow twitched as his face turned into one of stunned realization, as if he understood something critical.
And the shackles in his body were also trembling at this moment.
Yang Kai was shocked but immediately regained his consciousness from his distracted state.
“Damn!” He muttered with an ugly expression.
He did not expect that he would feel the opportunity to break through at this time.
It had been almost three years since he entered the Shattered Star Sea. Recently, he had met a lot of newly promoted Emperor Realm Masters and also battled a few of them. Although he believed that his strength was not inferior to any newly promoted Emperor, he was still a Dao Source Realm cultivator in the end.
Yang Kai had always been looking for an opportunity to break through, but unfortunately, this kind of thing could not be rushed. When the opportunity came, success would come naturally; otherwise, it was useless to demand for it.
It was just that the opportunity Yang Kai was hoping for came at this inopportune moment.
If this happened somewhere else, Yang Kai would have been ecstatic.
He had prepared himself to break through to the Emperor Realm a long time ago as there were signs of his Source Qi transforming into Emperor Qi a while ago. To him, being an Emperor was just a matter of time.
However… Two Great Emperors were having a life and death battle not far away from him at the moment, so how could he break through peacefully here? If he were affected by the fallout of their fight, the consequences would be disastrous.
He tried to suppress this urge, but he realized it was useless as the sensation of a breakthrough was building up and could not be forcibly suppressed unless he was willing to destroy his foundation and lose all of his cultivation.
Since he was at a point of no return, he decided to just go with it. Yang Kai gritted his teeth as he waved his hand and countless Source Crystals spilled out of his Space Ring, piling up around his body.
Immediately, he sat cross-legged, letting go of his body and mind, ignoring all the outside factors, and focused solely on the Heavenly Way fluctuations brought about by the dispute between the two Great Emperors.
No one had ever been promoted this way.
But Yang Kai had no choice.
However, he soon discovered that this might be an opportunity for him; every gesture, and even every line in their conversation brought out a trace of mystical power that coincided with the Heavenly Way.
He was absorbing the two Great Emperors’ insights on the Heavenly Way, using it as the cornerstone to pave his own Martial Dao.
The benefits were indescribable.
Yang Kai quickly forgot the condition of his surroundings and was completely immersed in his own enlightenment. The surrounding Source Crystals were turned into dust by a moment of violent tremor, releasing a pure and rich World Energy, slowly converging at the top of Yang Kai’s head, gradually forming a Heavenly Manifestation.
“Huh? There’s a little ant in here!”
Although the two Great Emperors were focused on their intense battle, given their cultivation level, their perceptions were extremely keen, so they sensed Yang Kai almost immediately. When Wu Kuang stole a glance at him in the midst of combat, his eyes glinted in disdain.
He really was not bothered by a trivial Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator’s presence.
Not to mention him in his peak, he could easily crush a Dao Source Realm Master like an ant even in his current state.
[How did this little brat follow this Old Master here?] Duan Hong Chen was slightly surprised.
This was the place where Wu Kuang was ‘buried’, feigning death. The entrance of the black hole was sealed by his own special restriction, and it would be impossible to even find the entrance, let alone enter this space.
Otherwise, it would not have taken so many openings of the Shattered Star Sea and tens of thousands of years for Duan Hong Chen to, only now, find this place.
He had always known that the Source Sea was where Wu Kuang was hidden, but had no clue of his specific location up until now, and he could only enter this place when the Source Sea underwent an abnormal change, forming a black hole that devoured a large amount of fallen cultivators.
It was mostly due to his understanding of Wu Kuang that he was able to break through the restriction.
An Emperor Realm Master couldn’t enter, and even a peak Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would be powerless in the face of that restriction.
So, how did this little brat enter? Was it possible that the restriction at the entrance was weakened after he entered and this boy took advantage of that?
Duan Hong Chen felt a little disgruntled about this. If he had known this could happen, he would have destroyed the entrance after entering.
He did not know that Yang Kai was able to enter here thanks to the jade slip left by Wu Meng Chuan. That jade slip was a key to go through the restriction safely into the black hole.
This was what Wu Kuang left for his descendants.
Everything that had happened was simply a coincidence.
Duan Hong Chen let out a sigh of relief as he only detected Yang Kai, while Mo Xiao Qi and Zhang Ruo Xi were nowhere to be seen. It would be troublesome if those two girls were here.
“How dare you get distracted when fighting this King!? Duan Hong Chen, you deserve to die today!” Wu Kuang shouted, clapping his hands together, and slamming them forward.
*Huhuhu… *
There was a strange sound, and a violent wind suddenly swept out of his palm, billowing towards Duan Hong Chen.
This was no ordinary gust, and instead seemed to contain the aura of Elemental Source Strength. It was extremely terrifying, as the Heavens and Earth collapsed and space shattered wherever it swept.
“Primordial Astral Wind!” Duan Hong Chen’s complexion changed drastically as he blurted out in shock, “You can still use the Primordial Astral Wind after having lost your body!?”
Wu Kuang laughed contemptuously, “Primordial Astral Wind is a type of Elemental Source Strength, it’s formless and invisible, and it’s also connected with the Soul of this King. Who told you that I wouldn’t be able to use it once I lost my body? Hahaha, since you dare to look down on this King, you will have to pay the price! Even if all that’s left of this King is bare bones, you will still need to submit to me!”
Saying so, the Primordial Astral Wind blew right in front of Duan Hong Chen, preparing to engulf him.
At the moment of crisis, the panic in Duan Hong Chen’s eyes vanished and was replaced with calm as he clenched his hands together in a firm seal and lifted his chest up high to growl, “Turn the ground into a prison!”
*Hualala… *
An emerald green light burst out suddenly, enveloping Duan Hong Chen. At the same time, the phantom of a humongous tree appeared, expanding from the Earth to the Heavens.
The emerald green tree phantom was exuding Elemental Source Strength similar to the Primordial Astral Wind.
*Hong Hong Hong… *
The Primordial Astral Wind rushed straight toward the enormous green tree, and the trunk swayed violently as the leaves rustled wildly, but Duan Hong Chen remained still and unharmed; Wu Kuang’s attack was completely resisted.
“Divine Tree Bai Yi!” Wu Kuang exclaimed in astonishment at the sight of the tree phantom, somewhat unable to believe his eyes. He gritted his teeth and roared, “Duan Hong Chen, how dare you play with this King?”
He thought Duan Hong Chen would not be able to resist his Primordial Astral Wind with the look of panic etched on his face, but how could he have known that Duan Hong Chen would summon the phantom of the Divine Tree Bai Yi at the last moment to completely counter the Primordial Astral Wind.
He was obviously mocking Wu Kuang just now, committing the unforgivable sin of allowing him to experience the huge letdown from joy to disappointment.
Duan Hong Chen pushed his Emperor Qi to expand the phantom Divine Tree Bai Yi, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead as he smiled in relief, “This Old Master was almost scared to death. Fortunately, this Old Master was prepared, otherwise, this Old Master would have failed miserably with such an easy task.”
“Bastard, how dare you slander this King as an easy task!? Duan Hong Chen, don’t get too arrogant! Doesn’t this Bai Yi Source Strength belong to that bastard Iron Blood? He has always regarded it as his most precious treasure, how could it be in your hands!?” Wu Kuang roared again and again, his eyes full of unwillingness. Suddenly his expression changed, and guessed, “Could it be… Iron Blood has fallen?”
Duan Hong Chen snorted coldly, “Although this Old Master also hopes that Iron Blood will die early, it’s disappointing that not only does that bastard not have any trace of getting old, he seems to be turning younger the longer he lives. I’m so envious of him. Recently, he seems to have taken a disciple and is now putting in all his effort to train her for whatever reason. Damn it, disciples are just a plaque to Masters, they always try to cheat us! Forget it! I’m starting to get teary-eyed!”
He might have thought of Wen Zi Shan as he said this with gnashed teeth.
“Since he is still alive, how was he willing to hand over the Divine Tree’s Source to you!?” Wu Kuang barked.
Duan Hong Chen grinned cunningly, “Because this Old Master told him that if he didn’t hand over the Divine Tree’s Source, this Old Master would gather hundreds of young and fit men to seduce his treasured apprentice! How could his disciple resist the temptation? So, he gave it obediently.”
Wu Kuang was dumbfounded, “The hell?”
Duan Hong Chen curled his lips, “You have no idea how much he cares about his treasured apprentice. That little girl seems to possess a Special Constitution and is the perfect candidate to inherit his mantle. This Old Master has met that little girl once. Young people nowadays really are different, she already has the vague demeanour of Iron Blood back then, just one punch from her is enough to kill anyone in the same realm! She punched this Old Master in the face before I left Iron Blood Fort, and even my forehead cracked, splashing blood everywhere!”
Wu Kuang cackled loudly, “You deserved it, no one in this world can be more shameless than you!”
“Many thanks!” Duan Hong Chen beamed.
“So what if you have the Divine Tree Source? You are not its true owner! How can you fight this King’s Primordial Astral Wind?” Wu Kuang pointed out.
“I had to give it a try. Do you think this Old Master should just wait to die?”
The exchange between the two was temperamental, jumping from chattering like old friends for a moment to treating each other like mortal enemies the next. If there were other audiences present, they would have been extremely confused.
At the same time, the two Elemental Source Strengths were constantly colliding in madness, breaking the space and filling the sky with the power of wind and wood. A terrifying scene.
The sweeping strength of the Primordial Astral Wind was extremely powerful. If an Emperor Realm Master was sucked into it, not even their bones would remain; but the phantom of the Divine Tree Bai Yi was incomparably firm and sturdy. Regardless of how the wind billowed from southeast to northwest, and its leaves rustled madly, it remained standing, closely protecting Duan Hong Chen.
Space itself within a hundred-kilometre radius warped as all the blood on the ground evaporated.
At this stage, it was a competition of who had a better control of their respective Elemental Source Strengths, and the result would not be visible in a short time. Both Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen were irrevocably committed to this battle.
Duan Hong Chen would definitely take the opportunity for a counterattack if Wu Kuang retrieved the Primordial Astral Wind, and with his current condition, Wu Kuang would not be able to resist the attack of Divine Tree’s Source at all.
The Primordial Astral Wind and the Divine Tree Source Strength were both precious treasures comparable to the Phoenix True Fire. Not only were they extremely rare and valuable, but they were also equally formidable.
Wu Kuang, who was still in a skeleton form at the moment, was particularly vulnerable to the Divine Tree Source though, and there would not be a chance for him to regain his physique once the power of Divine Tree Source Strength invaded his form.
He was not in a position to make a single mistake.
He finally dropped his initial dismissiveness to face the battle seriously.
Duan Hong Chen had waited for tens of thousands of years to defeat him, so how could he not be prepared? Every act Duan Hong Chen had performed since the beginning was deliberately targeting him.
The battle between the two Great Emperors was intense and fierce, so even though they were aware that Yang Kai was breaking through to the Emperor Realm some distance away, they ignored him and did not bother to suppress the aftermath of their attacks.
Wu Kuang did not care about Yang Kai’s life while Duan Hong Chen had no ability to care.
He knew that Yang Kai was a disciple of Azure Sun Temple, and would try to protect Yang Kai if he could, but he could not spare any attention on anything besides his battle with the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, Wu Kuang.
The two Great Emperors were in the heat of the battle, while Yang Kai was getting closer to a breakthrough to the side.
A trace of Emperor Intent seeped out of his body. The Emperor Intent was not obvious initially, but it became clearer and clearer as time passed.
Condensing one’s Emperor Intent was the most basic requirement to break through to the Emperor Realm. Only with one’s own Emperor Intent could one reach the threshold of the Emperor Realm and push through the door of the highest Martial Dao.
Rich and thick World Energy gathered above Yang Kai, forming an extremely terrifying Heavenly Manifestation. The dark World Energy condensed in a cluster, as if the sky was about to crack open and fall, and there were continuous lightning flashes from the clouds, creating a deafening thunder.
Yang Kai sat cross-legged, unmoving, all his life experiences rapidly flashing through his mind.
He did not ask for this. The flashbacks of memory involuntarily appeared in his mind and he had no control over it.
He started off his journey as a Trial Disciple of High Heaven Pavilion, he cultivated hard, but still could not advance. Yet he did not give up his Martial Heart even though he was bullied by his fellow brothers.
He then obtained the Wordless Black Book, peeped into the inheritance of the Great Demon God, and had soared ever since.
The memory of him going through the war in the Central Capital, travelling Tong Xuan Realm, advancing into the Starry Sky, breaking into Heng Luo Star Field, entering the Star Boundary, everything flashed before his eyes…
Then, there was the passion of Su Yan; the gentleness of Xia Ning Chang; the emotional entanglements with Shan Qing Luo; the fight with Xue Yue that brought them closer…
Followed by the tireless pursuit of the peak of the Martial Dao; the search for his own Dao. Yang Kai always had beauties as his companions throughout his journey, so although he was occasionally lonely, he was never truly alone.
Regarding his life, he had no disappointment nor complaints!
In this path, no hatred nor regrets!
Without a demon in his heart, no external force could invade!
At a certain point, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes, and there was a clarity to them that shined like the stars in the night sky. With a low crack, the trembling shackles in his body were instantly loosened.
*Kacha…*
His body emitted all sorts of noises as his bones, his meridians, and his physique all shook fiercely. His meridians abruptly expanded and became tougher, while his bones and physique became harder and firmer.
His Soul also became stronger, seemingly expanding greatly.
*Hong long long… *
A lightning bolt as thick as a man’s torso struck down from the sky and landed directly on top of Yang Kai. This bolt contained the majesty of the Heavenly Way in it and had the power able to destroy all things. There was also unparalleled World Energy following along the lightning bolt, as if it was intending to drown Yang Kai in it.
*Kacha… *
As Yang Kai’s body continued to shiver uncontrollably, he could not help letting out a grunt. His clothes were torn to pieces, exposing his strong and firm physique; his skin cracked and blood seeped out.
The Heavenly Way seemed to be forbidding him from advancing to the Emperor Realm.
In order to truly break through, he had to endure the condemnation of the Heavenly Way and withstand a fierce World Energy Baptism.
Throughout the ages, countless talented cultivators and elites had failed at this juncture. This was the reason why there were countless Dao Source Realm cultivators, but so few Emperors in the Star Boundary.
Only those who had strong determination in their Martial Dao could truly reach the Emperor Realm. External forces would not stop them from going against the current, and they would never be shaken as long as they held onto this belief.
The World Energy Baptism for an Emperor was scarier than anything that Yang Kai had ever experienced.
Yang Kai was already injured by just one lightning bolt strike!
Luckily, his physique was exceptionally intrepid and his Golden Blood possessed astonishing regenerative abilities. As such, his cracked skin was able to heal rapidly.
The World Energy that was pouring into him was completely devoured all at once, causing his aura to increase instead of decrease.
The second lightning bolt descended on him before he could fully recover.
And it was even more frightening than the first. A devastating aura permeated when the second lightning bolt struck down, and Yang Kai felt the aura of death contained within it. Without hesitation, he immediately focused his mind and pushed his strength to resist the incoming strike.
*Hong long long… *
Yang Kai’s injuries worsened immediately, and he now looked extremely terrifying with his body drenched in blood. The raging World Energy invaded his body, thrashing about wildly inside his physique and meridians.
He endured the suffering with his gritted teeth and continued to absorb the rampaging World Energy into his body while comprehending the Heavenly Way. He swept away the fog that blinded his eyes and searched for his true Martial Dao.
*Hong Hong Hong… *
The third bolt cascaded down without pause.
In the distance, the two Great Emperors, who were fighting intensely against each other, could not help but be attracted by the commotion caused by Yang Kai, and the both of them turned to look simultaneously.
After a glance, Wu Kuang muttered as his eyes flashed, “That little brat… is not simple.”
He was the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, the strongest Master in the Star Boundary’s history, and although he might be surpassed one day, he was absolutely unprecedented in the present. He did not even put other Great Emperors in his eyes.
Therefore, ‘not simple’ was exceptionally high praise coming from him.
“He is indeed a bit odd!” Duan Hong Chen slightly squinted his eyes and nodded in agreement.
If Yang Kai was simple, how could he suppress Emperor Realm Masters with only a Dao Source Realm cultivation? If he was simple, how could he improve his cultivation so quickly in these short few years? Duan Hong Chen had known Yang Kai for some time now, and even though he was not close with him, he had always been a good judge of character and already predicted that Yang Kai would achieve great success in the future when they first met in Maplewood City.
Although Duan Hong Chen had a high expectation of Yang Kai’s capabilities, at this moment he realized he still underestimated this little boy.
“Duan Hong Chen, did you experience such phenomena when you were breaking through to the Emperor Realm back then?” Wu Kuang questioned in a deep voice.
Duan Hong Chen grinned, “If I had to face such a terrifying World Baptism back then, there would be no Bustling World Great Emperor today.”
Wu Kuang nodded lightly, “This little brat has the makings of a Great Emperor!”
Duan Hong Chen laughed, “I think this little brat has more than just the makings of a Great Emperor. He will surpass you sooner or later!”
“Surpass this King?” Wu Kuang sneered, “Nonsense. No one can surpass the power of this King!”
Duan Hong Chen chuckled, “Say whatever you want, you won’t have a chance to see it anyway.”
Wu Kuang put up a cold face, “Do you have so much confidence in killing this King?”
Duan Hong Chen answered solemnly, “This Old Master already said earlier that he didn’t plan to leave here alive. Today, this Old Master will kill you and settle this matter once and for all, even if I must extinguish my Soul as the price!”
“Good, since you said so, this King won’t need to be polite with you anym… huh?” While speaking, Wu Kuang’s face abruptly changed and he turned his attention back to Yang Kai.
Duan Hong Chen also seemed to have noticed something amiss and turned to look. There, the Heavenly Manifestation above Yang Kai had changed once more. The World Energy clouds that gathered on top of his head had now turned into an inverted funnel, with its top connected to the Heavens, while its bottom connected to Earth. The terrifying World Energy contained in this vortex made the expressions of the two Great Emperors turn dignified.
As soon as the funnel appeared, it crashed downwards madly and directly connected to Yang Kai’s body.
At the same time, Yang Kai’s body seemed to have become a bottomless pit, swallowing the rich and surging power as Emperor Aura radiated from his body more and more intensely.
“What…” Duan Hong Chen’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets, “What is this situation? Is this little brat courting death?”
“Hahaha!” Wu Kuang laughed out loud, “He must be overconfident. To think he would try to contend with and devour the Power of Heaven and Earth. Duan Hong Chen, it looks like this little brat has no chance to surpass this King. There is no doubt that he will die today!”
Without denying his remark, Duan Hong Chen sighed, “What a waste, what a waste!”
If he witnessed this scene at a different time, perhaps he would help Yang Kai out of appreciation for his talent; however, he was in a heated battle with Wu Kuang right now and he could not spare his energy on Yang Kai.
How could Yang Kai survive under this torrent of World Energy?
The activity on Yang Kai’s side became more and more violent as the two Great Emperors spoke, and it was not long before the entire world began shaking. Bottomless ravines emerged as the ground around Yang Kai cracked in a spider-web pattern.
Suddenly, a noble roar sounded and at the same time, a golden dragon shadow emerged out of Yang Kai’s body, shaking its head and flicking its tail, rushing up towards the vortex of World Energy.
“A Golden Dragon Divine Source!” Wu Kuang exclaimed with genuine shock.
“Impossible!” Duan Hong Chen also looked like he had seen a ghost. The appearance of the Golden Dragon Phantom grabbed the two Great Emperors’ attention, and they instantly shifted their focus to Yang Kai, their expressions changing drastically.
“Who is this little brat? How did he obtain a Golden Divine Dragon Source!?” Wu Kuang yelled. For some unknown reason, he seemed quite excited.
After being stunned for quite a while, Duan Hong Chen responded, “How would this Old Master know about such a thing!? The Golden Divine Dragon is the ancestor of the Dragon Clan. It is rumoured that it is the progenitor of the entire Dragon Clan and turned countless aeons ago. How could there be a Golden Divine Dragon Source in this world!?”
“Tsk tsk…” The ghost fire was dancing rapidly in Wu Kuang’s hollow eye sockets, revealing a greedy look, “If those old dragons on Dragon Island knew about this, this King is certain they would go crazy!”
“What are you plotting?” Duan Hong Chen suddenly stared at Wu Kuang vigilantly.
Wu Kuang snorted coldly, “Even if this King has any plans, killing you is the first thing I must do!”
During their conversation, the Golden Divine Dragon turned towards the sky and roared. The dragon opened its mouth facing the terrifying World Energy funnel and sucked in a huge mouthful of that power, devouring and refining it before transferring it to Yang Kai.
In an instant, the pressure on Yang Kai was reduced significantly.
Previously, he also felt that he could not hold on any longer, so he had no choice but to release his Golden Divine Dragon Source. Fortunately, this move was effective.
The Golden Divine Dragon Source was truly magnificent, capable of contending with and swallowing this flood of World Energy.
As the dragon continued to devour, the aura in Yang Kai’s body became stronger and stronger, and his strength increased accordingly. He was completely renewed in spirit and feeling bolder by the moment.
Although he had no idea how it felt when the others were breaking through to the Emperor Realm, he believed that the Emperor Realm Masters whom he encountered before would all be dead if they experienced the same situation as he.
Maybe only he would have such a climactic scene while being promoted.
Time passed slowly as the Golden Divine Dragon continued to swallow the rushing World Energy. The power of the torrent gradually weakened as Yang Kai’s strength steadily increased.
After a stick of incense, the Heavenly Manifestation above Yang Kai’s head dissipated and his surroundings returned to its original peace.
Without the thunder and lightning, the funnel cloud and pressure that seemed to have fallen from the sky also disappeared.
All of the surrounding swirls of World Energy had vanished, completely absorbed into Yang Kai’s body. Crackling explosions emitted from within his motionless body, conveying a celebratory aura.
It seemed that he had broken through successfully.
Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen ogled at the scene with their jaws dropped, as they could not come to terms with what just happened for a long while.
Yang Kai did not feel the slightest joy, however. Not only that, his heart was hammering in his chest. This feeling of anxiety grew stronger ever since the world around him grew calm, as if something extremely terrifying was about to happen.
He clearly felt that he had not really reached the Emperor Realm, seemingly lingering right on the cusp of breaking through but unable to take the last step.
[What happened?]
The Heavenly Manifestation from his breakthrough had vanished, and he already survived the terrifying World Energy Baptism, so why hadn’t he broken through to the Emperor Realm? Yang Kai was lost in confusion and anxiety as the pounding in his chest grew ever fiercer.
Suddenly, a majestic aura emerged from the surrounding world and turned into a stream of light, plunging as fast as lightning straight towards the top of Yang Kai’s head.
Horror struck Yang Kai as a feeling of utter helplessness filled him when he sensed this majestic aura, as if he would turn into ashes without any ability to resist as the stream of light struck.
Moreover, the falling aura gave him a familiar yet foreign feeling. He vaguely remembered sensing it somewhere but could not identify it immediately.
“World Force!” Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen exclaimed in unison, staring at the direction Yang Kai was in. The two Great Emperors became extremely confused at that instant. What could Yang Kai have possibly done to inspire the World Force to appear during his breakthrough to the Emperor Realm?
World Force was a very special and mystical power, even more profound than the World Principle and Source Strength.
Every Great Emperor was proficient in various Principle Strengths and casually used their Source Strengths in battle; but none would underestimate World Force.
That was the power that belonged exclusively to the world itself.
All living beings were as tiny as ants before the world as the world controlled the destinies of every living being. Even someone like the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor could never fully control World Force. This is also the reason why Duan Hong Chen was able to secretly injure him in the previous fight.
Duan Hong Chen had cut his own cultivation multiple times over the past few tens of thousands of years, wandering along the road of the Martial Dao, fumbling about in the Bustling World. Through so many repeated journeys, he had comprehended the essence of the Bustling World. The essence of the Bustling World could also be regarded as a type of World Force, so it could cause damage to Wu Kuang.
Even so, Duan Hong Chen’s Bustling World power still could not be compared with the true World Force.
The release of World Force was equal to the Will of the World; no one could oppose it.
[He’s dead!] The two Great Emperors thought they were witnessing the birth of a genius, but right now they could not help but feel a little disappointed that the outcome was otherwise. There was no way Yang Kai could contend with a bolt of World Force.
The Golden Divine Dragon phantom roared up to the sky, rising upwards to meet the force of Heaven and Earth.
But as the stream of light descended, it pierced through the Golden Dragon phantom, which fell apart and vanished instantly, not impeding the bolt of light which drove towards the top of Yang Kai’s head unabated.
Yang Kai stared upwards, his eyes cold and indifferent.
One could only display their true mettle in a state of crisis. Yang Kai’s mind suddenly became extremely clear and his whole being relaxed in peace.
He snapped his fingers and the Mountains and Rivers Bell flew out. The quaint Mountains and Rivers Bell expanded in the air to the size of a house, the magnificent patterns and carvings on it seemingly coming alive and dancing around vividly.
An immense world-suppressing aura suddenly filled the air!
“Mountains and Rivers Bell!” Duan Hong Chen’s eyes widened, his face pale in shock as he cried out, “Mountains and Rivers Bell, it’s Yuan Ding’s Mountains and Rivers Bell!”
The ghost fires in Wu Kuang’s sockets were also dancing wildly in fear. Completely ignoring the fight with Duan Hong Chen, he stared in the direction of Yang Kai with a blazing gaze in shock.
The abilities and methods used by Yang Kai during his breakthrough to the Emperor Realm shocked the eyes and minds of the two Great Emperors. In the past, the two of them would never have dared to imagine that a person could possess so many treasures.
The Golden Divine Dragon was the ancestor of the Dragon Clan and was rumoured to have disappeared long ago; however, its Source had appeared in Yang Kai. Yuan Ding’s Mountains and Rivers Bell was an Ancient Exotic Artifact, a treasure even coveted by other Great Emperors. During the War of Great Emperors, Yuan Ding used the last bit of his strength to drive it into The Void, and it was nowhere to be found since. Yet, at this moment, it was presented with a strange brilliance in Yang Kai’s possession.
[Who is this brat? Why is he so blessed by the Heavens?]
The two Great Emperors finally understood why his breakthrough to the Emperor Realm would lead to being a target of the World Force.
He must have had unlimited opportunities and immense good fortune during his growth, but the Heavenly Way was fair and just. There must be gains and losses on the Martial Dao; the more opportunities one obtains and the more excellent a cultivator’s aptitude, the more hindrance one would encounter during breakthroughs. The two factors had a proportional relationship.
No one ever comprehended the reason for this phenomenon, but there were never any exceptions throughout the ages.
It would be outrageous for the World Force to not be attracted to the person possessing both the Golden Divine Source Strength and the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
The two Great Emperors no longer felt sorry for Yang Kai, because such a catastrophe was inevitable for him. Even if it did not appear now, it would appear sooner or later. It was only a matter of time.
The World Energy Baptism earlier was just an appetizer, while this bolt of World Force was the main course.
Yang Kai would surely soar into the sky if he survived this calamity, but there was nothing to say if he did not.
“Wu Kuang, you are knowledgeable, do you think he can survive?” Duan Hong Chen gulped.
Wu Kuang was merely a skeleton now, and obviously had no saliva to swallow, but his ‘visible’ Adam’s apple was bobbing in anxiety and he replied faintly, “The Mountains and Rivers Bell’s chime is sufficient to suppress mountains and rivers, its aura sufficient to invert the universe. Among the Great Emperors back then, this Old Master admired you the most, but the one whom this Old Master feared the most was Yuan Ding! Because he had the Mountains and Rivers Bell!”
“Is this why you desperately aimed to inflict serious injuries on him first?”
Wu Kuang snorted coldly, “This King wanted to kill him, but it’s a pity that you sabotaged this King’s plan!”
“These are things from the past, let’s change the topic,” Duan Hong Chen grinned meaningfully.
“If Yuan Ding personally summoned the Mountains and Rivers Bell, this World Force would naturally not be able to penetrate it. The Mountains and Rivers Bell indeed has the power to suppress the World itself, making it the nemesis of the World Force, but how much power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell can this brat exert?” Wu Kuang asked.
Duan Hong Chen questioned in a solemn voice, “So, do you think he will die?”
“It will be hard to survive!”
Duan Hong Chen rolled his eyes and suggested, “Then shall we make a bet?”
“What bet? What do we bet with?” Wu Kuang asked in a deep voice.
Duan Hong Chen pointed with his finger, “Bet on whether he lives!”
“What if he lives? What if he dies?”
“If that boy dies, this Old Master will commit suicide in front of you and destroy my own Soul. If he lives, you have to do it instead!”
Wu Kuang’s face changed drastically at his proposal and he exploded, “Duan Hong Chen, do you just want to kill this King so badly that you would not even hesitate to use your own life as a chip!?”
Duan Hong Chen answered quickly, “This Old Master told you he would drag you down to die even if his Soul would perish! I don’t care about my life anymore, so what is this Old Master afraid of?”
Wu Kuang’s eyes quivered in anger.
“Are you afraid?” Duan Hong Chen smiled contemptuously, his eyes narrowed at him.
“Don’t bother trying to provoke this King!” Wu Kuang snorted, “This King has not been afraid of anything since he was born.”
“Then do you agree?”
Wu Kuang sneered, “This King controls his own life, no one else can decide it for him!”
Duan Hong Chen snorted loudly, “Wu Kuang, Wu Kuang, I did not expect you to become so cautious. It seems that you have changed a lot after these tens of thousands of years of sleep. The old you wouldn’t have said that.”
“What would this King have said?” Wu Kuang looked at him coldly.
Duan Hong Chen answered, “The old you would definitely agree to it, and then secretly killed that boy.”
“Is this King such a despicable person in your eyes?” Wu Kuang snorted coldly.
“You should know how despicable you are. Why would you ask me?”
While the two Great Emperors were talking, the stream of the World Force was already very close to Yang Kai, but was greatly slowed down by the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell’s aura seemed to have a great effect on suppressing the World Force.
However, Yang Kai was under tremendous pressure at the moment.
The cost of using the Mountains and Rivers Bell was enormous, and although his strength at this moment was much higher than before, Yang Kai was still feeling overwhelmed. It was also extremely alarming to watch a fatal attack slowly descending upon him.
Yang Kai knew that if he could not stop this bolt of World Force, he would definitely die.
Yang Kai had never felt more tormented as the aura of death slowly engulfed him.
*Kuang! Kuang! Kuang!*
The Mountains and Rivers Bell tolled loudly, and the force of suppression became more and more aggressive, but the stream of light was still sinking downward steadily. Yang Kai was at a loss for what to do as blood was trickling down his mouth and nose miserably.
As the stream of light advanced closer and closer to him, Yang Kai’s heart sank as he felt the Mountains and Rivers Bell could no longer suppress it.
At this moment, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and he suddenly fathomed what this inexplicable power was.
This was World Force!
It was the Will of the World!
No wonder it was so familiar.
It was familiar to him because he had used World Force before!
After understanding this, an extremely bold idea popped into his mind.
He stretched out his hand in the next moment, and the Sealed World Bead suddenly appeared at his fingertips. Communicating with it silently, Yang Kai pulled a profound and mysterious power from the Sealed World Bead and blasted it towards the approaching World Force.
The force released from the Sealed World Bead was surprisingly similar to the World Force descending upon Yang Kai, as if both of them were of the same source.
“Another World Force?” Wu Kuang exclaimed in astonishment.
“How can he utilise World Force? Where is he producing it from?” Duan Hong Chen was surprised too.
Yang Kai was not in the Emperor Realm yet, and even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master who had cultivated for a long time would still be unable to use this kind of power. Only Great Emperors could begin to comprehend World Force, and only Great Emperors were qualified to slightly utilize it.
The primary difference between a Great Emperor and a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was their ability to comprehend World Force.
If one could comprehend World Force, he or she would be qualified to become a Great Emperor, superior to any Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
But now, unexpectedly, Yang Kai released a beam of World Force. Although its power was still inferior to genuine World Force, it was simply akin to the difference between a father and a son. It was different, but could still be considered World Force.
Both Great Emperors were deeply shocked, much more shocked than when they saw the Golden Divine Dragon Source or the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
“Is it because of that bead?”
Wu Kuang looked at the Sealed World Bead with scorching eyes and a thoughtful look on his skeletal face. If he was not afraid of the World Force, he would have already released his Divine Sense to examine the bead. Therefore, he did not know what type of artifact the Sealed World Bead was.
With Wu Kuang able to see through this mystery, Duan Hong Chen was naturally able to as well. Staring at the Sealed World Bead with his brows furrowed, Duan Hong Chen tried to match it with the renowned artifacts in his memory, but to no avail.
He seemed to have never seen this artifact before.
Duan Hong Chen was bewildered. He had lived for tens of thousands of years and he believed that it was basically impossible for him to not recognize any famous artifact from the Star Boundary.
However, this strange bead appeared in front of him and proved him wrong.
No matter what the bead really was, Yang Kai being able to use World Force must have something to do with it!
[Is it an Ancient Exotic Artifact?] A single frightening thought came up in Duan Hong Chen’s mind, but soon, he denied his speculation, because all Ancient Exotic Artifacts were easy to identify as they had an aura that was completely unique and unconcealable, just like the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
The Sealed World Bead had a small world inside of it, and since it contained an independent world, it naturally possessed its own World Force too. As the owner of the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai’s mind was connected with the Sealed World Bead and he could easily extract the World Force out of it to confront the awe-inspiring catastrophe.
Nevertheless, it was just a small world inside the Sealed World Bead, impossible to compare to a real Great World.
The difference in the strength of the two World Forces could be noticed at a glance.
*Hong long long… *
The World Force of the Sealed World Bead rushed upwards and soon collided with the World Force from the real world.
Yang Kai observed nervously. If even this failed to resist the oncoming onslaught, he would only have one last card left in his sleeve, which was to release his Demon Qi seal and transform into the Ancient Great Demon to overcome this disaster.
However, Yang Kai was not sure if he could re-seal the Demon Qi again after doing so. It had been several years since the last time the seal was released, so in theory, the Firmament Tree planted in the Sealed World Bead should have accumulated sufficient sealing strength, as one year of its growth in the medicine garden was equivalent to a hundred years outside.
Would it not be possible to seal the rioting Demon Qi with a few hundred years of sealing strength?
Unfortunately, this method had a drawback. Every time the seal was released, Yang Kai would need more sealing strength to suppress the Demon Qi again, so Yang Kai would never pull out this ace unless it was a last resort.
Who knew if the sealing strength of Firmament Tree would be insufficient to seal the Ancient Demon Qi this time? If that happened, he might permanently become demonized, losing himself in madness and murderous rage. Yang Kai did not dare to underestimate the potency of the pure Demon Qi from the Ancient Great Demon.
In the next moment, the world itself shook.
The strange sealed space seemed to be breaking apart.
Wu Kuang’s and Duan Hong Chen’s faces turned pale simultaneously.
The two beams of World Force clashed together, delivering an impact beyond imagination, it was as if two worlds had crashed together, and the vicissitudes of the world were merely a moment away.
It could be seen clearly that the World Force produced by the Sealed World Bead was gradually melting away, obviously no match against the World Force from the real world.
But as it melted, Yang Kai felt that the pressure on him was greatly reduced. This discovery made Yang Kai’s face brighten up.
When the World Force of the Sealed World Bead disappeared completely, Yang Kai formed a hand seal as his face turned solemn, desperately pushing his Source Qi and fully opening his Knowledge Sea, releasing a rush of Spiritual Energy.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell shone brightly once more, and the world-suppressing aura became more and more aggressive.
The remaining World Force seemed to be struggling, but with Yang Kai’s last desperate bet, the World Force was directly suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
*Hong…*
A loud explosion occurred as the Mountains and Rivers Bell fell a short distance in front of Yang Kai, and the light on its surface gradually dimmed, while the remaining World Force was overwhelmed and sealed beneath it.
The aftermath of the impact faded slowly, everything returned back to normal.
Yang Kai looked frail and battered, yet he was giving off a peculiar aura at the same time. With a wave of his hand, countless Source Crystals poured out, burst into dust, and turned into pure World Energy.
Yang Kai’s body turned into a bottomless pit at once and madly devoured the surrounding World Energy.
His weakened aura rose steadily, and soon reached the peak of the Dao Source Realm, but it did not stop there.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai suddenly heard a loud crack coming out of his body, and he felt lighter all of a sudden. A comforting, refreshing feeling was spreading all over his body, while, the Source Qi in his body was also experiencing a huge transformation. Even his over-consumed Knowledge Sea was filled up in an instant.
The whole world seemed to be notably different from before.
Yang Kai felt like he had been reborn, and every strand of his muscles was invigorated with power, each containing terrifying strength beyond anything he had ever experienced before.
Emperor Intent permeated the air, clear and identifiable, dense and thick.
Emperor Realm!
It had been several dozen years since he began to cultivate at the age of thirteen, and today he had finally reached the Emperor Realm. After going through numerous life and death crises, even though there was still a long way to reach the true peak, Yang Kai had finally earned the qualification to climb that mountain.
With excitement, he let out a long howl and rushed straight into the sky.
“He actually… succeeded!” Wu Kuang blurted in amazement.
“Luckily you had the foresight to not agree, otherwise you would have had to kill yourself in front of this Old Master,” Duan Hong Chen spat disdainfully, annoyed that Wu Kuang had cautiously declined his bet. Things would have been simpler if he had just accepted.
“How is it possible that he succeeded?” Wu Kuang’s face turned dreadfully ugly.
As the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor and the top Master in the Star Boundary’s history, he always believed that no one could surpass him in any aspect.
But today, someone did.
Even though it was just the scene of being promoted to the Emperor Realm.
Wu Kuang himself also had many difficulties when he was breaking through to the Emperor Realm, but it was far from the horrors that he had witnessed today.
Given the tribulations that this little brat had encountered when he was breaking through, one could imagine how bright his future would be. Previously, Duan Hong Chen remarked that Yang Kai would surpass Wu Kuang in the future, and the latter only took it as just a joke, but now, it seemed that it might really be possible.
How could a person with such outstanding strength and aptitude, in addition to possessing so many precious treasures, lack achievements in the future?
Wu Kuang could not help feeling a bit lost, a first for him in his lifetime.
Suddenly, his face changed drastically and he turned to Duan Hong Chen and fumed, “Old thing, how dare you deceive me! Curse you!”
Wu Kuang flew into a rage as Duan Hong Chen had secretly been acting against him the entire time.
Duan Hong Chen cracked up, “It seems that you really care about that little brat, you didn’t even notice the trick that this Old Master performed until now, but it’s too late.”
When speaking, Duan Hong Chen surged his Emperor Qi and the Divine Tree Bai Yi, which had been covering him, instantly became as red as blood.
The Divine Tree Bai Yi was a Wood Attribute Source, and was originally emerald green in colour; but now, it somehow turned blood red and revealed a dreadfully strange aura.
“How dare you swallow the vitality and blood that I have worked so hard to collect!” Wu Kuang barked. He then looked at Duan Hong Chen incredulously, “If you push the Divine Tree Bai Yi’s Source Strength in such an aggressive manner, you will destroy it! When that happens, how do you plan to explain to Iron Blood!?”
Duan Hong Chen replied solemnly, “Iron Blood knew that this Old Master was not planning to return, so he allowed this Old Master to handle the Divine Tree Bai Yi’s Source as he wished. I would really like to see how you can restore your body without any vital essence now! What can you do with this skeleton that has slept for tens of thousands of years? I believe the answer is… nothing!”
“Damn! All of you want this King to die, but this King is not going to grant your wish!” Wu Kuang roared hysterically.
Duan Hong Chen sneered, “You are powerless to make a comeback. Just die obediently. I’ll accompany you to hell to make sure you are not lonely!”
When the words fell, Duan Hong Chen rushed directly towards Wu Kuang with a flicker, hovering in mid-air. The Emperor Qi in his body rioted violently, sending out an extremely disturbing aura.
“Self-destruction?” Wu Kuang’s eyes quivered wildly. He had never panicked before, even during the time when he was besieged by all the other Great Emperors in the past. However, when he saw Duan Hong Chen decisively pounce on him, he could not help being frightened.
Although Duan Hong Chen was currently just a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator, he still had a Great Emperor’s background. Therefore, if he really decided to self-destruct, Wu Kuang would definitely be unable to bear the damage and would truly have to accompany him to hell.
“How dare you push this King to this extent!? Duan Hong Chen, don’t go too far!” Wu Kuang yelled and immediately performed a hand seal. The Primordial Astral Wind that was billowing between him and Duan Hong Chen suddenly grew fiercer and gave off a dreadfully dangerous aura.
Duan Hong Chen’s face darkened. He knew that he had cornered Wu Kuang and the latter was now planning to blow up the Primordial Astral Wind.
The Primordial Astral Wind was a Wind Attribute Source, and the power of its self-destruction would be unimaginably devastating.
It would be a pity if that little brat named Yang Kai died in the aftermath of their battle; however, when the arrow is on the bowstring, it must fly; Duan Hong Chen could only hope that the Heavens would keep Yang Kai out of harm’s way.